One Night Only (244 page)

“Party
?
Oh
,
com
e
on
,
Dad,
”
sai
d
Natali
e
wit
h a
giggly
sigh
.
“
Y
o
u
kno
w I
appreciat
e
i
t
bu
t
havin
g
thes
e
annual partie
s
onl
y
remind
s
everyon
e
tha
t I
a
m
gettin
g
o
n
an
d I
reall
y
don
’
t
nee
d
remindin
g
o
f
tha
t
toda
y
,
than
k
you
.
I’m
thirty-fiv
e
no
t
thirteen!”

Th
e
loo
k
o
n
he
r
father
’
s
fac
e
tol
d
he
r
that
,
despit
e
her effor
t
t
o
mak
e
a
jok
e
o
f
it
,
sh
e
ha
d
sai
d
th
e
wron
g
thing. “Bu
t
you’r
e
ou
r
onl
y
girl,
”
sai
d
Bill
,
rollin
g
a
piec
e
of
Blu-
T
ac
k
betwee
n
hi
s
finger
s
wit
h
fea
r
tha
t
i
t
migh
t
now b
e
defunc
t
i
f
th
e
part
y
wa
s
cancelled
.
“
W
e’
d
hav
e
a
party
ever
y
da
y
fo
r
yo
u
i
f
w
e
could
.
An
d
it
’
s
traditio
n
no
w
.
Everyon
e
expect
s
it
.
Mis
s
Ad
a
i
s
o
n
he
r
wa
y
an
d
sh
e
has bough
t
yo
u
a
present
.
I’
m
beginnin
g
t
o
thin
k
thi
s
i
s
the
highligh
t
o
f
he
r
yea
r
.”

Natali
e
kne
w
tha
t
th
e
ter
m
‘party
’
wa
s
use
d
i
n
the looses
t
term
s
possible
,
a
s
loos
e
a
s
he
r
elderl
y
neighbour Mis
s
Ada
’
s
ide
a
o
f a
present
.
Th
e
part
y
normall
y
consisted o
f a
carro
t
cak
e
(he
r
favourite
)
bake
d
b
y
he
r
dad
, a
few
sausag
e
roll
s
an
d
simila
r
part
y
nibble
s
an
d a
fre
e
coffee
an
d
slic
e
o
f
cak
e
fo
r
whoeve
r
cam
e
throug
h
th
e
door
s
at th
e
righ
t
time
.
An
d
Mis
s
Ada
’
s
presen
t
woul
d
b
e a
lavender soa
p
se
t
a
s
i
t
alway
s
was
,
an
d
Natali
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
act surprise
d
an
d
tel
l
he
r
swee
t
ol
d
neighbo
u
r
th
at
i
t
w
as
j
u
s
t
wha
t
sh
e
neededwante
d
wa
s
jus
t
abou
t
t
o
bu
y
for herself
.
Wha
t
wa
s
i
t
wit
h
ol
d
peopl
e
an
d
lavende
r
soap
sets?

Ther
e
wer
e
n
o
officia
l
invitation
s
t
o
thi
s
‘party’
,
but
s
om
e
o
f
th
e
regula
r
holidaymaker
s
fro
m
th
e
neighbouri
n
g
carava
n
park
s
ha
d
Natalie
’
s
birthda
y
marke
d
i
n
their calenda
r
a
s
par
t
o
f
thei
r
holida
y
celebration
s
and
,
while
i
t
wa
s
lovel
y
t
o
se
e
familia
r
face
s
wis
h
he
r
happ
y
birthday
ever
y
yea
r
,
i
t
ha
d
becom
e
eve
r
s
o
embarrassing.

“Stil
l
goin
g
ou
t
wit
h
tha
t
poo
r
ma
n
wh
o
los
t
hi
s
wife i
n
tha
t
dreadfu
l
accident?
”
th
e
pos
h
Mr
s
Gallaghe
r
from C
ount
y
Dow
n
woul
d
b
e
boun
d
t
o
as
k
a
s
sh
e
wolfe
d
down
a
secon
d
slic
e
o
f
cake
.
Sh
e
alway
s
waite
d
unti
l
sh
e
w
as
o
n
he
r
secon
d
slic
e
t
o
as
k
an
d
Natali
e
foun
d
hersel
f
wishing sh
e
woul
d
chok
e
o
n
it.

“
Y
es
, I
a
m
an
d
w
e
ar
e
ver
y
happ
y
,
”
sh
e
woul
d
say throug
h
gritte
d
teet
h
a
s
Mr
s
Gallaghe
r
looke
d
a
t
her wit
h
a
n
‘I
s
tha
t
th
e
bes
t
yo
u
ca
n
do
,
poo
r
mite?
’
loo
k
on he
r
face.

“Have you lost
weight
,
love?
” Mrs
Gallagher
’
s
henpecke
d
husban
d
woul
d
ask
,
bu
t
befor
e
Natali
e
go
t a
chanc
e
t
o
answe
r
hi
s
wif
e
woul
d
chir
p
in.

“
Ha
s
she?
”
Mr
s G
woul
d
sa
y
.
“Can
’
t
sa
y I
notice
d
but th
e
n
it
’
s
har
d
t
o
notic
e
whe
n
you’r
e
big-boned
,
isn
’
t
it, Natalie
? I
thin
k
yo
u
loo
k
a
s
health
y
a
s
eve
r
.”

I
t
wa
s
fai
r
t
o
sa
y
tha
t
th
e
Gallagher
s
weren
’
t
her favourit
e
tourist
s
i
n
th
e
worl
d
an
d
thei
r
birthda
y
wishes weren
’
t
th
e
onl
y
one
s
sh
e
coul
d
b
e
doin
g
without.

T
ori
a
Kelly
’
s
wer
e
anothe
r
.
He
r
smu
g
loo
k
o
f
pity
whe
n
sh
e
woul
d
arriv
e
int
o
th
e
caf
é
ever
y
yea
r
wit
h
her
growin
g
broo
d
an
d
eithe
r
anothe
r
newbor
n
o
r
another bab
y
bum
p
o
n
to
w
mad
e
Natali
e
fee
l
eve
n
olde
r
and mor
e
ou
t
o
f
touc
h
wit
h
life
’
s
natura
l
plans.