Read Online A French Affair by Susan Lewis - Free Book Online

expectantly, while Charlie was behind the paper again.
    â€˜Well?’ Nikki prompted.
    She pulled a face, and going back to making Harry’s packed lunch she gave them a quick precis of what had been said.
    When she’d finished Nikki said, ‘So aren’t you worried?’
    Jessica shrugged. ‘Why should I be? You know very well what she’s like. She probably met someone on the train and got herself whisked off to Rio de Janeiro or Timbuktu or some tumbledown pile in Totnes.’
    â€˜But aren’t you at least interested to know what she was coming to see you about?’ Nikki pressed.
    Though Jessica was, she ignored the question, for they all knew, without her having to tell them, that there was only one thing about her mother that interested her now.
    Nikki looked at her father as he said, ‘Maybe we should tell this guy to try getting hold of Maurice. If anyone’s likely to know where she is . . .’
    â€˜Do you have a number for him?’ Jessica interrupted tersely. ‘No, nor do I.’
    Nikki said, ‘Are you sure she didn’t come here?’
    â€˜If she did, we must have been out,’ Jessica replied.
    Nikki’s eyes turned playful. ‘Wow, you haven’t offed her, have you?’ she asked.
    Jessica threw her a distinctly unamused look.
    â€˜What? It was just a joke,’ Nikki responded sulkily.
    â€˜Which wasn’t even close to funny,’ Jessica informed her. ‘Now unless you two want to be late, I suggest you get going. And yes, you can wear my pink lacy top, seeing as you already have it on, but it had better come back in the same pristine condition it’s in now, or you’re buying me a new one – and just so’s you know, it cost a hundred and fifty pounds.’
    At that Charlie’s head came up. ‘That little scrap of a thing cost a hundred . . .’ Seeing Jessica’s face he bit back the words. After all it was her money, not his – and when had he ever refused her anything anyway? But really . . . It was no bigger than a couple of ten-pound notes with a couple of sparkly chains and some floaty sort of gauze stuff holding it all together. Well, if nothing else, Nikki was going to go down a treat at the studios today, which, now he came to think about it, was very probably the intention.
    â€˜So,’ Nikki said, busy pressing a text into her phone as she and Charlie inched through the morning jam on Holland Park Avenue, ‘what did you make of all that?’
    â€˜You mean about Grandma?’ he replied. ‘I’m not sure. What did you make of it?’
    Nikki shrugged. ‘She definitely didn’t seem too bothered about it, did she?’
    â€˜Well, you know how she feels where her mother’s concerned.’
    â€˜But if this bloke Keane’s worried, maybe as family we should be too.’
    â€˜Perhaps,’ Charlie conceded, ‘but I guess it has to be her call.’
    Nikki no longer seemed to be listening as she started another text, so letting the subject drop Charlie turned on Radio 4, only to have it changed seconds later to some pop station.
    â€˜You might have asked,’ he commented.
    Nikki looked at him blankly.
    He rolled his eyes. ‘So, do you think there’s any chance you might go back to your natural colour some time soon?’ he enquired, turning into Campden Hill Road.
    â€˜Oh don’t start again,’ Nikki grumbled. ‘I like it like this. Everyone says it really suits me.’
    â€˜Then they’re wrong, but what do I know, I’m just your father who happens to prefer blondes.’
    â€˜Really?’ she responded mildly.
    He glanced at her in surprise, but her head was down as she read an incoming text so he was unable to see her face. Thinking better of asking her what she was implying, he hooked on his earpiece to answer his phone.
    By the time he ended the call another was