“Simon must be over the moon; he always wanted to be a father. What did you say when you told him?”
Libby realized she was still clinging on to the book, and she put it down on the counter. “I... I haven’t told him yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well, it’s all been a bit of a surprise.”
“When did you find out?” Pauline took the champagne bottle off Rebecca and popped the cork.
“Only last week.”
“Really? I knew I was pregnant with you girls the night you were conceived,” Pauline said. “Both times I said to your father, ‘Roger, we just created a baby.’ ”
Libby winced and tried to catch her sister’s eye, but Rebecca was looking away from her, staring out of the window into the garden.
“At least this explains the weight gain,” Pauline said, pouring champagne into a glass. “But I have to say, darling, in many ways this is very clever of you. Now Simon will have to forget about his silly little affair and take you back, and all this nonsense will finally be over with.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Libby said.
“Oh, of course he will. Simon’s an honorable young man; there’s no way he’ll leave you to have a baby on your own.”
“But he’s with someone else now, Mum. And to be honest, I’m not sure I want him back after everything that’s happened.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. As soon as you tell him you’re carrying his baby, he’ll forget all about this skinny Olivia woman. Just you wait and see.”
“Youarekeeping the baby, aren’t you?” It was the first time Rebecca had spoken in a while, and when Libby looked up at her, she saw a glint of something dangerous in her sister’s eye.
“Of course I am.”
“And youaregoing to tell Simon?”
Libby hesitated a second too long, and she saw her sister draw breath. “You have to tell him, Libby. He’s the baby’s father.”
“Of course she’s going to tell him,” Pauline said, and tutted at her elder daughter. “Come on, Rebecca, can’t you try and be happy for your sister?”
“I am happy for her,” Rebecca said, but her voice was flat.
“A toast, then,” Pauline said, thrusting a glass of champagne toward each of her daughters. “To Libby and her pregnancy.”
“To Libby and her pregnancy,” Rebecca said, and then promptly drained her glass in one.
CHAPTER
25
Brunch was excruciating. Pauline spent the whole time talking at Libby about the pregnancy: how she should sign up for antenatal yoga classes to keep in shape, how she should register with a hospital in Surrey because they were better than London ones, how delighted Simon’s parents would be when they found out. Libby tried to change the subject several times, but her mother barely paused for breath, and in the end, Libby gave up. Besides, she was much more concerned about her sister. Rebecca didn’t say a word and her food sat untouched, the scrambled egg congealing as she drank glass after glass of champagne. And Libby couldn’t forget the look of hurt on her sister’s face earlier, the pain at their mother’s words. She needed time alone with Rebecca, the chance to talk to her in private. Finally, after what seemed like hours, their mother stood up.
“Right, I should be getting home,” she said, gathering up her bags. “Libby, I imagine I’ll be seeing a lot more of you soon, once you’ve moved back in with Simon.”
Libby opened her mouth, but Pauline hadn’t finished.
“Make sure you tell him today, because I’m bound to bump into his mother in Waitrose this week, and I want to be able tocelebrate the good news with her. All right?” She gave Libby’s shoulder a too-hard squeeze and then breezed out.
Libby waited until she heard the front door slam, then turned to her sister.
“Bex, I’m so sorry you had to find out like that. I wanted to tell you privately but it’s all been so—”
“I’ve got work to do.”
