The Pumpkin Eater Read Online Free Page A

course. If I were nicely settled in a house in the country with furniture — I presume you’ve got furniture — and all the usual amenities, I certainly shouldn’t abandon it all for Jake. He’s totally unreliable, always has been. And I wasn’t even aware that he liked children. Do you,” he enquired blandly of Jake, “like children?”
    â€œOf course. I’m mad about children. Always have been.”
    â€œReally? How strange. Now I would have thought you would have found them tremendously boring. Have you
known
many children?”
    â€œYou see?” Jake said. “I told you. He’s impossible.”
    â€œYou’re not drinking all my Scotch, are you?”
    â€œI’ll get you another bottle.”
    â€œWhere? It’s Thursday, you know, early closing.”
    â€œI’ll go down to the pub before lunch and get you another bottle. All right?”
    â€œYou will see that he does, won’t you?” the old man asked me. “He
plunders
me, you know. The last time he was here he walked off with my razor — ”
    â€œFor heaven’s sake,” Jake said, “you had
six
razors.”
    â€œI need six razors. I hope you brought it back.”
    â€œNo. I didn’t.”
    â€œPerhaps you could send it me, my dear? It’s a small Gillette, the kind that screws open, I believe they cost around five and elevenpence.”
    â€œI’ll see if I can find it,” I said. “Otherwise, of course, we’ll buy you a new one.”
    â€œThat would be kind. It’s a quite indispensable little razor — for getting at the odd corners, you know. Now, Jake, stop mooning about, boy. Give her some more sherry. His manners aren’t up to much, but I expect you’ve discovered that already.”
    â€œActually,” I said, screwing up my toes, my voice squeaking a little, “Actually, I love him.”
    â€œI’m sure you do. So do I.”
    We smiled warmly at each other.
    â€œYou’re a brave girl,” he said.
    â€œOh, no. It’s Jake who’s … brave.”
    â€œNonsense. He’s out for what he can get. Beautiful wife who knows how to cook, ready-made family, plenty of furniture. He’ll expect a lot of you.”
    I reached for Jake’s hand. “I don’t mind.”
    â€œHe’s been on his own too much. My wife couldn’t have any more children, we spoiled him. He doesn’t like his shirts sent to the laundry, you know that?”
    â€œGood God,” Jake said. “I’m twenty-nine years old. I am
here
.”
    â€œHe also has a shocking temper. When do you plan to get married?”
    â€œNext month,” I muttered. “When the divorce is through.”
    â€œAh, the divorce. That’s all going smoothly?”
    â€œI think so. I’m sorry that Jake — ”
    â€œHe’s the co-respondent, of course. ‘All experience is an arch wherethro’ gleams that untravelled world …’ I must say, dear boy, I never thought you had it in you. Well … that’s everything, I think? We needn’t go on with this discussion, need we? How about getting my Scotch?”
    â€œI hope you’ll come,” I said. “I mean, we’d like you to be there, if you’d like to come.”
    â€œOh, I don’t think so. Thank you, my dear, but I don’t think so. I detest trains, and if I get Williams to drive me up we can never park anywhere, and then there’s the problem of Williams’s lunch. No, it’s all too tedious. But of course you have my great blessing.”
    â€œAs far as the wedding present’s concerned,” Jake said, “we’d like a cheque.” His face was a very delicate green and his upper lip was curled under in a petrified flinch.
    â€œA cheque,” the old man said. He became motionless. A shaft of sunlight moved idly over the room, picking out little pieces of