‘Because I know Lottie and she’s the most honest and trustworthy person I know.’
‘She was always Nana’s favourite. She always favoured Lottie over you, Zach.’ Angie was calmer now, and because of it, more dangerous. ‘You don’t think those two are capable of making a pact not to tell anyone else?’ She stared, unblinking, at Zach.
‘No,’ he said, calmly. ‘I don’t.’
Daniel was shaking his head. ‘Angie, you know what Mother was like. Stiff upper lip to the end. She wouldn’t have wanted any fuss or upset.’ He turned to Lottie. ‘And most of all, she wouldn’t have wanted to see you upset.’
Angie opened her mouth, but stopped when Scott came in from outside, bringing a gust of winter through the door with him. Lottie glanced at Scott and her breath caught in her throat when she saw what he had in his hand. Her eyes shot to Emily who, from her wide-eyed expression, Lottie guessed had spotted it too.
‘What’s that?’ asked Angie.
‘That’s what I was going to ask you,’ said Scott, holding the pregnancy tester box aloft. ‘I found this inside the packaging of the perfume I bought you. Have you got something you want to tell me?’ Lottie realised that Emily must have found the packaging in the bathroom and used it to conceal the evidence before putting it in the outside bin. She wondered where the actual test had gone.
It was Angie’s turn to look nervous. She got to her feet and moved towards Scott. ‘Darling, what do you mean?’ She went to take the box from him, but he snatched it away.
‘I’m guessing you thought you were pregnant.’ He turned to address the kitchen. ‘We’re hoping to have a baby.’
Zach coughed out a laugh and Lottie nudged him. Poor Scott, he really had no idea how old their mother was. Scott turned back to Angie. ‘Well, are you?’ he asked, his face hopeful. Emily was looking terrified and Lottie’s heart went out to her. She liked Emily, and she loved her brother. This was not how this information was meant to be shared.
‘No,’ said Angie. ‘I’m afraid I’m not. The test’s not mine.’
‘You’re forty-eight,’ blurted out Zach. Scott looked like he’d been hit with a pan; or at the very least, a cremated stuffing ball.
Angie looked panicked as she strode over to Scott and snatched the test box from him. Trying to move the conversation on as quickly as possible, she spun around to look straight at Lottie. ‘But this meanssomeonehere thought they were pregnant.’
Lottie stiffened with alarm. She opened her mouth and said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Scott’s a porn star!’
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘A porn star?’ Angie’s laugh tinkled merrily – until she saw the look on Scott’s face. Angie put down the pregnancy test box on the kitchen table. Lottie stepped in front of it, silently picked it up and put it in her back pocket.
Angie turned to Scott, who was looking uneasy. ‘What’s she talking about, Scott?’
Lottie was about to usher everyone out of the kitchen until she realised that they’d only be listening on the other side of the door, so they might as well stay.
Scott’s eyebrows were working overtime. His usual smile was replaced with a thin line. ‘You remember I told you I’d been an extra in some low budget films?’
‘Ones that never made it to the cinema,’ said Angie, in a very small voice.
‘You don’t getthosesorts of films at the local Cineworld,’ whispered Zach, who appeared to be enjoying the show so much he just needed a bucket of popcorn. Lottie shot him a glare.
‘I’m sorry—’ began Scott.
‘How many p … How many films?’ asked Angie, a hardness creeping into her voice.
Scott opened his mouth and closed it a few times. ‘Ireally don’t know.’ Angie continued to stare at him. He held up his palms.
‘Ten?’ she asked.
‘Fifty? A hundred maybe.’
Despite the Botox, Angie’s eyebrows shot upwards. ‘A hundred porn films! Bloody hell. Thousands of people could have seen them.’
‘It’s not likely. They’re not that good,’ cut in Zach. Scott and Angie both scowled at him and Lottie gave him another poke in the ribs. ‘What? I was trying to help.’
‘I’ve been doing it for years, on and off—’ said Scott.
‘On and off,’ sniggered Zach.
