back later?'
With the wife, Celine surmised. 'I'm at the flat, have you got a pen?'
'Yeah, go ahead.'
Celine reeled off her new phone number.
'Great, I'll talk to you then, Harry. Thanks for calling.'
Celine put down the phone, her guilty feelings warring with the need to escape reality. She'd hardly thought of Kevin in the last few days, but now, emotional and frightened, she longed to be in his arms. When he made love to her she could forget about everyone and everything for a while. Her father would be disgusted if he knew but there was no reason for him to find out. She would finish with Kevin, she promised herself, but not just yet. She needed him now more than ever. Celine paced the floor and checked her watch. Where had her dad got to?
Frank took the bunch of daffodils and climbed out of the car. He walked up the path but before he had a chance to ring the bell, Brenda had opened the door.
'Hello, Frank, this is a nice surprise.'
Frank bent to kiss her cheek. 'I just finished working on the garden and I thought you might like these.'
Brenda's cheeks flushed as she took the flowers. 'Oh, Frank, they're lovely!'
'I know daffodils are your favourite.'
Brenda laughed as she led the way into the kitchen. 'I wish you'd give Alan a few lessons. I always have to return his gifts.'
'I'm afraid my talents just apply to flowers,' he admitted. 'Ann loved lilies, Celine's mad about pink roses and you love your daffodils. I do too, I must admit. They make me think of the long summer days to come.'
'And the fact that winter is finally over,' Brenda added. 'How about some tea? I've just taken a batch of scones out of the oven.'
'I don't have much time, Celine is expecting me, but a quick cuppa won't hurt.' Frank rubbed his hands together and pulled up a chair.
They talked companionably for a while and as Brenda seemed more relaxed than she had in weeks, Frank decided to risk mentioning Celine again. 'I'm going over to Hopefield later.'
'You said.'
'Why don't you come with me?'
Brenda lowered her cup and looked at him. 'I don't think so.'
'She's sorry for all the trouble she caused, Brenda. She isn't seeing Kevin, she's started a new life, what more can she do?'
'Probably nothing.'
'Well then, come with me,' he urged.
Brenda stood up and began to clear the table. 'Sorry, Frank, I can't.'
Frank sighed. 'Right, then. I'd better go.'
Brenda moved forward to hug him. 'Thanks for the flowers.'
'You're welcome.'
'You will come and see me again?' she asked, her eyes full of anguish.
'Of course I will, love. Take care of yourself.'
'You too.'
Celine answered the buzzer immediately and Frank ran up the stairs. 'Hi, love.'
'You're late, I was worried.'
Frank drew back to look at her. 'I'm here now.'
Celine forced a smile.
'You look lovely. I'd forgotten what your legs looked like.'
Celine laughed. 'My work clothes. I left them on just for your benefit.'
Frank chuckled. 'I'm honoured. So where shall we go?'
Celine walked in behind the kitchen counter. 'I thought maybe we'd phone for a takeaway.'
'No way, not with you dressed up like a dog's dinner. Why don't we go across the road?'
'No!' Celine knew how often Fergus and Rose used the café. She looked at her father's bemused expression. 'I had lunch there today,' she explained. 'How about the Chinese?'
Frank shrugged. 'Fine by me.'
Frank chatted away as they strolled down the street, but Celine was glancing around her all the time. The shop was closed, Rose was gone home and it was highly unlikely that he would be around but she couldn't help herself.
'Is everything all right, love?'
'Sorry, Daddy, I was miles away.' She smiled reassuringly and led the way into the warm restaurant.
'I dropped in to see Brenda on the way over,' Frank said when they were sitting down and their drinks had been ordered.
Celine looked up from her menu.
'Well, I just wanted to make sure she was okay,' he hurried on. 'No harm in that, is there?'
Celine shrugged 'None
With the wife, Celine surmised. 'I'm at the flat, have you got a pen?'
'Yeah, go ahead.'
Celine reeled off her new phone number.
'Great, I'll talk to you then, Harry. Thanks for calling.'
Celine put down the phone, her guilty feelings warring with the need to escape reality. She'd hardly thought of Kevin in the last few days, but now, emotional and frightened, she longed to be in his arms. When he made love to her she could forget about everyone and everything for a while. Her father would be disgusted if he knew but there was no reason for him to find out. She would finish with Kevin, she promised herself, but not just yet. She needed him now more than ever. Celine paced the floor and checked her watch. Where had her dad got to?
Frank took the bunch of daffodils and climbed out of the car. He walked up the path but before he had a chance to ring the bell, Brenda had opened the door.
'Hello, Frank, this is a nice surprise.'
Frank bent to kiss her cheek. 'I just finished working on the garden and I thought you might like these.'
Brenda's cheeks flushed as she took the flowers. 'Oh, Frank, they're lovely!'
'I know daffodils are your favourite.'
Brenda laughed as she led the way into the kitchen. 'I wish you'd give Alan a few lessons. I always have to return his gifts.'
'I'm afraid my talents just apply to flowers,' he admitted. 'Ann loved lilies, Celine's mad about pink roses and you love your daffodils. I do too, I must admit. They make me think of the long summer days to come.'
'And the fact that winter is finally over,' Brenda added. 'How about some tea? I've just taken a batch of scones out of the oven.'
'I don't have much time, Celine is expecting me, but a quick cuppa won't hurt.' Frank rubbed his hands together and pulled up a chair.
They talked companionably for a while and as Brenda seemed more relaxed than she had in weeks, Frank decided to risk mentioning Celine again. 'I'm going over to Hopefield later.'
'You said.'
'Why don't you come with me?'
Brenda lowered her cup and looked at him. 'I don't think so.'
'She's sorry for all the trouble she caused, Brenda. She isn't seeing Kevin, she's started a new life, what more can she do?'
'Probably nothing.'
'Well then, come with me,' he urged.
Brenda stood up and began to clear the table. 'Sorry, Frank, I can't.'
Frank sighed. 'Right, then. I'd better go.'
Brenda moved forward to hug him. 'Thanks for the flowers.'
'You're welcome.'
'You will come and see me again?' she asked, her eyes full of anguish.
'Of course I will, love. Take care of yourself.'
'You too.'
Celine answered the buzzer immediately and Frank ran up the stairs. 'Hi, love.'
'You're late, I was worried.'
Frank drew back to look at her. 'I'm here now.'
Celine forced a smile.
'You look lovely. I'd forgotten what your legs looked like.'
Celine laughed. 'My work clothes. I left them on just for your benefit.'
Frank chuckled. 'I'm honoured. So where shall we go?'
Celine walked in behind the kitchen counter. 'I thought maybe we'd phone for a takeaway.'
'No way, not with you dressed up like a dog's dinner. Why don't we go across the road?'
'No!' Celine knew how often Fergus and Rose used the café. She looked at her father's bemused expression. 'I had lunch there today,' she explained. 'How about the Chinese?'
Frank shrugged. 'Fine by me.'
Frank chatted away as they strolled down the street, but Celine was glancing around her all the time. The shop was closed, Rose was gone home and it was highly unlikely that he would be around but she couldn't help herself.
'Is everything all right, love?'
'Sorry, Daddy, I was miles away.' She smiled reassuringly and led the way into the warm restaurant.
'I dropped in to see Brenda on the way over,' Frank said when they were sitting down and their drinks had been ordered.
Celine looked up from her menu.
'Well, I just wanted to make sure she was okay,' he hurried on. 'No harm in that, is there?'
Celine shrugged 'None
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