One Night Only (43 page)

“
Y
o
u
almos
t
read
y
,
babe?
”
calle
d
Jame
s
fro
m
th
e
bottom
o
f
th
e
stairs
.

Babe
?
Babe
?
H
e
hadn
’
t
calle
d
he
r
bab
e
i
n
a
lifetime!
Had
something
happened
to
her
husband
overnight?
This
wa
s
almos
t
to
o
goo
d
t
o
b
e
true
!

“Nearl
y
there
.
I
s
tha
t
baco
n
I
smell?
”

“
Y
es,
”
h
e
called
.
“Bu
t
don
’
t
ge
t
to
o
excited
.
I
haven
’
t
turne
d
int
o
Jami
e
Olive
r
overnight
.
T
es
s
i
s
her
e
an
d
she
ha
s
everythin
g
unde
r
control.
”

Sh
e
rolle
d
he
r
eyes
.
Oka
y
,
s
o
mayb
e
sh
e
wa
s
expecting to
o
much
,
bu
t
al
l
i
n
al
l
thing
s
wer
e
lookin
g
prett
y
ros
y
in th
e
garden
.
Sh
e
shoul
d
d
o
thi
s
mor
e
often
.
Sh
e
fel
t
more appreciate
d
alread
y
.

“Oka
y
,
babe
,
”
sh
e
sai
d
wit
h
a
smile
.
“I’l
l
b
e
righ
t
there!
”

B
y
nin
e
thirt
y
,
Rut
h
ha
d
arrive
d
b
y
tax
i
an
d
Gin
a
had haule
d
he
r
suitcas
e
ove
r
t
o
Polly
’
s
house
,
bot
h
mor
e
than
read
y
fo
r
th
e
road
.
Rut
h
wa
s
obviousl
y
stil
l
i
n
meltdown an
d
sh
e
smel
t
a
bi
t
lik
e
gi
n
bu
t
sh
e
looke
d
a
lo
t
bette
r
than
sh
e
ha
d
th
e
da
y
before
.
Sh
e
wa
s
les
s
past
y
i
n
th
e
fac
e
and, althoug
h
sh
e
wa
s
stil
l
cla
d
hea
d
t
o
to
e
i
n
black
,
sh
e
didn
’
t
loo
k
as
,
well
,
a
s
scar
y
a
s
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
whe
n
the
y
ha
d
first bumpe
d
int
o
eac
h
othe
r
.
Gin
a
wa
s
secon
d
i
n
th
e
rac
e
to
L
oop
y
Lan
d
and
,
althoug
h
stil
l
gidd
y
an
d
shak
y
,
sh
e
looked jus
t
a
tin
y
bi
t
mor
e
unde
r
contro
l
–
sh
e
ha
d
poppe
d
a
sleepin
g
table
t
th
e
nigh
t
befor
e
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
sh
e
didn
’
t
walk th
e
floor
s
al
l
night
.
T
es
s
wa
s
a
s
coo
l
a
s
alway
s
,
bu
t
P
o
ll
y
kne
w
sh
e
ha
d
jus
t
abou
t
kep
t
he
r
marble
s
afte
r
her
grievanc
e
wit
h
Ro
b
an
d
th
e
whol
e
bab
y
argument
.
So
Poll
y
fel
t
tha
t
bein
g
ignore
d
an
d
feelin
g
take
n
fo
r
granted
(he
r
reason
s
fo
r
goin
g
away
)
wer
e
probabl
y
th
e
mos
t
minor p
roblems
.
Sh
e
wa
s
th
e
drive
r
,
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
charge
,
and
therefor
e
sh
e
fel
t
i
t
wa
s
u
p
t
o
he
r
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
tha
t
everyone
ha
d
thei
r
toothbrush
,
make-up
,
hai
r
-straightener
s
an
d
clean
knicker
s
packed
.
Afte
r
that
,
i
t
wa
s
eac
h
t
o
thei
r
own
devices
.
Sh
e
wa
s
o
n
a
well-earne
d
brea
k
fro
m
baby- sitting
,
bu
t
fo
r
th
e
journey
’
s
duratio
n
sh
e
woul
d
mak
e
it he
r
dut
y
t
o
pla
y
‘mummy’
.

Th
e
girl
s
packe
d
u
p
th
e
ca
r
a
s
Poll
y
sai
d
he
r
goodbyes t
o
Franki
e
an
d
th
e
twin
s
who
,
muc
h
t
o
he
r
disgruntleme
nt
,
wer
e
almos
t
obliviou
s
t
o
he
r
departure
.
Throug
h
guilt,
sh
e
ha
d
race
d
t
o
T
esc
o
th
e
nigh
t
befor
e
an
d
bough
t
them
enough
jigsaws
and
colouring-in
books
to
keep
them
well
occupie
d
unti
l
sh
e
cam
e
bac
k
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
prepare
d
ham sandwiche
s
fo
r
thei
r
lunch
,
an
d
a
ste
w
fo
r
dinne
r
an
d
left
i
t
i
n
th
e
fridg
e
s
o
tha
t
Jame
s
onl
y
ha
d
t
o
hea
t
i
t
u
p
and
serve
.
Th
e
followin
g
da
y
h
e
wa
s
takin
g
the
m
t
o
his
mother
’
s
hous
e
fo
r
Sunda
y
lunc
h
s
o
a
t
leas
t
sh
e
kne
w
her childre
n
woul
d
b
e
fe
d
whil
e
sh
e
wa
s
awa
y
.