You know I’m always pleased to see you. You’re usually much too busy in that career of…’ She broke off. ‘Something’s happened, hasn’t it?’
‘You always did know the three of us better than most.’
‘I’ve always been glad the three of you have felt able to come to me when something has troubled you,’ she answered.
Shrewd, lovely aunt. Astra realised her aunt had seen beneath her smile and light-heartedness, had seen that something was troubling her. ‘I’ve resigned from my job,’ Astra owned.
‘Oh, my dear! You love—loved—that job so much! What on earth happened to make you do such a thing?’
It was not very pleasant to have to confess to her nearest and dearest that she hadn’t had the luxury of an option but to resign. But, simply because her aunt Delia was so near and dear to her, to evade or lie to her was out of the question. So she gave her aunt a brief outline of what had happened.
‘You’re every inch your father,’ her aunt replied after a moment. Astra had been guarding for years against any sign that she might be like her mother, so was very much cheered by her aunt’s opinion. But, ignoring that Astra hadn’t had much choice but to resign, Delia Alford was going on, ‘Your mother would never in this world have acted so honourably. Though, come to think of it,’ she smiled, ‘it would never have occurred to her to get herself a job in the first place.’
Astra felt much better for her visit to her aunt Delia, but as the weekend came and went time started to hang very heavily on her hands.
Her cousin Yancie phoned her on Tuesday with the dreaded news that the two mothers-in-law were coming to stay. ‘You wouldn’t care to pull the plug on that computer and come to dinner on Saturday, would you?’
Confession time. ‘Er—there’s no computer plug to pull,’ Astra answered lightly. And, in the same light vein, she explained that she no longer had a job.
‘I’m on my way!’ Yancie said at once.
‘No, you’re not.’
‘You lived and breathed that job—something must have happened. I’ll come over.’
‘There’s no need.’
‘You’re upset.’
‘I’ll be more upset if you take time out from whatever it is you’re doing to come and hold my hand. Besides, I’ll be seeing you on Saturday evening,’ Astra replied.
‘I’ll…’ Yancie broke off. ‘You’ll come on Saturday and help take the pressure off?’ she exclaimed.
‘Would I let you down?’
They chatted on for ages, but Astra was remembering she had said, ‘Would I let you down?’ to Yancie when the very next day her half cousin, Greville, rang.
‘I’ve just been paying a visit to my mother,’ he opened.
Ah! ‘Aunt Delia told you?’
‘If you’re looking for a career in finance, I’m sure Addison Kirk would love to have you on their payroll,’ Greville, a director of that firm, answered.
‘The last time you got one of your cousins a job, she ended up marrying the boss!’ Astra joked, never more happy for Yancie, but marriage was not a road she wanted to tread.
‘Still a fate worse than death?’ Greville enquired.
‘That makes two of us,’ she answered lightly. Greville, tall, good-looking, his fortieth birthday imminent, had been married once some years ago, but the marriage had ended in divorce, leaving her half cousin so badly scarred that he, like Astra, avoided entanglements like the plague.
Or so she had thought, and owned she was quite surprised when he seemed to hesitate, and then said, ‘Er…’
Astra knew him. She loved him. And suddenly she was remembering a remark her cousin Fennia had made shortly before her marriage to Jegar Urquart. It was something to the effect that Fennia thought that Greville was over his marriage break-up and all the pain that had gone with it.
‘What gives, Greville Alford?’ Astra probed gently.
‘You always were smart,’ he answered—and Astra waited. ‘Well, since you’re no longer working all hours…’ He broke off—and only then, what with Yancie suggesting she worked all hours, and Greville openly saying so, did Astra realise just how glued to the grindstone she had truly been. ‘The truth is, Astra, love,’ he went on, ‘your big cousin needs your support.’
‘You’ve got it!’ Astra told him unconditionally. Greville had always been more of a big brother to her than a cousin. She loved him dearly; all three cousins did.
‘The thing is, Astra—um—I’m in something of an emotional turmoil.’
His confession jolted her. ‘You?’ she questioned.
‘I know. Who’d have thought it?’
‘You’re—er—you’ve fallen for someone? I’m sorry,’ she apologised instantly. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’ And, the practical side of her waking up, she rose over her shock that it looked as if her confirmed, ‘never again’ half cousin had fallen for someone and was ‘all over the place’ emotionally about it. ‘How can I help?’ she asked, ready, willing, eager to help him if she could. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Nothing too terrible,’ he replied, and explained, ‘I’ve been invited to this party and I happen to know that the someone I’m particularly—um—interested in will be there. And, daft though it may seem for a man of my age, I’m scared stiff I’ll frighten her off if I act too eager.’
‘You want me to come with you in order to keep you in check?’ Astra queried, only just managing to hide her surprise—her cousin had got it badly!
‘More to see that I don’t make too much of a fool of myself,’ he admitted, and Astra wanted to give him a hug.
He had asked for her support—she gave it unreservedly. ‘I’d love to come to a party with you,’ she answered cheerfully.
‘Wonderful!’ he cried, and sounded so like a young, enthusiastic boy that Astra had to smile. Her smile rapidly faded, though, when he went on, ‘We don’t want to get there too early—it’ll go on all hours anyway. I’ll pick you up at—say, eight-thirty—nineish, on Saturday.’
‘This Saturday?’ Astra queried, playing for time, her thoughts rapid. Yancie was relying on her to help keep the peace between a brace of warring mothers. Astra recalled her reply to Yancie: ‘Would I let you down?’. And truly she couldn’t let her down. But Greville had never let any of them down ever, and here was her chance to do something for him.
‘Is this Saturday a problem, Astra?’ Already Greville was starting to sound a touch disappointed.
‘Nothing we can’t solve between us,’ Astra answered brightly, going hurriedly on, ‘I’ve already arranged to have dinner on Saturday—with a friend. You said this party will go on all hours. Can you cope if I don’t actually come
