Read Online Another Love by Amanda Prowse - Free Book Online Page A

back of a dining chair and knelt down beside his wife. With a wad of kitchen roll dipped in the water, he dabbed at her cuts, beginning with the one on her face, which thankfully looked a lot worse than it was. Next he tended to her palms, removing the fine splinters of china as she winced, then mopping the wounds clean. He did the same with her knees. Finally, he cut strips from the sticky roll of fabric plaster and covered the cuts.
    Supporting her gently under her armpits, he helped her stand, then guided her up the stairs and towards their bedroom.
    ‘Come on, one more step,’ he coaxed. ‘Nearly there.’
    Romilly flopped onto the bed, turned her face towards him and began to sob. ‘I’m sorry, David. I broke two of our wedding plates. I’m sorry.’
    ‘It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. It doesn’t matter.’
    ‘Matters to me…’ She sniffed.
    ‘What matters a lot more is not getting Celeste off to bed on time and forgetting to give her her supper.’ He sighed and his jaw tightened. ‘I thought you’d learnt your lesson on that front, after… after that day at your parents’, with Russian Viktor and the Pimm’s.’
    ‘Oh, David, I’m so sorry. I promised it wouldn’t happen again, and I never meant it to. I promise I didn’t.’
    ‘Daddy!’ Celeste’s voice came chirruping up the stairs. ‘The telly’s gone all fizzy. I want to watch my programme?’
    ‘Just a tick!’ he shouted. ‘I’ll bring you a glass of water when I come back up, Rom,’ he said as he made for the door.
    As Romilly lay there listening to the distant chatter of the two people she loved most in the world, images from that horrible episode with the Pimm’s kept galloping into her head. It was summer and the whole family had spent the day in the garden at her parents’ house. Everyone was in high spirits. Carrie was running around the garden in her shorts and T-shirt, her arms outstretched like a child impersonating an aeroplane. ‘My Holly’s home!’ she yelled. She ran up behind her sister and lifted her off the ground, spinning her round with her legs in the air. It mattered little that they were in their twenties; when they got together after any time apart, they reverted to their thirteen-year-old selves.
    ‘Put me down, Car!’ Holly screamed, thumping her sister’s locked wrists. ‘Help me! Rom, for God’s sake, help me!’
    Romilly had chuckled and remained anchored to her seat. She winked at David and smiled at Dr Miguel, who laughed nervously. It was the first time the doctor had seen the twins together; he was trying desperately to impress Carrie’s family while also working out what his role was. He shouldn’t have worried, however. Spending an hour showing an interest in their dad’s greenhouse, and downing two helpings of their mum’s trifle was enough to guarantee just about anyone Carrie’s hand in marriage.
    Holly’s latest beau, Viktor from Russia, had made a fierce bucket of Pimm’s. As soon as Romilly sat down, he’d ladled a generous measure of fruit and booze into her glass. She had sipped away throughout the afternoon, accepting Viktor’s frequent refills, which he offered in lieu of making conversation in his limited English.
    ‘Darling, I don’t think you want any more of that.’ David pointed at her glass.
    ‘What? It’s only like fruit and lemonade, there’s nothinginit, spoilsport!’ She rolled her eyes in his direction.
    David glared at the meaty Viktor, waiting for an opportunity to have a word with him out of Romilly’s earshot. It might have seemed funny to get her plastered, but she had a little girl to look after and it was him that would have to pick up the pieces later on. The chance never arose, however, as Romilly stuck close to Viktor and his generous ladle all afternoon.
    It was only as evening loomed, when she stood up to join her sisters and her mum in an impromptu dance on the lawn, that Romilly realised just how much she’d