The Price of Butcher's Meat (11 page)

It was like trying to take a bone off old Fang—except she didnt growl.

Quiet as a nun—contained—gave nothing away—maybe shes got social problems—serve her right for being so good looking! At least when the time came to go—she offered to help with washing up the tea things—but Lady D

was on her feet—& would brook no waiting. Whatever auntie wants—auntie gets!

I helped Mary clear up. Tom headed off to his study to work on his computer—declaring that Lady D was like Sandytown itself—a breath of fresh air—bringing new life to old ideas. Me—noting her cool reaction to some of his less commercial concerns—Id have said more like a breath of CO2! But Toms enthusiasm is the kind that sees direct opposition as oblique encouragement!

Mary is much clearer-sighted. Over the washing up I asked about Clara—

had she always lived with her aunt?

—oh no—said Mary—only for the last six months or so—

Didnt take much to get the whole story. Bit like a 19th century novel—in fact the whole place has that feel—slow paced & leisurely on the surface but all kinds of interesting plot stuff swirling around underneath!

Daphne Brereton—Lady

D—wealthy by birth—& wealthier by her first marriage—is naturally the object of much interest—living—& even more—

dead! The Great Philosophical Question occupying Sandytonians isnt the meaning of life—or even—can England ever win the World Cup again?—any world cup!—but—wholl inherit Lady Ds lolly?!

Mary has a nice narrative style—little overt malice—but she purses her lips when certain subjects come up—& you get the message as well as the facts!

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Not much chance of the money going to charity—it seems. Lady D feels the poor of the world probably deserve it—except for poor old horses—whose reward for having their spines bent by big bums like hers during their prime should be an old age of comfort & freedom! Used to be a very keen hunter herself—kept half a dozen top class horses—her one extravagance—Mary says. Gave them up after Sir Harrys accident—only keeping one old boy—

Ginger—for looking down at the peasants from as she hacks around the countryside!

So—OXFAM—eat your heart out! Daphs stated belief is—money should stay in the family—but which family?—is the question.

Hot favorites for a long time were the Denhams—specifically a nephew who inherited the title & Denham Park when Lady Ds husband—Sir Harry—

died. Nothing else—because there wasnt anything else—& even the house was a poisoned chalice—entailed so he couldnt sell it—& it would cost a fortune to get it back to what it once was.

Love apart—Sir Harrys plan had been to repair the family mansion—& his own fortunes—by a “good” marriage—told you it was like a 19th century novel!—but hed popped his clogs before any of his brides fortune could find its way into the Denham account.

According to Mary—Lady D had been heard to say—in confidential mood—that though shed got nothing but her title from the Denham marriage—on the other hand shed given nothing for it! Some dame—eh?

Perhaps it was her sense of having lost nothing—plus of course it must give her a nice power charge—that made her play along when the new baronet—Sir Edward—& his sister—Esther—started cozying up to her. Lady D loves having them dance attendance—drops them little titbits from time to time to keep them interested—took them on a skiing holiday last Christmas for instance.

That made them think they were at the top of the inheritance list—so they must have got a nasty shock when shortly after they came back Lady D

brought cousin Clara to live at the hall! To compensate—maybe—she gave Sir Ed some kind of job in the Hollis pig empire—not his kind of thing at all—Mary implied—but hed had to take it—or risk losing his cozying-up access!

Seems first hubby—Hog Hollis—was built in the same mold—expecting relatives to put up with his bossy ways—& be grateful for whatever crumbs 7 2

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he dropped their way. Closest—in blood at least—was his half-brother—

Harold—known as Hen—Hollis. Seems the pair never got on—& when they inherited Millstone—the family farm—rather than work together—Hog went with the pigs—& Hen with the poultry—hence their names—gerrit?!

Neck & neck at first—till Hen got hit hard by the salmonella scare way back. Needed cash badly—turned to Hog who was doing well—Hog offered a loan—but being echt Yorkshire—demanded Hens share of Millstone—as security. When—despite the loan—the chicken business finally went bust—Hog gave Hen a job—in charge of quality control—in his pig business. But it was still family loyalty—Yorkshire style! Part of Hens salary came in the form of letting him continue to live at Millstone Farm—all of which now belonged to Hog!

Hog himself was now ensconced in Sandytown Hall—from which he

wooed Daphne Brereton. They married—Hog continued to prosper—Hen & Lady D didnt get on—but both of them were used to not getting on with people so nothing strange there—then Hog died—& left nearly everything to his widow. His token ac know ledgment of family ties was that he only left her Millstone in trust. The building & everything on the farm would revert to Hen—if he survived his sis- in-law.

Locally—says Mary—if you want to bet on Hen outliving Lady D you can get odds of 20 to 1! She enjoys vigorous good health—hes a hard drinker—& smoker—& “choleric”—most of his choler being directed at his brothers relict—who is enjoying what he—& several other Hollises—thought should have come to the family.

Led by Hen—these disaffected Hollises raised objections to the will. Not all of them—some—like Alan Hollis who runs Lady Ds pub the Hope & Anchor—knew what side their bread was buttered on. The others got nowhere—Lady Ds smart London lawyer soon swatted off their flimsy legal objections. Lady D was ready to be patronizingly generous in victory—after all in their shoes shed have done exactly the same—but when she learned that Hen was trying a new tack—& circulating rumors that shed had a hand in her husbands death—she went bananas!

Daph & Hen had a violent—& public—row—which ended with Hen refusing to retract his insinuations. Maybe hed forgotten that Lady D was now his T H E P R I C E O F B U T C H E R ’ S M E AT 7 3

boss. If so he was quickly reminded when she fired him—& when he retali-ated by saying he didnt fancy working for a fat old tart anyway—Daph really put the boot in by serving him notice to quit the Hollis farm—which she was legally entitled to do.

Happy families—eh? Makes our lot seem right cozy!

At least Hen has the satisfaction of knowing Daph has no way of stopping him getting Millstone back—if he outlives her. But the others—that is the Denhams—& cousin Clara—are going to have to sing her song for whatever supper she may leave them. Mary shows little sympathy for the bart & his sister—but she purses her lips on Claras behalf—implying her position in the house hold is less honored guest than unpaid house keeper & general factotum!

Made me feel guilty about bad- thinking her—Clara I mean—now I know shes a poor relative—probably shivering in an attic bedroom—& scrubbing floors & cleaning grates for her daily gruel—& brawn on Sundays!

—so Lady Denhams a bit tight with money?—I said—stopping short of Uncle Sidneys phrase.

—you could say that—said Mary.

—but she is throwing this big hog roast party next Sunday—I said.

Mary did the pursed lip thing again. (I really must practice it! Might come in useful when patients ask my opinion about their amatory feelings toward their livestock!)

—the event is financed by the consortium—she said—all Daphne Brereton is providing is the location. The Hope and Anchor—which she owns—is supplying the drink—& I gather shes even charging the consortium for the Hollis pig—so—as usual—she will end up making a hefty profit!—

Interesting—eh?

Spent the eve ning playing snap with the Parker kids. Found it hard not to do a Headbanger & win all the time—so I rang home—just to remind myself what I was missing. Nice chat with mum—then dad came on. In a good mood—got the house the way he likes it again—no visitors—just him—mum—

George plus the twins—& me where he likes me—at the end of a phone line—where we are both at our best!

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Told him about the escaped convie—Mr Deal—aka Dee Ell—who claimed to know him.

—big bugger?—he said—looks like his mam got put to stud with a prize bull?—

Got a way with words—our dad—but I had to admit he was on the ball here.

—aye—I remember him—Andy Dalziel (he spelt it out)—hes a copper—

dont know what he does to crooks—but he used to kick the shit out of us on the rugby field—

—he remembered you fondly too—I said—called you Stompy—

—remembered that—did he?—said dad—sounding like he was touched—

Not a bad sort—Dalziel—long as you dont cross him. Hard man to knock down—bet he dented Parkers car!—It were him that got blown up by them mad buggers earlier this year—you probably read about it—if you had time to look at a paper—between disco dancing & getting drunk—

Interesting view of higher education—our dad!

—thats probably why hes at the convalescent home—I said.

—theyll have their hands full—he said—give him my best if you see him again—

I said I would—but not much chance—I think. Probably got him in a padded cell after his escape trick the other day!

So now to my lonely bed—thinking of you all tangled up with the bronze bonking machine! Just cos Ive given up men forever doesnt mean I cant enjoy them vicariously—so—give him one for me!

Lots of love

Charley XX

9

Morning, Mildred!

They’ve still got me banged up in bed, so I might as well talk to myself. At least I’ll hear some sense!

No. Be fair. Like me old mam used to say, there’s some folk you
needn’t be kind to, but you should always try to be fair with everyone.

I thought I’d wake up with the dawn the morning after the great escape and feel right as rain. Instead it were nigh on midday and I were
busting for a piss, but when I slid out of bed, I almost fell over. Felt
worse than I’d done in the Central.

Matron appeared like a flash—mebbe she’s got me bugged!

“Mr. Dalziel,” she said. “You shouldn’t be up!”

“Shouldn’t I?” I said. “It’s either that or I’ll be floating out of here on
my mattress.”

She had the sense not to suggest I use one of them bottles, but slung
my arm over her shoulders, grabbed me round the waist, and together
we staggered into the bathroom.

“There,” she said. “I’ll just tidy up your bed, then I’ll be back for
you.”

“Take your time,” I said. “I’m going to.”

I left flushing the bog till after I’d got washed up so’s she’d not have
any advance warning and come rushing to help. Two quick steps from
the bog to the doorway and I had to stop for a rest.

Matron were standing by my newly made bed, holding my recorder.

“Found this in your bed, Mr. Dalziel,” she said.

“Oh aye. It’s a sex aid,” I said.

“Really?” she said, holding it to her ear. “What’s it play? Beginner’s
instructions?”

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Cheeky cow! But I had to laugh. And she grinned too, like she knew
that my only interest in bed that moment was getting into it and going
back to sleep.

I went forward at a stagger, grabbed the recorder off her, and fell
across the mattress. She tutted and pulled the duvet over me.

“I see you’ve got a visit scheduled tomorrow,” she said. “Hope you
can get down to your physio session in the morning or we may have to
cancel it.”

But she was grinning as she said it.

Bit more to her than I reckoned. Could make summat of her yet! But
need to be careful now she’s set her sharp little eyes on this thing. Think
I’ll tuck it between my legs before I go to sleep. If anyone can get it out
of there without me noticing, then I’m really knackered! But I’ll need to
find a better place to hide it permanent if I don’t want them having a
right giggle in the nurses’ room. Old trick, wrap it in a plastic bag and
stick it in the lav cistern. First place a cop ’ud look, but cops are one
thing I don’t need to worry about just now!

So, head down, and hope I can skip them funny dreams I keep on
getting and work on a nice little fantasy about Cap instead. Roll on tomorrow. Couple of hours with Cap’s all the physiotherapy I need!

10

Okay, Mildred, I should have listened to you and put my woolly vest on!

Bad night. Didn’t get my hoped-for fantasy about Cap but another
bunch of them daft dreams about floating around and talking to God!

But my physio went well. Tony tutted a bit when he looked me over.

But by the time he’d finished, I were feeling lish enough to reckon I
could give Cap the welcome she deserved!

First, though, I had to put up with her giving me the bollocking she
thought I deserved! Blabbermouth Festerwhanger must have really laid
it on thick about how much damage I could have done to myself going
over the wire.

I tried playing it down, doing the big bull thing, saying, “Come here
and I’ll soon show thee how poorly I am!” Well, she came, and I showed
her, and that’s when I found out, like mam used to say, that my eyes
were hungrier than my belly.

When I finally gave up, she said, “That does it, Andy. From now on
in, if they tell you to start the day with an ice bath, you bloody well take
it! If I wanted a eunuch, I’d have looked in the Istanbul small ads.”