The Hidden Cottage by Erica James

Author:Erica James
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781409130864
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 2013-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Two

The following day, finishing work early so he could avoid the worst of the traffic, Jensen was on his way to Little Pelham. Tattie had encouraged him to make the trip; she seemed to think he might cheer his sister up. He wasn’t totally convinced, but he was willing to give it a shot. In fact before Tattie had said anything he had already decided – after Eliza hadn’t returned any of his calls or messages – to see her. His sister’s unprecedented silence told him all he needed to know: she was in a bad way.

For all Eliza’s smartness, she wasn’t that worldly, not when it came to relationships at any rate. No way would he have said anything before but from what she’d told him about this Greg character, Jensen had had his doubts. It had been all those last-minute cancellations that had done it.

If there was one thing he hated, it was dishonesty. Those who lied and cheated were pretty low down the food chain in his book. Which was why he’d told Madison that there could be no secrets from Tattie when they’d been walking home from school yesterday. It was partly this principle of his that made the sparks fly when he was around his father. He hated having to bite his tongue when he was in his presence. He wanted to be honest. He wanted to confront his father and tell him exactly what he thought of him, that he was an egotistical idiot who expected the world to revolve around him.

In common with most egotistical men, Jeff Channing had a profoundly polarizing personality and over the years it had brought out the absolute worst in Jensen, made him instinctively want to challenge and defy his father at every turn.

It hadn’t always been like that, though. Jensen could actually remember a time when Dad had been fun and impulsive, springing amazing surprises on them. One school holiday he’d stopped off at the travel agent on the way home after work and announced that they were off to Disney World in the morning. Another time, he’d announced they were going on holiday to Mauritius the following day. The downside was that Mum would be in a flat spin trying to get the packing done while the rest of them crowded excitedly round Dad trying to get a look at the travel brochure and the hotel they’d be staying in.

Dad had always had what you’d call a ‘big personality’ and when you’re a young child that can work, but as you get older you begin to feel the rub of it and it becomes an embarrassment. Most fathers know to back off, but Dad hadn’t. He’d flexed his ‘big personality’ even more to assert his central role, but not in a good way. He became borderline tyrannical and would lose his rag far more than he used to, especially if Daisy was involved and claimed that she had been treated unfairly by Jensen and Eliza.

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