‘You’re a darling,’ she whispered t

‘You’re a darling,’ she whispered to her child, drawing her suddenly against her knee. ‘Do you know you’re a darling? Do you know you’re a darling?’
Ede laughed. ‘Bow-wow,’ she said suddenly.
‘Bow-wow?’ Edith looked around. ‘There isn’t any bow-wow.’
‘Bow-wow,’ repeated Ede. ‘I want a bow-wow.’
Edith followed the small pointing finger.
‘That isn’t a bow-wow, dearest, that’s a teddy-bear.’
‘Bear?’
‘Yes, that’s a teddy-bear, and it belongs to Billy Markey. You don’t want Billy Markey’s teddy-bear, do you?’
Ede did want it.
She broke away from her mother and approached Billy Markey, who held the toy closely in his arms. Ede stood regarding him with inscrutable eyes, and Billy laughed.
Grown-up Edith looked at her watch again, this time impatiently.