One Night Only (229 page)

T
es
s
looke
d
a
t
Poll
y
an
d
he
r
eye
s
widene
d
wit
h
delight. Gin
a
hadn
’
t
bee
n
s
o
chatt
y
sinc
e
.
.
.
well
,
sinc
e
sh
e
came
hom
e
fro
m
hospital
.
I
t
wa
s
almos
t
lik
e
sh
e
ha
d
visite
d
the wron
g
house
!

“
I
neve
r
though
t
I’
d
sa
y
it
,
bu
t
I
can
’
t
wait,
”
sai
d
T
ess.
“
I
lik
e
you
r
fleec
y
jammies
,
Gina
.
Lookin
’
cos
y
ove
r
there!”
T
es
s
sa
t
o
n
Gina
’
s
sof
a
an
d
lifte
d
a
magazin
e
fro
m
the
coffe
e
table
.
Sh
e
flicke
d
throug
h
it
,
feelin
g
ver
y
muc
h
a
t
ease.
The
y
ha
d
develope
d
a
rot
a
betwee
n
th
e
thre
e
o
f
the
m
to mak
e
sur
e
tha
t
Gin
a
wasn
’
t
lef
t
alon
e
fo
r
mor
e
tha
n
a
few
hour
s
ever
y
da
y
.
Evening
s
wer
e
lef
t
fre
e
t
o
spen
d
wit
h
Danny bu
t
th
e
girl
s
wer
e
afrai
d
tha
t
i
f
th
e
hous
e
wasn
’
t
bus
y
during th
e
da
y
,
sh
e
migh
t
no
t
mak
e
a
s
muc
h
progres
s
a
s
sh
e
should.
“So
,
yo
u
don
’
t
wan
t
t
o
g
o
fo
r
a
wal
k
then
,
befor
e
I
leav
e
yo
u
i
n
th
e
hand
s
o
f
T
es
s
th
e
T
errible,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.

“Goin
g
once
,
goin
g
twic
e
.
.
.
”

Gin
a
looke
d
outside
.
I
t
ha
d
stoppe
d
snowin
g
an
d
the boy
s
wer
e
havin
g
a
bal
l
i
n
th
e
garden
.
Coul
d
sh
e
really
muste
r
u
p
th
e
energ
y
t
o
ge
t
dresse
d
an
d
g
o
ou
t
int
o
the col
d
air
?
Sh
e
kne
w
i
t
woul
d
mak
e
he
r
fee
l
bette
r
,
bu
t
she
ha
d
perke
d
u
p
alread
y
b
y
talkin
g
abou
t
Marc
o
an
d
she
wa
s
quit
e
conten
t
wit
h
that
.

“I
have
another
idea,”
she
said
to
her
two
friends
who
wer
e
al
l
ears
.

Gin
a
neve
r
ha
d
idea
s
thes
e
days
.
Sh
e
neve
r
made
suggestion
s
o
r
showe
d
enthusias
m
fo
r
anything
.
Thi
s
was trul
y
a
first
.

“G
o
fo
r
it!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.

“Wh
y
don
’
t
w
e
stic
k
som
e
pizza
s
i
n
th
e
ove
n
fo
r
the boys
,
sen
d
you
r
othe
r
halve
s
t
o
th
e
pu
b
an
d
ge
t
Ruth aroun
d
fo
r
a
glas
s
o
f
win
e
an
d
a
goo
d
ol
d
prope
r
catch- u
p
together
?
It
’
s
bee
n
twelv
e
week
s
sinc
e
th
e
fou
r
o
f
us
reall
y
go
t
stuc
k
int
o
a
goo
d
ol
d
nitty-gritt
y
gossi
p
an
d
I
a
m
finall
y
read
y
t
o
ge
t
bac
k
int
o
th
e
rea
l
world
.
I
might
eve
n
ge
t
dressed!
”

“Ge
t
dressed
!
No
w
there
’
s
a
first!” “An
d
pu
t
o
n
make-up!
”

Gin
a
hadn
’
t
eve
n
finishe
d
he
r
suggestio
n
whe
n
Polly
an
d
T
es
s
ha
d
take
n
ou
t
thei
r
mobil
e
phone
s
an
d
were textin
g
thei
r
husband
s
t
o
offe
r
the
m
a
fe
w
hour
s
dow
n
the pub
.
The
y
woul
d
b
e
delighte
d
wit
h
th
e
chanc
e
t
o
si
p
a
pin
t
an
d
fro
m
wha
t
Poll
y
coul
d
remembe
r
,
ther
e
wa
s
a
big
gam
e
o
n
tha
t
evenin
g
whic
h
Jame
s
woul
d
kil
l
fo
r
the chanc
e
t
o
watc
h
wit
h
th
e
loca
l
lads
.
H
e
wa
s
makin
g
slow progres
s
an
d
hi
s
counsellin
g
session
s
wer
e
makin
g
him
realis
e
that
depressio
n
wasn
’
t
a
s
isolatin
g
a
s
many
though
t
i
t
ha
d
t
o
be
.
Ther
e
wer
e
thousand
s
o
f
other
s
in
hi
s
positio
n
an
d
ther
e
wa
s
s
o
muc
h
hel
p
ou
t
ther
e
fo
r
men wh
o
wer
e
goin
g
throug
h
somethin
g
ver
y
simila
r
.