Just Rose

27

'What happened? Is Rob okay? Is Abby?'

'Calm down. Now hush my dear.' She took hold of Rose's now shaking hands and pulled her towards the kitchen. Making kissing noises for Muffin to follow them. The smell of baking bread failing to wash over her with any kind of calming effect

'Both are fine. It was that stupid wretched woman and her love of smashing the blooming vases.' She sat Rose in a chair and moved away to fill the kettle. 'Cut her arm open quite badly and left blood all over the lounge rug that I'm going to have to clean up.'

'Oh my god!' She laid her face on the table, suddenly feeling faint. Muffin sensing her distress pawed at her ankle before laying across her feet protectively. Small whimpers as he continued to glance up at her.

'It's okay dear. Rob was quick off the mark. Bound it up and held it tight. Abby had been out here when she heard the smash and the screams, in the kitchen with me. She helped get her in his car and they rushed off. Abby told me to man the phone for her call.'

She placed some cups out neatly, getting them ready for the boiling water. Rose could hear every movement and noise, still holding her head on the table while nausea and dizziness passed. Her breathing shallow and her thoughts frantic.

What the hell had that stupid woman done? Oh, my god...Rob.

She felt sick to her stomach with the realisation that this is what he had been afraid of all along.

'Quite a bit of drama. Abby said she would call with an update as soon as she could.'

Rose lifted her head unsure how to feel. She took the mug of tea gratefully and sipped down its hot liquid. Thankful for the excuse not to talk, thankful for a task that focused her frantic brain.

Alice was clearing plates and washing dishes in the sink, chatting away about the state of the lounge and speculating on this morning's row. Rose watched her in disbelief, almost deaf to her words and lost in her own scrambled brain.

How could she be so calm?

'It's odd, but I assumed things were long dead with those two... But he had obviously had her stay the night in his bed, judging by the mess of it, the extra towels on the bathroom floor and the two plates of breakfast left sitting on his bed.'

Rose felt her face colour and tried not to react. Willing the old woman to stop talking.

'Not that it's my business, even if it's just sex. He should never confuse things that way with her, it explains all the recent outbursts if he's been sleeping with her again and leading her astray.' Alice carried on, oblivious to Rose's pale pallor and wide eyes, or the way she was staring at her hands in a bid to stay quiet.

'She thinks he's seeing another woman behind her back.' Alice looked her way with a raised eyebrow. Rose almost choked on her tea. The flush of guilt creeping up her neck.