The Other Ingleside Twins
4.2 Anne Makes a Decision
Anne understood none of the words that came tumbling from Maurice's mouth as he stormed through the door. Her comprehension of French was, at best, rudimentary, but she had enough experience of angry men to know swearing in any language. With skill she had gained early in life, Anne assessed that while Maurice had been drinking, it was not enough to make his anger unreasonable. It was, obviously, directed at Gilbert and Anne knew if she did not calm things down it would quickly result to physical violence. She feared for Gog and Magog who watched the whole display with unimpressed expressions.
"Tea" Anne said firmly her clear voice cutting through Maurice's tirade.
Maurice had been so focused on abusing Gilbert he had barely noticed Anne before and started at her in shock as if she had just magically appeared before him.
"Here, "said Anne, "put the baby on the low table, and take a seat, I'll be back momentarily with tea." Something in Anne's tone said she was taking charge and Maurice meekly did as she said. With a glance at Gilbert, still shrinking on his sofa chair, and another to Gog and Magog as if to say "keep an eye on these two", Anne left the room. In the kitchen, she reflected, as she waited for the kettle to boil, on how many crises had been watched over by pots of tea.
When she returned, the men were silently staring at each other. All the loathing since creation seeped out of Maurice as he stared at Gilbert who had assumed his docter-ly air of authority, one, which Anne noticed, had little effect on Maurice.
"Sugar?" asked Anne asked Maurice as she poured him a cup of tea with all the innocence as if he was making a social call.
"Zank you," he responded, his French Polynesian accent smoothing over the roughness of the English language.
"Now," said Anne moving to the heart of the matter, "This gorgeous wonder is Marguerite's?" she asked, indicating the baby.
Maurice had come expecting to work this out with Gilbert 'like men', and the presence of a heavily pregnant lady, who was still in her kimono, threw him. Gathering his manners, he ignored Gilbert and addressed himself directly to Anne. "Yes." Then he added "I have brought him for the doctor" – oh how he spat those words "to take his son to Hopetown."
"Marguerite is well?" enquired Anne, ignoring the comment on Gilbert's son. It was obviously his, there was no point denying it. Besides, responsibility should be taken where error had occurred.
Maurice nodded "She will recover. We are moving to Nova Scotia as soon as she is well enough to travel, start over."
Anne nodded "And she's happy with the Hopetown arrangement? She doesn't want to keep the baby?"
"She just wants…. to forget."
Anne didn't press the matter further. She knew that Marguerite probably had little choice in the matter, but even if she had wanted to keep the child, a single mother would be no more welcome in Nova Scotia than she would be in Glen St Mary.
"In that case, we'll take care of it," said Anne rising, "thank you for bringing him."
Maurice took Anne's lead and rose to leave. "Zank you", he said, "I don't know how you tolerate …"leaving his sentence unfinished his gaze indicated Gilbert. He looked at Anne once more and left, leaving Anne and Gilbert alone.
