Chapter 24
BARDY
My library was dukedom large enough.
Silver-bright Kate is standing with a cocktail in her hand.
Bardy is trying to take it all in. The bar.
The sign. Silver Kate. Pia, who arrived just as he and Tay did.
For some reason, he thinks about when he gave up smoking.
It’s a struggle for many, he knows, but one day he wanted to smoke—the next day he didn’t.
Pia is beautiful, no doubt about that, but, oh, Kate.
How did he not see what was staring him in the face?
Well, punching him in the face. He is grateful Tay is with him.
It will steady him. He turns to the smiler, who is now offering him a canapé, Lou and Satya at her shoulder. They have just arrived.
He sits on a cube.
He breathes.
The lockdown king passes him a beer.
He looks around.
Tay with an apple juice listening to Linda. Leonard back behind the bar. Very un-Leonard. Quite cool, really. Silver Kate now with a glass of fizz, laughing with Pia (red wine) and Lou (cocktail).
Careful, Clemenza.
Satya listening. Looking kind of lost.
Bardy struggles up from the squishy cube and heads for Satya. “This is a bit different.”
“Hmm.”
The woman is in her own world. Maybe their home is like this? Hadn’t she won some award recently? British entrepreneur? Iconic export brand? He is about to ask, when the words, “Is everything okay with you and Jack?” pop out of his mouth.
Her head snaps toward him. “Why do you ask?”
He has absolutely no idea, so he says nothing.
“We had a fight before I came out.”
He didn’t know lapis lazuli could be so dark that it is almost black.
“It’s just so . . .”
He waits. Listens. When you don’t know what to say, it is all you have.
“It’s like we are out of step, and when I try to make it better, I get it wrong.
He seems to think what I do is easy. He can’t see that he and the boys could help more.
” She makes a frustrated movement with her hand.
“He says that all I do is nag. That he’s not one of my employees .
. . we call them colleagues anyway. Doesn’t he listen?
And he says I can’t relax. But how can I when I come back to the house looking like that?
And they think they’re oh so funny. And I’m always the one in the wrong. It’s just not fair.”
Bardy had been thinking of asking Satya about the Tay situation. He rethinks. “Could the two of you get some time just on your own?”
He doesn’t think it’s his stupidest suggestion ever, but Satya looks at him like he is mad. “We don’t shout in front of the boys. Put me and Jack in a room on our own at the moment, and I think I’d kill him.”
Bardy had known Jack was joking when he’d said, “If the boys don’t kill her, I will.” He’s not so sure about Satya.
Linda is at the bar’s entrance. “Do you all want to come through to the kitchen? Bring your drinks.”
The meal had been all he had expected from Mellow Plum.
Warming and delicious. Bardy had even suggested to Linda that this was where her creativity lay, but she just laughed and shrugged.
“I cook what is easy. I want you all to have a nice meal, but I’m no foodie.
” Bardy might disagree, but he can see that what Linda enjoys most is being with her guests.
There had only been one hiccup. Well, two.
First, a text from Hana confirming their meeting early next week. He showed Tay, who just said, “I know. I’m seeing her the night before.” He could read little into this, except that he hoped Hana would give Tay some advice before her disciplinary meeting.
The second had been when Lou had been teasing Kate, who said she wanted paints that had the sheen of oils but would dry like acrylics. Lou had declared, “So you want to have your cake and eat it.”
Leonard had leaned in, saying loudly, “Who’s Edith? Do I know her?”
They had all turned to him.
“Kate and Edith. Friend of yours?” he asked.
Linda had said, slowly and loudly, “Lou said, ‘Have your cake and eat it.’”
Most laughed, but Pia had said quietly, “Have your Kate and Edith, now there’s an idea,” but Bardy noticed that Linda just looked tired.
Now they are split into little groups around the long table. He has got into the configuration he hoped for, sitting with Pia and Tay. Pia is asking Tay about her work. Bardy makes a tentative suggestion, “Why don’t you tell Pia about your situation?”
He had expected a rebuke, but Tay just nods, “Okay.”
Before Tay starts, he asks Pia, “What sort of lawyer are you?”
“Mainly employment with a bit of human rights, where it relates to employment law, particularly in relation to refugees.”
“There you go then,” Bardy says encouragingly to Tay.
She tells her story. Pretty succinctly. Not too much swearing.
They both sit watching Pia’s face.
Pia then fires a number of questions at Tay: how long has this gone on, the exact wording for the disciplinary meeting, Karen’s track record, her relationship with others in the team, Jan, her boss’s actual role, and a bit about Jonathan in HR, and her client, Mrs. Willis.
Finally, she asks about Tay’s contract and her pay.
Listening to Tay’s response, Pia’s eyes suddenly flash—“Oh, that old one! ‘We cannot give you more money, but we can give you more responsibility.’ Basically, you do a great deal more work that you are not paid for.”
Bardy has a sudden idea, “Could you go in with Tay?”
She shakes her head, “No. I’m really surprised you’re allowed to go.
Usually, it’s someone from the company. It may be because of your age, Tay.
They’re letting you have someone closer to you, more like a guardian.
” She turns to him, “And when you’re in there, Bardy, you can’t really say that much. This has to come from Tay.”
She looks at their faces and seems to register their disappointment.
“Look, this is just reporting back on the investigation Jonathan must have done into the complaint, and they will provide feedback on their findings and a ‘what next.’ It will probably be a representative from HR, presumably Jonathan, and Tay’s line manager, Jan. ”
“Karen won’t be there?” Tay asks.
“No. She will have been interviewed, as will other relevant people, but they won’t be in the room. You can also present your own evidence.”
Tay picks furiously at her thumbnail. “No one will say what she’s really like. They’re just going to say whatever Karen tells them to. Should I call Mrs. Willis?”
Pia shakes her head. “Absolutely not. That would get you in real trouble. You could suggest Jonathan speaks to her, though, if you think Karen really has interfered.”
“Is there nothing we can do?” Bardy asks helplessly. Secretly, he had hoped for the legal equivalent of the cavalry.
“Look, this is just reporting back. We can definitely talk more when you know the full picture.” Pia looks upset. “It’s really best to follow the process. I can’t push my way in, and I don’t want to offer you false hope. But . . .”
They wait.
“There are some areas of concern.”
“Such as?” Bardy asks.
“How long this process has taken. And also Tay’s age and the relationships within the team.” Pia pauses. “Keep talking to me about it, and I will give it some more thought. I promise. And if you can get someone at work to say anything about how Karen behaves, that would help.”
Tay casts Bardy a helpless look.
He looks up and realizes the others have left the kitchen.
From nearby, there is the sound of a piano.
By unspoken agreement, they get up and follow the music.
All the others are gathered in Leonard’s study, which, to Bardy, looks more like a largish library.
He is playing a Frank Sinatra song, and Linda is pouring coffee.
Leonard really is good. When he finishes, he receives a round of applause.
Flushed, Leonard beams at them. He turns to Kate and says a little self-consciously, “Sorry about earlier, Kate. I do find it hard when everyone is talking at once.” He glances at Linda.
“I have been wearing my hearing aids more,” he declares, defiantly.
“When I’m out and about. No need when I’m home, of course. ”
Bardy sees Kate glance at Linda, a look of concern on her face.
Maybe if he passed Kate a coffee, he might touch her hand by accident.
He goes to rise, but Satya is there before him, helping Linda, holding cups out to Pia and Kate. It strikes him that Satya looks tired. She says a little too heartily, “That was very good, Leonard.”
“Have you been doing more photography?” Linda asks.
“Not so much.” Satya brightens slightly. “I did do a bit more drawing after . . .” She pauses.
“Bazza,” they reply in unison and laugh.
“Seriously though, I spent three hours drawing. I can’t believe how the time flew.”
“It will,” Kate agrees.
Is it his imagination, or is Kate avoiding catching his eye?
“I didn’t know doing nothing could feel so good,” Satya concludes.
But you weren’t doing nothing! Bardy wants to shout. But he realizes he is too tired to shout. Not that he shouts anyway. He suddenly feels despondent.
“Let me show you around.” The lockdown king is at his elbow.
“Sure, Leonard.” Bardy gets up from the desk where he has been perched.
There follows a detailed description of how Leonard catalogs his books. By subject and then by category, then by author. He finishes by saying, “So you see I have everything I need right here in my library. A quiet evening on my own with my books is all I ever want.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Bardy sees Linda turn abruptly away.
When he can, he escapes Leonard and goes in search of her. He bumps into Kate in the doorway.
“Whoa! Sorry!” He knows he shouldn’t, but he holds her briefly at the top of her arms, as if steadying himself.
“You okay, Bardy?”
He steps away, dazed. Washed in a wave of silver, threaded with light, or was it color? His mind chases it, but it has gone.
If touching her is like this, what would kissing her be like?
“You okay?” she repeats, laughter in her voice.
“Yeah. Yes. No. Yes. Have you seen Linda?”
Kate is really laughing now.
Perhaps she thinks he’s drunk?
“Maybe try the kitchen,” she suggests, heading back into the library.
Bardy spots Linda through the glass doors at the end of the kitchen. She is walking in the small garden. Running the heads of the grasses through her hands. He is debating whether to join her when Pia appears beside him.
“I’m sorry I can’t do more for Tay. But she is right to take this seriously. She doesn’t want this on her record if she can help it. And Bardy . . .” She touches his arm gently. No color. Just calm. Which is good. “You have to let her do this. I know it’s hard, but it will make her stronger.”
He can’t help feeling disappointed in her response. A feeling that is tinged with something like despair. How can he tell her that Tay has experienced enough to make her as strong as anyone would ever want to be? And that sometimes things just break you.