Read Online One Night in Italy by Lucy Diamond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lucy Diamond
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know the three of us have—’
‘No way.’
‘. . . have had our disagreements in the past, but—’
‘Yeah, and the rest, Dad.’ Disagreements indeed. That was one way of putting it.
‘But you’re our daughter . We want to look after you.’
Sophie looked away. She could almost believe him when he said things like this, but her mum still acted cold and distant whenever they were in the same room. Whatever he might say, there was no way Trish wanted her home, end of story. Besides, Sophie was too proud to go back there anyway, even if the red carpet was rolled out for her. Even if her mum got down on her knees and begged.
‘What about money? Have you got enough to live on?’
‘Of course I have!’ She crossed her fingers behind her back.
‘Let me give you a sub,’ he said, the persistent old bugger. Even in the throes of severe ill-health he wouldn’t let it go. He reached out for the bedside cupboard. ‘My wallet’s in there somewhere.’
‘Dad, honestly, I don’t want your money.’ No way would she take it. She hadn’t had a penny off them for years, and wasn’t about to change that now, even though, in all honesty, she was almost broke. She had to start making decisions, and fast. If she stayed in Sheffield too much longer, her cash would all be blown on the crappy hostel. Then what would she do?
‘You’ve got savings, then? Some rainy day money?’
‘Yes, I’ve got a bit. Enough. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Really.’
‘Sorry. Humour me though, eh? It’s been a while since I got to fuss over you in person.’
She said nothing. And why was that then, Dad?
Trish, Sophie’s mum, came in just then. ‘Oh,’ she said, as she always did when she saw Sophie. It was the same tone you might use when noticing bird poo on the car – one of displeasure and mild annoyance. ‘Good morning. How did you sleep, Jim? Nurse said she thought you had a better night.’
‘I slept like a log,’ he replied cheerfully. ‘I was just telling our Soph that she’s the one who looks like she needs a proper kip.’
Her mum’s face was impassive. Probably thought Sophie’s dark circles were caused by her being up all night at some wild party or other. You’ve only got yourself to blame. ‘Mmm,’ she said, as if the subject didn’t particularly interest her.
‘I was saying, I think she should stay with you for a bit,’ Jim added, the bloody great stirrer. Sophie glared at him but he seemed impervious. ‘You know, it would make a dying man very happy, seeing you two sort out your differences.’
Neither of them was about to put up with this sort of talk. ‘Jim! You’re not dying!’
‘Don’t say things like that!’ Their voices tumbled together, equally horrified.
‘Please,’ Trish begged. ‘Don’t even joke about it.’
‘You can lay off the guilt-tripping and all,’ Sophie told him.
His eyes twinkled. ‘So you agree about something, at least,’ he said craftily.
Sophie and her mum looked at one another, a strained, uneasy atmosphere between them. Then Trish pursed her lips. ‘Look, if you do need somewhere to stay,’ she said unexpectedly, ‘well . . . it’s daft to pay out good money when you could be home, isn’t it? It’s just plain silly.’
The room seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for Sophie’s response. Home , her mum had said. Not any more it wasn’t.
‘That’s very kind,’ she began stiffly, ‘but—’
‘Oh for crying out loud,’ said Jim, just as she was about to invent an imaginary friend she could stay with. ‘Do I have to drop dead before you two start speaking to each other like human beings again? Please! Can you not do this one thing for me?’
‘Don’t get overexcited, Jim,’ Trish warned.
‘All right,’ Sophie mumbled.
‘I’m just saying—’
‘I said, all right!’ Sophie’s voice came out louder than she’d intended. ‘Fine,’ she added in a quieter tone. ‘Obviously I’ll pay you board and lodging,’ she said,
‘No way.’
‘. . . have had our disagreements in the past, but—’
‘Yeah, and the rest, Dad.’ Disagreements indeed. That was one way of putting it.
‘But you’re our daughter . We want to look after you.’
Sophie looked away. She could almost believe him when he said things like this, but her mum still acted cold and distant whenever they were in the same room. Whatever he might say, there was no way Trish wanted her home, end of story. Besides, Sophie was too proud to go back there anyway, even if the red carpet was rolled out for her. Even if her mum got down on her knees and begged.
‘What about money? Have you got enough to live on?’
‘Of course I have!’ She crossed her fingers behind her back.
‘Let me give you a sub,’ he said, the persistent old bugger. Even in the throes of severe ill-health he wouldn’t let it go. He reached out for the bedside cupboard. ‘My wallet’s in there somewhere.’
‘Dad, honestly, I don’t want your money.’ No way would she take it. She hadn’t had a penny off them for years, and wasn’t about to change that now, even though, in all honesty, she was almost broke. She had to start making decisions, and fast. If she stayed in Sheffield too much longer, her cash would all be blown on the crappy hostel. Then what would she do?
‘You’ve got savings, then? Some rainy day money?’
‘Yes, I’ve got a bit. Enough. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Really.’
‘Sorry. Humour me though, eh? It’s been a while since I got to fuss over you in person.’
She said nothing. And why was that then, Dad?
Trish, Sophie’s mum, came in just then. ‘Oh,’ she said, as she always did when she saw Sophie. It was the same tone you might use when noticing bird poo on the car – one of displeasure and mild annoyance. ‘Good morning. How did you sleep, Jim? Nurse said she thought you had a better night.’
‘I slept like a log,’ he replied cheerfully. ‘I was just telling our Soph that she’s the one who looks like she needs a proper kip.’
Her mum’s face was impassive. Probably thought Sophie’s dark circles were caused by her being up all night at some wild party or other. You’ve only got yourself to blame. ‘Mmm,’ she said, as if the subject didn’t particularly interest her.
‘I was saying, I think she should stay with you for a bit,’ Jim added, the bloody great stirrer. Sophie glared at him but he seemed impervious. ‘You know, it would make a dying man very happy, seeing you two sort out your differences.’
Neither of them was about to put up with this sort of talk. ‘Jim! You’re not dying!’
‘Don’t say things like that!’ Their voices tumbled together, equally horrified.
‘Please,’ Trish begged. ‘Don’t even joke about it.’
‘You can lay off the guilt-tripping and all,’ Sophie told him.
His eyes twinkled. ‘So you agree about something, at least,’ he said craftily.
Sophie and her mum looked at one another, a strained, uneasy atmosphere between them. Then Trish pursed her lips. ‘Look, if you do need somewhere to stay,’ she said unexpectedly, ‘well . . . it’s daft to pay out good money when you could be home, isn’t it? It’s just plain silly.’
The room seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for Sophie’s response. Home , her mum had said. Not any more it wasn’t.
‘That’s very kind,’ she began stiffly, ‘but—’
‘Oh for crying out loud,’ said Jim, just as she was about to invent an imaginary friend she could stay with. ‘Do I have to drop dead before you two start speaking to each other like human beings again? Please! Can you not do this one thing for me?’
‘Don’t get overexcited, Jim,’ Trish warned.
‘All right,’ Sophie mumbled.
‘I’m just saying—’
‘I said, all right!’ Sophie’s voice came out louder than she’d intended. ‘Fine,’ she added in a quieter tone. ‘Obviously I’ll pay you board and lodging,’ she said,
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