**”I should have married Valerie!”**
The thought gnawed at him as he sat at the breakfast table, scowling at his plate. **”She was always so elegant, so slimyears younger than you. Im still in my prime, and my wifes gone and aged before me!”**
**”Whats gotten into you, bringing up Valerie Sidworth?”** Margaret replied sharply, flipping another cheese pancake onto the griddle. Her husband, Edward, loved them, and shed made them fresh, just the way he likedgolden, with a dollop of sour cream.
**”Maggie! Where are my trousers?”** His voice boomed from the bedroom.
She sighed, setting the pan aside. **”Theyre in the wash, love. You wore them all weekthey were filthy. Here, put these on instead.”**
**”Filthy? When did I even get them dirty? Youre always making decisions without asking!”**
**”Well, Im not leaving you to wallow in muck for a month! Now stop fussing. Here, theyre clean.”**
He grimaced. **”I hate thesetheyre tight and stiff! Go wash my proper ones!”**
**”Ill get to it. Dont shout. Go wash up and eat while the pancakes are hot.”**
Edward stomped off to the bathroom. Margaret poured his teatwo sugars, just as he preferredand set out the sour cream in a little dish.
**”Ugh, the whole house reeks of these wretched things!”** he griped, sitting down. **”Couldnt you have made something decent?”**
**”I made them for you, Ned. Whats got your knickers in a twist? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”**
He ate in sullen silence.
**”This teas scalding! Couldnt you have cooled it down? Blast itburnt my tongue! And these pancakes are like rubber!”** He shoved the plate away. **”Shouldve just made a proper sandwich with ham and cheese. You can choke on this slop yourself!”**
She clenched her jaw. **”Dont be daft. Theyre perfect, same as always. And you dont need more sandwichesyour waistlines thick enough as it is.”**
**”Oh, now its my belly, is it?”** His lip curled. **”Whens the last time you looked in the mirror? Youve let yourself go! And your hairwhy dont you dye it? You look a right old biddy!”**
Margaret froze, stung. Hed never spoken to her like this before. What had come over him?
**”Edward, mind your tongue!”** she snapped. **”Ive always been curvysince the day we met! And Im not dyeing my hairyou know Im allergic. My health matters more than vanity. Besides, Im not a spring chicken anymorepast sixty now.”**
She took a steadying breath. **”And that belly of yours isnt from my cookingits from all that ale and lazing about in front of the telly!”**
He snorted. **”I shouldve married Valerie. She knew how to take care of herselfunlike you.”**
**”Valerie Sidworth?”** Margaret scoffed. **”Whats got her in your head? Seen her lately? She married that colonellives in comfort, no children to worry over. Spends her days being spoiled while we raised a son, gave him a good life, and now weve grandkids to boot!”**
**”You dont know the half of it,”** Edward muttered darkly. **”Valerie fancied me once.”**
**”When? Oh, pull the other one!”**
**”Back then it happened.”**
**”And what did you say to her?”**
He smirked. **”What any man would. Didnt have the heart to refuse. She was tempting. Not like you.”**
Margarets hands stilled. **”Your mother said I was too old for you, didnt she? Too plain. And now you regret itstuck with a frump who wont even make you a decent sandwich!”**
**”Let Valerie make them, then!”** Margaret shot back. **”If you couldnt say no, whyve you stayed with me all these years? Suffering, were you?”**
**”Dunno,”** he grumbled. **”Now Im retired, and it hits meIve wasted my life. Bored stiff with you. All those women who fancied me and I came home to you and the boy. And you never appreciated it!”**
**”Not appreciate it?”** Her voice cracked. **”I scrimped and savedalways put you and Simon first! Did I ever ask for fancy clothes? No, I made do, while you bought fishing gear, radios, that ridiculous inflatable boat! Did I complain?”**
He waved her off. **”Big bloody deal. And your cookings dreadfulnot a patch on my mothers, God rest her.”**
**”Ned, was it really so awful, all these years together?”** Her voice wavered. **”Cant you say one kind thing? Whats got into you? Youre vile todayare you ill?”**
**”Youre the one whos ill!”** He shoved back his chair. **”Im off to watch the news. And for the recordit wasnt just Valerie. There was Tamara, too. Years back, when you visited your mum”**
Her face paled.
**”Hot-blooded, she was. Not like you. Always with your pills, clutching your chest. Some life Ive hadtied to a sickly old nag!”**
Margaret untied her apron and walked out, the door slamming behind her. The air outside was cold, but she barely felt it. Her heart achedworse than any attack shed ever had.
*Hed strayed. And shed never known.*
Theyd married for love, sworn vows, built a life. And now hed spat it all back in her face. *A bad wife. A burden.*
Had it been a lie? All those years?
She wandered the streets, numb. Tears streaked her cheeks, but she didnt wipe them.
*How could he?*
Shed had chances, tooa colleague once, an old school flame at thirty-five. *”Leave him,”* hed begged. *”Ive loved you since we were kids.”*
Shed sent him packing. A married woman had no business entertaining such notions!
And her cookinghadnt Simon and Edward devoured every pancake, every roast, every pie? What was this madness?
*”Ned, Ned I gave you everything.”*
Meanwhile, Edward sat in front of the telly, shovelling cold pancakes into his mouth. His mood was foula bad dream had set him off. Margaret leaving him, laughing as she boarded a train.
Hed woken furious. And hungover.
Bloody Mick from the pub kept topping up his pint last night”*for a proper kick.*” No wonder his head throbbed.
A sharp knock rattled the window. He lurched up, flinging the door open.
Diane, the neighbour, stood there, pale.
**”Nedits Maggie. Hurry!”**
**”What about her? Whats happened?”**
**”Just come!”**
He didnt bother with a coat, just ran after her, the front door gaping behind him.
**”Diane, talk to me!”**
**”Youll see”**
In the little park near their house, an ambulance waited. His breath seized.
**”Is that Maggie? Whats wrong?”** he panted, grabbing the paramedics arm.
**”Are you her husband?”** The mans voice was grim. **”Im sorry. Shes gone. By the time we arrived Did she have a heart condition?”**
**”Gone? My Maggie?”** His legs buckled. **”Sheshe had pills but she was fine this morning!”**
**”A shock, maybe? Something upset her?”**
**”No! She was fine!”**
*Liar.*
The word echoed in his skull as they wheeled her away.
He stumbled home, hollow.
*What had he done?*
Those cruel wordswhy? Thered been no other women. *Only her.* Plump, silver-haired, in that floral apron. Warm. *His.*
And now she was gone.
Because of him.
He collapsed onto the bed, sobbing.
**”Ned! Wake up! Its lunchtime!”**
His eyes flew open. Maggie stood over him, alive, frowning.
**”Maggie? Youre here?”**
**
