of my assets”, as my solicitor so pompously puts it, in order to pay off my debts and support my children.’
‘So where does that leave me?’
‘Well… I suppose you couldn’t match his offer?’
‘Oh, come on!’ Nell said furiously. ‘How underhand can you get? It’s supposed to be unethical if I buy the cottage and pay less than him, but if I pay the same, then it magically becomes perfectly above board? What kind of twisted logic is that? It’s just extortion!’
‘That’s life, I’m afraid.’
‘Well, if that’s your attitude,’ Nell shouted, ‘then the whole thing stinks, and you can bloody well stuff it!’
Chapter Eight
Cassie sat at the kitchen table, the remains of breakfast strewn before her, and fiddled with her necklace. The cold green stones felt smooth, and steadying. She was getting more and more impatient about the time it was taking for Bottom Cottage to be sold. They needed to have it all settled
now
. Each day’s delay was costing her father money, and he didn’t hesitate to tell her so. She felt pressured from both sides. Rob didn’t seem to have a clue where his own finances were concerned. He never paid his bills until the red one arrived (sometimes not even then), and he was actively antagonistic to her need to sort things out speedily. Anyone less suited to being an accountant… Cassie shook her head in wonder.
But, for the moment at least, it was fortuitous that he still had the cottage. It was the first week of April and it would soon be Josh’s sixth birthday. Cassie had been busy trying to shame Rob into organising a party for him over the weekend – not that Rob could oversee a blowout in a cream bun factory, but Cassie felt it was about time he made the effort. She would do it herself, but she felt so exhausted all the time these days, and, anyway, it was his turn to do his duty by his son.
‘Perhaps Daddy will give you a birthday party at the cottage,’ she suggested to Josh.
‘I want my party
here,’
he said at once.
‘Well, I don’t know, darling. It might not be possible.’
Josh burst into tears. ‘I want
you
to do it,’ he sobbed. ‘I don’t want –’
‘Oh Joshy …’ Cassie picked him up and held him toher, patting his back gently. ‘Come on, darling, it’s all right. We’ll work something out.’ She felt a tugging at the hem of her skirt. It was Rosie.
‘Up!’ she demanded.
‘Not at the moment, sweetie. Josh is upset. He needs a cuddle more than you do.’ Rosie stuck out her bottom lip and stumped off in a sulk. Cassie barely noticed. She was busy wiping Josh’s eyes and getting him to blow into a paper handkerchief.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ she said to him, sitting down with him on her lap, and stroking the hair out of his eyes.
‘What?’ His tears had already vanished. He looked guardedly hopeful.
‘I’ve got this friend, but it’s a secret, OK?’ Josh nodded. ‘She’s called Mic. You’ve met her once actually, but you probably don’t remember. Anyway, she’s going to come and live with us very soon. Now if you’re very nice to her, we might be able to do your party here. How’s that?’
‘Why can’t you
and Daddy
do it?’
‘Oh, Josh… I’ve explained that to you so many times.’ Cassie felt exasperated. ‘Daddy and I aren’t friends any more. It’s sad, but sometimes these things just happen. But you’ll like Mic, she’s good fun.’ Josh wriggled down from her lap without saying anything. ‘But she’s our secret, remember? Don’t say anything to Daddy, right?’ Josh made a little shrugging movement with his shoulders and turned away. Cassie sighed. ‘Where’s Rosie?’ she asked him. ‘Why don’t you go and see what she’s doing?’ Josh went out.
A few minutes later, Cassie glanced out of the bedroom window with her arms full of dirty linen, and saw both children in the back garden with no coats on. Josh was going round the central flowerbed with a stick, and systematically smashing
‘So where does that leave me?’
‘Well… I suppose you couldn’t match his offer?’
‘Oh, come on!’ Nell said furiously. ‘How underhand can you get? It’s supposed to be unethical if I buy the cottage and pay less than him, but if I pay the same, then it magically becomes perfectly above board? What kind of twisted logic is that? It’s just extortion!’
‘That’s life, I’m afraid.’
‘Well, if that’s your attitude,’ Nell shouted, ‘then the whole thing stinks, and you can bloody well stuff it!’
Chapter Eight
Cassie sat at the kitchen table, the remains of breakfast strewn before her, and fiddled with her necklace. The cold green stones felt smooth, and steadying. She was getting more and more impatient about the time it was taking for Bottom Cottage to be sold. They needed to have it all settled
now
. Each day’s delay was costing her father money, and he didn’t hesitate to tell her so. She felt pressured from both sides. Rob didn’t seem to have a clue where his own finances were concerned. He never paid his bills until the red one arrived (sometimes not even then), and he was actively antagonistic to her need to sort things out speedily. Anyone less suited to being an accountant… Cassie shook her head in wonder.
But, for the moment at least, it was fortuitous that he still had the cottage. It was the first week of April and it would soon be Josh’s sixth birthday. Cassie had been busy trying to shame Rob into organising a party for him over the weekend – not that Rob could oversee a blowout in a cream bun factory, but Cassie felt it was about time he made the effort. She would do it herself, but she felt so exhausted all the time these days, and, anyway, it was his turn to do his duty by his son.
‘Perhaps Daddy will give you a birthday party at the cottage,’ she suggested to Josh.
‘I want my party
here,’
he said at once.
‘Well, I don’t know, darling. It might not be possible.’
Josh burst into tears. ‘I want
you
to do it,’ he sobbed. ‘I don’t want –’
‘Oh Joshy …’ Cassie picked him up and held him toher, patting his back gently. ‘Come on, darling, it’s all right. We’ll work something out.’ She felt a tugging at the hem of her skirt. It was Rosie.
‘Up!’ she demanded.
‘Not at the moment, sweetie. Josh is upset. He needs a cuddle more than you do.’ Rosie stuck out her bottom lip and stumped off in a sulk. Cassie barely noticed. She was busy wiping Josh’s eyes and getting him to blow into a paper handkerchief.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ she said to him, sitting down with him on her lap, and stroking the hair out of his eyes.
‘What?’ His tears had already vanished. He looked guardedly hopeful.
‘I’ve got this friend, but it’s a secret, OK?’ Josh nodded. ‘She’s called Mic. You’ve met her once actually, but you probably don’t remember. Anyway, she’s going to come and live with us very soon. Now if you’re very nice to her, we might be able to do your party here. How’s that?’
‘Why can’t you
and Daddy
do it?’
‘Oh, Josh… I’ve explained that to you so many times.’ Cassie felt exasperated. ‘Daddy and I aren’t friends any more. It’s sad, but sometimes these things just happen. But you’ll like Mic, she’s good fun.’ Josh wriggled down from her lap without saying anything. ‘But she’s our secret, remember? Don’t say anything to Daddy, right?’ Josh made a little shrugging movement with his shoulders and turned away. Cassie sighed. ‘Where’s Rosie?’ she asked him. ‘Why don’t you go and see what she’s doing?’ Josh went out.
A few minutes later, Cassie glanced out of the bedroom window with her arms full of dirty linen, and saw both children in the back garden with no coats on. Josh was going round the central flowerbed with a stick, and systematically smashing
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