He smiled and nodded
as Ethan turned to him too. ‘I’ve had a devil of a job getting Sophie’s chair
over the sand, although she seemed to find it quite funny, and the sweat
dripping from my brow after my exertions tells me I’m very definitely here.’
‘Oh…’ Ethan began, but then
stopped as he looked from one to the other. He seemed to guess the real story
straightaway and Darcy could only be thankful that he didn’t further embarrass
her by exposing her white lies. ‘That’s fantastic timing,’ he said instead,
‘I’d like to get a few words and a photo of the whole family, if that’s
alright.’
‘No problem at all,’ Ged replied with his most earnest
smile. Darcy knew the smile well – it was a glib showing of his teeth he
reserved for clients, or for when he brought his boss home for dinner – it was
the one that didn’t really mean anything. It came so naturally to him it was
frightening. If he could turn this on so easily, Darcy had wondered on more
than one occasion, how could she be sure that he ever really meant anything he
did or said? What did the real Ged actually think?
And the platitudes came just as
easily as Ged told Ethan all
that he thought the reporter wanted to hear. When Ethan congratulated him on
his wonderful family and the amazing work he and Darcy were doing for Sophie, Ged soaked it all up as Darcy looked on, itching for them
to be left alone so she could vent the anger and frustration now building
inside her, ready to pop.
The photographer arrived,
red-faced and huffing, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else at that
moment. A few snaps later, he nodded curtly and disappeared into the crowds
again.
‘Well, I’ve had a fabulous day
but I really should head back to the office and do some work,’ Ethan smiled.
‘Thank you for your time and I wish you all the luck in the world with your
enterprise… if there’s anything else we can do at the Echo , any way we
can help, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.’ He
looked at Darcy. ‘You have my card, don’t you?’
Darcy nodded.
‘Great. I’m not sure exactly what
night the piece will be in but it should be early next week.’
‘That’s ok,’ Ged replied, holding out his hand to shake with
Ethan, ‘we always buy the paper every night anyway so we’ll see it.’
They never bought the Echo ; Ged always said that it was
a cheap rag for uneducated yokels and wouldn’t entertain it in the house, but
Darcy kept tight lipped about that particular lie. It was just another of Ged’s slick lines and one that even she, in her agitated
state, could see the wisdom of.
Ethan bid Jake and Sophie goodbye
and then held up a hand in farewell to Darcy and Ged before making his way back to the
promenade. In the distance, Darcy was faintly aware of the sounds of the
games getting underway again, but now she was far too distracted to take any
notice.
‘Can I go and watch the boat
race?’ Jake asked. ‘Brandon’s over
there with his nan … can I go and stand with him?’
‘Of course you can,’ Ged smiled, ruffling Jake’s hair.
‘Just don’t go wandering too far, ok?’
‘I won’t,’ Jake called as he
sprinted across the sand towards where his best friend stood with a tall,
slender, silver-haired woman.
‘This had better be good,’ Darcy
growled as they stood, side-by-side watching their son go.
Ged turned to her, seemingly unconcerned by the
malice in her tone. ‘What had?’
‘Your excuse
for not being here.’
‘I am here.’
‘Five hours late.’
‘Oh, come on, that’s pushing it a
bit. I am late but I’ve had stuff to do this morning.’
‘More important
stuff than this? You promised you’d be here –’
‘And I am here. You seem to be
having problems with that concept.’
Darcy spun around to face him.
‘How dare you!’
Sophie was still in her chair,
facing away from them. She cricked her neck to look for the source of the
commotion.
‘Keep it down,’ Ged
as Ethan turned to him too. ‘I’ve had a devil of a job getting Sophie’s chair
over the sand, although she seemed to find it quite funny, and the sweat
dripping from my brow after my exertions tells me I’m very definitely here.’
‘Oh…’ Ethan began, but then
stopped as he looked from one to the other. He seemed to guess the real story
straightaway and Darcy could only be thankful that he didn’t further embarrass
her by exposing her white lies. ‘That’s fantastic timing,’ he said instead,
‘I’d like to get a few words and a photo of the whole family, if that’s
alright.’
‘No problem at all,’ Ged replied with his most earnest
smile. Darcy knew the smile well – it was a glib showing of his teeth he
reserved for clients, or for when he brought his boss home for dinner – it was
the one that didn’t really mean anything. It came so naturally to him it was
frightening. If he could turn this on so easily, Darcy had wondered on more
than one occasion, how could she be sure that he ever really meant anything he
did or said? What did the real Ged actually think?
And the platitudes came just as
easily as Ged told Ethan all
that he thought the reporter wanted to hear. When Ethan congratulated him on
his wonderful family and the amazing work he and Darcy were doing for Sophie, Ged soaked it all up as Darcy looked on, itching for them
to be left alone so she could vent the anger and frustration now building
inside her, ready to pop.
The photographer arrived,
red-faced and huffing, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else at that
moment. A few snaps later, he nodded curtly and disappeared into the crowds
again.
‘Well, I’ve had a fabulous day
but I really should head back to the office and do some work,’ Ethan smiled.
‘Thank you for your time and I wish you all the luck in the world with your
enterprise… if there’s anything else we can do at the Echo , any way we
can help, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.’ He
looked at Darcy. ‘You have my card, don’t you?’
Darcy nodded.
‘Great. I’m not sure exactly what
night the piece will be in but it should be early next week.’
‘That’s ok,’ Ged replied, holding out his hand to shake with
Ethan, ‘we always buy the paper every night anyway so we’ll see it.’
They never bought the Echo ; Ged always said that it was
a cheap rag for uneducated yokels and wouldn’t entertain it in the house, but
Darcy kept tight lipped about that particular lie. It was just another of Ged’s slick lines and one that even she, in her agitated
state, could see the wisdom of.
Ethan bid Jake and Sophie goodbye
and then held up a hand in farewell to Darcy and Ged before making his way back to the
promenade. In the distance, Darcy was faintly aware of the sounds of the
games getting underway again, but now she was far too distracted to take any
notice.
‘Can I go and watch the boat
race?’ Jake asked. ‘Brandon’s over
there with his nan … can I go and stand with him?’
‘Of course you can,’ Ged smiled, ruffling Jake’s hair.
‘Just don’t go wandering too far, ok?’
‘I won’t,’ Jake called as he
sprinted across the sand towards where his best friend stood with a tall,
slender, silver-haired woman.
‘This had better be good,’ Darcy
growled as they stood, side-by-side watching their son go.
Ged turned to her, seemingly unconcerned by the
malice in her tone. ‘What had?’
‘Your excuse
for not being here.’
‘I am here.’
‘Five hours late.’
‘Oh, come on, that’s pushing it a
bit. I am late but I’ve had stuff to do this morning.’
‘More important
stuff than this? You promised you’d be here –’
‘And I am here. You seem to be
having problems with that concept.’
Darcy spun around to face him.
‘How dare you!’
Sophie was still in her chair,
facing away from them. She cricked her neck to look for the source of the
commotion.
‘Keep it down,’ Ged
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