aSo overenthusiastic, that thing. And nonsense. About breakfast, I meana.

aI donat want to upset anyonea"a Edie looked straight at him.

aYou arenat. Russell is fine. Eat your toasta.

He began to butter it. She walked behind his chair, giving him a tiny pat on the shoulder as she did so, and went out of the room and up the stairs to the bathroom. Russell was bent over the basin, brushing his teeth. Edie leaned against the door jamb and crossed her arms.

aI suppose,a she said, aI could always do breakfast in relays. Matthew at seven, you at eight to fit in with your new work schedule, and Lazlo at ninea.

Russell stopped brushing and picked up a wet flannel from the edge of the bath and rubbed vigorously at his face with it.

aVery funnya.

aThereas no need,a Edie said, ato be so unwelcoming. So rude. That poor boy is about as intrusive as wallpapera.

Russell tossed the flannel into the bath.

aItas not him,a he said, aas well you knowa.

aSo,a Edie said, athings change. They donat go according to plan. What you picture as the future doesnat turn out to be the reality of the future. Thatas how it is, Russell, thatas how itas always been. Thatas lifea.

He turned from the basin and walked past her into their bedroom to find his jacket. She detached herself from the bathroom doorway and went after him.

aRussell?a aI am not complaining about life,a Russell said, hunting in his jacket pockets for something. aIam not objecting to the way things happen, the way things just turn out. What I find so difficult is when changes are made deliberately and obstructivelya.

aYou mean me asking Lazlo herea"a Russell found his travel card and transferred it from one pocket to another.

aYou could construe it like thata"a aYou mean yesa.

He sighed.

He said, aYou seem to be finding every excuse not to be alone with mea.

Edie gave a small bark of incredulous laughter. aReally? And who urged me to audition for the Ibsen?a aThatas differenta. aIs it?a aThat doesnat involve your personal emotionsa. Edie let a small silence fall, and then she said witheringly, aHow little you know. And you an actorsa agenta. Russell took a step towards her. He looked down at her. He said, aThis is fruitlessa.

aIf I canat even offer a lodger more toast without getting jumped on, it probably isa.

He put his hands on her shoulders.

He said, aI had just hoped that we could move on from what wead been doing for close on thirty years to something weave never had a chance to doa. He took his hands away. aI suppose I was hoping to be married. Pure and simple. Just marrieda.

Edie reached out and straightened his jacket collar.

She said, aMaybe we have different ideas about what being married meansa.

aNot alwaysa"a She looked up at him.

aBut this is now,a she said. aWeare not dealing with always, weare dealing with now. Which means me going downstairs now, and seeing what else I can stuff into that boya.

Russell made a huge effort.

aWell, heas certainly appreciativea"a aYes,a Edie said with emphasis, ahe is,a and then she left the room and went down to the kitchen where she found Lazlo putting plates in the dishwasher and Arsie on the table regarding the butter.

Lazlo straightened up as she came in. He was smiling.

aThat was so great,a he said. aI never eat breakfast. I never thought about ita.

Now, looking at him across the stage, whether it was breakfast that was responsible or not, Edie could see that something had turned a corner in Lazlo. When he made his entrance, in five minutes or so, and stood by the table, fingering the books on it, and saying, aaEverythingall burn, till thereas nothing left to remind me of my father. Here I am, burning up too,aa they would all know, Freddie Cass included, that the whole production had moved into another gear.

Sitting on the grass in the park in her lunch hour, Rosa texted her brothers.

aMumas 1st night. All go together?a She was not quite sure what these texts would produce. Matthew would probably say they should leave it to Russell to organise, and Ben would probably say he was tied up, which meant that if he came he would want to bring Naomi, and he wasnat at all sure how he felt about exposing Naomi to his family. Whatever their response, however, Rosa had felt a powerful need to contact them over the opening of the play, a need to be included, or rather, in order not to look as if she wanted to be included to be the first to organise something in a way that looked responsible and concerned for family.

It was odd, but for the last week or ten days, Rosa had felt uncomfortably preoccupied by family. She had said carelessly to Kate that it was weird the way her family were all living at present, but her real feelings, she discovered, were far from careless, especially now that Vivien was distracted by her rekindled romance with Max. She was holding him off, she told Rosa, there was no question of him getting what he was asking for right now, but it had introduced an even stronger note of impermanence into Rosaas situation, a note that now resounded steadily in Rosaas head, like a drum beat. The thought of Matthew back in his bedroom and Lazlo now ensconced in hers was not exactly uncomfortable, but it did serve to remind her, in a way she didnat care for, that she too had reverted to a dependency that was hardly something to be proud of. And even if she had a job now and was proving competent at it a" what she would have felt like if she hadnat been able to demonstrate that competency didnat even bear thinking about a" and had made the first, tiny inroad upon her indebtedness, she still had the glum sensation of doing no more than bumping along the bottom. She could produce small bursts of fierce gaiety for Kate, or for Vivien, but she had no faith in them. Any more, really, than she had in the prospect of her family turning to her with relief and delight as the organiser of a happy, conventional family party to see their motheras first night.

She turned her phone off with a sigh, and dropped it back into her bag. It was better, she had learned in the last few months, not to be distracted by waiting for messages that never came. She could also tell herself, unconvincingly, that she was obeying office rules. She got to her feet. Rather to her manageras surprise, she would also perhaps obey another rule, and return to work ten minutes before the end of her lunch break, rather than five minutes after it. And she would apply herself to invoicing all afternoon and, at the end of it, if she hadnat heard from her brothers, she would ring them and establish herself as the prime mover in the suggestion that could only be applauded.

aIs this a bad moment?a Vivien said, into the telephone.

There was silence the other end.

Then Edie said, aWhen have you ever considered such a thing?a aWell, I thought you might have been rehearsinga"a aI havea.

aAnd be tireda"a aI ama.

aWell,a Vivien said, amaybe I could ring a bit latera. aWhere are you?a aIam at home,a Vivien said, ain my hall, speaking on my landline telephone, sitting on the chair next to my telephone tablea.

aYou sound really peculiara.

Vivien craned up so that she could see herself in the mirror on the opposite wall. She touched the back of her hair.

aI donat look ita.

aOh good. I look like the wrath of God. These last rehearsals are always completely exhausting. One minute you think youave got the play and the next minute you think youave lost ita.

aThat,a Vivien said, awas really why I was ringinga.

aMy play?a aYes. I was thinking of coming for the first nighta. There was another silence. Then Edie said, aWhatas brought this on?a aWhat ona"a aYouave never been remotely interested in me and the theatre. If I was more into victim-speak, Iad say youave never supported what I do. I suppose itas having Rosa there that makes you feel youave got to show willinga.

Vivien said carefully, aNot exactlya.

aWhat then?a aI wondered,a Vivien said, recrossing her legs and turning one foot to appreciate how her instep looked in a higher heel, aI wondered if I could bring Max. I thought Max and I might come together, and maybe bring Rosaa.

aYouare jokinga.

Vivien decided to keep her nerve. aNo, not at all. Iad like to come and so would he and wead like to come togethera. aBut why?a Edie demanded.

aWhy?a aMax doesnat know a play from a puppet show and this, Vivi, is Ibsena. Vivien leaned forward. aThis is differenta.

aWhat is?a aMax. Max and me. Itas all going to be differenta.

aOh God,a Edie said in a resigned voice.

aI want to reintroduce Max to everyone. I want you to stop sniping at him and give him a chance, and I want to remind him that I have a very interesting familya. There was a snort from Edieas end of the telephone.

aRussell, at least, has always been very civil to hima.

aCivil,a Edie said. aWhat kind of word is that?a aI donat know why youare being so dismissive. Weare not divorced, you know. Heas still my husband. Youave known him for twenty-five yearsa.

aExactlya.

aAll I want,a Vivien said, threading a pencil into the coil of the telephone cable, ais to be able to bring my husband to watch my sister as a leading lady next Tuesday in the company of my brother-in-law and my niece and nephewsa.

aOh, all right,a Edie said, aplay happy families if you want toa.

aYou are so ungraciousa"a aNot ungracious,a Edie said, ajust realistica. aEdie,a Vivien said, athis feels very real to mea. There was a further pause, and then Edie said, in an altered tone, aAre you sure?a aAbout Max?a aYesa.

aYes,a Vivien said, aIam quite sure. Heas never talked to me the way heas talked recently. He wants to do things my way, he wants to join my life, if Iall let him, rather than try to make me join his, the way he used toa.

aSo no more girls and flash cars and daring you to do things you donat want to do?a aNo,a Vivien said.

Edie said, more thoughtfully, aDayou think anyone can change that much?a aOh yes,a Vivien said, aIave changed, after all. Iam much stronger than I used to bea.

aUma.

aIave told Max, Edie. Iave told him he can only come back if there really is a change, if certain things just never happen againa.

aCome back?a Edie said.

aYes. Heas asked to come back. Iave made him wait, of course, but Iam going to say yesa.

aVivi,a Edie said, her voice sharpening, ais Max suggesting coming back to the cottage?a aI told you. I said he wanted to join my life, not the other way round, and I donat want to leave the cottage. I like it, and I like Richmonda.

aSo Max is moving back into your virgin bowera"a aMy bedroom. Yesa.

aAnd what happens to Rosa, may I ask?a Vivien slid the pencil out of the telephone cable and began to draw a huge eye on her telephone pad, in profile, with absurdly lavish lashes.

aActually, thatas a bit difficulta"a aShe canat stay there if Max is there!a aNoa.

aSo youare throwing her outa"a aWell,a Vivien said, adding lower lashes to her eye, aIam going to ask her to find somewhere else. Iam cooking a special supper for her tonight and Iall tell her then. Iam sure sheall understanda.

aYou are amazinga"a aI mean, sheas seen it coming. Sheas been so sweet, waiting up for me and being so interesteda.

aOh, good,a Edie said faintly.

aTo be honest, I think sheas seen it cominga.

aWell, not to would be like missing an elephant in your bathrooma"a aSheas doing so well,a Vivien said, ignoring her sister. aSheas working hard and not going out anda"a aThatas enough,a Edie said. aRosa is my daughtera.

aIall tell her very gentlya"a aFrankly,a Edie said, ayou could do it on your knees, and in a whisper, and it still wouldnat alter the fact that youare telling her to goa.

Everyone in the house, Edie was certain, was awake. There had been faint movements from the top floor for hours and, although Russell was very still, beside her, there was a kind of subdued alertness about his stillness that indicated he was not asleep. The clock radio beside their bed showed two-forty-five and the curtains glowed with the half-dark of summer city night-time. Only the cat, in a trim and resolute doughnut at the end of their bed, was asleep. Above and beside her, all the other occupants of the house were as restless as she was.

She turned her head on the pillow and looked at Russell. He was on his side, face turned towards her, eyes closed. His hair, worn rather long as it always had been, and thank goodness it wasnat thinning, was ruffled. He was breathing neatly and evenly through his nose. His mouth was closed. Even in the dim light, Edie could see that really Russell had worn very well, that he hadnat got wizened or paunchy, that he hadnat, despite a considerable nonchalance about looking after himself, let himself go. He looked, lying there, like a real person to Edie, like someone you could trust because what you saw you got. He looked, as a man, as a human being, as far away from Vivienas Max as if head come from another planet.

Head always, in fact, been amused by Max. Head been much kinder, if Edie was honest with herself, about Vivienas feelings for Max than her sister had ever been able to be. When Max had appeared once in a camel-hair overcoat, Russell had been much more good-natured about it than Edie had been. He let her make jokes about second-hand car dealers but he didnat join in. He was of the opinion that if this liaison had ever made Vivien happy then that was all that was necessary to know. Sometimes Edie had admired this forbearance; sometimes it had driven her nuts.

She reached out a hand and touched one of his.

aRussa.

He didnat open his eyes. aMmm,a he said. aAre you awake?a aMmma.

aI think the boys area"a He said, aNothing to do with usa. aProbably Mattas thinking about Ruth and Lazloas thinking about Osvalda.

aProbablya.

She took hold of the hand she had touched. aVivien rang todaya.

aMmma.

aSheas started it all up again with Maxa. Russell opened his eyes.

aHas she?a aYes. Big time. Dates and flowers and promises itall all be differenta.

aWell, perhaps it willa. aYou know Maxa"a Russell gave a small yawn. He squeezed Edieas hand and then extracted his own and tucked it under his shoulder. He closed his eyes again.

He said, aMaybe heas changeda.

aThatas what she saysa.

aMaybe sheas righta.

aWell, I do hope so,a Edie said, abecause sheas letting him move back in againa. Russell opened one eye. aGood luck to hera.

Edie moved her face an inch or two closer to Russellas. aSheas staying in her cottage. She says thatas what she wants. Max is coming to live with hera.

aYesa.

aRussell. Listen. Vivienas cottage is where Rosa is living. Rosa is living in Vivienas spare bedrooma.

Russell opened both eyes and lifted his head from the pillow.

aOh my Goda"a aSheas there now,a Edie said. aSheas had supper with Vivien because Vivien was cooking something special in a really weaselly Vivien-ish way before telling her she was throwing her outa.

Russell gave a groan and turned over on to his back. Edie could see that he was staring straight up at the ceiling.

aI just keep thinking about her,a Edie said. aI keep picturing her lying in bed there, with Vivi all excited and starry-eyed through the wall, wondering what on earth sheas going to do now, where sheas going to go, how sheas going to tell us that yet another thing has gone wronga.