The Adults by Caroline Hulse

Author:Caroline Hulse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2018-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

33

Patrick had been disappointed to find out they weren’t having fish for tea after all. But he didn’t say anything, because he was polite like that.

It was because of Alex, of course. And now Alex had taken a call during the meal and had been half an hour already—which, considering all the effort Claire had put in making a back-up meal, was really rude.

Once they’d cleared the dinner table, Patrick sat back round it with Scarlett, Claire, and Matt.

Scarlett offered everyone pieces of her advent calendar, but Patrick declined. He had a few months before his Ironman, but he still had to be careful. Patrick opened the Monopoly box and started counting out the money. He always liked to be the banker. It felt right that way.

Scarlett put two counters on the board. “Posey likes to be the iron.”

“We’re not playing with Posey, Scarlett.” Claire took a decisive swig of wine. “Not tonight. It’s family time.”

“But Posey loves Monopoly. He’ll get upset.”

“I said no,” Claire said quietly. “Put Posey to bed, please.”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes.

Patrick watched with distaste as Matt stuffed two advent chocolates into his mouth at once.

“Or how about,” Matt spoke thickly through the chocolate, “Posey and Scarlett play together on the same team? You can still be the iron, together?”

Claire shook her head at Matt. But she didn’t tell him off for undermining her, Patrick noticed.

Scarlett gave Matt a nod and turned to the side. “You can sit back down, Posey.”

She pulled out a chair and tucked it back under the table—a chair that, presumably, had a rabbit on it.

The front door slammed and Alex walked back in. She looked cold.

Patrick couldn’t help noticing that, on seeing Alex, Scarlett immediately stopped offering round chocolates and, instead, hid her advent calendar under the table.

“Everything all right?” Matt asked Alex.

“Fine.” Alex slid back into what had become her usual chair. “It was just Ruby wanting to chat. You know how she bangs on. Are we playing Monopoly?”

Patrick handed Alex her money. “I’m banker.”

Alex rubbed her arms briskly to warm them up. “OK. I haven’t played for thirty years. But bring it on.”

Matt turned to Scarlett. “Have you got any more of those chocolates, chicken?”

But Scarlett shook her head.

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