173 wivesbehavingbadly

" there's a perfectly good bell ," i said to poppy's stooping figure .
"minty ." poppy levitated upright smartly  . " i wasn't sure about coming here . but mum sent me . there are thing we need to go over ."
clad from head to toe in black , her eyes red and swollen ,  she looked frail  and devastated . pity for her and sam , pity for the buoys , pity for myself swamped the nooks and crannies of my tired mind ." i don't know what to say , poppy , except that i'm so sorry ."
"sorry ." she experimented with the word ." i didn't see him last week as  usual . i canceled because ....well  , because .... something came up ." she grimaced . " isn't that  typical  of fate , or whoever ... just so cruel."
"yes , it is ."
richard had been parking the car and joined us . he was dressed for the office . he gave me a quick hug ." minty . are you all right ?"
' you 'd better both come in ." i stepped aside , richard placed an arm around poppy's waist and guided his wife inside . poppy's eye fell on nathan 's coast , which was hanging on its peg , and she stopped in her tracks , " that's his . oh , dad ,"
richard maneuvered poppy past the coast and into the kitchen ." popp hasn't been too well since she heard the news ." he eased her into a chair and brushed  the hair off her forhead ." not surprisingly . " he turned to me ." " i hope someone has been loooking after you , minty ."
a hand squeezed my throat without compunction . the only person who was likely to take care of me was dead ." eve and the neighbors have been very good ."