Or not.
‘Lola will stay with me, as she always has done when you’ve been on the evening and night shifts at Hudson House,’ Mum said calmly. ‘And one advantage… theonlyadvantage I can see to having Dean back, is that he’ll be at home for Lola…’ She broke off as an arm snaked round her, pulling her into its owner. ‘Do you always creep up on unsuspecting women like this?’ She smiled as Kamran Sattar dropped a kiss onto her dark head.
‘Only those I fancy like mad.’ He grinned, putting both arms now around Mum’s tiny waist.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, get a room, the pair of you,’ I said, embarrassed but, to my shame, also utterly envious of Mum’s love life.
‘You OK, Jess?’ Kamran asked. ‘I’ve come up to help you interview the prospective managers for Hudson House. I may now own a care home, but I’ve absolutely no idea about running one.’
‘Shouldn’t be too much different from running your Frozen empire.’ Mum laughed.
I turned on her. ‘Mum, are you saying my residents, my lovely old people, are the equivalent of fish fingers or… or…?’ I couldn’t quite recall what else Kamran’s massive frozen food empire manufactured. Bloody Turkey Twizzlers or the like, I supposed.
‘No, I wasn’t saying that at all.’ Mum was trying to stop laughing, giving Kamran a warning glance.
‘Yes, well, if that’s how you feel about my old folk, I’m off.’
And with that, I stomped off down to the care home itself, swishing at the rusting leaves of the floribunda roses as I went, swearing at myself for being so bloody prickly and immature. I wouldn’t need to be handing in my notice to Kamran, Fabian and The White House before it had even opened; at this rate I’d be off the books.
2
ROBYN
As Jess was in the process of sending her daughter upstairs to remove the make-up from her eleven-year-old’s face, her sister, Robyn, was down in the bedroom of the Dower House cottage in the centre of the beautiful village of Beddingfield, eating toast and Marmite while simultaneously doing her own make-up.
‘Who areyoutrying to impress?’ Fabian Carrington asked mildly. ‘Surely not the horrible 9CL?’
‘Why would I?’ Robyn said, swearing as the mascara wand went in her eye. ‘Celia Logan, thank goodness, has returned and is back as head of year and form tutor to the horrible 9CL, her fractured whatever it was from the ski slopes totally fixed. Wouldn’t be surprised if she could actually have been back weeks ago. Anyway, as from Monday, I was no longer form tutor to the worst class in the school. I knew you weren’t listening when I told you that.’
‘So, what’s with the full make-up and smart suit?’
‘You’re inyourbest suit. Which, by the way, is my biggest turn on: a man in a navy suit.’
‘I hadn’t noticed.’ Fabian grinned, moving behind her and lifting her mass of black curls in order to nuzzle at her neck.
Robyn eyed him in the mirror, felt the pressure of a navy trousered leg against her own, smelt the tang of a subtle aftershave and leaned back into him, loving the feel of him, loving the fact that he was here with her. Would be here with her into the future, now that he was about to take on The White House with Kamran Sattar rather than moving back down to London to take up life as a KC barrister with his family firm once more. Today was going to be Fabian’s final case, a favour to Sorrel before packing away his wig and gown and doing what he really wanted to do – starting this new restaurant with Jess and Kamran.
‘You know perfectly well whyI’min my best bib and tucker.’ Fabian smiled at Robyn’s reflection. ‘But you? You’re usually in your dance and drama outfits.’
‘It’s been a long time, Fabian,’ Robyn said, ignoring his question as to why she was dressed up like an air hostess in navy blue. ‘Almost three months to get to this final hearing.’
‘Certainly longer than we’d anticipated or hoped for,’ Fabian said. ‘Being a child, Joel’s case should have all been done and dusted weeks ago. So? Whatareyou up to? Trying to seduce that headteacher of yours once more in that skirt? Have to say it looks good on you, Robyn. Not often I get to see those gorgeous legs of yours.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ Robyn pouted, smoothing on a layer of Coral Glow to her full lips. ‘I’m going to shimmy into Mason Donoghue’s office and offer my body in return for no more covering of Year 9’s lessons when their teachers are skiving again.’
‘No, come on, whereareyou off to? Parents evening, is it, later?’
‘I’m going with you.’
‘With me?’ Fabian frowned at Robyn’s reflection. ‘What d’you mean?’
‘Mason, as Joel’s headteacher, is going to court to support him. And, as Joel is Sorrel’s boyfriend…’
‘Robyn, a youth court, unlike an adult court, won’t allow anyone in who has nothing to do with the case. And whyyouanyway?’
‘I wanted to see you in action once more before you give it all up.’ Robyn felt slightly embarrassed at her answer. ‘And so I asked Mason if I could go with him and he said yes.’
‘I bet he did. Any chance Marvellous Mason gets he’ll have you sitting next to him. Especially in that skirt.’
