Wow, that was interesting.
‘Clever? Why do you think that, Mum? I mean, what did she say?’
She certainly hadn’t said anything particularly brilliant when Ally had met her.
‘We-eeel, it wasn’t what she said .?.?. more what she was wearing. It was this see-through skirt. I don’t know how the child didn’t get pneumonia. Showed everything from her knickers down. Your daddy thought it was nice, but I don’t know.’
‘Ah, Mum, those skirts are the fashion now.’
‘Fine .?.?. If you say so. I’m not going to say another word, except .?.?. have you thought again about popping into Allegra’s man for a bit of Botox? Everyone’s getting it done, and you’ve such a pretty face .?.?.’
The end of that sentence – ‘so you’d better hang on to it’ – hung in the air above them, alongside the smell of coffee and cinnamon.
‘And did I tell you that Allegra, Bonnie and I are going away for a week? To Fuengirola, in January.’
‘What does Daddy think?’
‘Oh, he’ll be fine. I’ll number his dinners and pop them in the freezer. A bit of low-season fun, just the three of us girls – is that dreadful? We’re going to splurge on some gorgeous new swimwear in the January sales and then head off the week after. I can’t wait.’
Frankly, it sounded heavenly, though Ally began to feel a teeny bit sorry for Dad. Was that what happened? For years you were leading the posse and then, suddenly .?.?. you weren’t any more. Must give him a buzz, she thought to herself.
‘Oh, is that the time?’ burst out Mum. ‘I’ve to drop into the gym on my way to lunch to book in for my course of personal training sessions. I’d better be in shape for the hols. No flab in Fuengirola. You stay and finish, darling, this is on me,’ she quipped as she headed for the door.
Seeing as it was her day off, and she’d half an hour before her manicure, Ally ordered a nice frothy cappuccino and scrolledpeacefully on her phone. Just then a notification flashed up from ‘Fran’. What the hell?
Hey Ally, gr8 to see you last week. Sorry about end. Would you like to meet for chat?
That was a spooky coincidence, after her parents had met him with the Tadpole. Did he really think she was that much of a pushover? Let him stew for a bit, she decided.
A few minutes later, Ally was sitting in the nail salon with her earbuds in while Rosemarie was on an early lunch break, because Crystal was guesting on a podcast entitled#TastyOrTrashy, about how much skin the over fifties could get away with showing during the festive period.
‘Seriously,’ said Rosemarie. ‘When did she suddenly become the expert? I wouldn’t take advice from her if she was the last human with skin on earth. So, what colour nail varnish have you gone for?’
‘Bubblegum pink.’
‘Nice.’
She told Rosemarie about Francis, and how Mum talking about him seemed to have magically drawn him to her.
‘Come on, Ally, do you not think if you were really meant for each other, then you’d still be with him? So, what did you really phone me for?’
Ally told her all about Pete and their lovely drink in the Hole In The Wall with Patsy the puppy, but then explained how he’d said his ex was a very attractive woman and, at the end of the evening, it had all come to nothing.
‘What’s going on, Rosemarie?’ said Ally. ‘What’s wrong with me? It’s like I can only ever get part of a man, like a timeshare.’
‘Stop that. Nothing has actually gone wrong. Grammaticallyspeaking, what tense did he use when talking about his ex – past or present?’
Rosemarie had a point. ‘Past.’
‘There you are. And he didn’t accept the offer of legal help from your sister? Then step back. He doesn’t want help. He wants to sort it out himself. That’s my hunch.’
‘Right. That’s why I’m focusing on grooming.’
‘Very wise. You want to look your best for William’s curry tonight. And make sure your phone is charged – I want photos, star signs .?.?. nothing vague.’
In truth, Ally had barely thought about William’s dinner. She felt more like staying in with reruns ofBridgertonthan sitting in a lad’s house probably full of giant white trainers.
* * *
