David laughed. ‘I expect you feel better for having told someone.’
‘I do. I’m always so regular I know I must be pregnant. But how am I going to find out for sure?’
David shrugged. ‘Sadly, I’ve run out of specialist knowledge. I think you should go home and go to your own doctor and see what he says.’
‘But what shall I tell my parents?’ demanded Lizzie. ‘I don’t want them worrying that I’m ill.’
‘Tell them you’ve got something you wouldn’t want to go to a strange doctor about?’ said David. ‘Anyway, lots of people go back home to see their doctor, or their dentist. God, some travel miles to have the same hairdresser they’ve always had.’
‘I’ll think of something,’ said Lizzie. ‘And thank you. You’re such a good listener.’
‘And my reward for being a good listener is you telling Alexandra and Meg? I think you’ll feel better about it if you’re not trying to keep it secret from your housemates. And I don’t want to have to keep this a secret on my own.’
‘OK. Now I’ve accepted it myself, sort of, I don’t mind them knowing. And you’re right, it would be hell trying to keep it secret.’
Two minutes later the back door opened and Meg and Alexandra came in. Their arms were full of flowers.
‘These were going cheap at the market,’ said Alexandra. ‘We couldn’t resist buying them.’
‘Oh, are they for me?’ asked David.
‘Naturally,’ said Alexandra. ‘And you too, of course, Lizzie.’
‘Good,’ said David. ‘Because our Lizzie has something to tell you.’
‘What?’ said Alexandra and Meg at the same time.
If it hadn’t been for David looking at her sternly, Lizzie might well have backed out, but she knew she had to say it. ‘I think I might be pregnant.’
People’s jaws really did drop, Lizzie noticed, feeling detached from reality.
‘What?’ said Meg.
‘Hugo?’ said Alexandra.
‘Probably,’ Lizzie said.
‘You mean it’s probably Hugo?’ said Alexandra, rubbing Lizzie’s arm to show she was joking. Who else might be responsible?
‘So when he rescued you from drowning …’ said Meg.
‘Well, afterwards, obviously,’ said Lizzie, laughing with embarrassment.
‘He didn’t take advantage of you?’ said Meg, looking worried. ‘While you were grateful for him saving your life?’
‘No! Really not! Although I was grateful, obviously.’ It was awful that people suspected Hugo of seducing her when Lizzie felt it was far more her fault than his.
‘I think we need tea,’ said Alexandra, the voice of reason. ‘And we bought cakes.’
‘Japoise cakes,’ said Meg. ‘I hadn’t heard of them. I had to try them.’
Lizzie began to feel calmer. Her friends, sitting at the table, sharing out cake, hunting for vases for armfuls of carnations, was normality.
The jap cakes, little macaroon-like confections with a crisp meringue coating on top of coffee icing, were delicious. Lizzie spent quite a long time praising them and discussing with Meg how difficult they’d be to make.
‘So,’ said Alexandra, wiping her sticky fingers on the tablecloth, ‘have you told Hugo yet?’
‘I’ve hardly had a chance. But anyway, I’m not going to tell him.’ Lizzie didn’t meet her eye. She knew Alexandra would disapprove of her decision. Meg too.
