Fallen Women by Sue Welfare

Author:Sue Welfare [Welfare, Sue]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007396825
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2012-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

Meanwhile, in the house at Church Pines the barbecue was in full swing by the time Kate and Andrew got back to the party. While Andrew went inside to refresh their drinks Julie sidled up to her. ‘I’m very impressed,’ she said in a stage whisper.

‘Impressed?’

‘Don’t come the dark horse with me, Kate Sutherland, I know you, remember. Andrew Taylor is a real catch – apparently he’s terribly standoffish, keeps himself very much to himself. Shy, I’ve always thought. You and your mother have got sort of some special knack. It has got be genetic.’

Kate smiled noncommittally, glad she had inherited her mum’s charisma and not her dad’s hairy ears.

Julie had obviously been at the real punch, and some residual shade of the schoolgirl formerly known as Easy whom Kate had known and loved, was slowly resurfacing.

Although Kate could feel her colour rising; it had been a long time since she had unashamedly flirted with someone, even longer since it had been reciprocated so enthusiastically.

‘Well?’ demanded Julie. ‘What have you got to say for yourself?’

Kate took a breath, composing her thoughts but fortunately it seemed that fate was on her side.

‘Julie?’ She swung round at the sound of her name being called from the house, at which point Kate made off into the shadows saved by a catering emergency involving paper napkins, a box of matches and two small boys.

If Andrew wanted her company he would have to come and sniff her out. Kate was hoping that he wouldn’t interpret her lurking behind the ornamental bay as a desire to get away from him.

Maggie, by contrast, was sitting talking to a group of women although holding court would be a better description; she sat centre stage and they were all giggling, drinking, and quite obviously having a whale of a time.

Kate grinned at her on her way to the shadows. ‘So where’s his nibs gone then? I can’t take you anywhere, can I? Even Julie wanted to know what you’d sprayed yourself with.’

Maggie lifted that magic eyebrow. ‘You mean Charles? I think he’s gone off to get me something special from the barbecue.’

Kate laughed.

At which point Andrew reappeared carrying two drinks and this time Maggie was the one to do a double take. Kate introduced them and then made her way back down the garden with Andrew, well aware that every eye in the place – or at least those of the women under the awning – was on her.

Away from the circle of lights and the hardcore of party goers, Andrew settled down on one of the low walls round the flowerbeds. ‘So what are you going to do about Joe?’ he asked picking up the conversation they’d been having earlier exactly where they’d left it.

She shook her head. ‘At the moment it’s like looking into a snowstorm. The good wife in me says I ought to go home and salvage what I can – I’ve always been someone who does the right thing and sticks at things. And yet there is this other part of me that is kind of pleased, relieved.

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