Chapter 28
Penny checked on Theo for the tenth time, threw a few more bags of whitebait over the top of him, then went into the kitchen. It was almost more than her life was worth, trying to ignite the ancient gas oven, but she persevered. She didn’t want to bother her uncle. Watching football on TV was one of the few things that still seemed to give him pleasure. Penny nestled the beef shoulder in a bed of parsnips, pumpkin and potatoes, then put extra vegetables in an oiled pan for herself. The 1940s kitchen was pre-rangehood, so Penny opened the window, then frowned. Ray wasn’t watching TV at all. He was standing in the driveway, smoking, staring at the road. She studied him. Once upon a time, he would comb his few thin wisps of hair over his bald pate. Lately, he’d forgone this small
