Page 96 of Calling Frank O'Hare

Robyn threw him off. ‘No. I’m going back to Edie’s. She’s making me pancakes, and then we’re going to the park.’

‘Sorry,’ said Edie who was also there to wave them off. ‘I thought she might need cheering up.’

Ellen was already up the path and on the way back to the house. She was flouncing. Flouncing usually meant trouble. Rob was best out of it. ‘No bother, Edie. If you don’t mind Robyn staying with you this morning, I think it’ll help immensely.’

Edie gave Ellen a cursory glance. She was well versed in her moods and easily got the hint. ‘Of course. She can stay as long as she wants to.’

Frank followed Ellen up the path and closed the front door. ‘Did you have to be so rude to Edie?’

‘The woman’s trying to take our daughter away from us, why shouldn’t I be rude?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. Robyn goes there because she likes Edie. And you’re quite happy to use her as a free babysitting service when it suits you.’

‘Well you won’t let me get a nanny.’

‘No child of mine will have a nanny. She didn’t need one when she was a baby and she doesn’t need one now.’

Ellen stomped over to him. ‘How predictably working class of you, FB. Frankie Boy. How utterly common.’

‘I thought that was what you liked, being with someone you could feel superior to.’

‘Ordinarily yes, but you are so far down the food chain these days, I’ve had to resort to other entertainment.’

A coldness came over him. This was the real face of Ellen. The face few people saw but him. ‘Is that why you’ve been screwing my brother?’

‘Oh you noticed, did you? Yes well, he’s very good at it, and you’ve only got yourself to blame. If you weren’t so fucking boring with your little teacher’s job, and your ridiculous provincial friends. And as for the way you allow that child to walk all over you, it makes me sick.’

‘That child is our daughter.’

Ellen’s eyebrows arched. ‘Really?’

No. Frank absolutely refused to take the bait. ‘You know Ellen, you’re not right in the head.’

She punched him in the chest. ‘Take that back. Take it back or I’m going, and this time I won’t come back.’

He pushed her fist away. ‘I think that would be the best thing, don’t you?’

‘You really want me to go? You do understand you won’t see me again, and neither will Robyn.’

‘Yes. It’s what I want.’

She stared at him, her face cold, hard and full of contempt. He held his nerve refusing to look away. He’d had enough. Their time was up.

They remained locked in that position until she said: ‘I don’t know what I ever saw in you. Martin is twice the man you are.’

Frank opened the front door and went over to Edie’s before he did something he would always regret.

He was on his way home from work. The last few days of the holidays had been awful. Ellen had been back to her usual venomous self, but something had altered in him. He wasn’t prepared to take it anymore. He was careful not to say anything in front of Robyn but when she wasn’t around, he gave as good as he got. That was all very well, but Frank didn’t know how long he could keep it up, or what Ellen might do next. They’d never come to blows before and he was worried that punch of hers signalled a new phase. And if she hit him, there was a possibility she might also hit Robyn. On top of that there was his very real fear that he too might lash out. The thought of it horrified him, but he’d nearly lost it the other day. He made up his mind to speak to Gavin. He was the only one who could persuade her to seek help.

Ellen’s car wasn’t in the drive. She was supposed to have picked Robyn up from school. He felt the panic rising, until Edie and Rob appeared from the back of her house.

‘Ellen asked me to collect Robyn. She had to go away.’ Edie raised her eyebrows at him, her head turned away from Rob so she couldn’t see.

When they got inside, Robyn settled herself in front of the TV. It was business as usual for her. She was used to her mother disappearing at a moment’s notice. Frank went into the kitchen to start on dinner and found another of Ellen’s farewell notes.

Robyn was engrossed in her programme and didn’t notice him creeping past her and up the stairs. He closed the bedroom door and opened the letter:

‘As you can see, I’ve gone. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it? You now have your princess all to yourself. Don’t worry, I’m not coming back this time. You’re really not worth the effort.’

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