First Friends by Marcia Willett

talk about. Apparently, she suggested that the Websters gave her a lift but they’ve managed to evade it so far.’
    Kate smiled through the tears that would keep forcing themselves into her eyes. ‘They hate each other,’ she said. ‘She’s very naughty to them.’
    â€˜Can’t say I blame her! And now I really must go before she captivates my husband totally. I don’t trust her an inch, even if she is seven months pregnant.’
    By the time Mark was due back from Nova Scotia, Kate was already at home with her twin boys—Guy and Giles—and adjusting toa completely different way of life. To be fair—although, as she later said to Cass, ‘Who wants to be fair?’—Major and Mrs Webster had proved very helpful in the two weeks after the twins’ birth. They had erected two cots in the spare bedroom and had doubled up on all the requirements necessary for the babies’ welfare. They had even found a huge pram, which blocked the hallway, in which they proudly pushed the twins down to the sea every afternoon, insisting that Kate should put her feet up. They moved into Kate’s bedroom and she slept in with the twins, grateful that Mrs Webster was within call should an emergency arise. None did and, after a very short while, Kate longed for them to be gone so that she might have her home—and her babies—to herself. She felt nervous when she inexpertly handled them under the critical eye of the older woman and, since it was not in her nature to assert herself in the face of experience and seniority, felt that the twins would become truly her own only when the Websters had gone home. Mrs Webster was a managing sort of woman who was delighted to have two new grandchildren and Kate felt that her independence was being taken away from her. Major Webster had no difficulty in containing his delight, muttering darkly about the cost of two children whilst Mark was still so junior, and seeming as relieved to set out for his own home as Kate was to see him go. During that two weeks, Kate had become a little fonder of Mark’s mother. Nevertheless, when their big Rover had pulled away from the kerb with Mrs Webster waving enthusiastically from the window, Kate sighed a huge sigh of relief.
    Within a few hours of their departure Cass was bundling in, to hug Kate and to exclaim over the twins.
    â€˜Aren’t they lovely! Who are they like, d’you think? Thank God Frankenstein and his monster have gone! Tell me, Kate, does Mark’s father ever smile? And the monster! Fuss, fuss, fuss! Every time I see them I try to imagine them in bed together. Quite impossible.’
    They giggled hysterically, remembering whispered conversations in the dormitory—d’you think so-and-so and whoever ‘do’ it?—and Cass sank into a chair.
    â€˜Mark must be thrilled! When’s he back? Imagine, he’ll have missed a whole month of their lives. Oh, you are lucky to have got it all over and done with and to have these two gorgeous poppets to show for it!’
    Kate glossed over Mark’s ‘thrilledness.’ One telegram and a letter which dwelt more on the delights of Nova Scotia than it did on the arrival of his twin sons, hardly came under the heading of ‘thrilled.’
    â€˜Must be sheer bliss,’ said Cass, tactfully changing direction, ‘to be able to cut your own toenails again and I see that you’ve squeezed yourself back into your jeans. Pig! Never mind. I’m determined to get back into my ball dress by Christmas.’
    â€˜Then you’ll have to have the baby early, like I did,’ said Kate.
    Cass’s daughter, however, made no effort to hurry into the world. Charlotte was born two days after Tom’s birthday at the end of November. He was at home for the event and there were great celebrations.
    â€˜I’m sure,’ said Felicity, watching Cass twirling languidly in George Lampeter’s