Least Said (24 page)

Obviously,
Jon
agreed
because
he
dragged
me
back
into
his
arms
as
I
reached
to
open
the
door.
’God,’
he
whispered
huskily.
‘I’m
finding
you
exciting,
you
saucy
minx.
If
we
were
alone
in
a
hotel
I
would
have
you
back
in
bed
and
a
do not disturb
sign
on
the
door
handle
in
a
flash.’

‘Promises,
promises,’
I
said
over
my
shoulder
and
was
laughing
as
I
went
downstairs.

Will
launched
himself
at
me
the
minute
I
set
foot
in
the
kitchen,
saying,
‘You
were
a
long
time
having
a
bath.’

‘Actually,
I
told
him
Mummy
and
Daddy were
having
a
lie-in
and
weren’t
to
be
disturbed,’
Calum
looked
up
from
the
stove
and
offered,
‘some
of
everything
for
you
both?’

Something
in
his
voice
told
me
he
had
guessed
we’d
been
working
up
an
appetite
and
I
blushed
rosily.

Jon
had
no
such
qualms
and
sauntering
over,
said,
‘What
have
you
got
there?
Egg,
bacon,
sausage,
hash
browns,
mushrooms
and
tomatoes,
that
all
looks
great
to
me,
thanks,
Calum,
and
Wendy
will
have
the
same.’

‘I’ve
had
my
very
favourite
cereal,’
Will
told
us
in
a
pleased
tone,
‘
and
there
was
a
smiley
face
on
my
toast.’

‘I
can
see
we’ll
have
a
lot
to
live
up
to
when
we
get
home,’
I
said,
hoping
I
didn’t
look
too
eager
as
I
waited
for
my
breakfast
to
be
placed
in
front
of
me,
‘and
I
hope
you’re
taking
notes
from
Calum,
Jon,
because
it’s
not
only
William
who
will
be
expecting
better
service
at
meal
times.’

‘Anything
for
you,
my
sweet,’
Jon
leered
at
me
behind
Calum’s
back,
and
I
almost
spat
out
a
mouthful
of
freshly
squeezed
orange.

‘Are
Tina
and
Leanne
not
having
breakfast?’
I
asked,
looking
at
the
door
expectantly.

‘Leanne’s
already
left
for
the
office.
Her
choice,’
he
added
when
he
saw
my
surprised
look.
‘I
normally
take
the
weekend
off
these
days,
and
she’s
free
to
do
the
same.’
He
smiled,
‘I
used
to
be
just
as
enthusiastic
when
I
was
her
age.
She’s
turning
out
to
be
a
great
little
agent
and
her
authors
love
her.
Tina
is
just
checking
her
answer-phone,
she’ll
be
here
in
a
minute.’

We
were
already
tucking
in
when
she
arrived
and
joined
us
at
the
table.
In
seconds
Calum
placed
her
personal
preference
of
lightly
scrambled
eggs
on
hot
buttered
toast
in
front
of
her
with
a
flourish.
I
almost
melted,
myself,
at
the
loving
look
that
passed
between
them.

You
see,
I
reminded
myself,
chewing
thoughtfully
on
a
morsel
of
bacon,
love
can
survive
deceit
–
but
I
carefully
overlooked
the
fact
that
there
were
no
longer
any
secrets
between
Tina
and
Calum
and
that
the
original
lack
of
honesty
on
Tina’s
part
had
almost
killed
any
chance
of
them
ever
being
together.

It
was
strange
to
leave
the
house
without
William
because
my
little
boy
was
always
with
me
if
he
wasn’t
at
school.
I
even
said
as
much
to
Tina.

‘I
don’t
know
what
to
do
with
this
spare
hand,’
I
waved
it
around
as
if
to
emphasise
my
point,
‘and
I
keep
looking
round
all
the
time
for
the
child
that
I’m
missing.’

‘You’re
not
fretting,
are
you?
Worrying
they
might
lose
him?’

Honestly,
I
thought,
sometimes
it
was
easy
to
believe
that
Tina
knew
me
better
than
I
knew
myself.
‘Well,
Hamley’s
is
a
huge
shop,
full
of
distractions,
and
they
might
not
remember
to
keep
hold
of
him
in
the
crowds.
He
is
inclined
to
wander
off.’

‘Do
you
want
to
ring
Jon
and
remind
him?’
Tina’s
patience
was
amazing.
‘I’m
sure
he
won’t
mind.’

‘And
I’m
sure
he
will
,’
I
smiled
as
I
continued,
‘and
who
could
blame
him
when
I
would
be
practically
accusing
him
of
not
being
able
to
take
proper
care
of
his
own
son.’

“
His own son
...
his own son
...
his own son
.”

Was
it
only
me
who
could
hear
the
echo
of
those
words
reverberating
around
us?
It
seemed
so,
because
Tina
only
laughed
as
she
paused
in
a
shop
doorway,
and
asked,
‘Are
you
coming
in
or
not?’