A/N Fictober prompt #16
"Thanks Mrs Toohey," Mattie looked at her plate, with its sad, overcooked silverside and bland, sparse vegetables. "Charlie will be home soon." She tried to dismiss the woman.
Evelyn Toohey just pursed her lips. "Hmmm," she said disapprovingly.
Mattie wasn't sue what the 'Hmmm' was for so she kept talking. "He won't be long, look, I'll put a tea towel over his food to stop it getting cold." She took up a tea towel and lay it over Charlie's plate and looked back up at Mrs Toohey who was still frowning.
"I don't think it's right."
Mattie looked at her plate. According to her there was nothing right about that plate of food, but she was sure that wasn't what Mrs Toohey was talking about. She looked back at the woman in confusion. "What's not right?"
"You, being left here, on your own. With that young man," she said pointedly.
Mattie stared at her, "Charlie?"
"I just don't think you two should be left unchaperoned."
"Mrs Toohey, you don't need to worry about that, Charlie's like my brother. We would never… I mean… I'm not interested in him like that," Mattie held back a laugh.
Mrs Toohey remained unconvinced. "Even so, he could take certain… liberties with you."
"Charlie's not like that, and even if he did, I'm not a child. I can look after myself."
Mrs Toohey looked at her doubtfully. "I just think It's highly irresponsible for Lucien Blake to have to go away just when his housekeeper has gone to Adelaide," She fixed her beady eyes on Mattie, "Where has he gone anyway?"
"No idea." Mattie lied. "His phone call just said he had some business to attend to out of town and he wasn't sure when he'd be back."
"Hmmm," Mrs Toohey repeated.
"Look, Charlie's a policeman, I'm a nurse. We're both very trustworthy and well-respected members of the town."
The older woman's resolve was wearing thin, Mattie could tell, so she went on, "And we both know how to use the telephone should a situation arise. We'll be fine. You go home and put your feet up, When Charlie gets in we will enjoy this delicious meal you've cooked us, and then I can make us a cuppa tea a bit later. I've got a good book I want to finish."
Finally she seemed convinced. "Well if you're sure my dear."
"Absolutely."
Mrs Toohey picked up her handbag. "Well then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye," Mattie farewelled the woman and after she heard the front door close she sat down at the table heavily. She stared at the uninspired meal and reluctantly picked up her fork. She poked it at the rubbery carrots and made a face.
She was still sitting, looking at her plate when she heard the door go again and Charlie appeared in the kitchen. He looked at her plate and groaned.
"Not this again?"
Mattie looked at him with sympathy "Yep. I've been sitting here trying to convince myself to start eating for over 10 minutes."
"How long is this gonna go on?" Charlie looked at her gloomily.
"As long as it takes Lucien to convince Jean to come back I guess."
Charlie sighed and rubbed his face in his hands. "Right, well I'm gonna go change, and then we're going to go buy ourselves fish and chips"
Mattie's jaw dropped, "Oh but we can't!" her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Why not? Who's going to know?"
"But what are we gonna do with these plates of food? We can't scrape them into the bin, she'll see it there tomorrow."
"I'll dig a hole in the garden and bury it," Charlie looked sideways at her, "What do you say? Let's do it!"
Mattie grinned, "I never thought you had it in you Charlie Davis. but you've got a sly side! Alright, count me in."