Chapter 52 Bardy
BARDY
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.
They are all gathered around Kate, chairs borrowed from around the house. More wine has been opened, and Kate has just finished telling them about JoJo Rose. She ends with an apology for lying to them.
Bardy thinks Pia is spot-on when she says, “There is absolutely no need to apologize, Kate.”
Bardy glances around at them all: Linda and Leonard sharing a window seat, and Pia, Brenda, and Satya on kitchen chairs.
Lou is in a larger wicker chair. The man looks happier than he has been for days.
Couldn’t leave his best friend—mad idea.
Then there is silver-bright Kate beside him.
Only Tay is missing. But he has a message from her for Kate in his pocket.
“So, Kate, we have something we want to say to you,” he declares.
She looks at him in surprise.
Bardy can see the others nodding their encouragement. They’ve discussed this, well, most of it. “Now it’s time to actually enter the MACKL competition . . .”
He sees Kate wince at the mention, and he takes her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.
Silver, like pure electricity, ripples up his arm.
Bardy tries to concentrate. “We decided, as we will no longer be meeting up like we used to, that we should form a new group.”
Linda leans forward eagerly. “None of us could bear not to keep this going.”
“Indeed not,” Leonard echoes.
Bardy grins. “And this group is going to have a name.”
Kate looks puzzled. “What is it?”
Pia continues, “We are going to be called the King Lear Liars.”
“The what?”
“The King Lear Liars,” Lou repeats. “Because Kate, you are not the only one. We all lie.”
“Plus, we wanted a name that reminded us of how we all met, you know, how Shakespeare wrote all those plays in quarantine,” Satya adds.
Bardy can see the confusion on Kate’s face, but nods reassuringly. He turns to the others. “Go on then, confession time. Who’s going to go first?”
It is the Danish lawyer who raises her hand and covers her eyes with the other one. She then lifts her head, and looking at Linda says, “I have lied to you all. But particularly to you, Linda.”
Linda shakes her head, smiling but uncomprehending.
“I don’t actually bake anything. I have no idea what I am doing in my kitchen, and I have barely ever used my AGA.”
Linda starts to laugh. “But how do . . .”
“I order all my cakes from a Danish bakery in London.” Pia puts her head in her hand, but Bardy can see she is laughing.
They all are.
All except Brenda.
“Oh, Pia, I’ve lied too!” Brenda exclaims.
“My goodness, what is it?” Pia’s laughter turns to concern.
“Well, I did take down the photos of Noy in his smart new outfits, but not before other friends shared them and well . . .”
They all wait, Pia looking anxious.
“It seemed other people did like them, and I have quite a few orders in. So I have used his photos to show people the full range of designs.”
“People want to dress their whippets like that?” Pia sounds more astounded than angry.
This seems to give Brenda confidence. “Oh yes, I have orders in for four jesters, two floral coats, six vicars, and ten dinosaurs.”
“Really?” Pia appears stunned.
Brenda nods. “You don’t mind?”
Pia smiles at the neighbor who is now her friend. “No, I don’t mind, Brenda. But I do have to say . . . you English are so strange.”
Over the laughter, Kate tugs on his hand. “Bardy, tell me, have you been lying?”
He takes a deep breath. “Yes,” he declares, looking around at them all. “The short story I was telling you about—well, that is me. I do see certain people in color. It’s a weird sort of synesthesia.”
There is an outcry of exclamations and questions. Only Lou sits quietly, Clemenza looking a bit smug. Bardy goes on to explain how his mind is flooded with color, but only with certain people.
“So who here do you see in color?” Satya asks.
He looks at her. “You are the blue of lapis lazuli.”
“Oh.” The small word is a mix of surprise and delight. “How lovely.”
“It is,” he tells her. “Linda, you are mellow plum.”
Linda nods contentedly. “Very nice.”
“And me?” Pia asks tentatively.
Bardy shakes his head, hating to disappoint her. “It only happens occasionally, only some people. And I have no control over it,” Bardy assures her.
“Do you see me as a color?” Kate asks quietly.
“No,” he replies.
“Oh.” He sees her face drop.
Lou laughs, and Kate glances at him. “Tell her,” Lou says.
“What?” Kate asks.
“Kate, you are pure silver.”
“Oh, really, the color silver?” She pauses. “But you said I wasn’t a color.”
“Not a color, you are pure silver light.”
“Aah.” Kate’s sigh is echoed around the room.
“And with you, my mind is only flooded with it when I touch you.”
“Really?” Kate exclaims. Then her eyes start to shine with something that gets his heart racing. “Oh, REALLY!”
Everyone is laughing again, but Bardy doesn’t care. Silver-bright Kate is looking at him, and it dawns on him—he’s not going anywhere. He is staying right here. A home bird.
“Tell them about Tina,” Lou says softly.
Bardy looks at Lou. “You sure?”
He nods.
“Lou’s wife, Tina, was the citrus orange of the sunshine in the Mediterranean, the orange that lingers on your skin late into the evening and that reaches into your bones, warming them.”
But Lou is frowning now, shaking his head.
“What is it, mate?” Bardy wouldn’t have mentioned Tina. But Lou had asked.
“I’ve lied too,” Lou says, clearly distressed. “I was going to say something else, but really this is my biggest lie.” He is talking directly to Bardy now, oblivious of the others. “I feel terrible. I told Tina that there could never, ever be another woman for me.”
“And?” Bardy can’t imagine what is coming next.
“I’ve been chatting online to a woman from Norwich called Lisa and she suggested we meet for a drink.”
“Oh, mate. That’s okay.” Bardy is flooded with relief.
Lou is now looking around at everyone.
Linda—mellow plum—is the first with reassurance. “Of course it is. A woman as wonderful as Tina would have understood.”
“I don’t know,” Lou says, rubbing his thighs in his distress.
“Well, she wouldn’t want you to be on your own forever. I am certain of it.”
“I know it, mate,” Bardy assures him.
Lou’s hands still. “You think it would be alright to meet her then?”
There is a loud chorus: “Of course.”
Lou looks shaky. “Thanks, maybe I will go, she seems really nice.” He nods at Linda. “She used to be a nurse too.”
“Oh, Lou, I think that was really brave, so I’m going to try and do the same.
” Linda sounds far more serious than normal.
She looks directly at Lou, but Bardy sees her take Leonard’s hand.
“I was going to tell you all something pretty unimportant, but I think I need to say this. And I’m sorry I haven’t told you this, Leonard.
” She turns to her husband. “I’ve got to go to the hospital.
It’s a procedure on my heart. I think it is going to be okay.
But I didn’t tell you, Leonard, because .
. .” Linda is looking down at their hands clasped together.
“Well, because I have always said I wasn’t frightened of dying.
” She looks up at them all. “And that’s a lie. I find I am really rather scared.”
The whole group moves forward in their seats toward Linda. All eyes are on Leonard. He has his head bent over his wife’s hand.
“Leonard?” Linda says quietly.
“Well, Lindy. I have always said I am a man who would never read someone else’s letters.
But I found out that was a lie, too. When I saw a letter from the hospital addressed to you, I read it.
I’m very sorry, but there it is.” He sits up straighter.
“I just thought you would tell me when you were ready. And, you see, I was right. But in the meantime, I have researched this condition, and there is a very good success rate. I’ve talked to a private heart specialist, but he said, really, the NHS is the best place to be.
And well, he is very optimistic. And so my dear, sweet love, you mustn’t worry.
I will be there with you every step of the way. ”
“Oh, Leonard,” Linda says. She is crying now, and it seems Leonard is too.
Bardy thinks they probably all are.
What is it about these people?
“I’m sure it will be okay,” Pia says, and Linda smiles mistily at her.
He hadn’t expected all of this.
He takes Tay’s note from his pocket. Now might be the time for this.
“Tay can’t be part of our new group as she is moving with Uzma to Leeds. But she did want me to read this out to you, Kate.”
“Oh, that is good. Moving to Leeds.” This news seems to have done much to restore Linda’s normal good humor.
Bardy reads:
I lied when I said I was sorry for telling ratty Karen to piss off. Twice. I meant it. Twice.
Love Tay
X
Bardy looks around—who else? “Satya?”
“Oh, mine’s easy. I lied when I told Jack that I didn’t think the mission statement was a load of crap.” She laughs, shaking her head.
“What are you going to do?” Pia asks.
“Not sure yet. Well, I know I will come up with my own mission statement if I decide to have one at all. But mainly, Jack and I are talking about what to do with the company. I think either I will stop trying to be a big global player and stick to what we do best, or I’ll sell it and start something else. ”
“A jelly empire,” Leonard suggests, blowing his nose on a big white handkerchief.
“There are far stupider ideas out there,” Satya laughs.
Bardy sits back in his chair. “So there you have it, Kate. We are all liars.” He turns to her. “Will you join the King Lear Liars?”
“Of course I will.” She smiles. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.” She continues, pensively, “But if we aren’t all working toward the creative competition, what are we going to be doing?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about that.” Bardy leans forward. “I think the first thing we should do is campaign to keep the gallery open.”