“For Christ’s sake, Rafe!” A cut-glass posh accent cut through what Lily was going to say and I heard high heels clicking across the tiles of the kitchen. “Your fucking guard dogs tried to oust me from my own bloody house again.”
Ozzie moved back into my side and I automatically reached to brush some of the flour out of his hair.
The most glamorous woman I’d ever seen in my life stopped a few feet from the kitchen island, thrust out her hip and put her hand on it. She had a tall, willowy frame, her hair perfectly styled in blonde waves. I suddenly felt distinctly underdressed in my baggy jeans and sweatshirt combo. This woman was wearing a beautiful, what looked like cashmere jumper, combined with a mid-length silk cream skirt and a structured blazer, and was carrying an Hermès bag. She could have walked straight off a Paris catwalk and not have looked out of place.
“Sophia,” Rafe said through gritted teeth.
Of course, this was Rafe’s ex-wife. I’d seen photos of her in various magazines. To be honest, in real life, she was even more glamorous and intimidating than she looked in the society pages.
“Hi, Soph, always a pleasure,” Poppy muttered. It was the first time I’d ever heard Poppy less than her one hundred and ten percent enthusiastic self. If I were honest, I didn’t think it was possible for her to sound like that.
“Yes, quite,” Sophia said through a fake smile. Then her eyes snapped to me.
I realised that my hand was still in Ozzie’s hair. I quickly let it drop to my side.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my husband’s house?” she said, taking a couple of steps towards me.
I automatically took a step back and saw aflash of triumph in her eyes. This woman was a bully. I could recognise bullies easily. I’d been around them all my life, after all.
“Ex-husband, Sophia, remember,” Rafe said again through gritted teeth.
“Semantics,” she said with a wave of her hand.
Rafe shook his head. “Not semantics. Very legal, Sophia. Very,verylegal.” He sighed. “Sophia, this is Clara and Lily, Ozzie’s teachers from school.”
“And they’re in your house. Why?” she said, narrowing her eyes at both of us.
“Because I invited them, Sophia.”
“Hey, Oz,” Poppy put in as she took Ozzie’s hand. “Why don’t you show me your new Lego set? Daddy said you’d built a bat cave or something.”
Ozzie snorted and rolled his eyes. “Not a bat cave, Auntie Poppy. It’s an Avengers Assemble Age of Ultron Base.”
“Sorry, my mistake, squishball. Come on then, show me this masterpiece.”
Sophia turned her attention from me and Lily to look at her son and the transformation was instant. Her face warmed and her expression softened.
“Come give Mama a hug before you run off, darling,” she said in a tone so gentle and loving that she seemed like a completely different woman.
Ozzie ran to her as she squatted down and she folded him into her arms. “Don’t be mean to Miss Clara and Miss Lily, Mama,” I heard Ozzie whisper. “Miss Clara’s the one what helped me read good.”
She stroked his hair as she pulled back to look into his eyes. “I won’t be mean, baby boy.”
“’K. I’ll miss you.”
“Miss you too, gorgeous little man.”
As Poppy led Ozzie out of the kitchen and Sophia straightened, I could see a sheen of tears over her eyes, but she blinked them away rapidly.
“Hello,” Lily said bravely, stepping forward and holding out her hand to Sophia. “I’m Lily – Miss Summerfield. I don’t think we’ve met. I think you might have been away for parents’ evening.” Sophia looked at Lily’s hand for a long moment. I thought she was going to leave Lily hanging but in the end she did deign to touch her fingers to hers very briefly.
“Sophia doesn’t tend to go to parents’ evenings, do you, Sophia?” said Rafe.
Sophia rolled her eyes, her cold mask slipping back into place. “Some of us have to travel for work, actually.” Her eyes shot back to me and narrowed. “Oh, you’re the teaching assistant, aren’t you? The one Mrs Clayton hides from everyone. My son talks about you all the time. He tells me that you’re staying here. Is that true?”
“It seemed expedient for Clara to stay here, Sophia, as that nanny you recommended was a complete bitch. I needed childcare. Plus, Clara is helping Ozzie. You know that.”
Sophia’s lip curled and I could see she was gearing up for a fight. But Rafe and Sophia fighting wasn’t productive. It was the last thing Ozzie needed.
