‘But why the spells of being perfectly all right?’
‘In the early stages, it can un-telescope, so to speak, and all is well until it does it again. But each time, it tends to take longer. And finally we reach the stage Kit is at, where it is well and truly blocked. Surgery can cure it, but we don’t have much time. Now, I can fit him into my private list this afternoon, if you would like me to.’
‘How dangerous is the operation?’
‘If the bowel has not necrosed, not particularly. It’s difficult, of course, all surgery on small children is, but I’m confident about it. The main danger now is delay.’
‘Then – then we mustn’t delay,’ she said, her voice sounding shaky even to her. ‘Oh Ned, Ned, it is so good of you to do this.’
‘Well,’ he said. ‘I think you’ve been pretty good to me. All of you. I am more grateful for your discretion than I can ever tell.’
She knew, of course, what he was referring to. She merely smiled at him and said, ‘Please, please, do go ahead. Where do you operate?’
‘St Mary’s Chelsea. Small private hospital, but I have an excellent team. You may as well go straight there. I’ll alert them, and get Kit’s case first on the list. And I’ll ask Jennifer to sort out a room for you – that’s if you want to stay.’
‘Of course I do.’ There was a knock on the door; the icy Jennifer, now warm and friendly, put her head round it.
‘Mrs Knelston, your husband is here. He—’
‘How very timely,’ said Ned. ‘Ask him to come in, Jennifer, if you would. I’ll explain the situation to him.’
‘I might take Lucy out for a bit,’ said Jillie hastily.
‘No, said Alice, ‘please stay.’
Tom was ushered in, his eyes brilliant with what Alice knew was anger.
‘Good morning, Tom,’ said Ned.
‘Good morning,’ said Tom. ‘Look, it’s very kind of you to see Kit but I’ll take him and Alice home now. And Lucy. You appear to be sheltering my entire family.’
‘Tom, you will not take us home,’ said Alice, shocked into a new level of determination by his arrogance and near-rudeness, Laura fading, temporarily at least, into the background. ‘Of course we can’t go home; we have to take Kit to St Mary’s Chelsea where Ned is going to operate on him this afternoon.’
‘No, I’m afraid he’s not.’
‘And I’m afraid he is. Ned, please tell Tom what you just told me.’
Tom listened in silence; then he said, ‘I’m grateful, Ned, of course, but that is only your opinion. I don’t want Kit put through surgery until we are quite sure your diagnosis is the correct one. Also, for obvious reasons, I want him treated on the NHS.’
‘The NHS is a wonderful organisation,’ said Ned, his voice very calm. ‘I work for it, and I believe in it as much as you do. But it would be highly unlikely that Kit could have this surgery done under its aegis in time. Had he been diagnosed earlier, it might be different. You could go to casualty, of course, but even then, hours would be lost. He is dangerously ill, Tom. Time is of the essence.’
‘Again, that is only your opinion,’ said Tom. ‘Look, I’m very grateful for your help. But I cannot allow this operation to go ahead this afternoon and certainly not at that particular hospital. I’m sorry.’
‘Tom, how can you talk like that?’ cried Alice. ‘Kit could die. You’re putting your absurd principles against your son’s life.’
‘My principles are not absurd.’
‘They are under these circumstances,’ said Alice. ‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter if they are or not, because neither I nor Kit are coming home with you. Ned, we’ll see you this afternoon.’
Ned looked at her, his dark eyes anguished.
‘You must resolve this between you, of course,’ he said, ‘but I beg you to do so quickly. I cannot stress enough the danger Kit is in. And there is one other very important thing. If you decide on what I am convinced is the right action, I need one of you to give me your written consent. That’s the law, as I’m sure you will know, Tom. I –’ He stopped.
‘I’m afraid I’m not prepared to do that,’ said Tom.
‘Tom!’ Alice was shouting now. ‘That is a truly wicked decision. You’re putting your political career before your son’s life.’ She stopped, looked down at the sleeping Kit, and said abruptly, ‘You think people will find out, don’t you, and that will destroy you politically. That’s what this is about. You’re so desperate for success and power and all that ridiculous, horrible stuff, you’re prepared to risk Kit’s death. Tom, you can’t do that. Please, please, tell me you can’t.’
Tom was silent; then he said, ‘No, Alice, I won’t agree to what you want – so wrongly, in my opinion. It’s got nothing to do with my having success and power. I find that infinitely insulting. It’s to do with what I believe in. It’s about justice, nothing more or less. Justice for the individual. And I care passionately about that. Don’t you understand?’
‘No, I don’t. Especially not when it is our son’s life at stake. But it doesn’t matter, because I’ll sign the form.’
‘No,’ said Tom, and his expression as he looked at her was of open dislike. ‘No, Alice, I absolutely forbid that. And I feel quite sure, as Kit’s father, my wishes would outweigh yours in a court of law.’
Panic struck at Alice, panic and something else even more powerful: shock that Tom could display such paternalistic arrogance – the arrogance he had deplored, as he had often told her, in his father.
And then, something extraordinary happened. She felt Laura move onto her side. She would not have stood for that: for being told what and what not to do by her husband. It would have been abhorrent to her, against all her feminist principles. She might not have followed the course Alice had chosen, but she would have put Kit first, in whatever way she thought best. Alice knew that. And she would have fought Tom, if she believed she should. Alice suddenly, and with great clarity, had no doubt about it, and in that moment Laura changed: from being rival and enemy to ally and friend. So engrossed was she in this revelation, that Alice hardly realised Ned was speaking again.
‘I’m afraid you are wrong there, Tom,’ he said. ‘The law, as it stands, gives preference to whichever parent is in favour of any surgery, be it the father or the mother.’
Alice looked at Tom, and said, ‘Right. That’s settled then. Ned, give me the form or whatever and I’ll sign it.’
‘Alice, please,’ said Tom, and there was desperation in his voice now. ‘Please try to see it my way.’
‘I see it very clearly your way. And I don’t like what I see. You want to stop Kit from having the best possible care in the least possible time, and there’s only one reason as far as I’m concerned. You don’t want to betray your own principles, not just because you do hold them so passionately, and I accept that, of course. But also because you’re afraid of being seen to be betraying them, caught out if you like, and endangering your political career.’