The Little Brooklyn Bakery by Julie Caplin

Author:Julie Caplin [Caplin, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008259754
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2018-04-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

‘Toddy, baby!’ A tanned, lithe blonde wrapped in a stunning royal-blue sarong, exactly the right shade to accentuate her tan and the golden hue of her hair, appeared as Todd escorted Sophie into what he called the breakfast room.

The woman placed both hands on his shoulders and kissed each cheek with a loud ‘mwah, mwah’.

She looked oddly familiar next to Todd. A relative? An aunt? Another cousin? He hadn’t mentioned an older sister. There was no way this model-like creature could possibly be his mother.

‘Darling, when did you get here?’ There was genuine puzzlement on the woman’s face. ‘Did Brett pick you up from the airport?’

‘We drove. Left very early. Arrived about half an hour ago.’ Todd’s stiff stance and uncharacteristic coolness made Sophie immediately wary.

‘Drove.’ The woman rolled her eyes as if it were the oddest thing she’d ever heard. ‘At this time of year. You must have left at a godawful time.’ She gave a delicate shudder. ‘Well, don’t let your father know, otherwise I will never hear the end of it,’ she said, pursing her lips, which Sophie had been trying hard not to stare at for the last minute. There was something not quite right about them, but she couldn’t quite identify what. It was almost as if they belonged to another person.

The woman gave herself a visible sort of shake as if suddenly spotting Sophie standing behind Todd.

‘And who’s this?’ she asked, all arch and winsome.

Todd stepped aside and slid an arm along Sophie’s shoulder, letting it rest there with reassuring weight as if he were laying claim to a staunch team-mate.

‘Mom, this is my friend Sophie. Sophie, this is my mom, Celine.’

‘Mom!’ Sophie’s mouth fell open in unchecked surprise and she stared. This stunning woman with the amazing figure, in her casual knotted sarong over bikini, with her Jackie O sunglasses perched on top of her white-blonde hair, was nothing like the Nancy Reagan matron she’d pictured. ‘You look far too young. My goodness, I thought you were a cousin or something. You can’t possibly be …’

With a dazzling smile, Todd’s mother turned to her. ‘Well, you can be my new best friend. That’s so adorable of you to say. And you’re English. What a darling accent! Where are you from?’

‘I live in London.’

‘I adore London. We always stay at the Savoy when we’re in town. Do you know it?’

Sophie nodded, bemused, wondering if you know it meant, have you stayed there, or have you heard of it?

‘Old fashioned but so English. I love it. Todd’s father always wants to stay at the Marriott, because he’s an old friend of Bill’s, Bill Marriott.’ She paused for breath before adding, ‘And you’re a friend of Todd’s?’ With her raised eyebrow and the sultry lowering of her voice, she hinted at a thousand questions.

‘We work together, Mom. And Sophie was going to be on her own for the holidays.’ Todd shut her down, without answering the question.

‘Oh.’ Frigid disinterest echoed in her voice. ‘You work at this magazine place too? You have a job.

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