One Night Only (151 page)

Be
n
raise
d
a
n
eyebro
w
.
“No
w
,
dea
r
Mothe
r
,
woul
d
I
d
o
suc
h
a
thin
g
i
n
you
r
absence?
”

God
,
bu
t
h
e
reall
y
di
d
loo
k
lik
e
hi
s
father
!

“
I
a
m
jus
t
tryin
g
t
o
thin
k
o
f
wha
t
I
migh
t
hav
e
go
t
up t
o
a
s a
teenage
r
.
Bu
t
then
,
b
y
th
e
tim
e I
wa
s
you
r
ag
e . .
.” H
e
zippe
d
hi
s
ba
g
u
p
o
n
th
e
kitche
n
table
.
“O
h
here
w
e
g
o
again,
”
h
e
said
.
“
Y
o
u
wer
e a
singl
e
paren
t
livin
g
in Londo
n
withou
t
a
penn
y
t
o
you
r
nam
e
an
d
no
t
a
frien
d
to
cal
l
you
r
own
.
No
w
wher
e
hav
e
I
hear
d
tha
t
before?”
“Oh
hush,
you,”
said
Ruth
with
a
smile.
“
Y
ou
need
to
ea
t
somethin
g
befor
e
yo
u
go
.
Hav
e
som
e
te
a
an
d
toast
.
Or ca
n
I
mak
e
yo
u
a
quic
k
sandwich?
”

“Sorr
y
,
Mum
,
I
reall
y
gott
a
go!
”
h
e
said
,
givin
g
her
anothe
r
kis
s
o
n
th
e
cheek
.
“I’l
l
b
e
hom
e
i
n
tim
e
fo
r
tea. Catc
h
yo
u
laters.
”

H
e
spe
d
ou
t
th
e
fron
t
doo
r
wher
e
a
fanc
y
ca
r
was awaitin
g
him
.
Rut
h
followe
d
t
o
th
e
doo
r
an
d
watche
d
and wave
d
a
s
h
e
drov
e
off
.
A
t
leas
t
on
e
o
f
the
m
wa
s
happy an
d
conten
t
i
n
thei
r
ne
w
lives
,
sh
e
thought
.
Melani
e
was findin
g
i
t
harde
r
t
o
fi
t
in
,
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
doub
t
abou
t
that an
d
sh
e
spen
t
mos
t
o
f
he
r
tim
e
o
n
th
e
phon
e
(o
r
BBM
,
or Facebook
,
o
r
Skype
)
t
o
he
r
friend
s
i
n
London
.

Sh
e
walke
d
pas
t
th
e
livin
g
roo
m
an
d
too
k
a
pee
k
inside
t
o
wher
e
he
r
daughte
r
la
y
curle
d
u
p
i
n
a
bal
l
i
n
he
r
pyjamas,
flickin
g
throug
h
musi
c
statio
n
afte
r
musi
c
statio
n
o
n
the
television
.
Rut
h
though
t
o
f
joinin
g
he
r
,
o
f
tryin
g
t
o
dru
m
up
som
e
conversatio
n
abou
t
ho
w
i
t
woul
d
tak
e
tim
e
bu
t
that
sh
e
woul
d
settl
e
i
n
soon
.
Ther
e
wa
s
a
grea
t
lif
e
fo
r
the
m
in
thi
s
village
.
I
t
woul
d
b
e
differen
t
t
o
Londo
n
bu
t
i
t
woul
d
be
bette
r
i
n
man
y
ways
.
Bu
t
Melani
e
seeme
d
mile
s
awa
y
so
Rut
h
mad
e
he
r
wa
y
t
o
th
e
kitche
n
wit
h
onl
y
he
r
thoughts an
d a
col
d
cu
p
o
f
coffe
e
fo
r
compan
y
.

‘I
t
wa
s
jus
t
s
o
funn
y
.
I
mean
,
eve
n
th
e
policema
n
sai
d
I
shouldn
’
t
hav
e
bee
n
arrested
.
Y
o
u
woul
d
hav
e
laughed
wit
h
disbelief
.
I
t
jus
t
al
l
go
t
ou
t
o
f
han
d
an
d
h
e
even
apologise
d
afterwards
.
I
t
wa
s
a
bi
g
fa
t
mistake.’
No
,
tha
t
wouldn
’
t
do
.
T
es
s
wa
s
practisin
g
wha
t
she
woul
d
sa
y
t
o
he
r
husban
d
an
d
wa
s
gettin
g
nowher
e
fast
.

T
o
he
r
despair/deligh
t
(sh
e
couldn
’
t
decid
e
which)
,
he ha
d
poppe
d
ou
t
t
o
th
e
shop
s
an
d
ha
d
lef
t
he
r
a
not
e
t
o
say
h
e
woul
d
b
e
bac
k
i
n
fiv
e
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
alread
y
bee
n
home fo
r
te
n
minutes
.
S
o
tha
t
mean
t
a
n
extr
a
te
n
minute
s
to swea
t
an
d
pani
c
an
d
drea
d
wha
t
exactl
y
sh
e
wa
s
goin
g
to
tel
l
hi
m
abou
t
th
e
event
s
o
f
th
e
nigh
t
before
.