Fiona’s started seeing someone else now. So everyone’s all fine and dandy, except me. The great big fucking mug that I am.’
‘No you’re not. Don’t be sil ly. These things happen; you know that yourself.’
Cameron stood up straight suddenly, casting a shadow over Julia as he blocked out the light from the porch.
‘So you think this is divine retribution for my earlier mistakes?’
‘I don’t think the world works that way actually. But you did do your own share of breaking hearts years ago.’
‘So I deserve it? ’
‘No , of course you don’t.’
Julia watched as the anger receded a little from his face. She smiled at him , and put her hand on his arm.
‘We’ll both be fine. Give i t time. But’s it’s cold outside; I’m going in to find Marianne to say goodbye.’
Julia took off Marianne’s jacket and hung it on the rack and walked down the hall. She paused by the kitchen door and reached in and put her glass down on the counter and walked away without looking at anyone. She headed for the lounge and found Marianne dancing with her husband. Their two teenage daughters were sitting on the sofa, holding cushions over their faces and giggling with embarrassment.
The song finished and Brian kissed Marianne which made their daughters scream and hurl the cushions at them.
Julia laughed and picked up the cushions that had landed at her feet. She carried them over to the sofa and sat down between Sophie and Isobel.
Sophie leaned against Julia and put her arm around her.
‘How’s it going Auntie Jules ?’
‘Not so bad. How are you two enjoying the party?
‘It would be better if mam and dad would stop behaving like idiots. They’re so gross.’
Julia looked up at Marianne who was still standing in the middle of the room cuddling her husband.
‘Would you rather they didn’t get on with each other?’ Julia asked Sophie.
‘No, of course not. Just wish they wouldn’t do that in public.’
‘Change the music then, put on something less smooch ie.’
Isobel leapt up from the sofa and ran to the iPod docking station and a moment later the music changed to something young and funky. Marianne and Brian grinned at each other and proceeded to dance to the music in an exaggeration of how people might dance at a rave; which drew howls of protest from their daughters. Sophie and Isobel left the room in a hurry.
Marianne stopped her manic jigging around on t he dance floor and turned down the music a little.
‘That’s better,’ she said , as she sat next to Julia. ‘We won’t see those little minxes again for a while.’
‘We would have been embarrassed by our parents if they ’d been cavorting about, dancing and kissing.’
‘Of course we would!’ Marianne replied, giggling mischievously. ‘Anyway, where have you been hiding? I thought you’d gone home.’
‘I went outside for a bit of fresh air. I was talking to Cameron.’
‘Ah, misery likes company eh?’
Julia laughed. ‘Something like that yeah.’
‘ Poor love! I do feel sorry for him, although I expect his first wife is laughing fit to burst.’
‘I don’t doubt it. I’m s urprised she hasn’t come back to Shetland just for a gloat.’
‘Well , she was a stuck up bitch anyhow. And he’s definitely a changed man now, especially after Amy came along.’
‘So he should be . You can’t run around like a young man staying out drinking and clubbing at our age.’
‘Bet George Clooney does, ’ Marianne said.
‘ Cameron isn’t George Clooney.’
‘He is kind of nice looking though, don’t you think?’
At that moment Cameron walked into the room doing up his coat. His head was bent forward, revealing a slightly thinning patch of hair that was only just starting to grey. He normally wore his dark brown hair really short, but he had clearly neglected to visit the barber for a while. His face looked a little tired, but underneath the sadness remained the good bone structure, clear skin and deep blue eyes
‘No you’re not. Don’t be sil ly. These things happen; you know that yourself.’
Cameron stood up straight suddenly, casting a shadow over Julia as he blocked out the light from the porch.
‘So you think this is divine retribution for my earlier mistakes?’
‘I don’t think the world works that way actually. But you did do your own share of breaking hearts years ago.’
‘So I deserve it? ’
‘No , of course you don’t.’
Julia watched as the anger receded a little from his face. She smiled at him , and put her hand on his arm.
‘We’ll both be fine. Give i t time. But’s it’s cold outside; I’m going in to find Marianne to say goodbye.’
Julia took off Marianne’s jacket and hung it on the rack and walked down the hall. She paused by the kitchen door and reached in and put her glass down on the counter and walked away without looking at anyone. She headed for the lounge and found Marianne dancing with her husband. Their two teenage daughters were sitting on the sofa, holding cushions over their faces and giggling with embarrassment.
The song finished and Brian kissed Marianne which made their daughters scream and hurl the cushions at them.
Julia laughed and picked up the cushions that had landed at her feet. She carried them over to the sofa and sat down between Sophie and Isobel.
Sophie leaned against Julia and put her arm around her.
‘How’s it going Auntie Jules ?’
‘Not so bad. How are you two enjoying the party?
‘It would be better if mam and dad would stop behaving like idiots. They’re so gross.’
Julia looked up at Marianne who was still standing in the middle of the room cuddling her husband.
‘Would you rather they didn’t get on with each other?’ Julia asked Sophie.
‘No, of course not. Just wish they wouldn’t do that in public.’
‘Change the music then, put on something less smooch ie.’
Isobel leapt up from the sofa and ran to the iPod docking station and a moment later the music changed to something young and funky. Marianne and Brian grinned at each other and proceeded to dance to the music in an exaggeration of how people might dance at a rave; which drew howls of protest from their daughters. Sophie and Isobel left the room in a hurry.
Marianne stopped her manic jigging around on t he dance floor and turned down the music a little.
‘That’s better,’ she said , as she sat next to Julia. ‘We won’t see those little minxes again for a while.’
‘We would have been embarrassed by our parents if they ’d been cavorting about, dancing and kissing.’
‘Of course we would!’ Marianne replied, giggling mischievously. ‘Anyway, where have you been hiding? I thought you’d gone home.’
‘I went outside for a bit of fresh air. I was talking to Cameron.’
‘Ah, misery likes company eh?’
Julia laughed. ‘Something like that yeah.’
‘ Poor love! I do feel sorry for him, although I expect his first wife is laughing fit to burst.’
‘I don’t doubt it. I’m s urprised she hasn’t come back to Shetland just for a gloat.’
‘Well , she was a stuck up bitch anyhow. And he’s definitely a changed man now, especially after Amy came along.’
‘So he should be . You can’t run around like a young man staying out drinking and clubbing at our age.’
‘Bet George Clooney does, ’ Marianne said.
‘ Cameron isn’t George Clooney.’
‘He is kind of nice looking though, don’t you think?’
At that moment Cameron walked into the room doing up his coat. His head was bent forward, revealing a slightly thinning patch of hair that was only just starting to grey. He normally wore his dark brown hair really short, but he had clearly neglected to visit the barber for a while. His face looked a little tired, but underneath the sadness remained the good bone structure, clear skin and deep blue eyes
Similar Books
