Shifting Sands by Anthea Fraser Page B

seem any different to her family? she wondered. Could they sense she was keeping a secret? Watching them all as Jonathan took out the vacuum cleaner and the girls began stacking the dishwasher, she wondered a little wildly how they’d react if she suddenly announced that while she was away, she’d met another man and gone to bed with him. Furthermore, she was meeting him in London next week, when she would doubtless do so again.
    Would they be appalled? Shocked, even disgusted? Or glad for her? She doubted the latter – not so soon after Miles’s death.
    â€˜Anna?’ Angus repeated, raising his voice slightly and bringing her back from her reverie. ‘Would you like another cup?’
    â€˜Oh sorry – I was miles away. Yes, please, but is there nothing I can do to help?’
    â€˜Everything’s under control,’ Jonathan assured her. ‘Thank God for paper plates and cups! It’s only the serving dishes that need seeing to, and most of them go in the dishwasher. If you’d like to relax somewhere more comfortable, Vicky’s restored order in the sitting room.’
    Anna shook her head. ‘I want to be in the thick of it, even if I am only an observer.’
    â€˜That’ll be the day!’ Jonathan teased, and, as he passed, dropped a kiss on the top of her head. He had brought her here, but Sophie and Angus would drive her home, since, as of today, he was moving back with his family.
    Sophie, having finished at the sink, brought her mug of tea over and sat across from her mother. ‘There’s one sad bit of news you mightn’t have heard,’ she said. ‘Imogen’s Aunt Em has died. It’s her funeral on Monday.’
    â€˜Oh, no!’ Anna exclaimed. ‘I am sorry. She was younger than I am, surely? What happened?’
    â€˜No one seems to know. She was fine the previous week at her birthday dinner, then Uncle Ted found her dead in bed. There was a post-mortem, but I don’t know the result. I haven’t liked to ask Imo. She was very upset.’
    â€˜I’m sure she was. I must write to her and her mother.’ Anna had met Emily Broadbent on only a few occasions, but she’d been very good to Sophie when she was younger, including her in treats with Imogen and referring to her as her adopted niece.
    â€˜What time is the funeral?’ she added.
    Sophie laid a quick hand on her arm. ‘You don’t have to go, Ma – it’s too soon. I’ll represent the family.’
    Yes, Anna thought, full of guilt, it was too soon for her to attend a funeral – for that matter, it always would be – but it was also too soon to have slept with someone else. She knew her daughter’s sympathy would have been tempered, had she known about that .
    The clearing up was completed, the boys were eventually packed off to bed, the adults settled down to supper, and the questions about South Africa began.
    â€˜You’ve hardly told us anything,’ Vicky chided gently. ‘All you said in your texts was that you were enjoying yourself and were in a good group.’
    â€˜I know, I’m sorry. But when you’re travelling hundreds of miles, and seldom spend more than one night in the same bed, there’s no time to go into detail. I’ll talk you through the photos when we’ve finished eating.’
    â€˜But it really wasn’t the disaster we feared, Beatrice dropping out like that?’
    Anna shook her head. ‘Poor love, she was so disappointed, but I’m ashamed to say I barely missed her. I’m going round next week, armed with the photos and the notes she asked me to make for her.’
    â€˜Did you bring the notes with you?’ Jonathan asked.
    â€˜It never occurred to me, but in any case they’re still on scrappy bits of paper; I’ll have to type them up and print them before next week.’
    â€˜What was the best part of the holiday?’ Sophie