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Otherwise you start losing control again.’ He’d got so involved in his account for a moment he’d almost forgotten that this woman opposite was a total stranger. Feeling he was going on too long, he began to apologise.
    ‘Not at all – I’m interested in people and rather nosy about what their lives are all about,’ she said. ‘Do you have a family?’
    He told her about Sarah and Joanna, and about Sarah’s family.
    ‘As a matter of fact I had my lunch there today, and spent a glorious afternoon playing trains with George and Kate. Do you know,’ he said, leaning towards her a little, ‘for the first time I actually forgot my own pain for an hour or so, I got so absorbed with what we were doing.’
    ‘That’s good.’ She sounded as though it really was a source of pleasure to her that he had experienced that brief relief. ‘Is there anything else that helps?’
    ‘Yes – seeing my lovely 85-year-old mother. Tomorrow I shall be visiting her. And she always makes me feel comforted, even if she doesn’t always remember that Edie has died.’
    He started to tell her of his concerns about his mother, living on her own, and her increasing frailty and forgetfulness.
    ‘The way your eyes are glowing when you talk about your mother,’ she said, ‘I can see you have a tremendous fondness for her. Did she bring you and your sister up entirely on her own?’
    ‘She did, and a marvellous job she made of it. She has always been the best mother in the world – amazingly strong, and caring. I really want to do the right thing by her now. Margaret’s pressing for her to go into a care home, but I know she would hate it. I go and see her as often as I can, and I’ll try and visit more frequently. I think I may give work up soon, or at least make it part time. She deserves to be cared for now – she’s done so much for us.’
    ‘You have a lot of concerns.’
    ‘I suppose no more than other people. I imagine you have a fair number too.’
    ‘Some,’ she agreed. ‘Look, I think I probably should get back now – I’m going to visit some friends myself tomorrow, and have a fair amount of driving to do.’
    ‘I’m grateful to you for rescuing me from a black hole this evening,’ he said. ‘I had been dreading it, and it was turning out to be a very deep black hole – but thanks to you the evening hasn’t been all bad.’
    She smiled. ‘Perhaps the pub was more aptly named than we realised. Anyway, I’m glad if I’ve been able to help you, as that helps me too. Perhaps I can be of some use in the future if you feel the need of an ear to bend. I wonder if, perhaps, you would like to have my phone number? Just in case you should feel you want to speak to someone?’
    ‘Thank you, I should like that,’ he said, aware that initially his behaviour had been unfriendly.
    She fished in her handbag for a scrap of paper and wrote her name – Angela – and the number. Then she passed it over to him.
    ‘You’ve actually been a bit of a godsend,’ he said, taking the paper and stuffing it into his jacket pocket. ‘The thing is, all I know is that you’re Angela. May I know your surname?’
    ‘It’s Gabriel,’ she replied. ‘And now I must fly.’
Chapter 4
    Marjorie stood at the window of the front room in her little house where she so often stood when she was expecting a visitor. It would be lovely to see Fraser drive up tomorrow – he was always so kind to her, and never told her what to do, which was more than you could say of Margaret. Her second name was bossy boots. Marjorie knew both her children worried about her, and that Margaret really only wanted to help her. She wished she was not a nuisance to them. One of the worst things about being so old was feeling you had become a burden to your children.
    She found it hard that her memory let her down these days. She felt so ashamed that she had not remembered about Edie’s death. Poor Fraser, she did so hope he had not been too hurt by her blunder.