Read Online Me and Mr Jones by Lucy Diamond - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lucy Diamond
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there in the room, valiantly attempting to keep up a conversation.
After a while David had gone to make everyone coffees and it wasn’t until later on that Alicia realized that, as well as making the drinks, he’d done all the washing up that had been toweringly stacked by the sink and had even scrubbed the bottom of the washing-up bowl clean too. Tears had sprung to her eyes when she’d made the discovery. It was only a small kindness, a tiny helpful gesture, but at the time she’d been so pathetically grateful that she’d never forgotten it. If David and Emma ever had children, she’d be round there like a flash with her Marigolds and Ecover, just wait.
Halfway through the rhubarb and ginger crumble the doorbell rang. ‘Ah, here he is,’ Lilian said, rising from her seat in relief.
She went to let in Goldenboy – who was patently (and unfairly) the favourite son; something that had always irked Hugh – and the table fell silent as voices came from the hallway. Several voices, some of which were unfamiliar. ‘Oh,’ they heard Lilian say, her tone suddenly full of reproach. ‘You could have told us you were bringing some other people. Honestly, Charlie!’
Her interest piqued, Alicia exchanged a glance with Hugh, and saw David and Emma giving each other similar looks. Do you know what’s going on? Not a clue. Do you?
Lilian’s voice became shriller than ever. ‘Well, I suppose we can make room. We were just in the middle of dessert, though, Charlie. Really!’
‘Oh, Mum, it’s not a drama,’ they heard him laugh. ‘We’ll stand in the garden if we’re inconvenient.’
It must be nice being Charlie, Alicia had often thought. Born with a natural confidence and charm, he was one of those people liked by all, a Peter Pan figure who had never really had to grow up and fend for himself – yet. Why would he, when his devoted parents always bailed him out?
‘What’s happening, Mum?’ asked Matilda, suddenly aware of the change in atmosphere.
‘I’m not sure,’ Alicia replied. ‘Uncle Charlie’s talking to Grandma about something.’
‘But I thought I heard someone else,’ Matilda said, leaning over Rafferty in her attempt to see round the open door.
Raffy pushed her. Matilda squealed. ‘Stop it, you two,’ Alicia hissed.
‘Hello, everyone,’ Charlie said just then. As ever, he burst into the room as if walking onto a stage. His skin was tanned, even though it was only just March, his eyes sparkled a light bright blue, he was unshaven (he was always unshaven) and there was a button missing from his shirt. Same old Charlie. ‘Guys, this is Izzy. And these two young ladies are Willow and Hazel, Izzy’s daughters.’
There were more exchanged glances. Did you know he was seeing someone new? Not a clue. Did you?
The only person whose expression showed joy was Matilda. ‘Miss Izzy !’ she cried in delight. ‘What are you doing here?’
The penny dropped as Alicia too recognized the woman. Oh, right , she thought. I see . So that was why Charlie had been so willing to take Matilda to ballet lessons recently. She should have known there was more to it than plain old generosity.
‘Hello!’ she said, blushing slightly. She was almost certain that the pretty, elegant ballet teacher wouldn’t recognize her; people never did. ‘I’m Matilda’s mum. From ballet. Alicia.’
‘Hi, Alicia,’ Izzy said. She had olive skin, a thick mane of glossy dark hair and cat-like green eyes, and seemed relieved that there were two familiar faces in the crowd at least. ‘Nice to see you, Matilda.’ She gazed around the room, her smile faltering. ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize we’d be interrupting your lunch.’
Lilian gave one of her almighty sniffs. ‘It’s an anniversary lunch, actually,’ she said, stiffening. ‘A special occasion. Family only. Oh, Charlie, this is very rude of you, you know.’
Izzy – Alicia had to stop thinking of her as ‘Miss Izzy’, as the ballet girls
After a while David had gone to make everyone coffees and it wasn’t until later on that Alicia realized that, as well as making the drinks, he’d done all the washing up that had been toweringly stacked by the sink and had even scrubbed the bottom of the washing-up bowl clean too. Tears had sprung to her eyes when she’d made the discovery. It was only a small kindness, a tiny helpful gesture, but at the time she’d been so pathetically grateful that she’d never forgotten it. If David and Emma ever had children, she’d be round there like a flash with her Marigolds and Ecover, just wait.
Halfway through the rhubarb and ginger crumble the doorbell rang. ‘Ah, here he is,’ Lilian said, rising from her seat in relief.
She went to let in Goldenboy – who was patently (and unfairly) the favourite son; something that had always irked Hugh – and the table fell silent as voices came from the hallway. Several voices, some of which were unfamiliar. ‘Oh,’ they heard Lilian say, her tone suddenly full of reproach. ‘You could have told us you were bringing some other people. Honestly, Charlie!’
Her interest piqued, Alicia exchanged a glance with Hugh, and saw David and Emma giving each other similar looks. Do you know what’s going on? Not a clue. Do you?
Lilian’s voice became shriller than ever. ‘Well, I suppose we can make room. We were just in the middle of dessert, though, Charlie. Really!’
‘Oh, Mum, it’s not a drama,’ they heard him laugh. ‘We’ll stand in the garden if we’re inconvenient.’
It must be nice being Charlie, Alicia had often thought. Born with a natural confidence and charm, he was one of those people liked by all, a Peter Pan figure who had never really had to grow up and fend for himself – yet. Why would he, when his devoted parents always bailed him out?
‘What’s happening, Mum?’ asked Matilda, suddenly aware of the change in atmosphere.
‘I’m not sure,’ Alicia replied. ‘Uncle Charlie’s talking to Grandma about something.’
‘But I thought I heard someone else,’ Matilda said, leaning over Rafferty in her attempt to see round the open door.
Raffy pushed her. Matilda squealed. ‘Stop it, you two,’ Alicia hissed.
‘Hello, everyone,’ Charlie said just then. As ever, he burst into the room as if walking onto a stage. His skin was tanned, even though it was only just March, his eyes sparkled a light bright blue, he was unshaven (he was always unshaven) and there was a button missing from his shirt. Same old Charlie. ‘Guys, this is Izzy. And these two young ladies are Willow and Hazel, Izzy’s daughters.’
There were more exchanged glances. Did you know he was seeing someone new? Not a clue. Did you?
The only person whose expression showed joy was Matilda. ‘Miss Izzy !’ she cried in delight. ‘What are you doing here?’
The penny dropped as Alicia too recognized the woman. Oh, right , she thought. I see . So that was why Charlie had been so willing to take Matilda to ballet lessons recently. She should have known there was more to it than plain old generosity.
‘Hello!’ she said, blushing slightly. She was almost certain that the pretty, elegant ballet teacher wouldn’t recognize her; people never did. ‘I’m Matilda’s mum. From ballet. Alicia.’
‘Hi, Alicia,’ Izzy said. She had olive skin, a thick mane of glossy dark hair and cat-like green eyes, and seemed relieved that there were two familiar faces in the crowd at least. ‘Nice to see you, Matilda.’ She gazed around the room, her smile faltering. ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize we’d be interrupting your lunch.’
Lilian gave one of her almighty sniffs. ‘It’s an anniversary lunch, actually,’ she said, stiffening. ‘A special occasion. Family only. Oh, Charlie, this is very rude of you, you know.’
Izzy – Alicia had to stop thinking of her as ‘Miss Izzy’, as the ballet girls
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