One Night Only (33 page)

Rut
h
couldn
’
t
believ
e
it
.
Sh
e
wa
s
jus
t
s
o
nice
.
How coul
d
sh
e
hav
e
bee
n
s
o
crue
l
t
o
he
r
al
l
thos
e
year
s
ago?
Sh
e
use
d
t
o
cal
l
he
r
Fant
a
Pant
s
becaus
e
o
f
he
r
ginge
r
hai
r
.
O
r
Ginge
r
Minge
.
Tha
t
use
d
t
o
driv
e
Poll
y
insane
.

“
I
wasn
’
t
goin
g
t
o
com
e
in
,
bu
t
the
n
yo
u
wave
d
s
o
I
though
t
I
migh
t
a
s
wel
l
an
d
anyho
w
,
I
wa
s
jus
t
wondering
i
f
yo
u
woul
d
lik
e
t
o
g
o
fo
r
tha
t
coffe
e
anytim
e
soon?
”

No
w
sh
e
wa
s
soundin
g
lik
e
a
bunny-boilin
g
psychopath wit
h
he
r
shak
y
voic
e
an
d
fidget
y
hands
.
“
I
mean
,
no pressure
.
I
kno
w
I’v
e
jus
t
sprun
g
thi
s
o
n
yo
u
but
,
yo
u
see,
I
wa
s
i
n
th
e
area
,
too
k
a
wron
g
tur
n
an
d
.
.
.
well
,
I’
m
here no
w
an
d
I
remembe
r
yo
u
sayin
g
tha
t
Frida
y
mornings wer
e
good
.
Di
d
yo
u
sa
y
Frida
y
morning
s
wer
e
good? Mayb
e
I
jus
t
mad
e
tha
t
up
.
Anyho
w
,
I’
m
her
e
no
w
,
so mayb
e
i
f
you’v
e
tim
e
.
.
.
look
,
I’
m
sorr
y
.
.
.
”

Sh
e
wa
s
ramblin
g
an
d
Polly
’
s
startled
,
wid
e
eye
s
added t
o
he
r
acut
e
embarrassment
.

“
Y
ou’v
e
alread
y
apologised
,
Ruth
.
Y
o
u
don
’
t
hav
e
to kee
p
doin
g
it
.
Com
e
int
o
th
e
kitche
n
an
d
mee
t
m
y
twins.”
Rut
h
coul
d
hav
e
hugge
d
he
r
,
bu
t
sh
e
didn
’
t
.
Tha
t
would
hav
e
bee
n
th
e
beginnin
g
o
f
th
e
end
.
Poll
y
woul
d
definitely
hav
e
calle
d
th
e
cop
s
an
d
ha
d
a
restrictio
n
orde
r
issue
d
i
f
she
ha
d
hugge
d
he
r
.
Besides
,
Poll
y
wa
s
tin
y
an
d
Rut
h
wa
s
huge
s
o
i
t
woul
d
al
l
hav
e
ende
d
i
n
tears
.
Instea
d
sh
e
sheepishly
followe
d
Poll
y
throug
h
th
e
hallwa
y
underneat
h
it
s
huge
chandelie
r
an
d
betwee
n
crea
m
wall
s
an
d
ove
r
wooden
floorin
g
and
,
eve
n
thoug
h
sh
e
wa
s
s
o
unbelievabl
y
grateful
t
o
Poll
y
fo
r
invitin
g
he
r
int
o
he
r
hom
e
an
d
no
t
bein
g
a
snott
y
co
w
lik
e
sh
e
ha
d
ever
y
righ
t
t
o
be
,
Rut
h
wa
s
feeling
mor
e
an
d
mor
e
jealou
s
wit
h
ever
y
ste
p
sh
e
took
.

P
oll
y
‘Fant
a
Pants
’
W
oodhea
d
ha
d
becom
e
Poll
y
‘Blonde
Bombshell
’
Kno
x
an
d
wa
s
wel
l
an
d
trul
y
livin
g
th
e
two- point-fou
r
lifestyl
e
wit
h
he
r
healt
h
an
d
he
r
wealt
h
an
d
her
sanit
y
.
An
d
wher
e
ha
d
Rut
h
go
t
wit
h
he
r
life
?
Divorced,
workin
g
fro
m
home
,
isolate
d
an
d
lonel
y
an
d
wel
l
ou
t
o
f
her dept
h
i
n
thi
s
backwar
d
villag
e
wher
e
everyon
e
ha
d
moved
o
n
an
d
don
e
ver
y
wel
l
fo
r
themselve
s
than
k
yo
u
ver
y
much
.

Sh
e
fel
t
a
wav
e
o
f
emotio
n
engul
f
he
r
an
d
sh
e
bega
n
to
feel really
sorry
for
herself.
More
so than
eve
r
.
More
than
th
e
early-mornin
g
sweat
s
she’
d
ge
t
whe
n
she’
d
panic abou
t
livin
g
s
o
fa
r
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
ma
n
sh
e
ha
d
love
d
but wh
o
no
w
love
d
anothe
r
,
an
d
wit
h
n
o
rea
l
famil
y
t
o
fall
bac
k
o
n
apar
t
fro
m
he
r
Aun
t
Id
a
wh
o
sh
e
believe
d
hated he
r
gut
s
fo
r
comin
g
bac
k
int
o
he
r
lif
e
an
d
upsettin
g
her bridg
e
game
s
an
d
afternoo
n
jo
b
i
n
th
e
bing
o
hall
.
An
d
a
brothe
r
calle
d
Bria
n
wh
o
shoul
d
hav
e
bee
n
name
d
Judas. Oh
,
an
d
he
r
mothe
r
wh
o
hadn
’
t
spoke
n
t
o
he
r
fo
r
more
year
s
tha
n
sh
e
coul
d
remembe
r
an
d
wh
o
ha
d
probably
decide
d
t
o
forge
t
abou
t
he
r
ver
y
existence
.