One Night Only (58 page)

“Ho
w
abou
t
w
e
loo
k
a
t
th
e
shop
s
first?
”
sh
e
asked, bu
t
he
r
suggestio
n
wa
s
me
t
wit
h
a
glare
.

“
I
don
’
t
remembe
r
anyon
e
puttin
g
shoppin
g
o
n
the
agenda?
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“An
d
unles
s
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
bu
y
th
e
local
pape
r
o
r
a
stic
k
o
f
rock
,
I
don
’
t
thin
k
thi
s
i
s
exactl
y
a
shopper
’
s
paradise.
”

“Oxfor
d
Stree
t
i
t
certainl
y
isn
’
t,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Anyho
w
,
I’
d
rathe
r
sla
m
m
y
tit
s
i
n
th
e
doo
r
tha
n
g
o
shopping
.
I’m
sic
k
o
f
shopping.
”

“
W
ell
,
I
ca
n
se
e
wher
e
yo
u
ar
e
comin
g
from
,
Poll
y
,” sai
d
Gina
.
“
I
fee
l
a
bi
t
tips
y
alread
y
s
o
a
nic
e
wal
k
and
som
e
fres
h
ai
r
migh
t
d
o
u
s
al
l
good.
”

“Oh
,
shush
,
yo
u
lightweights
!
Y
ou’l
l
b
e
oka
y
onc
e
you hav
e
som
e
food,
”
sai
d
T
es
s
an
d
sh
e
pushe
d
th
e
doo
r
o
f
the
T
o
p
O’Th
e
Roa
d
pu
b
open
,
wher
e
al
l
eye
s
turne
d
towards he
r
an
d
he
r
thre
e
trust
y
companions
.

“Mmm
,
tha
t
wa
s
simpl
y
delicious,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
delicately
dabbin
g
th
e
side
s
o
f
he
r
mout
h
wit
h
he
r
napkin
.
Sh
e
had chose
n
a
fis
h
chowde
r
an
d
home-mad
e
brea
d
an
d
i
t
was mor
e
tha
n
satisfactor
y
.
Th
e
T
o
p
O’Th
e
Roa
d
wa
s
a
s
cosy
insid
e
a
s
i
t
looke
d
fro
m
th
e
outsid
e
an
d
it
s
foo
d
certainly
didn
’
t
disappoint
.
Larr
y
th
e
Leprechau
n
kne
w
hi
s
stuff
.

“
I
thin
k
I
nee
d
a
snooze,
”
sai
d
Gina.
Agai
n
sh
e
wa
s
me
t
wit
h
a
glare
.

“
Y
o
u
snooze
,
yo
u
lose,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
W
e
didn
’
t
come
her
e
t
o
snooze
.
Jus
t
rela
x
an
d
enjo
y
th
e
freedom.
”

The
y
sa
t
bac
k
i
n
th
e
littl
e
snu
g
o
f
th
e
pu
b
an
d
savoured th
e
atmospher
e
aroun
d
them
.
I
t
wa
s
a
s
traditiona
l
a
s
an
Irish
pub
could
be,
with
postcards
from
all
sorts
of
exotic
location
s
surroundin
g
th
e
ba
r
are
a
an
d
flag
s
an
d
emblems
o
f
al
l
nationalitie
s
linin
g
th
e
mirror
s
tha
t
stoo
d
behin
d
the optics
.
Ther
e
wa
s
horse-racin
g
o
n
th
e
nearb
y
television
an
d
a
grou
p
o
f
olde
r
me
n
le
t
ou
t
th
e
od
d
holle
r
an
d
name o
f
a
hors
e
no
w
an
d
the
n
but
,
apar
t
fro
m
that
,
th
e
place
wa
s
relativel
y
quiet
.

“D
o
an
y
o
f
yo
u
fanc
y
a
flutter?
”
aske
d
Ruth
.
“
I
use
d
to
b
e
quit
e
a
gamble
r
i
n
m
y
da
y
.
W
o
n
bucket
s
a
t
Cheltenham
ever
y
yea
r
.
”

“N
o
way!
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
Y
o
u
reall
y
ar
e
a
dar
k
horse!
”

Th
e
othe
r
thre
e
girl
s
burs
t
ou
t
laughing
,
muc
h
t
o
Gina
’
s
bewilderment
.
The
n
eventuall
y
th
e
penn
y
dropped
.
“Oh,
I
ge
t
it
.
Cheltenham
.
Dar
k
horse
.
Doh!
”

“So
,
di
d
yo
u
like
,
hav
e
a
gamblin
g
problem?
”
asked
T
ess
,
hopin
g
fo
r
som
e
juic
y
gossip
.
“Pleas
e
sa
y
yo
u
did
.
I
ca
n
jus
t
imagin
e
yo
u
dow
n
a
t
th
e
bookies!
”