‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Ingrid sets her mouth in an angry line ‘Didn’t I?’

‘Er...you mind not taking it out on the bread?’ Alex shakes his head as she saws at it furiously ‘I’d prefer my sandwiches without fingers in, if that’s at all possible’

‘She thinks she can get him back just like that’ the serrated edge of the knife grinds into the wooden board.

‘And without sawdust’

‘He’d be mad, absolutely mad!’

‘Nothing you can do about it, Petal’ Alex drops an apple into his plastic lunchbox and sets it ready on the table beside her.

Ingrid turns sharply ‘Well, I’m not letting on, I’ve let her go on thinking him and Rebecca have got something going’

‘Hey! You nearly had me nose off then’ he leans back quickly, out of the way of the knife.

‘I’m not lying, just not telling her, that’s all. It’s not as though she deserves anything else after the way she carried on’

‘Don’t get involved’ Alex advises, putting his arm around her shoulder and giving her a brief squeeze.

‘I am involved, whether I like it or not.  I see both sides and he’s getting over things quite nicely, thank you very much. I don’t want her upsetting the apple cart again’

‘It’s not up to you. Nothing to stop her getting in touch and it’s up to him what he does about it’

Ingrid stops what she is doing to look at him ‘You talk to him, man to man sort of thing’ she pleads.

‘Oh, no you don’t.’ Alex shies away ‘If he wants any advice, he’ll ask for it. Other than that I’m keeping well out of it and so should you.....as much as you can’ he adds an understanding afterthought. ‘Look, I know it’s difficult, working with one and matey with the other but it really isn’t any of our business’

‘And what do you think would happen between him and our Roslyn if he did get back together with her?’ she presses the lid of the lunchbox into place and puts it in the refrigerator, closing the door with more force than necessary ‘I’m not saying there’s anything going on between them because I know there isn’t but I can see Roz’s nose being put out of joint, can’t you?’

‘Very likely’ he agrees with a grimace ‘anybody but Charlene, eh?’

‘Exactly’ Ingrid brushes the crumbs from the board into the sink and clatters it onto the drainer ‘She’d be upset if he picked up with anyone but she wouldn’t be able to hide if it he went back to her. She’s very protective of him, you know’

‘I had noticed’

‘Wish I knew what he thought of her....our Roslyn, I mean’ she pauses while wiping the table down to give a wistful sigh.

‘Leave it be. They’re happy enough being friends, that’ll do.’ Alex’s arms circle her waist ‘And none of your dropping hints either’

Ingrid gapes indignantly as she looks over her shoulder at him ‘Me?’

The Red House,

Barleyfield Way

Chapter Thirty-eight

Milliwick Newsagents

‘Well, bless my soul, ain’t she grown!’ Liz comes from behind the counter and holds out her arms for Cerys ‘You got a little cuddle for your Auntie Liz?’

Cerys looks unsure and buries her face in Lynn’s neck.

‘You ain’t shy, that I know’ she laughs ‘You come t’see your granny?’ she tickles her cheek with her finger.

‘No’ Lynn turns slightly and nods out of the window ‘Bringing Granny back. She’s been with us for a few days’

‘There’s nice’ Liz ducks below the line of the glass shelf running across its width and gives her a wave. Harriet returns the gesture then bursts into a fit of laughter. ‘She’s in fine fettle’ Liz remarks ‘having a bit of a joke by the looks of it...Oh...and there’s your....Christopher’  she blows a breath over her warming face ‘gives me the wobbles every time I sees him, he does... Oooh, must a been a good joke, look at ‘em...An’ he’s even more ‘andsome when he’s laughing. She turns back to Lynn ‘I p’raps oughtn’t t’be sayin that to you, had I?’ she giggles girlishly.

‘You carry on’ Lynn laughs and blushes herself ‘He does it for me too’

‘Is that your Dadda?’ Liz tries again to persuade Cerys to talk to her. ‘I don’t suppose she sees a great deal of ‘im, does she? What with ‘im being away so often’ almost absently, her fingers stroke Cerys’s hair while she chats to Lynn ‘You must miss ‘im an’ all when he’s off doing the telly and suchlike’

‘I do but we get a lot of time together when he’s not filming, so it works out pretty well. She probably sees more of her father than most children do; those whose fathers are out at work all day, every day’

‘I s’pose she must, I never thought on it like that. Are you staying or are you going home straight off?’

‘We’ll be here until the weekend’ Lynn starts to grin.

‘Summat’s tickled you an’ all!’ Liz chuckles ‘Must be in the air today’

Lynn shakes her head, still smiling ‘Sorry...I’m thinking about why we’re here. We hadn’t intended bringing her home, Kester was going to do that....’

‘Tha’s right! I remember now, he did mention they was off t’see you. So why are you ‘ere then?’ Liz’s curiosity gets the better of her.

‘The James Challenge Trophy’ she snorts.

‘The what?’

‘Ohhh’ Lynn tips her head back and closes her eyes in a gesture of disbelief ‘One of those daft things that get thought up after too much wine and plentiful brandy. It got sillier and sillier but Harriet was more clearheaded the morning after than Kester or Chris and she’s held them to it’

‘Held ‘em to what?’

‘Ten laps of the go-kart track in Woodbury, winner holds the trophy. Can you believe it?’

‘That I can’t!’  Liz hoots with laughter ‘There’s a thing!’

‘The trophy, by the way, is an empty wine bottle covered in tinfoil! There were plenty to choose from, I can assure you’

‘There’d ‘ave t’be for Mrs. James t’want t’do it’

‘Oh, she wants to do it alright. There’s no stopping her these days’

‘Now that is nice t’hear. Weren’t so long ago she were a poor old stick compared to ‘ow she were. She looks bright enough now though, don’t she?’

‘She certainly does’

‘Best not keep you chatting; she’ll be wanting t’get home I expect. What can I help you with?’

Lynn eases Cerys onto her hip and selects two newspapers from the rack ‘Just these and Harriet’s magazines.  Her newspaper went this morning as usual, did it?’

‘Oh yes, the boy put it through alright’ Liz walks round the counter again and lifts a stack of magazines from underneath, resting them against her midriff as she pulls each section towards her until she reaches the tab marked with Harriet’s name. She lays the magazines on top of the newspapers. ‘Is she allowed S-W-E-E-T-S?’ she asks, smiling at Cerys.

Cerys lifts her head ‘Sweets!’ she beams up at Lynn then turns her best smile on Liz.

Lynn looks at Liz open-mouthed.

‘Well, blow me down! Liz looks equally stunned.

‘I think that was just a fluke...but even flukes deserve a reward. Just one or two, Liz, thank you’

‘She ain’t just ‘aving one a two after that, I know!’ Liz turns to reach a box of jelly babies from behind her ‘There we are, duck. You keep ‘em away from that Kester, though or he’ll gobble the lot!’

‘What do you say?’ Lynn prompts.

Cerys tucks the box between her and her mother and turns to hide it ‘Mine!’