‘Oh’ Helen stops in the doorway and looks around the kitchen ‘I say!’ she smiles ‘Candles?’

‘Thought I’d make a bit of an effort’ Kester gives her a flustered smile and drops a hurried kiss on her forehead before turning back to the hob, stirring a saucepan and rushing to the oven to look inside ‘Oh shit!’ he groans, grabbing the oven gloves and banging open the glass door. He grabs the blackening baking dish ‘You make it look so bloody easy!’ He tosses the dish onto the draining board in disgust. ‘Arrggh!’ he yells, returning to the saucepan. ‘Fuck! Just fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck’

‘Kest-er!’ Helen chides.

‘Well, look at it!’ He tips the saucepan and scrapes a spoon through it to show her the burned sauce sticking to its bottom. His shoulders slump in tired frustration. ‘This was supposed to be special…your favourite. This was me doing something other than throwing sausages in the oven. Look at it!’

‘Kester…it was a lovely thought. Thank you’

‘Yeah but it didn’t bloody work, did it!’

‘That doesn’t matter’

‘Of course it matters’ Kester grunts, turning away as Helen tries to put her arms around his waist.

‘What matters is that you tried’ she hugs him from behind.

‘Don’t patronise me!’ he snaps, slamming the saucepan back onto the hob.

‘I’m not patronising you…I’m rather touched, actually’ Helen stands to one side, her hand brushing against his back.

‘You’d have to be if you wanted to eat this!’ Kester pokes the chicken in disgust.

‘I think even Alfie might have trouble getting his teeth into it…Helen giggles then lays her head against his shoulder in apology. ‘I’m sorry…’ she says, looking up at him and smiling ‘But it really was a lovely thought. Do you want to go and get fish and chips while I clear up?’

Kester starts to laugh.

‘What’s so funny?’

‘Oh…nothing’ he turns and hugs her fiercely ‘I love you, Helen…I really do’ He rocks her from side to side, squeezing hard. ‘I’ll clear up in a minute, no worries…What a flipping waste!’

‘Let me go and get changed and I’ll give you a hand’

‘No! You can’t…not until I’ve sorted out up there’

‘Why on earth not?’ Helen asks, looking up with a puzzled frown.

‘Oh, what the heck’ Kester sighs and lets his arms drop. ‘It’s all gone wrong anyway. Were you having a bath?’

‘Is that an offer?’ she flirts, pursing her lips and blowing a kiss.

‘It wasn’t…’ he says with a hesitant grimace ‘but…’

‘I was teasing. I know how tired you are’ Helen touches her fingers to his cheek, smiling softly. ‘Why did you want to know if I planned to have a bath?’

‘Oh…nothing much’ Kester kisses her fingers. ‘Got you some of that bath stuff you like, that’s all. Picked it up while I was shopping for the dinner…but I haven’t had chance to get it out of the poxy bag yet let alone surprise you with it!’ he groans and moves away ‘You were supposed to come in, relax in a bath while I finished off the meal but you were later than I thought and my timing was all wrong and…well…this happened…’ he rattles the saucepan ‘It was written off rather than finished off! The whole  bloody thing is totally spoiled’

‘It really doesn’t matter’ Helen soothes.

‘Stop saying that’

‘I will just as soon as you believe me’ She determinedly puts her arms around him again.

‘It’s the thought that counts?’

‘Absolutely!’ Her eyes shine ‘Come on …this will only take me five minutes. You go and get the chips and I’ll have everything sorted by the time you get back’

Tawny House, Manor Road

The Annexe

Chapter Twenty-one

Manor Road

‘Harriet! A comment about the revelations regarding your daughter in law? ‘

As Jeannie draws to a stop and lowers her window, a hand held recorder is pushed past her face and into the car. ‘Will ye mind oot the way!’ she demands angrily..

Another reporter taps on the passenger side window. ‘Mrs. James, how was it that nobody in the family was aware of…’

‘I’m telling ye noo, if ye isnae moving oot the way, I shall be driving richt o’er ye’ Jeannie sounds the horn repeatedly and edges forward towards the gate.

‘Can you tell us what it was that first…’

‘Harriet! Is it true that you knew about the abuse when you brought your grandson to live with you?’

‘Awa wi’ye! Can ye not see the lady is nae well?’ Jeannie fabricates in the hope of them falling back and letting them through.

‘Is it true that you conspired with your son to hide the truth to save his career?’

‘If that were the case, we would hardly be going public with it now, would we?’ Harriet snaps.

‘You have control over that do you? ….Did Kester consult with you before he colluded with Jack Beachamp…’

‘Colluded?’ Harriets shrills, infuriated by the insinuation. ‘Colluded!’

‘How dare ye!’ Jeannie fumes, giving another blast on the horn and menacingly revving the engine. ‘Get awa’ noo! How dare ye mither an auld woman tae get yer blasted wee stories? Ye ought tae be ashamed a yersels! Awa w’ye afore I run ye doon!’

‘Let the ladies pass….Thank you’ Christopher James’ cool tone as he approaches along the drive sends the gaggle of pressmen surging towards him.

‘Chris! Chris!’

‘Good to see you’ He smiles and holds out one arm to direct them onto the lawn at the side of the drive and from impeding the car’s progress any further.

‘Do you think this will affect….’

Jeannie speeds past in a hail of spitting gravel.

‘Oh, Harriet! Are you alright?’ Lynn meets them at the door, looking concerned. ‘Come and sit down. God knows where they all came from. I said to Chris I thought it had been too quiet’

‘I am very, very cross!’ Harriet sails past in high dudgeon.

‘They were bound to turn up here eventually’ Lynn sighs and glances out of the window to where Chris stands beneath a golfing umbrella, his other hand casually held behind his back as he speaks, bringing it from behind him to invite questions by singling out each rain sodden reporter with the point of a finger.

‘Och…dinna worry, Christopher will soon sort the beggars oot. You tak one a yer wee blue pills while I put the kettle on’ Jeannie advises from the doorway.

‘Humph’ Harriet gives her a disgruntled look. ‘I could have managed quite well, thank you’

‘Is it me ye cross with?’ she asks with an incredulous look in response.

‘Yes, very cross’

‘Och, I didnae know what tae be doing when I see the lot a them standing there. What else would ye hae me done? I cud hardly run them down even though I threatened tae do so’

‘No….’ Harriet gives a resigned sigh ‘We would not want a lawsuit on top of everything else….BUT..’ she points a finger. ‘You refer to me as an old woman again and I will strangle you with my bare hands!’