Eloise by Judy Finnigan

Author:Judy Finnigan [Finnigan, Judy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780748132607
Google: XfS8kjVY5oIC
Amazon: B008J1MXF2
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 2012-10-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

I hadn’t seen Sam since Christmas. He’d spent the Easter holidays in the US with a fellow student whose parents lived in New York and I’d missed him a lot.

Tall and handsome, he was the spitting image of Chris, and, like his dad, he wanted to be a psychiatrist. He was at medical school in Edinburgh, doing well and enjoying student life. But his resemblance to Chris was superficial. In character, he was more like me. Of all of them, he had inherited my vulnerability and I worried about him; I dreaded that he might have inherited my tendency to depression. But I’d never seen any definite sign of it; it was more an instinct that made me watch him like a hawk. And right now he was smiling, his face suffused with the pleasure of being with his family again. He flung his arms around me.

‘Mum. It’s great to see you again. You look terrific.’

I returned his hug. ‘So do you, darling. How’s Uni?’

‘It’s good. I’m really enjoying it. Hard work, though.’

‘Oh, well,’ said Chris heartily. ‘No pain no gain, eh?’

Sam had his back to his dad. He rolled his eyes at me. Chris and Sam were at that stage of a father and son’s relationship where they constantly locked horns. They loved each other, but each found the other unbearably irritating at times.

I had no such problems with Sam. He was always wonderfully affectionate towards me, and I must admit that the way he sometimes sided with me in family arguments gave me secret pleasure, just as I knew it annoyed Chris.

We went next door to the Talland Bay Hotel for dinner. A big family celebration, the first time we had all been together since Christmas. I was stupidly happy. Everyone I loved, all together, my complete circle of devotion. For the first time since Eloise’s death had haunted me in Cornwall, since I’d started dreaming about her, I felt confident that I had some back-up. That my family was whole and healthy.

But, like Eloise, my priorities were my children. That was just a fact of life.

Eve was talking about the gorgeous boy she’d seen on the beach. Like any sixteen-year-old, she could prattle on for ever about fripperies which meant nothing to anyone older. It felt strange that I could now put a name to him. She was talking about Arthur, my friend Eloise’s grandson, although of course she had no idea who he was. Tom was sniggering and sniping, but Sam listened to her with complete attention.

‘So, Evie, you think this guy is the love of your life?’

‘No, Sam. Don’t be such an idiot. I was just trying to tell you about this gorgeous-looking guy who’s washed up here in Talland. He looks really cool.’

‘OK, Sis. I believe you. Can I meet him?’

‘No. I have no idea where he’s staying.’

Chris and I looked at each other and I decided to be frank.

‘Evie, your dad and I know where he is. He was here at the hotel for a while but now he’s staying at Juliana’s.

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