The Pregnancy Affair by Anne mather

Author:Anne mather [mather, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

ON MONDAY morning Olivia was up at half-past six.

Hurrying into the bathroom, she washed her face and cleaned her

teeth, and then, because it felt chilly, she dressed in warm

woollen trousers and a purple sweater. She didn’t bother with

much make-up, just a trace of eyeliner, mascara and a smear of

lip gloss. Then, with her leather coat over her arm, she went

downstairs.

Linda wasn’t about, but someone—Martin, possibly—had made

a pot of tea and left toast crumbs all over the drainer. Olivia

wasn’t hungry, but she poured herself a cup of lukewarm tea and

drank it on the move.

She still had to tell the rest of the family what she was doing, and as she swept the crumbs away and washed both her cup and

Martin’s she hoped they would approve.

Her father knew, naturally. She hadn’t been able to hide what

Joel had wanted from him, and he’d looked at her a little oddly

when he heard that she and Joel were planning to share

responsibility for the boy.

‘Are you sure about this, Liv?’ he’d asked as they drove back to

the farm. ‘I mean, giving the kid a lift is one thing. Committing

yourself to two weeks of driving back and forth to Millford, just

so Sean can spend a few days with his father, does seem quite a

chore.’

‘You can’t say two weeks on the one hand and then imply it’s

only for a few days on the other,’ Olivia had pointed out evenly.

And then, because she’d known her father was only thinking of

her, ‘Well—I couldn’t refuse, could I?’

‘Why not?’ Ben Foley had been indignant. ‘OK, you and Joel

have got history. No one can deny that. But he got over you

soon enough and married the Webster girl. What does she think

about you looking after her son?’

‘I doubt if she knows.’ Olivia had been terse, stung by her

father’s assessment of Joel’s behaviour. Was that what he’d

done? she’d wondered. It had been galling to think that that was

what everyone in Bridgeford thought.

Thankfully, the old man hadn’t questioned how well she knew

Sean. He’d probably assumed the boy had accompanied Joel

when he’d picked her up at the airport. But Linda had still to be

told and she could only hope it wouldn’t become a bone of

contention, before she told her what she was doing.

Joel had said Sean had to leave for school at a quarter-past eight,

but Olivia realised it was only a quarter-to when she reached

Millford. She was far too early and, not wanting to look too

eager, she parked some distance from the house and got out of

the car.

Millford was smaller than Bridgeford, but just as picturesque.

Pulling her coat out of the back of the car, she put it on and

strolled across to the church.

Evidently there’d been an early-morning service and the vicar

was standing at the door, saying goodbye to the few stalwarts

who’d braved the uncertain weather. Olivia halted by the

lych-gate, feeling an odd sense of familiarity when she looked at

the man. But that was silly, she thought impatiently. She’d never

been to this church before.

She was about to turn away when he hailed her. ‘Liv! Olivia,’ he

called, striding towards her.

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