Church in PB - after all, it's Sunday!

(Keeping going with Port Brokeferry... in case you have not followed this thread: Lynn works at the fair and she has been seen with Kyle Downs. Elspeth, Kyle's sister, visited Lynn to ask her to back off and let the man go back to his wife and family... here's the fallout of that.)

ELSPETH’S CHIFFON SCARF

Elspeth accompanied Susan Downs to church. It was something that they did from time to time, and Elspeth thought her sister-in-law needed a little extra support just now. They met outside the house and that was normal. Kyle was not one for church and prayers, never had been, and so they did not seek to include him in their morning. Susan looked bright enough, Elspeth thought. Said she’d slept well when Elspeth asked. Then she remarked on the weather, and the smell of Callum’s baking, and she noticed Mad Martin dropping breadcrumbs on the beach and gulls at his feet.

Elspeth had to be more direct. Susan was giving nothing away. ‘And how is it with you, Susan?’ she said. ‘How is it really?’

Susan looked at Elspeth, taking the measure of her question and seeing at once what she meant.

‘Kyle was home last night,’ Susan said. ‘Crept in, he did, trying not to be heard. Made a bed for himself on the sofa. Slept in his clothes. Slept fitfully by the look of him this morning.’

Elspeth thought that was all good. She said something of the sort and made a mental note to herself to do something for the woman called Lynn, something to show her thanks. She had a chiffon scarf that she’d never worn. It would hide the mark on the woman’s neck, Elspeth thought.

Susan was not sure that it was all good, that’s what she said. About Kyle being back. Wasn’t sure that any of it was good. She confessed that she’d already been calculating what it would be without him there. No Kyle, just her and Corinne. ‘It would be something harder, maybe, especially for the girl, at first, but something better, too. No walking on eggshells for either of us, no creeping around things, scared to say anything and not knowing if he is coming home or where he is if he doesn’t. And people in the street not knowing where to look when they meet me, or if they should speak, and what they would say if they did speak. She is old enough she knows what is what, Corinne does. I am not sure it wouldn’t be better, for Corinne as much as for me, with Kyle not there.’

Elspeth hadn’t expected that, hadn’t seen any of that coming. She felt a little uncomfortable at what she had done in seeing the blond woman at the fair and so did not mention it.

‘I’ve taken him back before, Elspeth. You know that, and given him another chance. Tried to forgive him, too, and that was harder. And now this, and he thinks he can come back, quiet and as quick as thought, and everything will be as it was.’

‘I’m sure he doesn’t think that, Susan.’

The minister was at the door of the church. He shook the hands of the men and women and made small observations to show that he knew them and thought of them, everyone. And they smiled back at him and passed on into the cool of the church.

‘Ah, Mrs Downs and Elspeth. Good day to you both.’

Elspeth wondered why the minister still called Susan Mrs Downs and called Elspeth by her name.

‘I am so glad to see you both,’ he said. ‘And Mrs Downs, I wonder if you could pass on my thanks to your daughter. For being with Lillian yesterday. It was very good of her.’

Susan said that she would and she and Elspeth went inside.

They took their seats and when Susan spoke again her voice dropped to a whisper.

‘I don’t want to be bitter, Elspeth. And he’s your brother and all. But maybe there’s a line should be drawn under everything and something new started. For him, too. It is wrong what we have together and we can all see that now.’

Elspeth made no reply. She bowed her head as though she was praying. But she wasn’t. She was thinking about her brother and the trouble he was. Susan was maybe right. Maybe it was time for things to be different.

The organ began playing. Elspeth looked up. The light spilling through the stained glass window was split into all colours. Like there was a rainbow thrown in pieces on the floor of the church. Elspeth thought then that she wouldn't give Lynn the chiffon scarf.