One Night Only (15 page)

“
W
e
hav
e
bee
n
marrie
d
almos
t
tw
o
year
s
no
w
,
hone
y
,” h
e
woul
d
sa
y
.

“Ninetee
n
month
s
an
d
twenty-seve
n
day
s
t
o
b
e
exact,
”

T
es
s
woul
d
repl
y
,
quotin
g
th
e
exac
t
timescal
e
almos
t
t
o
the hou
r
fro
m
whe
n
they’
d
bot
h
sai
d
‘
I
do’
.
“Don
’
t
exaggerate,
babe.
”

He
r
sisters
,
o
f
course
,
wer
e
o
n
hi
s
side
.

“It
’
s
muc
h
bette
r
whe
n
yo
u
hav
e
the
m
whe
n
you’re
young,
”
Poll
y
woul
d
chirp
.

But
,
lookin
g
a
t
he
r
straine
d
fac
e
an
d
sick-covere
d
hair an
d
dodg
y
clothing
,
T
es
s
coul
d
alway
s
argu
e
he
r
cas
e
and
fee
l
lik
e
sh
e
ha
d
wo
n
hand
s
down
.

“
Y
ou’l
l
regre
t
i
t
whe
n
you’r
e
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
gate
s
and
ge
t
calle
d
Grann
y
,
”
he
r
eldes
t
siste
r
Mar
y
woul
d
sa
y
.
She
h
a
d
marrie
d
a
t
ninetee
n
an
d
wa
s
th
e
perfec
t
advertisemen
t
of
wh
y
neve
r
,
eve
r
t
o
marr
y
young
.
Sh
e
wa
s
thoroughly
miserabl
e
an
d
ha
d
n
o
lif
e
o
f
he
r
ow
n
fro
m
wha
t
T
ess
coul
d
see
.

“
W
ouldn
’
t
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
hav
e
the
m
befor
e
Mu
m
o
r
Dad
kick
s
th
e
bucket?
”
he
r
siste
r
Hele
n
woul
d
sa
y
afte
r
a
few
glasse
s
o
f
wine
.

He
r
mino
r
,
bu
t
growing
,
drin
k
proble
m
tol
d
T
es
s
that
sh
e
to
o
wa
s
livin
g
a
lie
.

T
es
s
coul
d
wai
t
fo
r
al
l
that
.
Ro
b
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
wait too
.
Righ
t
no
w
,
he
r
caree
r
an
d
he
r
marriag
e
wer
e
quite enoug
h
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
ver
y
thankfu
l
fo
r
wha
t
sh
e
ha
d
i
n
her
life
,
n
o
matte
r
wha
t
anyon
e
els
e
woul
d
sa
y
.

N
o
on
e
woul
d
tel
l
T
es
s
Matthew
s
wha
t
t
o
d
o
wit
h
her
life
.
N
o
one
.

T
es
s
returne
d
t
o
schoo
l
tha
t
afternoo
n
an
d
greete
d
her first-yea
r
Frenc
h
clas
s
wit
h
a
fir
m
“
Bonjou
r
,
l
a
classe
”
.

The
y
file
d
int
o
th
e
roo
m
lik
e
mini-soldiers
,
cla
d
from hea
d
t
o
to
e
i
n
nav
y
an
d
no
t
a
s
muc
h
a
s
a
hai
r
ou
t
o
f
place.
S
t
John
’
s
Gramma
r
wa
s
a
n
elit
e
schoo
l
fo
r
girls
,
nestled
behin
d
fi
r
tree
s
i
n
th
e
villag
e
o
f
Cranmore
,
an
d
pupils travelle
d
fro
m
nea
r
an
d
fa
r
t
o
b
e
educate
d
withi
n
its walls
.

T
es
s
wa
s
a
forme
r
hea
d
gir
l
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
an
d
sh
e
took he
r
jo
b
seriousl
y
an
d
wit
h
grea
t
pride
.
Sh
e
ha
d
excelled
ther
e
a
s
a
studen
t
an
d
wa
s
a
rea
l
all-rounde
r
wit
h
awards fo
r
music
,
drama
,
academi
a
an
d
spor
t
comin
g
ou
t
o
f
her ears
.
W
it
h
lon
g
leg
s
an
d
blond
e
hai
r
an
d
a
complexio
n
to
di
e
fo
r
,
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
doub
t
abou
t
it
:
o
f
al
l
th
e
W
oodhead
girls
,
T
es
s
wa
s
th
e
golde
n
chil
d
wh
o
ha
d
neve
r
pu
t
a
step o
u
t
o
f
place
.
W
ell
,
no
t
a
s
fa
r
a
s
he
r
parent
s
wer
e
concern
e
d
anyho
w
.