‘He’s suffering from a pain in his thighs,’ Jones said, grinning.
‘Thought there was something in it. They say he’s following this bird about. That true?’
‘What d’you think?’
‘Asking you?’
‘Think he’d like to get her in a dark corner.’
‘Like that?’
Jones dropped his voice. ‘Like that,’ he said, and then very abruptly, ‘Are you worried about it?’
‘God! You have got a mood on this evening, Jones, you really have.’
‘Gives me letters for her from time to time, and she throws them in the wastepaper basket, never even opens them.’
‘Well? Just fancy that.’
It was almost worth just one more for the road.
‘Give it me,’ and Jones gave his glass. ‘By the way, does your boss only give you the one night off a week?’
‘She’s not my boss,’ Jones replied. ‘And mind your own bloody business.’
‘I do, but others don’t, and that makes the split difference,’ Tegid said, and handed him his final glass. He got up went to the door, opened it, and called out, ‘Won’t be long, Sarah, just locking up.’
‘Get it down, Jones, and then I’m pushing you out. People who keep so much to themselves like your bird does, generally have money knotted away at the end of an old blanket, or even a pair of stockings.’
‘That’s her business.’
‘I suppose it is.’
And at the top of his voice, Jones shouted, ‘Of course it is.’ Tegid put the flat of his hands on each Jones cheek, held him close, and said with a near hiss, ‘Keep your hair on man.’
‘Miss Vaughan’s business is Miss Vaughan’s business. She pays regularly for her board, and that’s our business.’ Jones replied.
‘And now,’ Tegid said slowly, as Jones got up, ‘and now that something I mentioned earlier.’
‘Oh yes,’ and Jones was right on his toes. ‘And what’s that?’
‘No more gin.’
‘No – more – gin? Oh hell!’
‘I mean it,’ Tegid said.
‘There were other places we could have gone to,’ Jones said, ‘but we came to you. Know why? Because you’re decent.’
‘One can be too decent, Jones.’
‘Mrs Gandell always paid in the end, you know she did.’
‘She doesn’t give me my living. There are other people about.’
‘So that’s it.’
‘That’s it,’ Tegid said.
‘I can’t believe it,’ Jones said, and stared at him open-mouthed.
‘Let you have a few cigarettes …’
But Jones had flopped back to his chair, too astonished to make a reply.
‘She’s had a lousy winter,’ he said.
‘We’ve all of us had a lousy winter.’
‘You seem so bloody determined about it, Tegid,’ and whispered, ‘not the missus, is it?’
‘I’ve always stretched a point for Mrs Gandell, but alas, Jones, the law of limitations comes into everything. Damn nuisance, but there it is. Cartref is not the only place struggling to make a living.’
And Jones rose again, stuttering wildly, ‘I can’t believe it, I can’t.’
‘I should though.’
He clutched Tegid’s arm, and said slowly ‘I can’t go back without it, I can’t … she .…’
