[00:03.08]Chapter 2
[00:06.27]It was seven o'clock on Saturday evening.Jackie stood at the window.
[00:12.19] A car drove slowly up to the front door and stopped.
[00:19.20]A tall man with white hair got out. It was Albert, the husband of Molly's sister.
[00:30.11]'Here's Uncle Albert,' Jackie said. 'Always late.'
[00:36.67]She went out of the room and opened the front door.
[00:43.53]Albert came in and went at once to Molly.
[00:49.77]'Oh, dear. I'm very late. I am sorry,' Albert said.
[00:57.55]'Fifty years old today! What a wonderful dress!' Molly did not smile.
[01:07.86]'Thank you, Albert. We're all getting older.'
[01:13.68]Tonight she wore a long black dress, and the two black dogs sat at her feet.
[01:23.27]'Everyone is here now. Let's go in to dinner,' she said.
[01:30.92]Everyone stood up and went to the table. 'The table looks nice, Jackie.
[01:40.88]What wonderful flowers!' Diane said.
[01:45.83]She was a beautiful girl, with long black hair and dark blue eyes.
[01:53.52]She wore a long red dress. Albert sat down next to Roger.
[02:02.80]Roger was Molly's son, her second child.
[02:08.41]He lived in Cambridge, in an expensive house.
[02:13.67]'Someone called Peter stopped me down the road,' Albert said.
[02:22.02]'Who is he? He's very angry with you, Molly.'
[02:28.74]'That's Peter Hobbs, from the house across the road,' Jackie said quickly.
[02:35.23]She looked across the table at Molly. '
[02:40.22]He lost his job last week and he's angry with everyone.'
[02:45.29]'It's Molly he doesn't like,' Albert said.
[02:51.26]Molly said nothing. Everyone began to eat. 'How is Aunt Annie?' Jackie asked.
[03:01.37]'She's much worse now,' Albert said. 'She stays in bed all the time.
[03:09.70]She needs a nurse twenty-four hours a day.' 'I am sorry.' Molly said.
[03:20.20]Albert stopped eating and looked at Molly.
[03:25.61]'It's very difficult and very expensive, you know.
[03:31.11]Annie feels very unhappy because you don't visit her, Molly.
[03:37.23]She loves you very much. You are her little sister; you know.'
[03:44.01]Molly closed her eyes for a minute. 'I know that, Albert.
[03:51.06]I am fifty years old, but I am always her “little” sister.
[03:58.38]Well, we can talk about it later.' Albert laughed. 'Oh yes, we can talk later.
[04:10.43]It's always later with you, Molly. Always tomorrow. Never today.'
[04:18.73]Jackie watched her mother. Her mother was angry with Albert.
[04:26.01]Molly never liked talking about her sister Annie
[04:31.50]and she did not like visiting her because she was very ill.
[04:35.87]'That's a beautiful dress, Diane. Is it new?' Jackie asked.
[04:44.51]'Thank you, Jackie. Yes, it's new, and very expensive. I got it on Wednesday,'
[04:52.81]Diane said. She smiled at Jackie.'All your things are expensive,' Jackie said.
[05:01.77]She remembered the phone call on Thursday about the train ticket.
[05:08.21]'I don't like cheap things,' Diane said. 'And I'm going to need more money soon.
[05:18.21]I want to go to America. Can you help me, Roger?'
[05:23.93]'Oh no,' Roger said. 'Nobody wants to help you, Diane.
[05:30.75]You don't like working, we all know that, but we all want you to get a job.'
[05:40.61]Diane laughed. 'It doesn't matter, Roger. I don't need your help.
[05:48.42]Mother always helps me. Mother loves me best.'
[05:54.25]She suddenly smiled, a quick, beautiful smile. But her eyes were cold.
[06:03.69]Jackie looked at her mother. Molly's face was white. Jackie did not understand.
[06:13.79]Was her mother afraid of Diane? Jackie wanted her mother to be happy today.
[06:22.66]'Would you like some more meat, Uncle Albert?' Jackie asked.
[06:28.95]'Roger, can you give everyone some more to drink?'
[06:34.43]Roger got up and began to give more wine to everyone.
[06:40.40]'This is good wine.' he said. Molly smiled for the first time.
[06:48.35]'Yes, your father loved this wine. He often drank it.'
[06:55.54]'Yes,' Albert said, and looked at Molly. 'Expensive, too.'
[07:04.03]'Would you like to meet Mr Briggs this weekend, Roger? Jackie asked quickly.
[07:11.62]'He's the new man at the farm. He wants to meet you.'
[07:17.94]'Briggs? Briggs?' Molly said, suddenly angry. 'Don't talk to me about that man.
[07:27.09]I don't like him. He wants half my garden for his farm.
[07:34.37]He needs more land, he says. I don't want him in my house.
[07:40.93]He's always dirty and he has bad teeth.'Jackie stood up and got her bag.
[07:51.56]'Excuse me, I want a cigarette.' 'Cigarettes! Always a cigarette in your mouth,'
[08:01.33]Molly said. 'I don't like it. Cigarettes aren't good for you.'
[08:09.51]Jackie began to smoke. She felt angry but she said nothing.
[08:18.06]She wanted her mother to be happy this evening, but it was very difficult.
[08:25.07]Roger drank some more wine. 'Well, Mother, perhaps Mr Briggs is right.
[08:35.07]The garden is very big, you know,' he said. 'It's a lot of work for you .
[08:44.47]The house is big, too. You're fifty now. You need to be more careful.'
[08:52.71]'Roger! I don't need a nurse, you know!
[08:58.96]I work in the garden every day; I feel happy there.' Molly stood up.
[09:08.32]'I know you all want my money. You come here for a free dinner,
[09:16.60]you don't want to see me. You don't love me.
[09:24.29]You want my house, and my money. Well, you can all wait.
[09:33.56]Nobody is getting more money from me, not before I die!'
[09:41.46]'Don't say that, Mother!' Jackie cried. Molly walked across the room to the door.
[09:50.83]'I feel ill now. I'm going upstairs to bed.' Molly left the room. Nobody moved.
[10:06.66]'One day I'm going to kill that woman,' Diane said quietly.
[10:15.26]Roger looked at Diane but said nothing. Albert moved his head slowly up and down.
[10:24.70]'Ill! She's angry, that's all,' he said. 'Molly always gets angry about money.
[10:34.99]Why can't she be good to her sister? Annie's going to die soon.
[10:43.67]Molly knows that.' Jackie finished her cigarette and stood up.
[10:52.54]'Would everyone like some coffee? Come into the kitchen and let's drink it there.'