Chapter twenty-four
The following day Alex and Evelyn returned to England. Dewint rushed to change out of the taffeta frock he had bought from the Blue Cross charity shop. He scurried downstairs as the doorbell rang again, wiping the cream from his face, still trying to get his make-up off. ‘I’m afraid Mr Barkley is not at home, sah.’
Alex pushed past him and ran up to Edward’s bedroom, began to search through his desk, through his drawers.
Dewint hovered at the door. ‘I really don’t think you should, sah.’
Alex straightened up. He was sweating, red in the face. ‘Where does he go? Do you know? All these months away from London, where does he go?’
Flustered by Alex’s anger, Dewint stuttered, ‘W-Well, sah, I–I really don’t know, he has f-friends in California, and, er, he goes to Africa, but I really d-don’t know where he is at this p-precise moment in time, sah.’
Looking around, Evelyn saw the drooping, bald Christmas tree, the dead fire in the grate. The place seemed cold and lifeless. Dirty dishes were left on a tray, and the warmth, the Christmas atmosphere, were gone. He shivered — the house frightened him. ‘Daddy, who are all these people in the paintings?’
Alex pushed past him into the lounge, and snapped to Dewint that he should clean the place up.
‘When will my brother be back, do you know?’
‘I’m s-sorry, sah, but he never tells me when he is departing or returning, I just... I suppose you heard about Mrs Barkley? She was taken very bad again just before Christmas, and Jinks has been sent to boarding school. I’m here alone, you see...’
Evelyn was more confused than ever. The manor house was different — cold and ugly. It was as if he had only imagined the warmth and happiness of the Christmas festivities. He was looking forward to seeing his mother.
Barbara was resting. The stitches were still there but the swelling and initial tenderness of her breasts had subsided. She would soon be back in circulation, and she was already planning functions and parties.
Evelyn rushed to his mother to give her a hug, and she screamed, pushing him away. ‘Don’t touch me! My God you’re so rough.’
Evelyn walked out, pausing in the doorway to give his mother a cold look. Then he slammed the door behind him.
Alex, unaware of Barbara’s many cosmetic operations, or the present condition of her breasts, saw only his son’s hurt face. ‘He only wanted to kiss you, for Chrissake.’
Barbara got up, flustered. She hadn’t expected them to return from New York for at least another week. ‘Did you have a pleasant Christmas? How is Ming, well?’
Alex smiled. Barbara could never resist getting her small digs in. He ignored the question. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Edward at all, have you?’
Barbara inspected her face in the mirror, gave him a veiled look. ‘I’m not likely to, am I?’
Alex looked at her reflection and was struck by her flawless skin, her still-beautiful face. She caught him staring at her, and made a move towards him. ‘Alex... Alex, I’ve missed you, can’t we at least talk?’
Just like his son he walked away from her, annoyed that he had even given her the opportunity to see the effect she still had on him. Unlike Evelyn he did not slam the door but closed it quietly and firmly behind him.
Alex was handed all the documents Edward had left for him. He asked Miss Henderson what had happened, if she knew where his brother could be contacted. All she could tell him was what had taken place the last time she had seen him, and then she handed him the sealed envelope.
‘Mrs Barkley is very sick, did you know?’
Alex was confused, for a moment thinking she was referring to Barbara, but then realized she was talking about Harriet.
‘She’s in a mental institution. She had a nervous breakdown just before Christmas. I have the address, and also Juliana is now in a boarding school.’
‘And you don’t know where Edward is? Didn’t he leave a contact number?’
‘No, Mr Barkley. The last thing he said to me was to make sure you received that envelope.’
Alex closed his office door, put down the thick file of all the listed documents left by Edward, saw the stack of signed cheques, and then opened the envelope. There was no letter, just a copy of Edward Barkley’s will, naming as sole heir his brother Alex Barkley. He read the small print carefully, but there seemed to be no hitch, no catch... Edward had disappeared simply handing Alex the reins. He wouldn’t know for how long, but he was going to make damned sure he would grab hold of them, maybe hold so tight that Edward would have a tough time getting them away from him when and if he returned.
Chapter twenty-five
Evelyn was sent to Harrow as a boarder. In this, his fourth year, along with two other pupils, he went down to Oxford Street and stole two records from a store. The three boys then got very drunk on the journey back to school. Two of the boys returned to their dormitory, but Evelyn passed out on the tennis courts. The housemaster discovered him the next morning as he went to play his regular eight o’clock game.
The boys had stolen the records while wearing their uniforms, and the school had already been informed about the theft. Evelyn was discovered holding the two albums in his arms — one by Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He was expelled.
Barbara was having her hair blow-dried when he sauntered into her bedroom. ‘Good God, what are you doing at home?’
‘I thought you knew,’ he replied, cockily, ‘I’ve been given the old heave-ho... Where’s Dad?’
‘At the office of course, what have you done? Lyn? Evelyn! Will you come back here, I’m talking to you!’
Evelyn reappeared and leaned against the door, picking his nose. ‘What do you want?’
‘I want to know what you did this time? Have you any idea how difficult it was for your father to get a place for you at Harrow? It was bad enough in your junior school.’
‘No, I don’t know how difficult it was, but I’m sure you will tell me, Mother.’
‘I’m going to call him, right now. You are the most infuriating person I have ever met — and for God’s sake use a hankerchief.’
Evelyn walked out. He was fifteen years old and arrogantly self-assured. His voice had a resonant, plummy tone learned at Harrow. He had gained little, as far as Barbara and Alex could see, from his vastly expensive education apart from his nonchalant way of speaking. Academically he was either close to or bottom of the class. Only in sports did he excel. However, even his sports reports had begun to include the word ‘lazy’, and ‘unsporting conduct’ had been mentioned in two memos from his housemaster. Alex had hoped he could get to Cambridge on his prowess in the game of rugby, but of late even that had fallen below par.
He had grown very tall for his age. Although facially more like Edward than Barbara or Alex ever cared to mention, he had inherited his mother’s slenderness and would never be as tall or as big-boned as his father.
Alex was not at his office — he was at Harrow, desperately trying to salvage his son’s education, hoping to get the expulsion reduced to suspension. Evelyn had made no attempt to cover for his two friends, and they had been expelled along with him. Alex did not expect such sweeping and immediate action for what he deemed a small misdemeanour. All boys got a little drunk, didn’t they?