I
just left a message for her to ring me.'
‘ Edward
knows you're here, and I put the phone down on him.' She picked up the
receiver, preparing to be thor oughly
told off. Flynn's deep tones, with their subtle Irish accent, were
strangely soothing.
‘I was wondering if I could bring the Rayburn
round this afternoon instead. I've got
someone who can help me now, but may not be available later on.’
Grace took a longing look
at Ellie and Demi and realised she would not be able to
join them. 'That would be fine.' She pulled herself together. 'I mean, thank
you very much.’
*
When Ellie
and Demi set off in her 2CV, having first put the
back seat down, they both felt a sense of excitement.
‘ So, tell me about your friend. Was she a best
best friend, or just a best friend?'
‘ Best best,'
said Demi. 'We did everything together and, while she was around, living at home was just about bear able. We
plan to go travelling together for our gap years, though.'
‘ Good idea.
You could meet somewhere like Hong Kong and go back-packing.'
‘That sounds great!'
‘Having us around will be quite different for
Grace, won't it? I mean she's led quite a quiet life up to now, hasn't she?’
Demi shrugged. 'Dad used
to have friends to stay quite a bit. They had dinner parties,
stuff like that.'
‘ Oh.' Ellie was surprised. 'Did Grace do the cooking?' Demi shook her head. 'Nah - Dad did, or they
got caterers in.'
‘ And did she enjoy them, do you think?'
‘ Dunno
really.' Aware that she was being unhelpful and not meaning to be -
after all, Ellie didn't seem to be the obstacle
she'd appeared to be - Demi went on, 'She never complained. But she
didn't seem to be having a brilliant time.'
Demi frowned. 'She was always nice to me, though, took my side when Dad got heavy. That's why I
wanted to stay with her.' She suddenly grinned. 'He didn't like being called "Dad". He preferred
"Daddy" or even "Father". I remember once him having
a go at me about it and Grace saying he
couldn't expect me to use such an old-fashioned expression, and
certainly not in public.'
‘ So, she
wasn't bullied by him then?' A second after the words were out of her
mouth Ellie realised she shouldn't have been
talking to Demi about her father like that,
but she decided she didn't care. She needed to know these things.
‘ Dad
doesn't do bullying. He just expects his own way. Grace went along with
him most of the time, but if she didn't agree, she just kind of ignored him.
They didn't argue or anything. Not like
when he lived with my mum.’
Ellie nodded. 'I see.'
‘So tell me about us taking the furniture. Will
your boyfriend be there?’
Ellie took advantage of a
road junction to glance at her watch. 'I shouldn't think so, but
you can't be sure.' She couldn't decide if
she wanted to see him or not. Supposing she fell in love with him all
over again? She pushed this scenario firmly to the back of her mind. She
couldn't afford to think like that. 'The most important thing is to get the futon,' she said to Demi, 'but we should be
able to get that in the back if we
take the base apart. And there are
some bits and pieces in the kitchen I'd quite like. My mum bought me a
food processor for Christmas; I'm not leaving that behind.'
‘But supposing your boyfriend is there? Will
there be trouble?’
Ellie could hear the
mixture of anxiety and excitement in Demi's voice. 'Well, I hope it
doesn't turn into a scene from EastEnders,' she
said, trying to sound reassuring. 'I don't think Rick will mind my leaving him
because he doesn't want the baby and he
knows he can get someone else to cook and clean up for him. But he might
be a bit pissed off about the bed.'
‘Right. I can't decide if I want him to be
there or not. When did you last see him?'
‘ I don't
know. Early last week? Listen, if you're nervous, you can stay in the
car.'
‘ No, no. I'll come in. I'm
sure you shouldn't move furni ture if you're pregnant.’
Ellie sighed. 'And I'm sure
you're
just left a message for her to ring me.'
‘ Edward
knows you're here, and I put the phone down on him.' She picked up the
receiver, preparing to be thor oughly
told off. Flynn's deep tones, with their subtle Irish accent, were
strangely soothing.
‘I was wondering if I could bring the Rayburn
round this afternoon instead. I've got
someone who can help me now, but may not be available later on.’
Grace took a longing look
at Ellie and Demi and realised she would not be able to
join them. 'That would be fine.' She pulled herself together. 'I mean, thank
you very much.’
*
When Ellie
and Demi set off in her 2CV, having first put the
back seat down, they both felt a sense of excitement.
‘ So, tell me about your friend. Was she a best
best friend, or just a best friend?'
‘ Best best,'
said Demi. 'We did everything together and, while she was around, living at home was just about bear able. We
plan to go travelling together for our gap years, though.'
‘ Good idea.
You could meet somewhere like Hong Kong and go back-packing.'
‘That sounds great!'
‘Having us around will be quite different for
Grace, won't it? I mean she's led quite a quiet life up to now, hasn't she?’
Demi shrugged. 'Dad used
to have friends to stay quite a bit. They had dinner parties,
stuff like that.'
‘ Oh.' Ellie was surprised. 'Did Grace do the cooking?' Demi shook her head. 'Nah - Dad did, or they
got caterers in.'
‘ And did she enjoy them, do you think?'
‘ Dunno
really.' Aware that she was being unhelpful and not meaning to be -
after all, Ellie didn't seem to be the obstacle
she'd appeared to be - Demi went on, 'She never complained. But she
didn't seem to be having a brilliant time.'
Demi frowned. 'She was always nice to me, though, took my side when Dad got heavy. That's why I
wanted to stay with her.' She suddenly grinned. 'He didn't like being called "Dad". He preferred
"Daddy" or even "Father". I remember once him having
a go at me about it and Grace saying he
couldn't expect me to use such an old-fashioned expression, and
certainly not in public.'
‘ So, she
wasn't bullied by him then?' A second after the words were out of her
mouth Ellie realised she shouldn't have been
talking to Demi about her father like that,
but she decided she didn't care. She needed to know these things.
‘ Dad
doesn't do bullying. He just expects his own way. Grace went along with
him most of the time, but if she didn't agree, she just kind of ignored him.
They didn't argue or anything. Not like
when he lived with my mum.’
Ellie nodded. 'I see.'
‘So tell me about us taking the furniture. Will
your boyfriend be there?’
Ellie took advantage of a
road junction to glance at her watch. 'I shouldn't think so, but
you can't be sure.' She couldn't decide if
she wanted to see him or not. Supposing she fell in love with him all
over again? She pushed this scenario firmly to the back of her mind. She
couldn't afford to think like that. 'The most important thing is to get the futon,' she said to Demi, 'but we should be
able to get that in the back if we
take the base apart. And there are
some bits and pieces in the kitchen I'd quite like. My mum bought me a
food processor for Christmas; I'm not leaving that behind.'
‘But supposing your boyfriend is there? Will
there be trouble?’
Ellie could hear the
mixture of anxiety and excitement in Demi's voice. 'Well, I hope it
doesn't turn into a scene from EastEnders,' she
said, trying to sound reassuring. 'I don't think Rick will mind my leaving him
because he doesn't want the baby and he
knows he can get someone else to cook and clean up for him. But he might
be a bit pissed off about the bed.'
‘Right. I can't decide if I want him to be
there or not. When did you last see him?'
‘ I don't
know. Early last week? Listen, if you're nervous, you can stay in the
car.'
‘ No, no. I'll come in. I'm
sure you shouldn't move furni ture if you're pregnant.’
Ellie sighed. 'And I'm sure
you're
Similar Books
