says as we stand at the front door waiting for him.
‘Yes. She’ll be fine.’ Of course, my dear child won’t stay in bed and insists on coming with us. I’ve caved in because I’m now in too much of a rush to face a full-on tantrum. She was immediately placated when I agreed that she could come along for the ride. I’m worried that at four years old she knows exactly how to play me. What hope is there for me when she reaches fifteen?
‘You should be in your bed, Little Miss Young. Why don’t you stay here with Granny? It’s cold out here.’ Mum rubs at her arms to convey Arctic temperatures. ‘Brrr.’
My daughter is immovable. All she does is cling to me more tightly. She’s in my arms, wrapped in her fluffy pink dressing gown and bunny slippers. Her favourite teddy, Eric, is coming too and we had to find him a scarf to wear as it’s cold. In fact, Mum’s right, it is bitterly cold. There are slight flakes of snow blowing in the air – nothing substantial yet, but the threat of more is there. Another reason why my dad shouldn’t be getting the car out.
I kiss Mum’s cheek. ‘See you in the morning.
Don’t
wait up.’
‘Be careful, Louise,’ she says. ‘Don’t do anything silly.’
I laugh. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘This job is important to me, Mum. Really important.’ I haven’t told my parents that my boss is a randy old goat. Dad would be marching down to the Fossil Oil offices and demanding to see the person in charge, as he would have done with the headmaster when I was at school. ‘I’m not going to do
anything
to jeopardise that.’
Putting Mia in the back of the car in her booster seat, I get in the front next to Dad. I suspect that my darling daughter will force herself to stay awake until we reach Wadestone Manor even though her head is lolling with tiredness. I’m equally sure that she’ll be fast asleep the minute Dad turns for home.
Mia loves all the show tunes from the musicals, so we’re all singing along to ‘These Are a Few of My Favourite Things’ when, half an hour later, Dad pulls in at the very grand and imposing gates of Wadestone Manor.
‘Oh my word, Lou,’ he breathes. ‘This is a fancy place.’
It is. And that makes me nervous. ‘Are you sure it’s the right one, Dad?’
We’ve only just driven through the gates and already I feel intimidated.
‘I think so, love. Better check your invitation.’ Dad pulls over to the grass verge of the sweeping driveway.
Hurriedly I get the invitation out of my bag and scan the details. I turn to him and nod. ‘This is it.’
‘Good job you had your hair done,’ says my father, who usually notices nothing.
I’m now wishing I’d gone the whole hog and bought a new dress.
Dad puts the Focus into gear again and we make our way towards the house along a driveway lined by beautiful specimen trees.
‘Look, Mia,’ I say, pointing into the trees. ‘Deer.’
She peers out of the car window. ‘Bambi,’ she says.
‘That’s right. Clever girl.’
‘What a sight,’ Dad says, awestruck.
They bound across the road in front of us, an impressive herd with a stag at the head. Dad proceeds even more carefully. ‘You don’t want one of those through your windscreen,’ he says in a doom-laden voice.
We wind through the trees until ahead of us is the most spectacular fountain, all lit up in the darkness. It’s a sea god, surrounded by nymphs and all kinds of mythical creatures.
‘Look at that, Mummy!’ Mia gapes wide-eyed.
‘I wish the neighbours could see this, Lou-Lou, then they’d know my little girl has gone up in the world.’
I think my parents were embarrassed, worried about what the residents of Clonmel Close would think about me coming home, up to the eyeballs in debt, tail between my legs, daughter in tow and one spectacularly failed relationship chalked up. They have something to brag about again, now that I have a fab job and am getting back on my feet.
Dad trundles up to
‘Yes. She’ll be fine.’ Of course, my dear child won’t stay in bed and insists on coming with us. I’ve caved in because I’m now in too much of a rush to face a full-on tantrum. She was immediately placated when I agreed that she could come along for the ride. I’m worried that at four years old she knows exactly how to play me. What hope is there for me when she reaches fifteen?
‘You should be in your bed, Little Miss Young. Why don’t you stay here with Granny? It’s cold out here.’ Mum rubs at her arms to convey Arctic temperatures. ‘Brrr.’
My daughter is immovable. All she does is cling to me more tightly. She’s in my arms, wrapped in her fluffy pink dressing gown and bunny slippers. Her favourite teddy, Eric, is coming too and we had to find him a scarf to wear as it’s cold. In fact, Mum’s right, it is bitterly cold. There are slight flakes of snow blowing in the air – nothing substantial yet, but the threat of more is there. Another reason why my dad shouldn’t be getting the car out.
I kiss Mum’s cheek. ‘See you in the morning.
Don’t
wait up.’
‘Be careful, Louise,’ she says. ‘Don’t do anything silly.’
I laugh. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘This job is important to me, Mum. Really important.’ I haven’t told my parents that my boss is a randy old goat. Dad would be marching down to the Fossil Oil offices and demanding to see the person in charge, as he would have done with the headmaster when I was at school. ‘I’m not going to do
anything
to jeopardise that.’
Putting Mia in the back of the car in her booster seat, I get in the front next to Dad. I suspect that my darling daughter will force herself to stay awake until we reach Wadestone Manor even though her head is lolling with tiredness. I’m equally sure that she’ll be fast asleep the minute Dad turns for home.
Mia loves all the show tunes from the musicals, so we’re all singing along to ‘These Are a Few of My Favourite Things’ when, half an hour later, Dad pulls in at the very grand and imposing gates of Wadestone Manor.
‘Oh my word, Lou,’ he breathes. ‘This is a fancy place.’
It is. And that makes me nervous. ‘Are you sure it’s the right one, Dad?’
We’ve only just driven through the gates and already I feel intimidated.
‘I think so, love. Better check your invitation.’ Dad pulls over to the grass verge of the sweeping driveway.
Hurriedly I get the invitation out of my bag and scan the details. I turn to him and nod. ‘This is it.’
‘Good job you had your hair done,’ says my father, who usually notices nothing.
I’m now wishing I’d gone the whole hog and bought a new dress.
Dad puts the Focus into gear again and we make our way towards the house along a driveway lined by beautiful specimen trees.
‘Look, Mia,’ I say, pointing into the trees. ‘Deer.’
She peers out of the car window. ‘Bambi,’ she says.
‘That’s right. Clever girl.’
‘What a sight,’ Dad says, awestruck.
They bound across the road in front of us, an impressive herd with a stag at the head. Dad proceeds even more carefully. ‘You don’t want one of those through your windscreen,’ he says in a doom-laden voice.
We wind through the trees until ahead of us is the most spectacular fountain, all lit up in the darkness. It’s a sea god, surrounded by nymphs and all kinds of mythical creatures.
‘Look at that, Mummy!’ Mia gapes wide-eyed.
‘I wish the neighbours could see this, Lou-Lou, then they’d know my little girl has gone up in the world.’
I think my parents were embarrassed, worried about what the residents of Clonmel Close would think about me coming home, up to the eyeballs in debt, tail between my legs, daughter in tow and one spectacularly failed relationship chalked up. They have something to brag about again, now that I have a fab job and am getting back on my feet.
Dad trundles up to
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