Contents ( 71)
- THE
- DAUGHTER
- MICHELLE FRANCES
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
‘He wants to. Tuesday.’
‘But you don’t?’
‘It’s not as simple as that.’
Kate waited for Becky to continue, knowing she would.
‘He could be a source,’ she said, cautiously.
‘So, he’s helping you with a story?’
‘Except he doesn’t know it.’
‘Ooh. So you’re infiltrating his mind . . .’ Kate suddenly realized something. ‘Does this have anything to do with your big story? The secret one?’
Becky refused to meet her eye. ‘Might do,’ she mumbled. She sighed. ‘Am I using him?’
‘I don’t know, are you?’ said Kate carefully. She watched her daughter wrestle with her conscience from the corner of her eye, while she added the face on the snowman. ‘Ta da!’ she said, as she stuck in stones for eyes. She stood back and admired him. ‘He’s very handsome. Go on, take a pic. Send it to Adam.’
Becky smiled at her mum, propping her arm around the snowman’s neck as Kate got on the other side.
‘Say snowball,’ said Becky as she held out her phone to take a selfie.
‘Snowball!’ they both chorused, grinning, and Becky took the picture. She sent it off and a reply pinged back almost instantly, which she read aloud.
‘“Is that your mum? She looks like your sister!”’ Becky groaned.
‘He’s got a way with words. I like him,’ said Kate. ‘Go on, go out with him.’
‘You think?’
‘Yes. Otherwise you’ll only be moping at home on your own.’
Becky looked up, surprised. ‘Why? Where will you be?’
Kate said it as casually as she could. ‘I’ll probably stay over at Tim’s. We’re going to the movies and it finishes quite late and I don’t want to be paying for a cab.’
Becky’s first thought, for which she was later ashamed, was a sensation of being abandoned; her mum not being the constant, at home every night regardless of what she, Becky, was up to.
‘Only, I can come back if—’ started Kate.
Becky was mortified at her earlier selfishness. ‘No, you go. I’ve decided to go out with Adam, anyway.’
‘Not just because . . .’
Becky was quick to reassure her. ‘No.’ The truth was, she could hardly just ignore him. They’d had sex together. If things weren’t to get awkward, they needed to meet up again. Something lighthearted and friendly. What could be the harm in one more meeting?
‘Great! So, we both have hot dates.’
Her mother’s face was so illuminated with happiness that Becky was once again reminded of how important this man, Tim, must be to her. She smiled, and her thoughts turned to Adam. It was a good idea to see him. Maybe he would even talk more about his company.
Becky’s massive oversight was highlighted early on Tuesday morning. The doorbell rang at 7.30 a.m. and Becky got there first, with Kate hot on her heels. Standing on the step was a woman dressed in a fleece and comfortable shoes, brandishing a large bouquet of red roses.
‘Nice snowman,’ said the woman, nodding back over her shoulder. ‘Are you Miss Ellis?’