Penny Jordan by [The Crightons 09] Coming Home

Author:[The Crightons 09] Coming Home
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 2011-04-16T00:46:08+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

'CASPAR. WHERE ON EARTH have you been?'

Caspar's mouth twisted as he sent Amelia and Alex upstairs to get changed before turning to confront Olivia.

'Do you really care?' he challenged her angrily.

'It's five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, for heaven's sake, Olivia. You left this house before eight this morning and—'

'I was back at half past one,' Olivia defended herself. 'But you weren't here. Where were you?'

'I took Amelia to dancing practice. She goes every Saturday—remember?'

'That only lasts an hour,' Olivia pointed out.

'I went to see Maddy,' Caspar told her quietly.

'To see Maddy...' Olivia stared at him in confusion and then started to frown as he refused to meet her eyes. 'Oh, I see,' she guessed. 'You went to see Maddy to cry on her shoulder. To complain about me.'

'She's concerned about you, Olivia. We all are,' Caspar stated grimly. 'Everyone can see what you're doing to yourself and this family.'

'Can they? Are you sure about that, Caspar, or can they only see it because you've described it to them? What are you trying to do to me?'

'I'm not trying to do anything to you. It's what you're doing to yourself that concerns me. This paranoia you've developed about your work—'

'Paranoia?' Immediately, Olivia stiffened.

'What are you trying to say? That I'm mad...

deranged...?'

'Don't be ridiculous,' Caspar protested.

'But that's what paranoia is, isn't it?' Olivia pressed. 'A form of madness. I work because I have to, Caspar.'

'You have to? Why?' he demanded sharply.

'Well, one very good reason is that we need the money,' Olivia defended herself. 'You know that.

We couldn't have bought this house on what you earn as a lecturer. We run two cars. We live well, and you're the one who's insisted on the girls'

having so many out-of-school activities. They all have to be paid for.'

'So it's my fault that you have to work. Is that it? It's my fault because I'm not a good provider... because I don't earn enough—'

'I said no such thing,' Olivia interrupted sharply. 'Look, Caspar, you were the one who started this argument. You're just behaving like a spoiled, petulant child because I won't go to your brother's wedding. What I still can't understand is why you're so keen on going. You've admitted you're not close. According to you, you can't even remember all their names and—'

'God, Olivia, that was years ago. Yes, I did still feel sore about my childhood when I first came over here, but since then we've had the girls and now...' He made a brief, helpless gesture with his hands. 'This isn't a dress rehearsal. This is life...real life. It's time for me to make my peace with my family, my father—'

'Your father!' Olivia's mouth twisted. 'What is it about you men that makes you stick together...forgive one another anything? Ben would welcome my father back with open arms given the chance, and even Jon... I thought that Jon felt like I did...that he would never, could never, forgive my father, but the way he talks about him sometimes now it's almost as though—'

'As though what? As though he misses him?

Olivia, they are twins.

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