Kate said, ‘Where’s your dad?’
‘He’s in the lounge. Layla said she had something to ask him.’
‘Did she indeed?’ Kate lifted her gaze to Bridie.
Bridie said, ‘Well, if you don’t need me, I think I’ll go upstairs and powder my nose.’
George turned around and gave his aunt a funny look.
‘She means use the loo.’
‘Auntie Bridie talks funny sometimes.’
‘That’s what comes from working in the theatre, sweetheart.’
Bridie heard the comment as she walked out.
‘I’m never going to work in the theatre, Mummy.’
‘I’m relieved to hear it.’
‘That’s because I want to be a train driver.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I want to be a train driver.’
‘What’s wrong with an investment banker, or a lawyer like Uncle Jeremy?’
‘Sooo boring.’
Bridie cupped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh at George’s response. She’d been dreading the get-together, not realising that her niece and nephew would be joining them, along with Andy, who was pretty laid back and made things fun when he and Jeremy got together, much to Caroline’s annoyance.
It was Friday, and Kate had gone straight from work to Jeremy and Caroline’s house rather than going home. Bridie knew that when Layla had found out that her aunt was going to be there, she’d told her dad she wanted to go too. And so Andy had collected George and Layla from school and had driven to London. They’d all arrived at Jeremy’s house at the same time.
Bridie had had a rare evening off work. One of the main cast had unexpectedly been taken ill, and the understudy wasn’t available, so they’d had to cancel the show. They were putting on an extra show – a Saturday matinee. She’d invited them all to the Saturday matinee, thinking that Kate and Andy would be staying with Jeremy and Caroline for the night. They were indeed staying, but they were heading straight home in the morning. Caroline said she and Jeremy were far too busy at the weekend to go to the theatre, and besides, it wasn’t her thing.
Sometimes, Bridie felt Caroline was more like a sister to Kate than she was. They were so similar. She’d said as much once to Julian. He’d just said they both sounded stuck-up and suited each other. ‘Perhaps they’ll be made redundant or lose their jobs one day, and that will put them in their place.’
Bridie would never wish bad luck on anyone, much less family. But she did think she was more likely to lose her job first, as she was self-employed. So far, her contracts had pretty much been back to back, but she knew who she really had to thank forthat – her producer fiancé. He reminded her often enough, even though she didn’t need reminding. She knew there was plenty of young talent out there, people younger than her, vying for work.
Her sister was still banging on to George about the pros of investment banking. Bridie shook her head. George was eleven. Next week he’d decide to be an astronaut or a pilot or a footballer. He might well eventually become a train driver, or an investment banker, but at that moment he was just a boy with an imagination, and like his sister, had years ahead of him before he had to face the real world.
Bridie had a cheeky thought. She whispered under her breath, ‘I might just include him in my next theatre outing with Layla and Grandad.’ She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before. Probably because Layla saw those theatre trips as her time with her favourite auntie and her great-grandad. Even though George said he didn’t like the theatre, how did he know unless he went to a show?
Bridie grinned at the thought of taking George, hoping he enjoyed it so much that he went home and announced he wanted to work in theatre, even become an actor. Oh, how Bridie would love to be a fly on the wall if that happened. Not that she imagined it would; George always loved things that moved – cars, planes, trains, footballs. She could never imagine him on the stage. But then, stranger things happened, she mused.
As she reached the top of the stairs, Layla walked out of the lounge and grinned up at Bridie. Andy walked out behind her looking like he had the world on his shoulders, which Bridie supposed he did. He now had the task of convincing his inflexible wife to let their daughter attend drama classes.
Andy was not the confrontational type, but this was an argument he knew he wasn’t going to be able to walk away from until Layla had her way.
Bridie would not have liked to be in his shoes. She almost felt like apologising but decided just to keep out of it.
Kate walked out of the kitchen and shouted, ‘Dinner is almost ready. Oh, there you are, Andy.’
Bridie paused at the top of the stairs, debating whether to leave using the loo until later.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ Kate asked.
