Read Online When Summer Fades by Danielle Shaw - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Shaw
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you believe that?’
‘Staff? Is everything okay?’
‘What? Oh! Yes. Fine thanks nurse. Sorry. I didn’t realise any one else was in here. So – after the evening I’ve just experienced I think you’d better break it to me gently. What’s first on the list? The result of a drunken brawl or one of our homeless friends come in from the cold?’
‘Neither,’ replied the bewildered trainee, motioning down the corridor to a cubicle. ‘It’s been reasonably quiet so far. The pubs haven’t turned out yet. But we do have a lad with minor burns. Seems he’s been messing about with fireworks.’
‘Fireworks!’ Sophie said tartly. She’d had more than enough of those at Victoria Villas!
*
Returning home, bleary eyed and exhausted, Sophie was startled to find Carlos standing in the hallway. Presuming him to be newly arrived from his hotel, it didn’t take her long to deduce he was on the phone to Celia. As if a traumatic night in A&E wasn’t bad enough.
‘Yes, Miss Sheffield. I understand,’ Carlos said, glancing up as she passed by to the kitchen. ‘But the situation is far from satisfactory. As for Miss Fuller—’
Not waiting to hear – she’d already heard enough – Sophie filled the kettle and reached for the tea caddy. Rubbing her tired eyes while waiting for the comforting click of the kettle, she could only think of two things. The first was her desperate need for a decent cup of tea and the second was sleep, hours and hours of it.
Sometime later sitting at the kitchen table, her head resting in her hands and her eyelids beginning to close, she discerned a faint waft of aftershave. A far-off warning bell dragged her from her soporific state. If it was aftershave – and a very nice one it was too – it could only mean she was not alone. She stirred sleepily. What was Gavin doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Sussex?
‘Miss Fuller?’ a low voice began. ‘I think your tea is getting cold.’
With a start Sophie sat up. She’d been dreaming of Gavin and aftershave. At least she thought she had. But it wasn’t Gavin who was looking at her with concerned navy-blue eyes. Nor was it Gavin who smelt of a wonderful blend of citrus and musk. It was Carlos Martins!
‘You must be very tired. Why don’t you get some sleep? Rosa is almost finished in the bathroom and I’ve arranged with Miss Sheffield to take Rosa to—‘
‘Another family placement?’ Sophie broke in sourly, not wanting to give Carlos the pleasure of adding insult to injury by saying he was taking his cousin away from all this squalor and deprivation.
‘No. I’m taking Rosa to London for the day. We shall be back this evening.’
‘Back? Oh, you mean to collect Rosa’s things? I shan’t be here of course. I’m on duty again … please ask Rosa to leave her key with Lottie and Pearl.’
‘Why should I leave my key with Lottie and Pearl?’ Rosa queried, coming in to the kitchen.
Sophie dragged her weary body from the table, ‘Because, Rosa, your cousin has asked Celia to find you somewhere else to stay. He considers Victoria Villas far from satisfactory.’
‘Carlos! Is this true? When did you ring Celia?’ Rosa rounded on her cousin, fixing him with dark, angry eyes.
‘Not exactly. I rang Miss Sheffield while you were having a shower.’
‘But you know I will stay only with Sophie!’ Rosa’s tone was defiant. ‘I told you last night – when we were making the bed.’
Making the bed? Even though she was dripping with tiredness, Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise. She’d assumed, following her ill-humoured departure last night, Carlos would have booked himself into the nearest available hotel. He’d certainly given the appearance of someone who wasn’t anxious to hang around.
In the hallway, Sophie gazed surreptitiously towards the larger of the two bedrooms. Rosa’s Forever Friends nightie was draped across the pillows, which meant she must have slept in the double bed after all, but what of
‘Staff? Is everything okay?’
‘What? Oh! Yes. Fine thanks nurse. Sorry. I didn’t realise any one else was in here. So – after the evening I’ve just experienced I think you’d better break it to me gently. What’s first on the list? The result of a drunken brawl or one of our homeless friends come in from the cold?’
‘Neither,’ replied the bewildered trainee, motioning down the corridor to a cubicle. ‘It’s been reasonably quiet so far. The pubs haven’t turned out yet. But we do have a lad with minor burns. Seems he’s been messing about with fireworks.’
‘Fireworks!’ Sophie said tartly. She’d had more than enough of those at Victoria Villas!
*
Returning home, bleary eyed and exhausted, Sophie was startled to find Carlos standing in the hallway. Presuming him to be newly arrived from his hotel, it didn’t take her long to deduce he was on the phone to Celia. As if a traumatic night in A&E wasn’t bad enough.
‘Yes, Miss Sheffield. I understand,’ Carlos said, glancing up as she passed by to the kitchen. ‘But the situation is far from satisfactory. As for Miss Fuller—’
Not waiting to hear – she’d already heard enough – Sophie filled the kettle and reached for the tea caddy. Rubbing her tired eyes while waiting for the comforting click of the kettle, she could only think of two things. The first was her desperate need for a decent cup of tea and the second was sleep, hours and hours of it.
Sometime later sitting at the kitchen table, her head resting in her hands and her eyelids beginning to close, she discerned a faint waft of aftershave. A far-off warning bell dragged her from her soporific state. If it was aftershave – and a very nice one it was too – it could only mean she was not alone. She stirred sleepily. What was Gavin doing here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Sussex?
‘Miss Fuller?’ a low voice began. ‘I think your tea is getting cold.’
With a start Sophie sat up. She’d been dreaming of Gavin and aftershave. At least she thought she had. But it wasn’t Gavin who was looking at her with concerned navy-blue eyes. Nor was it Gavin who smelt of a wonderful blend of citrus and musk. It was Carlos Martins!
‘You must be very tired. Why don’t you get some sleep? Rosa is almost finished in the bathroom and I’ve arranged with Miss Sheffield to take Rosa to—‘
‘Another family placement?’ Sophie broke in sourly, not wanting to give Carlos the pleasure of adding insult to injury by saying he was taking his cousin away from all this squalor and deprivation.
‘No. I’m taking Rosa to London for the day. We shall be back this evening.’
‘Back? Oh, you mean to collect Rosa’s things? I shan’t be here of course. I’m on duty again … please ask Rosa to leave her key with Lottie and Pearl.’
‘Why should I leave my key with Lottie and Pearl?’ Rosa queried, coming in to the kitchen.
Sophie dragged her weary body from the table, ‘Because, Rosa, your cousin has asked Celia to find you somewhere else to stay. He considers Victoria Villas far from satisfactory.’
‘Carlos! Is this true? When did you ring Celia?’ Rosa rounded on her cousin, fixing him with dark, angry eyes.
‘Not exactly. I rang Miss Sheffield while you were having a shower.’
‘But you know I will stay only with Sophie!’ Rosa’s tone was defiant. ‘I told you last night – when we were making the bed.’
Making the bed? Even though she was dripping with tiredness, Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise. She’d assumed, following her ill-humoured departure last night, Carlos would have booked himself into the nearest available hotel. He’d certainly given the appearance of someone who wasn’t anxious to hang around.
In the hallway, Sophie gazed surreptitiously towards the larger of the two bedrooms. Rosa’s Forever Friends nightie was draped across the pillows, which meant she must have slept in the double bed after all, but what of
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