The Ugly Sister by Jane Fallon

Author:Jane Fallon [Fallon, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: C429, Extratorrents, Kat
ISBN: 9780141047430
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2011-08-22T14:00:00+00:00

15

If you saw them out, you could be forgiven for thinking they were just a normal nuclear family on a day trip. Husband, wife and their two adorable-looking (and surprisingly well-behaved) girls. You would never imagine that she was in love with him, but he was married to someone else, and that that someone else was her sister with whom she has a complex and not entirely healthy relationship. Well, maybe you would if you were Barbara Cartland and you had a deadline coming up.

Hangover and hormones aside, they actually have a brilliant time. Richmond is beautiful and, once they get the girls past the shops, they walk along the river for miles admiring the stately Georgian houses and the ducks. They stop at a little truck in a field and buy coffees and Abi sits on the grass while Jon chases Tara and Megan around screaming. Tara and Megan that is, not Jon. Abi doesn’t think she’s ever seen Tara run before. At one point she comes over and drags Abi up by the hand and makes her join in. Generally Abi doesn’t do running either (she and Tara have that one thing in common, she thinks). She’s not built for it. But she doesn’t want to put a damper on the occasion so she has a half-hearted go and then collapses breathless on the grass. After a couple of minutes, Jon joins her and suddenly, there they are, on their own together for the first time today. Abi racks her brain for something to say, but before she can come up with anything Jon speaks:

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Good, actually.’ Abi takes a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry for all that last night. I’m not used to drinking.’

He laughs. ‘It’s fine. I’ve got kids; you become immune to the horror of the sight of people being sick after a while.’

‘I mean it. It was immature and frankly pretty gross. What I can remember of it, anyway.’

‘We’re all allowed to let off steam once in a while. I imagine it’s been quite stressful for you the past few weeks.’

‘Mmm … well anyway …’

She can’t think of anything else to say so she flops back on the grass and lets the sun wash over her. Jon does the same. Every now and then one of the girls runs past them giggling.

‘I’ve never seen Tara like this,’ Abi says, half to herself.

‘Me neither,’ Jon says. ‘Not for years anyway. Having you around is doing her good.’

She feels herself blush. ‘I don’t know about that.’

‘It’s true,’ he says and Abi can’t look at him. ‘She looks up to you and that’s a really good thing. At least I think it’s a good thing.’

She can’t think what to say in reply. They lie there in silence for what seems like an age and then, much to Abi’s relief, the girls throw themselves down next to them, panting heavily. For the rest of the afternoon Abi makes sure she sticks to them like glue.

By the time

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