aItas like presents,a Kate said, eating a salade Nioise with gusto. aThe way people give you what they want to give you. Itas a sort of conditional generositya.

aYesa.

aBut then, you have to, donat you? I mean, if you help someone, you have to do it your way. You canat give the help only the way the receiver wants it because thatas asking too much of anyone, it isnat humana.

Rosa watched Kate spearing anchovy fillets.

aIam glad youare hungrya.

aStarving. Every two hours. Especially salty things. Do you want your olives?a Rosa pushed her plate forward.

aMum sounded so forlorna.

aIsnat that better than angry? Or offended?a aNot as far as guilt goesa.

aIf this babyas a girl,a Kate said, aI vow not to make her feel guiltya.

aI think women just do. Even when it isnat reasonable. I mean, Matt and his girlfriend have just split up and, although heas devastated, he doesnat feel guilty. But I bet she doesa.

Kate stopped chewing.

aHow awful. Poor thema.

aYesa.

aIs it this woman and ambition thing?a Rosa sighed.

aWell, she earns twice what he doesa.

aAnd I bet,a Kate said, ahowever successful, sheas afraid that makes her unlovablea.

Rosa picked a cherry tomato off her plate.

aUnsuccessful isnat very lovable, eithera.

Does moving into your auntas spare bedroom count as unsuccessful? she thought now. If by successful you mean financial independence, probably yes. But if you mean still having other humans in your life whoall speak to you, probably no. She picked up an armful of shoes and boots and dumped them in the bottom of the wardrobe. They looked terrible, with the sad intimate terribleness that worn shoes always have. And in addition, if Vivien were to come into Rosaas room while she was at work a" not a happy thought, but not one that could be discounted, either a" she would expect to see Rosaas possessions in sufficient order to denote gratitude for housing them. Rosa bent down, her head muffled in the hanging folds of her clothes, and began to sort her shoes into pairs.

Below her, in the hallway, Vivienas telephone started to ring. Vivien still had a landline with a cord, a cream plastic handset that sat on a little table with a shelf for directories and a pad and a pot of pens. Vivien drew mouths and eyes on the pad while she talked on the telephone, curvy mouths and thick-lashed eyes, swimming about the page as if they had an eerie life of their own.

aHello?a Rosa heard Vivien say. Her voice was perfectly clear, even from a floor below and with Rosaas door closed.

aOh,a Vivien said, her voice lifting a little. aOh! Maxa"a Rosa got up from her knees and went quietly to the door, a red canvas basketball boot in one hand.

aSaturday,a Vivien said. aSaturday. Let me see. Iall have to looka. Then she laughed. aI know. So old-fashioned. But you know me. Canat even work the video machine. Iall never get beyond paper and pencila.

There was a rustling of paper.

Then Vivien said, aIam working in the shop on Saturday. Yes, I do have to. Alisonas going to some literary festival for the weekend. Max, I a" Well, the evening would be lovely. Goodness. Are you asking me out to dinner? Whatas the etiquette for that, if weare separated?a She laughed again and then she said, in a fond tone Rosa recognised, aYou donat change. See you Saturdaya.

There was the sound of the receiver being replaced, and then a small silence, and then Vivienas heels went clicking down the wood floor of the hall with an unmistakable jauntiness. Rosa looked down at the boot in her hand. Josh had given her those. Or at least head been going to, right up to the moment of standing by the till in the shoe shop and Josh discovering, as he always discovered, that he had no means of paying for them except a crumpled five-pound note and a few coins. After shead paid for them, he spent the five pounds on a single yellow rose for her, a rose so large and long-stemmed that people stared at her on the underground, going home.

A rose as showy as that must mean that something had happened, something romantic and definitive. Rosa dropped the boot on the carpet. All that had actually happened was that she had paid for yet another thing she didnat want.

Her phone, lying on one of the twin beds in a slew of socks and tights, began to ring. Rosa glanced at the screen and picked it up.

aMuma.

aDarling,a Edie said, ahow are you getting on?a Rosa looked round the room. It remained somehow very much Vivienas spare room.

aFinea.

aI wondered,a Edie said, her voice nonchalant, aif youad help me out?a aIn what waya"a aI have to have two members of the cast to supper. To help them bond. You know. The director asked mea.

aI thought thatas exactly what directors are supposed to doa.

aNot this one. Will you come? Will you come for supper and help make a crowd?a Rosa frowned down at her socks.

aWhen?a aSaturday. Are you busy on Saturday?a aNo,a Rosa said, shutting her eyes. aNo, Iam not busya.

aWill you come?a aUm aa aNo strings. No thin end of wedging. Promisea. aIave never been to an Ibsena"a aDoesnat matter. Pleasea.

Rosa opened her eyes again. She could always stay here, of course, sitting in front of Vivienas television watching Saturday-night rubbish while Vivien skipped out in a cloud of scent and anticipation. And how sad would that be?

aOK,a Rosa said.

Cheryl Smith arrived for supper wearing red satin jeans tucked into her pirate boots and a black off-the-shoulder sweater so far off her shoulders that Russell wondered if it would preoccupy him all evening. She kissed him warmly, leaving a shiny cherry-coloured streak on his cheek and said head been wonderful to her friend, Mitch Morris, whom Russell couldnat remember ever having heard of, and maybe she could come and see him sometime.

He handed her a glass of red wine.

aAnyone with talent who is prepared to work and to pay me ten per cent of their earnings is very welcome to come and see mea.

She laughed and drank half her glass in a swallow.

She said to Edie, aGreat housea.

Edie was stirring coconut milk into a pan of curry.

aWhen we bought this house, houses were affordable. It wasnat surprising to have a house when you got married, it was normala.

Cheryl arranged herself in her danceras pose.

aI canat see me ever owning anythinga.

Russell looked at her, strictly above the shoulders.

aWhat would you like to own?a aOh, a car. A Morgana.

Edie picked up a flat plastic box of kaffir lime leaves. aHow many of these, do you think?a Cheryl twirled her wine.

aI never cook. At drama school I lived on vodka and cheese sandwiches. Now itas red wine and pizza slicesa.

aDisgusting,a Russell said, smiling.

Cheryl smiled back. She held her glass out to him.

Edie said, crumbling leaves into her pot, aYour mother would be horrifieda.

aMy mother doesnat cook either. It was my father that cooked. No wonder he left, really. Five kids refusing to eat the same thinga. She looked at Edie for the first time properly. aWasnat Lazlo supposed to be coming?a Russell gestured towards the window.

aHeas herea. aWhere?a aIn the garden. Talking to my daughter, Rosaa. aOur daughter,a Edie said.

Cheryl moved over to the window and leaned to look out, stretching the red satin tight over her bottom as she did so.

aHeas quite good,a she said.

Russell looked at Edie.

Edie said, without turning, aThen why are you making it so hard for him?a aBecause heas only just out of drama school. Itas no good them thinking itas easya.

Russell hitched his leg across the corner of the table and regarded Cherylas bottom.

aBut possibly it isnat very helpful for them to think itas impossible and unpleasant eithera. Cheryl turned.

She said, smiling, aUnpleasant? Oo, what a worda. aI would think,a Russell said, athat youad be rather good at unpleasanta. Cheryl winked. aVery gooda.

aCan you do pleasant too?a aDullera.

aBut better,a Edie said, coming across the kitchen with a wooden spoon held out for Russell to taste, aif trying to work with other people, which is, on the whole, what actors in a theatre are trying to do. Is that rather sweet?a Russell took the spoon from Edieas hand.

aI think,a he said, athat if I were Freddie Cass Iad have told you I could find another Regina very easilya.

Cheryl laughed.

aReally?a Russell handed the spoon back to Edie.

aNo. Itas the right sort of sweeta. He glanced at Cheryl.

aReallya.

She put her nose in her glass.

aDo you speak to all the people you represent like this?a aAll of them,a Russell said. He got off the table. aThey love ita.

aCherylas here,a Lazlo said miserably to Rosa.

Rosa was wearing a sweater of Russellas over her own clothes and had pulled the sleeves down well beyond her knuckles. She could see, in the reflection of the kitchen window, that she had a Neanderthal look, a huge body and endless arms.

aWell, you knew she was cominga"a aLook what sheas wearinga.

Rosa peered.

aI expect thatas deliberatea.

aShe said to me in rehearsal the other day, aIam not kissing you until I absolutely have to.a aThat wasnat very nicea.

aI donat know,a Lazlo said, awhat Iad do without your mothera.

Rosa looked at him. He was taller than she was, but as thin as a lath, with one of those sensitive handsome faces that looked somehow neither girl nor boy. Not her type. She shrugged herself down inside the sweater. Not her type at all.

aItas not just that sheas so nice to me,a Lazlo said, aitas that she knows what sheas doing and that helps me surrender to the part. Dayou know what I mean?a aIam not an actressa.

He glanced at her quickly.

He said politely, aWhat do you do?a Rosa looked away.

She said in an offhand way, aIam in the travel businessa. aYou donat sound as if you like it very mucha.

aI donata.

aThatas whatas so extraordinary about acting. It isnat a choicea. He stopped and then he said, apologetically, aBut you know that. Because of your mothera.

Rosa looked towards the kitchen window again. Edie was gesturing at them to come in. First shead sent them out so that she could soften Cheryl up without Lazlo to persecute and now she was summoning them back again. Rosa sighed.

aShe wasnat like that. She did jobs around us, we sort of knew she did it, but I suppose we didnat take it in mucha"a Lazlo stared at her.

aDonat you know how good she is?a Rosa stared back.

aOh yesa.

aWell,a he said, ait just sounded as if you werenat quite awarea"a aSheas my mother,a Rosa said. Lazlo said nothing.

Rosa began to move away from him across the damp grass towards the house.

She said, aThat didnat come out as I meant it toa.

aNoa.

Rosa stopped.

She said, without meaning to, aI sound spoilta"a There was a long pause, and then Lazlo said, from behind her, in the spring dusk, aActually, you doa.

Chapter Nine.