Yes! Mark it with 'D'.

__MARK IT WITH `D'_
Anna is fair, and over forty. She likes to think of herself
as a widow of interesting middle age; she watches her weight,
perhaps not as carefully as she should, but she's pretty trim
and her hair colour looks natural enough. Anna isn't poverty
stricken but since her husband died two years ago her spending
has been prudent.
Margot was good to Anna when Stephen died. She took her
home to Chelsea and looked after her for almost a month. Her
husband is often away on business and she convinced Anna she
would enjoy having her. At the time Anna didn't realise there
was an ulterior motive. Margot's kindness she now recognises as
patronizing and she knows her ultimate aim was for her own
personal benefit but as Anna told me last week, it no longer
matters.

cont./...

_2. MARK IT WITH `D'._
Margot uses people. She always has, and while there are
friends willing to be put upon, she will continue to do so.
When Anna was first widowed Margot seized her opportunity,
*
looked upon the visits as an investment, a training period.
Anna would learn how things had to be done, where things were
kept, where to walk the dogs and how to feed them. Mind you
the facilities she offers when she asks a friend to dog-sit for
a weekend are not to be sneezed at.
`Perhaps, when you are feeling stronger Darling, you'd like
to do me the odd little favour by looking after things here if
I have to be away.' Anna said she would be delighted.
* *
`Anna Darling, long time no see. How are you, Sweetie? Its
high time you came up to town for a girl's night out. What are
you doing this weekend?'
`Nothing I couldn't postpone.' Anna said.
`Come and have a little holiday on me. Come on Thursday.
We can hit the town. I've got tickets for a fabulous show
Darling, I can't wait.'
So Anna went, knowing that David would be away and Margot
would have planned a little excursion, probably to The
Continent, with a friend. Margot would meet her from the train
on Thursday afternoon. Before long she would be sorry she'd
forgotten to mention it but she was counting on Anna to look
after the dogs for a few days while she was away, from Friday

cont./...

_3. MARK IT WITH `D'._
night until after the weekend.
They went to the theatre, wined and dined and next day
talked non-stop. Already Anna was being used as a confidant.
`David? Oh he's rarely around these days. I honestly
believe he cares more for his work than he does for me.'
`No Darling, of course he doesn't know about Peregrine but
he surely doesn't expect me to stay home all the time. How
could he when he knows how I like to have fun?'
`Oh, I couldn't possibly leave him! It would be
unthinkable. David would be devastated. He wouldn't be able
to exist without me to... besides Sweetie, he's so good at
bills.'...
Anna didn't entirely approve of Margot's life style but
surely David must know; perhaps for some reason he didn't want
to end their marriage, perhaps things were convenient as they
were for him too. It was no business of hers so why look a gift
horse in the mouth? She liked spending occasional weekends in
sumptuous surroundings, and walking the Setters was a joy.
Peregrine arrived at seven. He was very much at home.
Clearly he spent a great deal of time with Margot in David's
absence.
`Your car or mine?' he said.
`Pere-kins I know how you love driving my Land Cruiser but
would you mind awfully if I leave it for little Anna? It's
so sweet of her to offer to hold the fort while we're away and

cont./...

_4. MARK IT WITH `D'._
it will be so much better for the dogs.'
She pressed her keys into little Anna's hand and kissed her.
`You will be alright won't you Darling. There's food and
wine in the frig; treat the place as your own.'
`I'll be fine.' Anna wished they'd go. She was embarrassed
by their touching and petting.
She checked all the locks before she went to bed. She had
eaten smoked salmon, asparagus tips and brown bread and butter
in front of the television, and drunk half a bottle of an
expensive wine, to which she was not accustomed. She had
wallowed for a while in the jacuzzi, and finally tumbled into
Margot's huge bed around half-past ten. I could get used to
life like this, she thought.
`Darling I insist,' Margot had said. `Why should you slum it
in a guest-room when nobody's using mine?' Margot's guest
rooms were palaces compared with Anna's own bedroom.
At about midnight the dogs barked but Anna was hardly
disturbed, she turned over and soon fell asleep again. She
was tired from her walk and more relaxed than she had been for
months. It was good to get away, and she adored silk sheets.
Suddenly she awoke. What was going on? Anna held her breath.
Was she dreaming? No! Someone was in the bed beside her and
was tenderly caressing her thigh.
* *
`I can't tell you how sorry I am.' said David next morning,

cont./...

_5. MARK IT WITH `D'._
`It's terribly embarrassing... for you too. Must have given
you the devil of a shock.' Anna couldn't deny that, but David
hadn't known Margot would be away and she hadn't known he was
coming home.
`I suppose it couldn't be helped,' she said awkwardly.
`I'll pack directly and if you wouldn't mind driving me to the
station...'
`Margot and I don't communicate a lot now,' David confided.
`We've got used to living separate lives though we still get on
pretty well when we bump into each other now and again.'
Life isn't fair, Anna thought. I cherished my marriage.
`I suppose you couldn't do me a favour before you leave?'
David said, `I've to meet a colleague in town and shan't have
time to walk the dogs, I wondered...'
Anna was pleased to help. `I'll tell you what, why not stay
and keep me company?' he said. `We'll grab a meal somewhere
tonight, would you mind?' He was not patronising like Margot.
He wasn't forcing himself upon her either. He's probably
lonely too and might be glad of someone to talk to, she
thought.
`I'd like to very much,' she said.
`Thanks a lot, I'll be back about eight.' He picked up his
briefcase and as he went out he said, `There's a box on
Margot's writing desk; I'd like you to have it. See you
later.'

cont./...

_6. MARK IT WITH `D'._
Anna went into the drawing room. On Margot's exquisite
little writing desk was a small leather box. It was not
wrapped and there was no message. She lifted the lid. Anna had
never seen sapphires like them. It must be the wrong box. She
held one earring to her ear in front of the mirror, covetted
it, replaced it on its silk bed and closed the lid. David had
obviously made a mistake.
She enjoyed walking the dogs and groomed them as Margot had
said she must. By the time David popped his head into the
kitchen she had showered and was relaxing with a cup of tea.
`Mind if I join you?' He brought a mug and filled it from
the teapot.
`How did you like your present?' Anna had quite forgotten.
`I'm afraid I didn't find it,' she said.
`On Margot's desk. You must have seen it.' David rose from
the table and went to the drawing-room. He passed her the box.
`Thankyou, but I can't accept it.'
`So you did find it.' She was silent. `I bought them for
Margot. It's our twentieth wedding anniversary today... I
wanted to give her something nice.' He paused. `You were so
decent about last night and..' he faltered, `You took the dogs,
and I... I've nobody else to give them to... I'd like you to
have them, Anna.'
Anna looked up. His eyes told her he meant what he said.
`I'm sorry about your anniversary,' she said. `And thank

cont./...

7. MARK IT WITH `D'
you for wanting me to have them; you're very generous, but I
can't accept.'
`Anna, I'm extremely grateful. You saved me from a terrible
head-ache. If the house had been empty last night, I'd have
got drunk... very drunk.' He pushed the box across the table
towards her. `Please; what else can I do with them?'
* *
Loneliness is painful, even when the initial grief of a loss
is passing. Anna is picking up the pieces of her life again
now. She looks better and has almost regained her former joie
de vivre. She's spent several weekends in Chelsea recently,
each one marked on Margot's kitchen calendar with P and on
her
own with D . She has a male visitor at her own home some
weekends when Margot isn't away.
I was with Anna when Margot rang yesterday. She's off on
another jaunt. Anna was expecting the call.
`Anna Darling, I wondered ...you see I'm proposing a trip to
Vienna this weekend. Could you possibly manage...?'
`Yes, with Peregrine'. Oh, you're such a pet, I'm terribly
grateful. David never tells me his movements so how am I
supposed to have any sort of social life...?'
`Sweetie, I can't thank you enough. Thursday then, if
you're sure.' Anna was absolutely sure.
`Quite sure; honestly I shall be delighted Margot.'
`Bless you Anna.'

cont./...

8. MARK IT WITH `D'
`Don't thank me Margot, coming to your house is a real
pleasure for me. I indulge myself with all the luxuries I
haven't got here.'
`Goodbye Darling, see you on Thursday.'
`Goodbye Margot. I look forward to seeing you...' She
replaced the receiver. `...but not as much as I look forward
to seeing David,' she added, happily.
Anna doesn't talk about Stephen as much now as she did
when he first died. She is in love again, and it's nothing
more than she deserves. I am extremely happy for her. The
earrings David gave her suit her so well. Their colour almost
exactly matches the colour of her eyes which are sparkling
again like they used to. Margot is still enjoying herself, at
David's expense of course, but I believe it may not continue
for much longer.

FINIS

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