Restless Echoes
4. Clarrie and Friend
After ringing her mother to enjoy discussing their visit,
Clarrie settled down to paint. There were several hours
of daylight left and plenty of time to cook dinner before
Del came. She reflected on how her life had changed in
the last few years. She was back to running her own
home again, as she had during her first marriage. Del
no longer urged her to employ help, knowing that she
welcomed spells away from her easel and liked the
freedom to stop and start tasks when it suited her.
Her studio adjoined the nursery, so Emma was no
problem. As for the evening meal, she always prepared
everything before she became too absorbed in her work
and set the oven-timer to finish off their dinner. They
never ate immediately on Del’s arrival home – they
enjoyed chatting over a drink beforehand, even if it
meant Del’s joining her in the kitchen, watching
progress. His hours at the local Investigator were long,
but at least he was not likely to have another assignment
overseas – they were usually reserved for single
correspondents.
Clarrie tutored a small group of students once a
week. Her ‘classroom’, conveniently on the ground floor
adjacent to the utility room, was easily accessible from
the garden and would have accommodated more, but
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