One Night Only (238 page)

Natali
e
smiled
,
picturin
g
th
e
scen
e
i
n
he
r
hea
d
and wa
s
struc
k
b
y
th
e
ide
a
o
f
he
r
‘bouncing
’
int
o
th
e
world.
Sh
e
wondere
d
ho
w
differen
t
Castl
e
Ba
y
woul
d
hav
e
been al
l
thos
e
year
s
ag
o
an
d
tha
t
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
eve
n
worse
.
It mad
e
he
r
fee
l
eve
n
olde
r
.

“H
e
stoo
d
jus
t
righ
t
wher
e
yo
u
ar
e
no
w
,
”
sai
d
Bert, los
t
i
n
th
e
past
,
“an
d
h
e
bellowe
d
int
o
th
e
shop
,
ove
r
the head
s
o
f
mayb
e
twent
y
,
thirt
y
customer
s
wh
o
wer
e
in wit
h
me
,
searchin
g
fo
r
th
e
las
t
o
f
m
y
bucket
s
an
d
spades.

‘I’
m a
dadd
y
,
Bert!
’
h
e
tol
d
u
s
all
.
‘Imagine
,
m
e a
daddy a
t
long
,
lon
g
last!
’
An
d
of
f
h
e
wen
t
t
o
visi
t
yo
u
fo
r
the ver
y
firs
t
tim
e
an
d
h
e
ha
s
bee
n
smitte
n
eve
r
since
.
Y
ou’re
a
specia
l
girl
,
Natali
e
McKenna
,
an
d
don
’
t
eve
r
forge
t
it.
Y
o
u
hav
e a
lo
t
t
o
sho
w
fo
r
you
r
thirty-fiv
e
year
s
an
d
you jus
t
hav
e
t
o
loo
k
a
t
th
e
jo
y
i
n
you
r
father
’
s
eye
s
t
o
see
it.”

Bert
’
s
word
s
brough
t a
smil
e
t
o
Natalie
’
s
fac
e
an
d
she fel
t
hersel
f
bea
m
fro
m
th
e
insid
e
out.

“Thanks
,
Bert,
”
sh
e
said
.
“I’l
l
remembe
r
that
.
Y
ou hav
e a
nic
e
da
y
an
d I
hop
e
th
e
su
n
come
s
ou
t
an
d
that you’r
e
ru
n
of
f
you
r
fee
t
sellin
g
ic
e
cream
s
an
d
ping-pong sets
.
Bye!”

“Oh
,
an
d
brin
g
th
e
we
e
one
s
i
n
afte
r
schoo
l
an
d
we
ca
n
al
l
hav
e a
birthda
y
treat!
”
calle
d
Ber
t
afte
r
he
r
.
“That’l
l
kee
p
yo
u
i
n
thei
r
goo
d
books!”

Natali
e
gav
e
ou
t a
chuckle
.
I
t
wa
s
n
o
secre
t
i
n
Castle
Ba
y
tha
t
Dougie
’
s
twin
s
wer
e
har
d
work.

“
I
hav
e
n
o
nee
d
t
o
tr
y
t
o
impres
s
the
m
toda
y
,
Bert
,
but thank
s
anywa
y
,
”
sh
e
called
.
“It
’
s
th
e
las
t
da
y
o
f
ter
m
so
they’r
e
bein
g
picke
d
u
p
b
y
Aunti
e
Ursul
a
an
d
anyho
w
,
W
ednesda
y
i
s
m
y
da
y
of
f
th
e
schoo
l
ru
n
.
.
.
an
d
I
lov
e
it!”
“Goo
d
gir
l
yourself
!
A
t
leas
t
the
y
can
’
t
moa
n
a
t
you
fo
r
bein
g
late
.
Hav
e
a
nic
e
day!”
“I’l
l
try!”

Natali
e
fel
t
a
tin
y
weigh
t
of
f
he
r
shoulder
s
a
t
the though
t
o
f
n
o
schoo
l
ru
n
toda
y
.
Bein
g
lat
e
fo
r
Dougie
’
s
twelve-yea
r
-ol
d
twin
s
wa
s
no
w
par
t
o
f
he
r
everyda
y
life
a
s
muc
h
a
s
losin
g
he
r
key
s
was
,
an
d
a
n
ordea
l
she dreade
d
mor
e
tha
n
a
twelve-hou
r
shif
t
i
n
he
r
parents’ café
.
Th
e
twin
s
woul
d
b
e
standin
g
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
gate
eac
h
da
y
,
thei
r
eye
s
squinte
d
an
d
thei
r
lip
s
poute
d
when the
y
sa
w
Natalie
’
s
ca
r
spee
d
toward
s
them
,
he
r
fac
e
full o
f
pani
c
an
d
fea
r
.
Y
es
,
fea
r
o
f
wha
t
the
y
woul
d
com
e
out
wit
h
whe
n
the
y
clambere
d
int
o
th
e
ca
r
,
al
l
lon
g
limb
s
and schoolbag
s
an
d
folder
s
an
d
th
e
smel
l
o
f
stal
e
deodoran
t
and schoo
l
canteen
s
lingerin
g
o
n
thei
r
nav
y
uniforms.

The
y
wer
e
alway
s
‘freezin
g
wit
h
th
e
cold
’
o
r
‘mortified,
jus
t
morto
’
o
r
‘scare
d
sh
e
ha
d
forgotten’
.
Which
,
i
n
fairnes
s
,
sh
e
sometime
s
ha
d . . .

“I’
m
sorry!
”
sh
e
woul
d
plea
d
th
e
whol
e
wa
y
bac
k
to
th
e
hous
e
the
y
share
d
wit
h
thei
r
widowe
r
fathe
r
,
thankin
g
hersel
f
sh
e
ha
d
no
t
ye
t
take
n
th
e
plung
e
and
move
d
i
n
wit
h
the
m
permanentl
y
.
He
r
littl
e
fla
t
above
th
e
bes
t
Chines
e
takeawa
y
i
n
tow
n
wa
s
he
r
have
n
away
fro
m
thei
r
worl
d
o
f
bo
y
band
s
an
d
Matc
h
Atta
x
Cards an
d
sh
e
vowe
d
t
o
hol
d
o
n
t
o
i
t
fo
r
a
s
lon
g
a
s
sh
e
could.
“No
,
you’r
e
no
t
a
bi
t
sorr
y
.
I
f
yo
u
wer
e
sorr
y
then
yo
u
wouldn
’
t
le
t
i
t
happe
n
again,
”
Am
y
woul
d
sa
y
,
twistin
g
he
r
hai
r
aroun
d
he
r
finge
r
s
o
tigh
t
tha
t
i
t
would
almos
t
break.