The car was parked in a side street as there was restricted parking on the road where they had found Jane Wheatley's house. Marie and Neville sat in the front seats of the car and for a few moments neither spoke as they thought about the meeting with Jane. Finally Neville puffed out his cheeks, as if he was trying to get a tune out of an old trumpet, exhaled and said,
"What a strange lady, was she as eccentric as that when you were at school?"
"Oh yes, she hasn't changed a bit, still as batty. Everyone loved her lessons, you couldn't take your eyes off her; you were never sure what she was going to do or say next; never a dull lesson."
"Did she still have this fixation about things being lost?"
"That was one of the best parts. Some of the kids would play a joke on her by hiding her stuff. There was one time when someone said they had lost their homework; it nearly brought the house down."
Marie tried to mimic Jane's accent and rapid-fire way of speaking.
"Where is your homework lad?"
"I've lost it Miss."
"Lost it, lost it, nothing can ever be lost, everything has to be somewhere. Where have you looked for it?"
"Everywhere Miss."
"Well logically, that cannot be correct. Don't you agree? You have to think of all the places you've looked and look somewhere else."
"Yes Miss."
"Has anyone else lost their homework?"
"Yes me Miss."
"Well I suggest you both look together. To lose one piece of homework may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
Neville couldn't help but laugh; he could imagine Jane standing in front of the class of children all with their hands over their mouths trying to stifle their laughter.
"That was a quote from Oscar Wilde wasn't it?"
"Yes, well nearly, she was always misquoting someone and then she would give us homework to find the real quote and who said it."
They both fell silent again deep in their own thoughts. Neville thought about driving off but realised that he was not sure where he was going next.
He turned to look at Marie,
"Thank you for bringing up the subject about the family of the men, I was really running out of ideas without simply coming out with the question about Albert's brother."
"I'm not sure it helped very much, she didn't offer too much information about any of them," Marie replied, feeling proud that he appreciated the part she had played.
Neville continued, "I have a feeling she didn't believe our story and was reluctant to say too much. She's probably sat there now, drinking her strange brew, wondering what the hell that was all about. She did give us one name, this chap A.J. - George Waterson's brother - I wonder if I contacted him he could give us some information, he must have known Albert at that time. I'd better drive you back to your place and I need to get to the hotel to check in."
Marie felt disappointed that he had not invited her back to the hotel. She had enjoyed their strange meeting and realised she did not want it to end so suddenly. He would stay in the hotel overnight, drive back home in the morning and most likely, she would never see him again. Should she make the suggestion they go to the hotel for a drink, but as he had not made the offer then perhaps he did not feel the same way.
Neville started the car, drove a few yards and then stopped.
"I haven't really thanked you for your help today. It was supposed to be a dinner but eating at your family's restaurant doesn't seem to count. Why don't we go for a drink somewhere?"
"You need to check in at the hotel, why don't we go there. They have a nice friendly bar we could have a drink there."
"Good idea let's do that. Just one more thing, how do I find the hotel?"
"What a strange lady, was she as eccentric as that when you were at school?"
"Oh yes, she hasn't changed a bit, still as batty. Everyone loved her lessons, you couldn't take your eyes off her; you were never sure what she was going to do or say next; never a dull lesson."
"Did she still have this fixation about things being lost?"
"That was one of the best parts. Some of the kids would play a joke on her by hiding her stuff. There was one time when someone said they had lost their homework; it nearly brought the house down."
Marie tried to mimic Jane's accent and rapid-fire way of speaking.
"Where is your homework lad?"
"I've lost it Miss."
"Lost it, lost it, nothing can ever be lost, everything has to be somewhere. Where have you looked for it?"
"Everywhere Miss."
"Well logically, that cannot be correct. Don't you agree? You have to think of all the places you've looked and look somewhere else."
"Yes Miss."
"Has anyone else lost their homework?"
"Yes me Miss."
"Well I suggest you both look together. To lose one piece of homework may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
Neville couldn't help but laugh; he could imagine Jane standing in front of the class of children all with their hands over their mouths trying to stifle their laughter.
"That was a quote from Oscar Wilde wasn't it?"
"Yes, well nearly, she was always misquoting someone and then she would give us homework to find the real quote and who said it."
They both fell silent again deep in their own thoughts. Neville thought about driving off but realised that he was not sure where he was going next.
He turned to look at Marie,
"Thank you for bringing up the subject about the family of the men, I was really running out of ideas without simply coming out with the question about Albert's brother."
"I'm not sure it helped very much, she didn't offer too much information about any of them," Marie replied, feeling proud that he appreciated the part she had played.
Neville continued, "I have a feeling she didn't believe our story and was reluctant to say too much. She's probably sat there now, drinking her strange brew, wondering what the hell that was all about. She did give us one name, this chap A.J. - George Waterson's brother - I wonder if I contacted him he could give us some information, he must have known Albert at that time. I'd better drive you back to your place and I need to get to the hotel to check in."
Marie felt disappointed that he had not invited her back to the hotel. She had enjoyed their strange meeting and realised she did not want it to end so suddenly. He would stay in the hotel overnight, drive back home in the morning and most likely, she would never see him again. Should she make the suggestion they go to the hotel for a drink, but as he had not made the offer then perhaps he did not feel the same way.
Neville started the car, drove a few yards and then stopped.
"I haven't really thanked you for your help today. It was supposed to be a dinner but eating at your family's restaurant doesn't seem to count. Why don't we go for a drink somewhere?"
"You need to check in at the hotel, why don't we go there. They have a nice friendly bar we could have a drink there."
"Good idea let's do that. Just one more thing, how do I find the hotel?"