‘She needs insides,’ Florence says. ‘She’s all flat.’
‘If we leave it empty, it can be a puppet,’ I say.
‘I don’t want a puppet,’ she scowls. ‘Not a puppet!’ Suddenly cross.
‘Okay.’
A couple of J Cloths, torn into strips, serve as stuffing. I sew the top of the sock shut, biting the thread to cut it. ‘There we go.’
Florence bounces the kitten along the table.
‘What will you call it?’
‘Kitten.’
‘Okay, highly original.’
‘No, Kit Kat,’ she says.
‘Right.’
‘No…’ She purses her mouth and furrows her brow as she thinks. ‘Matilda.’
Where’s this come from? Has she had the book? Seen the film? The little girl who is neglected and bullied at home and school but who finds secret powers and blossoms in the love and care of her teacher.
‘Yes,’ she says firmly, ‘Matilda.’
The door opens and I look up, expecting Lizzie, come to collect Florence. Tired from her journey but glad to be working, with stories from her day.
I have forgotten, which means I have to remember anew. A lance in my heart. Swallowing the cry in my mouth, I fight to smile at Jack.
Florence is in the living room with Kay, CBBC on the television. There is talk of the BBC moving to Manchester. Jack hopes it will happen; it might provide more work for him.
‘We should think about getting her back to school,’ I say.
‘I don’t think she’ll wear it,’ Jack says.
‘She’ll have to sooner or later, unless you plan to home-school her.’
He gives me a sceptical look.
‘A phased return,’ I say. ‘We can work something out with the staff. Who is it, Mrs Bradshaw?’
‘Yes.’
‘Even if we have to go and sit in with her for a month. You’ve no work lined up?’ I ask him.
‘No,’ he says, ‘I’ve not had an audition since I went up for The History Boys. I should speak to Veronica, tell her the situation.’
Veronica is his agent. ‘She’ll have heard,’ I say. ‘There’s time.’
‘I should get a phone,’ he says. Like Bert the teddy bear, Jack’s phone was in the house and is off limits for now.
I get a glimpse of all the practicalities Jack will have to face, rearranging work and childcare around Florence, sorting out the house: he will want to move, surely, find somewhere new, neutral, not tainted with Lizzie’s murder. And then all their financial affairs and all the connections of Lizzie’s. All the organizations and individuals she’s linked with. All the arrangements that will need cancelling.
‘Use mine whenever you need,’ I remind him. ‘And if I can help with anything, the school stuff, or looking after Florence when you go back to work, I can reduce my hours. Anything.’
