He shrugged. “I know. And we’ll do the job and probably win. The solicitor for the other side isn’t great. I’ve gone up against him before.”
“Who is it?”
Seph gave me his name, one I recognised, and I agreed with him. I’d been against him before and he’d been slack and lacking with detail. Whether Ron Hartford would stick with him would be questionable if he had any sense.
“What’s in the bag?”
There was a thud in my chest before it turned into a hard sequence of kicks.
“Just a gift. Did you get the papers?”
I looked at his lips. I imagined touching them, wondered if it would make him smile again. Wondering if he would catch my hand as my fingers grazed across his skin or whether he’d step back.
I clenched my fist. Remembered the bag I held with Rose’s books. I wished I’d told Seph about her already.
“I got the papers. I’ll start to go through them tomorrow. I want to discuss a case that just got passed onto us from Collins Solicitors…”
He stopped, my phone blaring out an abrasive ring.
“Sorry.” I rummaged through my handbag and found it, seeing Rose’s nursery on the screen as the caller.
The nursery didn’t call for no reason. Everything inside me felt as if it had doubled in weight and was trembling. I’d become jelly and my legs felt numb.
I answered, feeling Seph’s eyes on me.
“Hi Georgia, it’s Liza from Busy Bees. Rose has fallen over and banged her head on the floor. She’s okay – very upset. The first aider is looking after her, but could you collect her – we think she should go to casualty to have it checked.” Liza’s tone was calm and there was something reassuring about it, which was probably the only thing stopping me from losing the plot.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Twenty minutes. Less.”
“Okay, just get here safely. We’re looking after her. We could meet you at the hospital if you want, but I think Rose would prefer to go with you.” Again, her voice calmed me and later I’d email the nursery manager and ask her to thank Liza.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you.” I repeated myself then ended the call, my hands trembling.
I looked up at Seph. “I need to go. I’m so sorry. I have a meeting with Haydn Causier this afternoon – please could you ask Moira to cancel it with my apologies.”
I started to walk towards the door.
Seph caught my arm in his hand. “Where are you going? You can’t – is everything okay?”
I stopped, my eyes stinging. “Rose. She’s banged her head. I need to take her to the hospital.”
I freed myself and carried on walking.
Seph followed, his hand on my shoulder, slowing me down. “Georgie, stop.”
I shook my head.
“Breathe. You need to breathe.”
He’d managed to turn me round so we were facing each other, a hand on each of my shoulders.
I pushed his hands off me. “I need to go. Please, just sort out Haydn.”
“Georgia, who’s Rose? I thought your sister was called Olivia.”
I froze. I didn’t have time for explanations or apologies or the questions Seph would have. I just needed to go.
“She’s my daughter. She’s four.” I headed for the door, aware that Seph was behind me.
