Thursdays in the Park. Hilary Boyd
Hilary Boyd
Language: English
Pages: 432
ISBN: 0857385178
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
What do you do if you've been married to a man for half your life and out of nowhere he leaves your bed - permanently? When this happens to Jeanie, she's furious and determined to confront George, her husband of thirty years. Is he in love with someone else? What did she do wrong? He won't tell her. The brightest day of her week is Thursday, the day Jeanie takes her granddaughter to the park. There, one day, she meets Ray, kind, easy to talk to, and gorgeous - he is everything George isn't. But does she have the courage, while facing opposition from all sides, to turn her life upside down for another shot at love?
she smiled at the strange blending of friends. Alex was doing his best to make nice to Rita; Jola was clearly bored to death by Danny’s monologue; Marlene, her old tennis partner, was booming her right-wing opinions in the ear of their neighbour, Sue. Chanty had lucked out with the handsome husband of George’s cousin. But generally they seemed pleased to be there, and she could sense their enjoyment as the smoked salmon, roast duck and finally chocolate cake with strawberries appeared in front of
met, as many of you will know – but I’ll tell the story anyway because it’s a good one – in a cinema. The Screen on the Green in Islington, to be precise, seeing Julie Christie in Don’t Look Now – my friend was obsessed by her. Halfway through the film there was a panicky shout from the row behind me. “Help! Quick, someone’s collapsed . . .” and someone else shouted, “Is there a doctor in the house?” I didn’t know what to do, so I’m ashamed to say I just sat there while the house lights went up.
recently beggar belief.’ For a second, Jeanie wondered if her son-in-law’s confessions did indeed beggar belief, but Chanty, as usual, was one step ahead of her. ‘No, Mum, he hasn’t made it up. I’ve talked to his aunt. She had him to stay when his mother was ill – he was fourteen by then – and realized what was going on. The doctor tested his heart and the fiction was uncovered, but it was too late by then: the damage was done.’ ‘He still sees her, though, I remember you going over last
swallow the brusque, domineering dictats issued by her father, never questioning his right to abuse her in this way. Jeanie had lived in fear of him, but she remembered willing her mother on, hoping that just for once she would finally explode, make a stand against his bullying, and vowing that she would never let herself be treated in that way. Mild-mannered George, she believed, was nothing like her father. George raised his eyebrows. ‘You’re blushing.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Come on, pour
a black tee shirt. They were evenly matched on the court, the weekly game a fight to the death. Rita, with her long reach and killer serve, hit harder than Jeanie but moved more slowly. Jeanie was quicker round the court, more creative with her tactics and marginally more accurate. Neither could claim to have the upper hand over the years, and so every victory was exhilarating and very sweet. But today Jeanie felt stumbling and lumpen, as if someone had tethered her feet. ‘Christ,’ Rita shouted