One Hundred Christmas Proposals by Holly Martin

Author:Holly Martin [Martin, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781474008419
Publisher: Carina
Published: 2014-10-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

We stared at each other, Badger and Jules both went pale. What could we do? We couldn’t hide him upstairs as he would have to walk past the front door to get to the stairs.

We listened to Harry still talking.

‘We weren’t expecting you here today at all. We were just on our way out actually, me and Suzie were going to take Jules and Bella out for the day so…’

‘Suzie gets to see Bella any time she wants,’ came the waspish tones of my mum. ‘I haven’t seen my granddaughter for eighteen months You two can take Bella out some other time.’

‘Well of course we can but Bella was so looking forward to going to the aquarium, she loves the fishes.’

‘She’s two Harry, she barely knows her own name let alone has any concept of whether she’s going to the aquarium or not, now are you going to let us in or do we have to stand out here on the doorstep all day.’

‘No of course, come in.’

‘In the pantry, quick,’ Jules hissed.

‘With the spiders? No way.’

‘It’s either that or you stand outside in the yard for the next two hours.’

‘How was your flight?’ Harry was saying, his voice getting louder as he warned us of their imminent arrival.

‘If you go in the yard you could escape out the back gate.’ I whispered.

‘There is no back gate. It’s a yard. That’s it.’

‘Climb over the fence?’

‘Into the neighbours’ yard, that’s not helpful.’

‘Badger!’

The kitchen door was slowly pushed open and Badger darted for the tiny pantry just as my dad and my mum’s annoyed face appeared in the doorway.

‘Mum, how lovely to see you here,’ I said as I heard the pantry door slam behind me. I turned to see Jules leaning on it casually. I turned back to embrace Mum in a very awkward hug. ‘We were just going to the aquarium actually, did you want to come with us?’

‘No thank you, there’s nothing particularly interesting about a bunch of fish swimming around. I can find far better things to waste my money on. Perhaps you should spend your money on a new haircut dear and perhaps some new clothes too.’

I looked down at my bright blue leggings and silver jumper dress. I was fairly tasteful today. Well the cherry red boots probably clashed a bit with the giant holly leaf on my jumper but still.

‘You’ve put on weight since the last time I saw you as well,’ Mum pursed her lips.

‘The last time you saw me I was grieving the loss of your son so I wasn’t really in the mood for eating.’ I glanced across at Dad who gave me a sympathetic smile.

Mum looked at me like I’d slapped her. ‘Do you not think I was grieving too? There is nothing more painful than having to bury your son. No parent should have to go through that. It’s something I shall never get over. I don’t expect you to understand my grief, what I went through.’ Her eyes filled with tears.

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