Chapter 21
You made other people laugh, too.”
“Sure.
I’m starting to feel like nothing but the cabaret.”
“Then
that’s very foolish of you, isn’t it?”
“I…pardon?”
She
frowned at him: a universal, disapproving mother’s look that anyone would
recognise, in or out of the family. “They laugh with you, not at you. That’s a
precious gift.”
Eddy
sighed. “I’m sorry. I know.”
Mrs
Emin fetched them both a glass of coffee and they sat at the table for a few
minutes, companionably silent. The smell of it teased his nostrils, and the
warmth heated his lips. The flavour was nutty and sweet. Eddy could still hear
the snoring from the front room. Upstairs, he heard Talya laugh, and was glad
that she wasn’t angry with the children anymore. Here he was, almost imagining
himself one of the family! He was getting rather sadly sentimental.
“Will
Nuri come back?” he asked. His voice sounded younger than usual.
Nuri’s
mother shrugged. “Of course. He just needs a moment to himself. He takes things