Read Online The New Neighbours by Costeloe Diney - Free Book Online

looking back over the garden.
    Madeleine ran down the stairs and dutifully held the end of the tape measure, as her father worked out exactly where the new wall would go. Gradually they worked their way round the house, deciding what they wanted to do and how the alterations should be done.
    â€œWe’ll have to do something about this kitchen, Nick,” Clare called. “It’s in a dreadful state. So’s the bathroom for that matter.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” Nick called back. “We’ll sort it all out, and when we’ve finished it’ll be a really nice little house. I’ll take care of the building and decorating side, you and Maddo will have to sort out furniture and curtains and all that sort of stuff.”
    By the time they left the house Nick had made copious notes about what he intended to do, and Madeleine and Clare had made other notes on what was needed for curtains and carpet and furniture for each room.
    â€œLet’s go to a pub for some lunch,” Nick suggested, “and we can talk this through.”
    â€œI told the others we’d probably go to the Dutch for some bar food,” Madeleine said. “I thought it would be a good idea if you met them all, Dad, because you’ve got to sort out the rent with them and all that. They’re going to look in at about lunchtime to see if we’re there.”
    â€œFine,” said Nick. “We’d better go then. Anything anyone else wants to do here?”
    There wasn’t, so they got into the car and Madeleine directed them to the Flying Dutchman.
    The bar was quite busy, but they managed to get a table in a corner, and Nick ordered drinks while they decided what to eat. Before they had ordered the other four arrived and cheerfully squashed themselves into the corner, too.
    Madeleine introduced them all to her parents. They had met Cirelle before, as Madeleine had brought her home on a couple of occasions, but the others were new to them. As they drank their drinks and chose their food, Clare looked round at them all and wondered how they would get on together in the house. They were clearly good friends at the moment, but would that friendship survive living in fairly close proximity? She knew Cirelle was a quiet girl, used to working hard. At first, when Maddo had brought her home, Clare had wondered what her daughter had seen in her, but as she got to know Cirelle herself, Clare had come to recognise her dependability, and the generosity of her nature. Far more concerned about the consequences of her actions than Madeleine would ever be, Cirelle, Clare decided, might be a good influence on Maddo, perhaps even exercising restraint on some of her more flamboyant doings. She smiled across at Cirelle now, and was treated to Cirelle’s slow smile.
    She really is a very beautiful girl, thought Clare. Her skin is exquisite, and those huge dark eyes… well, you could drown in the innocence of those.
    The other girl, Charlie, was a tall slim girl with blond hair and grey eyes. She was far less exuberant than Madeleine, but she smiled and joined in the conversation readily enough, with a gentle Irish accent that Clare found attractive.
    â€œI’m reading History,” she said in answer to Clare’s question. “Unfortunately I had glandular fever last year and I missed so much I’ve had to repeat my second year. I can’t wait to get out into a house for my final year. I was so pleased when Mandy changed her mind and Mad offered me her place in your house.”
    Clare laughed. “Mad? Is that what you call her?”
    Charlie looked a little embarrassed. “Well,” she said, “we all do. It sort of suits her. She says she’s going to call the new house The Madhouse.”
    â€œIs she indeed?” smiled Clare. “Sounds most appropriate to me.”
    â€œWe all call it that already,” admitted Charlie. “Don’t we, Dean?”
    Dean was