The lessons continued, as did the history of Muriel’s marriage. She talked all the time, and sometimes Macon get the feeling that she used words as a sort of background music. But he couldn’t help listening, and was quite shocked when he heard some of the unkind things that Norman’s mother had said to Muriel.
‘It was the baby that broke our marriage up,’ Muriel said. ‘Alexander was born early and spent months in the hospital, he was such a sick little baby. Norman wouldn’t go near him and he didn’t like me spending all my time at the hospital. In the end I took a cleaning job there, to help pay the medical bills, you should have seen them, thousands and thousands of dollars…’
She and Macon were walking along the road with Edward, hoping to meet a biker. Edward was getting quite good at lying down and staying, but he still had to learn that he was not allowed to attack bikers.
‘If he gives the smallest bark,’ Muriel said. ‘ I’m going to pull his leash so hard he won’t know what hit him. It’s for his own good, and you’ve promised not to get upset, remember?’
‘Yes I’ll try and remember,’ Macon said.
Soon a biker came past, a girl with a tiny, serious face. Edward put his head up and looked, but marched calmly on.
‘Oh, Edward, that was wonderful,’ Macon told him.
Muriel just clucked, as though she had expected Edward to behave himself.