Read Online Without Looking Back by Tabitha Suzuma - Free Book Online Page A

We’ll just need to buy a few things, that’s all.’
    â€˜But we’re only staying here for four days,’ Louis said. ‘What’s the point?’
    â€˜The point is’ – Dad took a deep breath – ‘I want my children to be comfortable. Now, who’s got a pen and paper . . .?’ He rummaged in Millie’s rucksack. ‘Let’s make a list.’
    â€˜Oh, can I do it? Can I do it?’ Millie grabbed the pen and paper from Dad’s hand. List-making was one of her passions.
    â€˜OK.’ Dad sat down on the sagging mattress. ‘Let’s just start with the basics. We need cleaning products to get rid of all this dust. I think there’s a vacuum cleaner in the closet downstairs but I’ll need to check it works. Bed sheets – one double, one single. Pillows, one each – that’s four. Four pillowcases. One double duvet and duvet cover. Three single duvets and duvet covers.’
    â€˜Why?’ Max asked. ‘We’ve only got two beds.’
    â€˜Hold on, hold on,’ Dad said. ‘I’m just getting to that. Now, we’ll need two single beds—’
    â€˜Two beds!’ Millie began to laugh. ‘We can’t buy beds, Daddy!’
    â€˜Yes we can,’ Dad said quickly. ‘Meg has asked me to do the place up for her.’ His eyes shifted uncomfortably.
    â€˜This is Meg’s place?’ Max wanted to know.
    â€˜Her holiday home. Yes. Now, let’s move on . . .’
    An unsteady feeling started in the pit of Louis’ stomach again. If Papa had rented a farmhouse for four days, why hadn’t he gone through a travel agency and got a place that was clean and already contained enough beds? It didn’t make sense. Beds took time to be delivered, and by the time they arrived, they would probably be on their way back to France.
    â€˜We’ll also need some kind of mattresses to tide us over till the beds come,’ Dad said. ‘Right, let’s go down to the kitchen and see what’s needed there.’
    They spent the rest of the day in a crazy whirl. Dad really seemed to be taking the task to heart, for he set them all a list of jobs while he disappeared with the car. On his hands and knees, scrubbing out the stinking fridge with Brillo pads, Louis wondered what on earth was going on. In the corridor, Max was vacuuming the carpet, and in the living room, Millie was wiping down all the surfaces. It was as if Dad was planning to live herepermanently. All of a sudden, the thought stopped him. That was it! Dad was planning to move to England! He was going to rent the house from Meg and wanted them all to help out with getting it habitable. He was buying them beds because he was planning to have them all come and stay with him during the holidays while Maman was still working. That must be it! But he needed to get the house into tip-top shape if he was ever to persuade Maman to let them visit. So what about the court case? Well, perhaps Maman had already backed down. Perhaps Maman had said,
Fine, you can have the kids to stay, but only if you move out of that tiny flat in Paris and get something decent
. And so that was what Dad was doing!
    Dropping the Brillo pad, Louis jumped up to share the news with Max and Millie, leaving out the bit about the court case. They were as excited as he was, but Max suddenly said, ‘Hold on. Why then all the secrecy? Wouldn’t he have just come out with the plan and told us about it right from the start?’
    â€˜Maybe he wanted to surprise us,’ Louis said. ‘Or maybe he doesn’t want Maman to know yet.’
    â€˜D’you think she’ll let us come here every weekend?’ Millie crowed happily.
    â€˜Not every weekend, it would be too expensive,’ Maxtold her. ‘But perhaps for the school holidays, instead of paying for that stupid summer camp.’
    â€˜But I don’t want to just see Papa in the school