had brought a book which Mr Grainger had wished to read, and stayed only briefly, but he paused by the door to ask Katherine, ‘Everything is all right?’ and when she said ‘Yes,’ he gave her a vague, kindly look. ‘Splendid. You must be looking forward to buying yourself some pretty clothes. I’m sure if you ask her, Dodie will tell you where to go.’
Katherine’s calm face gave away nothing of her feelings about this unfortunate remark. Nothing, just nothing would make her buy anything at a shop recommended by Dodie, even if she could afford it, which she couldn’t. She said in a wooden voice, ‘How kind,’ and shot him a look of such rage that he blinked. There was more behind that composed face than he had thought, and he found himself interested to know what it was.
He said pleasantly, ‘If you should want to visit your brother, let me know. I could drive you out there.’
‘That’s very kind of you, but I hadn’t planned to—to go back for a little while.’ She could hardly tell him that her letters had gone unanswered and a visit from her would be unwelcome. Joyce had said that she didn’t care if she never saw her again… ‘I’m very happy here,’ she told him, and wished him a polite goodnight. Before she undressed that evening, she took a good look at her image in the pier-glass in her room. There was nothing wrong with her new dress; it was suitable, cheap and completely lacking in high fashion, but then, high fashion was something quite useless for someone like herself. It was a very nice dress, she told herself defiantly, and next week she would buy some shoes; high-heeled and elegant. By Christmas she would have an adequate wardrobe; by the time she had bought the basic items, she would be able to save her money and start to pick and choose.
She got into bed, planning what she would buy; clothes which would make Dr Fitzroy look at her twice. She was just dropping off on her hopeful thought when Mr Grainger rang. He couldn’t sleep, he complained, and would she get him a drink? Ovaltine or Bengers…
Another week went by, highlighted by the doctor’s visits, always brief, during which he took blood pressures, listened carefully to his patients’ mild complaints and went away again with barely a word to Katherine. There was a visit from Dodie too, as brief as the doctor’s had been. She arrived just as the old couple were preparing to take their afternoon nap, wrapped in a beautifully cut coat and wearing high patent-leather boots. She had been to the hairdressers, she explained and just had to pop in and see how her darlings were getting on, although she cut her grandfather short when he started to describe his bad chest, laughingly telling him to stop worrying.
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