One Night Only (6 page)

“I’
m
goin
g
t
o
th
e
pub,
”
sai
d
James
.
“
I
nee
d
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
of
her
e
befor
e
I
sa
y
somethin
g
I
regret
.
I’l
l
b
e
bac
k
b
y
ten.
”

“James!
”

Poll
y
close
d
he
r
eye
s
an
d
wince
d
a
s
th
e
doo
r
slammed, it
s
nois
e
thumpin
g
he
r
brai
n
a
s
sh
e
fel
t
pani
c
ris
e
within he
r
.
He
r
wors
t
nightmare
s
wer
e
comin
g
true
.
Jame
s
had n
o
interes
t
i
n
he
r
an
y
more
.
Sh
e
wa
s
a
harp
y
,
a
nagging
w
ife
,
a
‘bal
l
an
d
chain’
,
a
‘handbrake’
,
th
e
‘troubl
e
and
strife
’
.
.
.
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
ho
w
sh
e
ha
d
becom
e
on
e
of
tho
s
e
women
.
I
t
frightene
d
he
r
,
i
t
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
ol
d
and wor
n
but
,
mos
t
o
f
all
,
i
t
mad
e
he
r
wonde
r
i
f
thi
s
was
reall
y
wha
t
lif
e
wa
s
al
l
about
.
I
s
thi
s
wha
t
sh
e
ha
d
worked s
o
har
d
for
?
W
a
s
thi
s
reall
y
.
.
.
wa
s
thi
s
reall
y
it
?

“Dad
,
please
,
ca
n
I
.
.
.
?
Oh
.
Where
’
s
Dad?
”

Poll
y
opene
d
he
r
eye
s
an
d
too
k
a
dee
p
breat
h
a
s
the sigh
t
o
f
Franki
e
brough
t
he
r
bac
k
t
o
he
r
senses
.
Hi
s
face
wa
s
stil
l
grubb
y
wit
h
ketchu
p
fro
m
dinne
r
an
d
hi
s
hair wa
s
stickin
g
u
p
i
n
hi
s
ow
n
uniqu
e
spik
y
styl
e
tha
t
made he
r
wan
t
t
o
squeez
e
hi
m
an
d
nuzzl
e
int
o
hi
s
familia
r
,
welcomin
g
cuddle
s
an
d
neve
r
le
t
hi
m
go
.

“He
’
s
–
he
’
s
jus
t
poppe
d
out
.
T
o
th
e
shop
.
Wha
t
i
s
it yo
u
want
,
love?
”

Franki
e
blinke
d
an
d
screwe
d
u
p
hi
s
freckle
d
nos
e
and
Poll
y
fel
t
he
r
hear
t
war
m
u
p
a
t
th
e
sigh
t
o
f
hi
s
innocence. “Nothing
.
I
t
doesn
’
t
matte
r
.
.
.
ca
n
I
g
o
an
d
cal
l
for Johnny
?
H
e
ha
s
th
e
ne
w
FI
F
A
gam
e
an
d
h
e
sai
d
a
t
school
I
coul
d
com
e
ove
r
an
d
pla
y
.
I’v
e
don
e
al
l
m
y
homework
an
d
–
”

“
Y
es
,
o
f
cours
e
yo
u
ca
n
go
.
Bu
t
hal
f
a
n
hou
r
,
okay
?
I
thin
k
w
e
al
l
nee
d
a
n
earl
y
night.
”

“Thanks
,
Mum,
”
sai
d
Franki
e
an
d
h
e
wrappe
d
his
arm
s
aroun
d
Polly
’
s
waist
,
gav
e
he
r
a
tigh
t
squeez
e
and the
n
ra
n
outside
.

“
Door!
”
sh
e
calle
d
afte
r
him
.

“Sorry!
”
H
e
cam
e
bac
k
an
d
close
d
th
e
doo
r
gentl
y
,
leavin
g
Poll
y
alon
e
i
n
th
e
kitchen
.

Sh
e
ha
d
th
e
freedo
m
t
o
le
t
he
r
tear
s
flo
w
a
t
last
.
Bu
t
only
fo
r
a
fe
w
seconds
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
tim
e
t
o
mope
.
Sh
e
ha
d
too muc
h
t
o
do
.
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
bat
h
th
e
twin
s
an
d
ge
t
the
m
t
o
bed. An
d
ge
t
Frankie
’
s
schoo
l
unifor
m
read
y
fo
r
th
e
next
morning
.
An
d
d
o
som
e
laundr
y
,
an
d
the
n
th
e
dinne
r
dishes
an
d
the
n
chec
k
ove
r
homewor
k
an
d
mak
e
u
p
packed lunches
.
Sh
e
ha
d
a
P
T
A
meetin
g
tha
t
sh
e
woul
d
no
w
have t
o
mis
s
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
mak
e
a
lis
t
o
f
thing
s
t
o
ge
t
th
e
next
morning
,
includin
g
rememberin
g
t
o
mak
e
a
dental
appointmen
t
f
o
r
th
e
c
h
il
dr
e
n
an
d
a
me
d
ic
a
l
appointmen
t
for
herself
.
The
n
tomorro
w
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
he
r
part-tim
e
jo
b
at th
e
pos
t
offic
e
t
o
ten
d
t
o
an
d
she’
d
promise
d
t
o
mee
t
her
siste
r
T
es
s
fo
r
a
coffe
e
afte
r
that
.
He
r
lif
e
wa
s
al
l
go
,
go
,
go
wit
h
ver
y
littl
e
tim
e
fo
r
herself
.