‘It’s stupid, really.’
‘I hardly think you’d be dismissed on the basis of a “silly misunderstanding”. Tell me what happened.’
She shrugged. ‘I wasn’t keeping up with my studies, Mum, that’s all. My grades were poor.’
‘And?’ her mother prodded. ‘You wouldn’t be kicked out of school merely for poor grades, Cait.’ She sat down on the edge of the bed and levelled a shrewd gaze at her daughter. ‘There’s something more, isn’t there?’
She said nothing.
‘I’m waiting. I can wait all night, if necessary. And this time, my darling girl, I want the truth.’
Caitlin glared at her mother, and defiance darkened her grey eyes. ‘I missed some classes,’ she said, her expression still sullen. ‘I wasn’t turning in assignments. I just...couldn’t keep up any more, so I gave up trying.’
There was a moment of silence. ‘You graduated top of your class,’ Mrs Campbell said finally. ‘You’ve never once struggled with schoolwork, Caitlin, never! You expect me to believe this load of bollocks? Because I don’t – I’m not buying it for a minute.’
‘Believe what you want. It’s true. I’m just not cut out for university, Mum. I’m completely h-hopeless.’ Her lower lip began to wobble, and she tried – and failed – to blink back incipient tears.
‘Who is he?’ Penelope’s voice was soft in the stillness of the room.
Caitlin’s head shot up at the unexpectedness of the question. ‘Who is
who
? What are you talking about?’
‘Who is this man you’re so willing to throw your future away for? Is it Jeremy?’
‘
Jeremy
?’ She stared at her mother, nonplussed. ‘Lord, no! We’re friends. I only asked him to bring me here because he’s got the Land Rover and I was desperate to get home.’
‘And how did you manage to persuade him to do that? Doesn’t Jeremy have exams, finals to take? Unless
he
was expelled, too?’
‘No, of course he wasn’t!’ Caitlin snapped. ‘I told you, we’re friends. He agreed to bring me here after I told him I’d been expelled. He spoke with his professors and got permission to take his finals a week early.’
‘How lucky for you.’
‘Jeremy’s been wonderful. And he’s staying in a separate room down the hall, if you hadn’t noticed,’ she added.
‘There’s nothing to stop him sneaking into your room at night. Or you into his.’
‘You can’t be serious.’ Caitlin shook her head in disbelief. ‘I’m twenty, mum, not fifteen. I’ve been on my own for almost two years. I’ve even had
sex
.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ she replied, refusing to rise to her daughter’s bait. ‘But you’re home now, and there’s your father to consider. I won’t have you disrespecting him or his wishes while you’re here.’
‘Oh, crikey, Mum,’ Caitlin groaned, ‘don’t start with the clichés, like “as long as you’re living under our roof”, please?’
‘No clichés.’ Penelope rose to her feet. ‘But I expect you to behave with decorum whist you’re here. And I expect you to formulate a plan and tell me –
and
your father – exactly what you intend to do about this current state of affairs.’
She strode to Caitlin’s door and left, closing the door quietly but firmly behind her.
Caitlin flung herself back against the pillows and stared up at the canopy of pink silk over her head. What an unholy mess...and she’d no one but herself to blame. Tears leaked out and slid down the sides of her face, dampening her collar as thoughts chased themselves back and forth in her head.
She’d never finish school now...daddy was the angriest she’d ever seen him...what was she thinking, to do such a daft and irresponsible thing...
Gradually she became aware of the ringing of the phone in the upstairs hallway. She waited for someone – anyone – to pick it up, but no one did, and it continued to ring.
With a mutter of irritation, she flounced out of bed and flung the door open. ‘Hello!’ she snapped
‘I hardly think you’d be dismissed on the basis of a “silly misunderstanding”. Tell me what happened.’
She shrugged. ‘I wasn’t keeping up with my studies, Mum, that’s all. My grades were poor.’
‘And?’ her mother prodded. ‘You wouldn’t be kicked out of school merely for poor grades, Cait.’ She sat down on the edge of the bed and levelled a shrewd gaze at her daughter. ‘There’s something more, isn’t there?’
She said nothing.
‘I’m waiting. I can wait all night, if necessary. And this time, my darling girl, I want the truth.’
Caitlin glared at her mother, and defiance darkened her grey eyes. ‘I missed some classes,’ she said, her expression still sullen. ‘I wasn’t turning in assignments. I just...couldn’t keep up any more, so I gave up trying.’
There was a moment of silence. ‘You graduated top of your class,’ Mrs Campbell said finally. ‘You’ve never once struggled with schoolwork, Caitlin, never! You expect me to believe this load of bollocks? Because I don’t – I’m not buying it for a minute.’
‘Believe what you want. It’s true. I’m just not cut out for university, Mum. I’m completely h-hopeless.’ Her lower lip began to wobble, and she tried – and failed – to blink back incipient tears.
‘Who is he?’ Penelope’s voice was soft in the stillness of the room.
Caitlin’s head shot up at the unexpectedness of the question. ‘Who is
who
? What are you talking about?’
‘Who is this man you’re so willing to throw your future away for? Is it Jeremy?’
‘
Jeremy
?’ She stared at her mother, nonplussed. ‘Lord, no! We’re friends. I only asked him to bring me here because he’s got the Land Rover and I was desperate to get home.’
‘And how did you manage to persuade him to do that? Doesn’t Jeremy have exams, finals to take? Unless
he
was expelled, too?’
‘No, of course he wasn’t!’ Caitlin snapped. ‘I told you, we’re friends. He agreed to bring me here after I told him I’d been expelled. He spoke with his professors and got permission to take his finals a week early.’
‘How lucky for you.’
‘Jeremy’s been wonderful. And he’s staying in a separate room down the hall, if you hadn’t noticed,’ she added.
‘There’s nothing to stop him sneaking into your room at night. Or you into his.’
‘You can’t be serious.’ Caitlin shook her head in disbelief. ‘I’m twenty, mum, not fifteen. I’ve been on my own for almost two years. I’ve even had
sex
.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ she replied, refusing to rise to her daughter’s bait. ‘But you’re home now, and there’s your father to consider. I won’t have you disrespecting him or his wishes while you’re here.’
‘Oh, crikey, Mum,’ Caitlin groaned, ‘don’t start with the clichés, like “as long as you’re living under our roof”, please?’
‘No clichés.’ Penelope rose to her feet. ‘But I expect you to behave with decorum whist you’re here. And I expect you to formulate a plan and tell me –
and
your father – exactly what you intend to do about this current state of affairs.’
She strode to Caitlin’s door and left, closing the door quietly but firmly behind her.
Caitlin flung herself back against the pillows and stared up at the canopy of pink silk over her head. What an unholy mess...and she’d no one but herself to blame. Tears leaked out and slid down the sides of her face, dampening her collar as thoughts chased themselves back and forth in her head.
She’d never finish school now...daddy was the angriest she’d ever seen him...what was she thinking, to do such a daft and irresponsible thing...
Gradually she became aware of the ringing of the phone in the upstairs hallway. She waited for someone – anyone – to pick it up, but no one did, and it continued to ring.
With a mutter of irritation, she flounced out of bed and flung the door open. ‘Hello!’ she snapped
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