BooksBarbecue
Back Where The Story Starts Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leah’s face fell. She bit her lip and shook her head at Poppy with such a minute movement that it was hard to say for sure that it had happened. Not being able to afford to go out for lunch wasn’t something that Clio had ever experienced, but she kicked herself for not being astute enough to realise that it might be a problem for Leah.

‘My treat,’ added Clio before Leah could say anything.

‘But you paid for the bowling,’ said Leah.

‘And?’ replied Clio. ‘Have you seen where I live?’

She knew as soon as she said it that it was a mistake. She had been trying to make light of an awkward situation. It wasn’t that money was absolutely no object to her – it wasn’t a bottomless pit – but she could certainly stand a round of bowling and a pizza, but to Leah her offer was evidently more complicated.

‘Thanks, Clio,’ she said. ‘That’s really kind of you, but we need to be getting back. Poppy has homework and if I don’t clean my house this weekend I swear mushrooms will start growing in Noah’s room.’

It was a joke, Clio knew – Leah’s house was always clean – but the message was clear. Thank you, but I can look after my own.

Anxious not to make things awkward, Clio accepted the position and they went to reclaim their shoes.

‘It’s been great, Clio,’ said Leah when they were standing at the entrance. ‘We’ve had a fab time. Thank you.’

‘My pleasure,’ Clio replied. And it really was.

As they turned to go their separate ways, Clio caught the expression on Marlon’s face. Marlon, realising that she was on to him, blushed.

‘You like her, don’t you!’ she teased, once they were out of earshot. ‘Don’t try to deny it. I’ve known you far too long to be fobbed off.’

‘She’s very nice,’ replied Marlon non-committally.

‘And very pretty,’ said Clio.

‘I hadn’t noticed,’ he said. ‘Last one to the car is a sissy.’

And with that he set off at speed towards the multi-storey car park, leaving Clio to walk alone and contemplate her next move.

21

21

GRACE – THEN

Grace was in the rose garden dead-heading the last few straggling blooms when she felt the first twinge. To begin with, she attributed the dull ache in her lower back to too much stooping over the flowerbeds, but pretty quickly she recognised it for what it was. Her baby was most definitely on its way.

But that couldn’t be right, could it? Even though she was well aware of the date, Grace counted out the remaining days on her gloved fingers just to make sure. It was only 25 September and Master or Miss Montgomery Smith wasn’t due for well over three weeks yet, but there was no denying that ache.