Jem uncorked the bottle of wine hurriedly, leaving the wine to breathe, and dashed down into the kitchen, wincing as he heard one of the dreaded melodies that Bridget had an emotional attachment to. He went into the kitchen, and tapped her on the shoulder, she had been polishing silverware, where her singing stopped abruptly; she turned around and faced Jem, a small smile on her face. "Can I be of assistance to you Mr Carstairs? At this time of night too?" She said in her polite, professional tone, though the lilting Irish accent was as clear as rain.
"It's for Tessa Bridget, she is having a small panic attack, and Will told me to come down here and see about a Two pint mug. He said the vintage comet 66 would cheer her up."
"Ah, yes, Mr Carstairs, of course. There's one, the only one mind, so don't let her drop it Mr Carstairs. It is on the bottom shelf, in the cupboard, on the left side, closest to the entrance Mr Carstairs." Bridget told him, returning to polishing the silverware.
"Thank you, Bridget for your assistance." Jem said, smiling.
He took the glass/mug from the cupboard, shutting the door gently, and rushing out of the kitchen to his room. He had to let the wine sit for another fifteen minutes, otherwise, it would knock Tessa out on a first sniff.
He rubbed at his temples with his fingertips, trying to soothe the headache that was been borne behind his eyes, going to sit on his bed, breathing in the smell of rosin and polish...and lavender. He laughed suddenly, once, when he remembered his mother's face, and how she had hated lavender with a passion, always saying it was evil through sneezing fits.
He relaxed his back into the pillows, and picked up a book that Tessa had lent him, by an author named Christian Collins.
Her nervously turned the front page, to be greeted with the title in big, bold, chalk-drawn letters, THE SCIENTIST.
He read four chapters, and was astonished. The books that he had read, were poems, but, this was different. It was as though someone was telling the tale of the top of their head. No rhyming, no a poetic sense at all. He found that he rather liked it, with a small smile.
He got up, and poured the bottle into the glass/mug, and walked across the hall to Tessa's room, opening the door, and smiled when he saw that she was lying down on her side with Will, her breathing better, and seemed to be talking away, almost happily.
"How on earth don't you kill them?" Will asked Tessa, laughing.
"I once assaulted Alice across the face with the bible, but," Tessa laughed. "I've done other things. I once elbowed Owen in his nuts, coming to think of it," She had a thoughtful look on her face, making Jem grin, from around the corner of the door. "I also got drunk, very drunk- oh, in my living room, I have two framed photographs above my desk- one of Jesus, the other of Michael Buble'. I asked Jesus to turn the thing, where he turned water into wine, maybe he could do reverse for me? It didn't work. It was Christmas ever actually. Alice, she's also the church verger, she had to come and dip my head into a bucket of iced water, there were bits of frozen ice in the water, I started singing your demon pox song, even though I was nearly been drowned. Afterwards, when we eventually did get to the church, Alice had to set up how would the village cope, if the vicar went binge-drinking, in the middle of midnight mass, mind. So, I forgot Jesus' name, I told everyone about my neighbors syphilis, which was supposed to be secret, and how my other neighbor, she was an old lady, how her grandaughter was on her fifth child at only 22 years old. On Christmas day, actually, I really don't remember what happened, I had this massive hangover, but, I suspect I saw Genevra, the mini Kylie Minouge I told you about, I reckon I saw her doing a strip run down the main street, but I can't tell you the truth of it, really." By the time she had finished Will had his hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing and waking Gideon and Gabriel, who were in the room next to Jem's, across the corridor.
