- It wasn’t Catherine’s fault
- Shula has run out of cheese
- Alistair not interested now it’s on a plate …
It wasn’t Catherine’s fault
Alan’s round to see Mrs Janice Peblo. She worked in Falconwood, and Catherine always spoke of her as someone who had helped her.
Though Janice had agreed to see Alan, she’s unsure about how appropriate it would be to tell him all the detail. As Catherine didn’t tell him, Janice is unsure it’d be right for her to do so.
But, as Alan points out, he now knows something because of the letters. She leaving him with only half the story wouldn’t be fair (or what Catherine would have wanted?).
[Alan] “At the moment all I know is the very bare bones and I’m having great difficulty reconciling that with the woman I loved … something hellish happened to her … I just have to understand”
Janice decides that she should tell Alan, and starts with what Catherine was like when she arrived at the secure home.
[Janice] “Very withdrawn for most of the time … post-traumatic stress …”
[Alan] “Did you glean any indication of where this violence came from?”
[Janice] “Well, given what she’s been through, any one of us might … do you mean you don’t know? …This girl she’d attacked. She’d made Catherine’s life a misery for years … racist abuse, not just aimed at Catherine but at her mother too”
[Alistair] “I don’t think Mabel knew anything about this”
This other girl had been calling Catherine names, scribbling on her desk, making monkey noises … escalating up to more physical and threatening behaviour when they got older.
[Janice] “This girl was talking about bleaching Catherine and her mum … I’ve seen a few black kids trying to do it to themselves”
So, Catherine and this girl were in domestic science, and the girl came at Catherine with a bottle of bleach. Catherine “flipped” and grabbed the first thing to hand. A kitchen knife.
[Janice] “It’s a cliché, but I don’t think Catherine was doing until it was over”
So – Catherine was defining herself and her mum. But she never told the Police about why she attacked the girl, as she didn’t want to have to relive it all again. She preferred to go to a secure home, with everyone thinking she was violent for no apparent reason.
[Alan] “Now I know what she’s been through, I feel humbled by the strength she showed … to move on and make a normal life for herself.”
And Alan can also ease Mabel’s guilt – there wasn’t anything ‘wrong’ with her daughter.
BUT now Alan is again on about wanting to tell Amy.
Oh for pity sake, Alan.
For a man of such sound common sense, why can’t you leave it be? You had to be told because you find the letters – why can’t Amy be left in peace? Or, do you think Amy will see this as another example of how wonderful her dear (departed) mum was?
What’s the point?
Shula has run out of cheese
So she asks Alistair to pick some up.
She also starts trying to talk to him about her mum being worried about Christmas – because of Elizabeth and David’s continued fall-out.
But Alistair isn’t listening, and hangs up quite abruptly.
Erin has arrived …
Alistair not interested now it’s on a plate …
Erin turns up as Alistair has made his last call. She’s been to his office, found out where he was, and knows he hasn’t got an excuse of work to not go out with her.
[Erin] “We could have a good time together. You’re so fit and clever!”
[Alistair] “Erin, get off!”
(one assumes she was trying to get intimate with him there and then)
[Erin] “I just want you all the time!”
[Alistair] “You’ve a very nice person but I’ve only ever seen you as Daniel’s girlfriend or as someone who’s interested in becoming a vet …”
[Erin] “Don’t give me that, I’ve seen the signs!”
[Alistair] “There weren’t any signs. I’ve never shown any indication that I think of you that way”
But Erin (and Alistair) know that’s a porky. Erin has seen Alistair looking at her in ‘that way’.
[Alistair] “You’re a very pretty girl, any man would have …”
[Erin] “Oh come on. I know you want to!”
[Alistair] “I absolutely don’t feel that way about you”
Alistair reckons Erin caught him by surprise when she kissed him the other day, and that it was most definitely her kissing him. But we, of course, know different, as we can hear Alistair’s mind …
[Erin] “We can go somewhere now. Anywhere you like”
[Alistair] “I’m a married man!”
[Erin] “That doesn’t matter”
[Alistair] “Believe me it does, you’re young enough to be my …”
Which Erin doesn’t want to hear. She reckons age doesn’t matter.
[Alistair] “What you’re feeling. It’s not real. People your age, sometimes they get a crush, and there’s nothing wrong with that and it has to stay a fantasy thing”
Erin thinks she would make him happy. Alistair wants Erin to leave him alone, as she’s got it all wrong. So he drives off.
When at home, he’s hit the wine.
Alistair – to himself - How on earth could she have though … I didn’t encourage her, did I … you haven’t done anything wrong. Just hope she’d got the message now. Daniel! I can’t see them staying together now. And the ball …
Shula comes in
Alistair – to himself - Should I tell her?
He’s forgotten the cheese.
Alistair – to himself - You could just tell her why you forgot …Could just get it all into the open …
As Shula witters on about how she wishes she was sipping exotic cocktails like Jennifer probably is, rather than drinking “bargain bin cabernet” …
Alistair – to himself - No. Least said soonest mended
Hmmm. Anyone else think Erin’s going to turn out to be a bunny boiler?
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