Read Online Clouds Below the Mountains by Vivienne Dockerty - Free Book Online

Miguel and Juan. That’s Juan, the one who brought me the glass of water. Isn’t he dishilly handsome?
    Jenni agreed that he was and thanked Lucy for inviting her.
    Why not?, she thought with sudden resolve. If Simon wanted to apologize he could come and look for her.
    ***
    â€œWhat are we doing after we’ve finished our meal?” asked Milly, as she brought back a plate of cheese and biscuits with a few grapes from the buffet.
    â€œI vote we go and sit in the quiet bar where no kids are allowed in,” said Doreen, feeling terribly full after a bowl of lentil soup, a loaded dinner plate of the same type of food she had eaten at lunch time and two slices of black forest gateau. “I don’t really want to watch the children prancing about at the Mini disco. We can have a couple of drinks first, before we go in for Bingo.”
    â€œI’m happy with that,” agreed Jean, who had eaten sparsely as her stomach had got used to only plain food, with there not being a lot of money to spare. Milly nodded, feeling pleased that her two cousins had seemed to have forgiven her for upsetting Jean earlier. It had been a long day and a bit of peace would be welcome to the three of them.
    ***
    â€œI can’t see why yer couldn’t have put on that nice sparkly jumper I bought yer last Christmas,” remarked Fred to his wife, as they finished off their meal, with a cup of coffee each that the waiter had brought them. “Look around yer. Most people have made the effort this evening, but you’ve still got on the clothes yer started off in this morning”
    â€œWell, it’s hardly the Antilla, is it Fred?”, Mavis said quietly, still seething inside that he wasn’t making much of their coming anniversary. “Any road, there’s nothing wrong with what I’ve got on. It’s not as if you’re dressed up to the nines either. My clothes are clean and paid for. Why should I care if other people want to get dressed up for dinner?”
    â€œOh, there’s no talking to you when you’ve got a cob on, Mavis. I was just looking at those three women over there, that’s all. They all look as if they’ve taken care with their appearance, well two of them do anyway, the little un’ looks a bit shabby compared with the other two.”
    â€œSo are you saying I look shabby, Fred, is that what you’re saying? Maybe if I didn’t have to wait until Christmas for sparkly jumpers, I could look as good as them.”
    â€œCome on, out with it, this is because I wouldn’t have a fuss made for our 50th, isn’t it? I told yer, nobody’s bothered and we can’t afford to fork out the kind of money they want for a big do at a posh hotel.”
    â€œI wasn’t after a posh do, Fred. It would have been nice to have a party at our house. I would have done the catering and got my sister Ethel to help me. Or you could have booked the Antilla again, you know I loved staying there.”
    â€œFor heaven’s sake, Mavis, if you mention that bloody hotel once more, I’m going to go upstairs and pack the suitcase. Look, listen to me and listen good. The Antilla was half board and this year the price there has rocketed. You’d have still wanted to go out and have lunch at one of those places by the harbour. We’d have had to pay for all our drinks and it wasn’t what you call it, cost effective. This place was cheaper and everything all in and as for our 50 th, when we get home we’ll invite George and Ethel and I’ll take us out for a special dinner somewhere. You name the place and I’ll book it. Now, before we go to the Sunlight Bar, will yer go and put your sparkly jumper on and a smile wouldn’t go amiss neither?”
    ***
    The Sunlight Bar was beginning to fill up with people, as Sonya and her family made their way to a group of comfortable looking armchairs, arranged around a small wooden table near the