A Question of Pride by Michelle Reid

Author:Michelle Reid
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-05-22T13:25:02.015000+00:00

The telephone rang on Monday morning, just as Clea was getting ready to go for her monthly check-up with her gynaecologist.

'Hello?' she mumbled, sounding breathless, struggling as she was to fasten the bib buckles on her pale aqua-blue cotton dungarees which had suddenly become too tight.

'Clea, I caught you, then!' It was her mother, sounding superbly fit and not even a little breathless. 'What are you doing?'

'Trying to dress myself while talking to you,' she replied wryly, the phone tucked under her chin. 'I have an appointment at the doctor's in half an hour.'

'Oh—I won't keep you, then,' Amy said, picking up on Clea's brisk tone. 'Remember to tell him about the slight swelling around your ankles.'

'Yes, Mummy.' It was the heat that Clea blamed, but she didn't feel like joining in one of her mother's long discussions on pregnancy, so she kept her reply to its briefest.

'... And the tiredness, mention the tiredness.'

The tiredness had been a silly mistake on her part when she had stupidly fallen asleep at dinner last night in front of her mother and James. They had been furious, blaming her job, as usual. James all but threw her into his car and drove her home. He even stayed while she showered and got into bed! They hadn't given her a chance to explain how she'd hardly slept a wink the night before because the baby had spent the night kicking her to death!

'Yes, Mummy,' she meekly replied again. 'What did you ring for, exactly?'

'Oh, yes ...' Amy sounded disconcerted, she wasn't used to her daughter's meek obedience. 'A party, here, on Saturday next. Can you come? It will probably be the last time James and I entertain on any real level before the baby. James thinks it will become too much for me. You could come Saturday morning and stay overnight as you usually do when you come down. James will drive you back home Sunday. It could be fun, what do you think?'

Clea heaved a sigh of relief as the bib buckle slid home. 'It sounds nice. Thank you, I'd love to come.'

'Good,' said a pleased Amy. 'How is the weather affecting you? James tells me London is steaming. It isn't so bad out here where the air is a lot fresher. I can't believe the summer could be so cruel as to keep this heatwave up for a whole six weeks, while I'm the size of a house. You would think it would show some consideration!'

'Amen to that,' agreed Clea with verve. It was mid-July and the sun had shone constantly since the beginning of June. 'And I'm going to have to buy myself some new clothes,' she added absently, looking ruefully down at the dungarees that fitted across her middle far more tightly than they were supposed to fit. 'I've got the whole morning off, so I think I'll do a bit of shopping after the doctor's—I'll buy something nice for Saturday!' she decided brightly. 'Which reminds me, I have to go!'

The telephone began ringing a second time as she was about to leave the flat.

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