And they had shared a rare, lingering look, as if both mentally acknowledging that it wasn’t the only thing they wouldn’t mention to Ada.
The car behind beeped and she moved forward with a small wave of acknowledgement in the rear-view mirror.
‘Anyway, just thought I’d let you know, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep Mr Doodah happy.’
‘Oh, don’t worry. I have many more magic tricks to show him. This wand does lots of things.’ Guy snorted.
‘Could you magic me to the Seychelles just for a day, or maybe two, or three, I just want to sit in the sun, and for someone to bring me lovely things to eat and drink.’
‘Looking at our current account, I’d say a day in Margate might be more budget appropriate.’
‘Spoilsport.’ She tutted. ‘Should I be worried, Guy?’ She closed her eyes briefly, hating to mention the concern that she knew would dog him too.
‘No more than usual.’ He made a tsking sound. ‘But go back to the Seychelles, a much nicer place for your thoughts to rest.’
The memory of her perfect honeymoon was enough for her to feel warmth on her skin.
It had been bliss – perfection! The country wedding of her dreams at her in-laws’ house, everything she had wanted and more. Little Sophie, who at one point in the proceedings seemed like she might miss the whole ceremony due to a sickness bug, had been the happiest of bridesmaids! Her parents had of course loved every second of her special day.
This, followed by two whole weeks of sleeping when the mood took them, eating such delicious fresh food that she still yearned for it, and lots of lovely sex ... Sex that had meant she returned with more than tan lines and sand between her toes, as Evie had, without invitation, taken up residence in her womb.
It wasn’t something she had planned, far from it, and it wasn’t only the timing that had thrown her a little. They had barely finished the house renovations, and she had wanted to enjoy the post-wedding glow, to revel in the perfection of that wonderful day!A baby ...she had laughed in public and cried in private at thenews. Archie had been beside himself with joy, which proved to be the driver in her own acceptance. Of course, she wasn’t getting any younger, and hearing the thrilled reaction of her mum and dad and Elaine and Dickie, she’d got rather wrapped up in the whole circus, but ababy ...a whole event in itself that required a huge mental adjustment. Truth was, she was still trying to catch up.
Thinking about their glorious trip made her wish she hadn’t snapped at Archie earlier. It was, after all, only a croissant. She had been trying to help, wanting him to live a long and healthy life so they could grow old together and do all the things they had been planning since university; to go to Nepal, charter a mega yacht, buy a seaside home, take a classic car to drive along the Côte d’Azur, where they would walk among the lavender fields of Provence and stop for lunch in Cannes. All of it, right there on their wish list for that time when things slowed down.
He might know how to push her buttons, but he was still that boy she had met at university who had danced at the ball with his tie around his head. A handsome boy who had been mad for her, smothering her with love and wrapping her in promises that anyone would have found hard to resist.
You are under my skin and inside my bones ...
She decided to call and leave him a message by way of apology, knowing it would do the trick ...
‘Just park and get your arse in here. No one likes to hear you feeling sorry for yourself, Brett.’
Guy’s words made her smile; the small and meaningful connection that spoke of their history. He was, after all, the reason she had met Archie, shaping her future, all of their futures.
‘He’s loaded!’ Guy had whispered to her out of the corner of his mouth when he had caught her eyeing up the handsome blond with the big laugh and big personality. ‘Archibald Oxton Fitch, absolutely loaded!’
‘I don’t care about things like that,’ she’d fired back, but on reflection, she knew she had cared, a little bit. That kind of wealth was a ticket to the life she had always dreamed of. A life she had glimpsed at St. Jude’s, where, unlike her, most of the kids didn’t have to worry about the next instalment of their scholarship being paid on time, as their parents could simply write a cheque for the large sums that bought membership. Her membership was won, although not by her, a stolen prize. She shivered now at the thought.
The car behind beeped again, this time a long-drawn-out toot, intended, she was sure, to intimidate, hurry her along and make her blood boil. It achieved all three and she put her foot down, making her way out of the road and heading for Sainsbury’s, where she could park and leg it all the way back to the office. It was inconvenient, a hassle, and she would no doubt arrive late for her meeting looking like a sweaty mess, but at this point there was little she could do about it. The most frustrating thing was that her next mid-morning appointment would mean haring it back to the car and heading off to the viewing the minute Mr Hartington Road had left.
‘Shit!’ She hit the steering wheel for the second time that morning as she turned out on to the main road and hit the nose-to-tail traffic. A call came through and she grabbed the phone from the front seat and again tucked it under her chin.
‘Hello, love. It’s me, it’s Mum.’
‘Yep, I’ve told you before, Mum, your name comes up, so before I even answer I know it’s you!’
‘Yes, that’s right, anyway ...’ Her mum began to talk so slowly that Ashleigh felt her blood speed up in her veins. She needed to get to the office, familiarise herself with the property on Hartington and get her ducks in a row before she faced Mr Greedy. Fat chance of that now she was crawling along, going nowhere fast. ‘I’ve just got off the phone with your sister, and she’s going to book it up.’
‘Bookwhatup, Mum?’ She jumped in, finding her mother’s rambling lack of specifics more than a little irritating.
‘Oh!’ Ruthie laughed. ‘The Plough for your dad’s birthday. You know he doesn’t want any fuss, but he’d like us all to go out for lunch.’
Ashleigh smiled, remembering the time there had been a mix-up on the buying of the birthday cake and they’d found themselves without his favoured chocolate gateaux, and at the eleventh hour had been forced to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ while her mum held up a mini roll on a saucer with a single candle in it. He’d been stroppy, to say the least, fed up even, for one who cared so little about fuss.
‘Right.’ She looked skyward, trying to remember the excuse she’d given last time to avoid schlepping all the way back to Salisbury to spend a few hours in the pub and then having to schlep all the way back to London. She loved her family, loved them dearly, but trips home felt like such a faff when there was always so much to do around the house, and the prospect of mustering Evie and coercing Archie to come along, and the fact that her job took up so much of her time and thoughts ... Besides, it was only six weeks until her and her sister’s birthday when attendance was mandatory, couldn’t she just give him his birthday present then? She and Remy only spoke occasionally; it was just how it was. There had been no great fallout, no animosity, nothing so marked. It was more a quiet separation as they pursued different lives in different parts of the country, a natural easing of the ties that bound. Even for twins.
She made a mental note to call her dad on his special day, get a gift, send it over. ‘What day is his birthday?’
