Page 41 of Stuck

She was laughing as she left to get a dustpan and brush, and I was still delighting in the feeling of having caused it when she returned, holding the pan out for me to empty my hands into. I stood up out of the way as she methodically swept the whole area clean of smaller splinters and dried the spilled liquid with a tea towel. All the while, her father slept on, oblivious.

“Do you usually deal with this alone, then?” I asked.

“I don’t really do much except clean him up now and then. And worry about him.”

“But your sisters don’t help at all?”

She stood up, and I followed her to the kitchen, where she emptied the dustpan into the bin and then set about finishing the job she’d started earlier of emptying Tom’s pockets and putting his clothes in the wash.

“There’s a lot of animosity,” she said as she worked. “Mum’s never been the same since all this happened. They think it’s disloyal to her to stay in touch with him. They don’t like that I have anything to do with him. But he and I always had a special bond. I can’t abandon him.”

I was coming to think that Elizabeth wouldn’t abandon a rabid dog if it mauled her, so sticking by her own father in his darkest hour was no great shocker. I leant against the countertop with my hands in my pockets, watching her work. “Do you need my help getting him back to his flat before your sister gets home? I have the car here.”

She pushed the detergent drawer of the washing machine shut and cast me a brief, searching look. “That’s really kind of you, thank you. But Jane’s staying at her boyfriend’s tonight, so there’s no rush. And Kev is already on his way here.”

I must have pulled a face because she rolled her eyes and said, pointedly, “He’s my dad’s sponsor.”

Oh. I winced, very much regretting accusing her of cheating with the guy. She shook her head at me but with her lips curled ever so slightly into something that looked a lot like clemency and had me awash with relief.

“He texted me earlier to say Dad had gone missing and that it was one of his bad days, so he was extra worried. I didn’t expect to find Dad on my doorstep—I only came home to get changed before I got the train to go and help look for him. Anyway, I texted Kev before I showered to let him know he was here, and he offered to come and pick him up.”

She pressed start on the machine and turned to face me, mirroring my pose against the countertop. “Thank you for staying to help—that was above and beyond. I bet that’s the first time your introduction to a girl’s dad started with washing his bollocks.”

I let out a loud bark of laughter. I hadn’t actually done that—I’d just propped Tom upright in the bathtub while Elizabeth hosed him down. She was right, though, it was a memorable first meeting. Shame it didn’t count for a thing, since his daughter wasn’t my girl.

“I was very happy to help. I wish I could do more—it’s a heartbreaking situation. I hope it’s not condescending for me to say how impressive it is that you’ve achieved so much from that beginning. To go from homeless at fifteen to having a master’s degree at—what were you when you graduated? Twenty-three? It’s incredible.”

She beamed at the praise. “I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m obnoxiously proud of all of us. Jane, Mary, and I all put ourselves through university—with bursaries, loans, some help from our aunts and uncles, and a lot of part-time jobs. Kitty has landed herself a place on the most amazing apprenticeship scheme—she starts in January. Lydia doesn’t know what she wants to do yet, but we’re not worried. She’ll land on her feet. Out of all of us, she’s the most determined.”

She was practically bubbling over with pride, and I didn’t blame her. Damn it, I felt proud of these five indomitable women’s achievements. It put my own into rather humbling contrast.

“I became my sister’s legal guardian when my father died. I’d just turned eighteen, and she was six. I was terrified, but there were only two of us for me to look after, and I at least had a roof over my head while I did it.” I didn’t think I needed to belabour the point by mentioning the size of the roof in question. Pemberley was a far cry from a tiny council house.

“Essentially becoming a single parent at eighteen is no small feat,” she said, and I felt such a powerful wave of warmth at her approval that I almost missed her quiet sigh.

“It still makes me sad that we lost our home,” she added quietly. “It was a beautiful six-bedroom Georgian manor. We had so many happy times there. I miss it.”

“Is that the tattoo you have on your hip?”

I realised too late that this was tantamount to an admission of perving at her arse while we were swimming, but she didn’t seem to take offence, replying softly, “Yes. Longbourn.”

I’d given more thought to that tattoo than I cared to admit, and this discovery increased my desire to see it again, preferably up close. That, in turn, exponentially multiplied my guilt when my phone rang and I saw the name on the screen.

“It’s Bingley,” I said, sliding the button to accept the call.

Elizabeth’s eyes abruptly widened in panic, and as I lifted the phone to my ear, she hissed, “Don’t tell him! Please!”

“What?” I said as the call connected.

“Huh?” Bingley said, unsurprisingly confused.

“Please,” Elizabeth whispered, wringing her hands.

“Darcy, can you hear me?”

I stared at Elizabeth, querying her with a look. She continued begging me with her eyes to keep quiet. “Yes, I’m here, Bingley. What’s up?”

“I got a missed call from you. Everything all right?”