Read Online Mothers and Daughters by Minna Howard - Free Book Online
Authors: Minna Howard
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and Evie – to bring more love to the children. We’ll all get used to each other,’ she said, hoping that in time they would.
‘Mum has plates like this,’ Zara said, running her finger round the rim of her plate. ‘Only they are green not blue. I think I like green best.’
‘OK, Zara, now eat your sandwich,’ Douglas glanced at Alice with embarrassment. ‘They are very pretty plates whatever colour they are.
‘I haven’t seen them in green or I might have chosen it,’ Alice said quickly to soothe his reaction.
‘They have them in pink too,’ Zara went on. ‘I like pink best but Mum didn’t.’
Laura glanced at Douglas as if she hoped he’d put a stop to this. Zara was only a child and her mother is part of her life so it was natural she’d talk of her sometimes, Alice thought, and Laura would have to get on with it, difficult though it might be.
Douglas cleared his throat and said, ‘Now Mrs… um… Alice, what should the children call you? I thought Granny Alice, if that suits you, or would you prefer Nana or Grandma?’ He smiled at her.
She hadn’t thought about that, it was all becoming too intimate, but she smiled and said, ‘Granny Alice, or just Alice…’ – Granny still felt so old – ‘would be fine.’
‘Granny Alice, it is then,’ Douglas said firmly. ‘Now, what’s this I hear, Alice, about you test-driving a sports car? Are you thinking of buying one?’
‘Oh no, I…’ Glancing at him, she felt that he didn’t approve, no doubt his mother would never do such a thing. ‘It was just spur of the moment.’ She smiled at Laura. ‘It was wonderful, reminded me of Frank, your godfather. He, your father and I used to have such fun together.’
Laura looked a little alarmed, ‘You’re not going back to your youth like poor Gina’s mother, she’s gone all peculiar since her divorce, so much Botox she looks petrified all the time and wearing skimpy clothes, you know…’ She stopped, glanced at the children, ‘Clothes that…’
‘Are not suitable for older people,’ Alice finished wearily. ‘But the thing is I… don’t feel old. Remember, I’m some years younger than your father, and I’ve some years to go yet.’
‘You were acting out of character, Mum,’ Laura said kindly, though there was a touch of steel under her tone as if she was warning her not to do so again.
Alice understood her insecurity. Her beloved father was dead and now it seemed that her mother was in danger of making a fool of herself and, as a consequence, her, in the eyes of her new man whose own mother was so sensible and so house-proud, constipated with convention, as Alice thought it. But one thing Julian’s death had taught her and, Cecily had encouraged, was to live the life you wanted as near as possible without hurting anyone else.
‘It is a part of my character, a part you didn’t see, as you didn’t know me when I was young.’
She turned impatiently to Douglas, struggling to hide her irritation with them both. They were young for goodness sake, yet where was their excitement, a splash of daring to step out of their comfort zone? ‘My husband was a wonderful man but he was also quite a cautious man and I didn’t want to upset him, but I like to drive in sports cars, not that I’ll ever be able to afford one and… to paraglide,’ she added for good measure.
‘I’d like to paraglide,’ Johnny, who’d been watching them anxiously, announced.
‘Would you, Johnny? Then perhaps we could do it together?’ Alice said, feeling elated that inadvertently she’d got through to him.
‘Mum,’ Laura said impatiently, glancing at Douglas, his face now tinged rosy pink, as if she’d said something indecent. He threw her a pained look.
‘Yes. I’d like to paraglide,’ Johnny said, looking animated for the first time since he’d arrived.
‘Now Johnny, Granny Alice was only joking,’ Douglas said hurriedly.
‘Were you?’ Johnny’s small face creased with
‘Mum has plates like this,’ Zara said, running her finger round the rim of her plate. ‘Only they are green not blue. I think I like green best.’
‘OK, Zara, now eat your sandwich,’ Douglas glanced at Alice with embarrassment. ‘They are very pretty plates whatever colour they are.
‘I haven’t seen them in green or I might have chosen it,’ Alice said quickly to soothe his reaction.
‘They have them in pink too,’ Zara went on. ‘I like pink best but Mum didn’t.’
Laura glanced at Douglas as if she hoped he’d put a stop to this. Zara was only a child and her mother is part of her life so it was natural she’d talk of her sometimes, Alice thought, and Laura would have to get on with it, difficult though it might be.
Douglas cleared his throat and said, ‘Now Mrs… um… Alice, what should the children call you? I thought Granny Alice, if that suits you, or would you prefer Nana or Grandma?’ He smiled at her.
She hadn’t thought about that, it was all becoming too intimate, but she smiled and said, ‘Granny Alice, or just Alice…’ – Granny still felt so old – ‘would be fine.’
‘Granny Alice, it is then,’ Douglas said firmly. ‘Now, what’s this I hear, Alice, about you test-driving a sports car? Are you thinking of buying one?’
‘Oh no, I…’ Glancing at him, she felt that he didn’t approve, no doubt his mother would never do such a thing. ‘It was just spur of the moment.’ She smiled at Laura. ‘It was wonderful, reminded me of Frank, your godfather. He, your father and I used to have such fun together.’
Laura looked a little alarmed, ‘You’re not going back to your youth like poor Gina’s mother, she’s gone all peculiar since her divorce, so much Botox she looks petrified all the time and wearing skimpy clothes, you know…’ She stopped, glanced at the children, ‘Clothes that…’
‘Are not suitable for older people,’ Alice finished wearily. ‘But the thing is I… don’t feel old. Remember, I’m some years younger than your father, and I’ve some years to go yet.’
‘You were acting out of character, Mum,’ Laura said kindly, though there was a touch of steel under her tone as if she was warning her not to do so again.
Alice understood her insecurity. Her beloved father was dead and now it seemed that her mother was in danger of making a fool of herself and, as a consequence, her, in the eyes of her new man whose own mother was so sensible and so house-proud, constipated with convention, as Alice thought it. But one thing Julian’s death had taught her and, Cecily had encouraged, was to live the life you wanted as near as possible without hurting anyone else.
‘It is a part of my character, a part you didn’t see, as you didn’t know me when I was young.’
She turned impatiently to Douglas, struggling to hide her irritation with them both. They were young for goodness sake, yet where was their excitement, a splash of daring to step out of their comfort zone? ‘My husband was a wonderful man but he was also quite a cautious man and I didn’t want to upset him, but I like to drive in sports cars, not that I’ll ever be able to afford one and… to paraglide,’ she added for good measure.
‘I’d like to paraglide,’ Johnny, who’d been watching them anxiously, announced.
‘Would you, Johnny? Then perhaps we could do it together?’ Alice said, feeling elated that inadvertently she’d got through to him.
‘Mum,’ Laura said impatiently, glancing at Douglas, his face now tinged rosy pink, as if she’d said something indecent. He threw her a pained look.
‘Yes. I’d like to paraglide,’ Johnny said, looking animated for the first time since he’d arrived.
‘Now Johnny, Granny Alice was only joking,’ Douglas said hurriedly.
‘Were you?’ Johnny’s small face creased with
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