‘You sure don’t believe in doing things by halves, do you?’  Kester strides across the bedroom wearing an enormous smile ‘Congratulations’ he kisses Lynn’s cheek. ‘I thought I’d said goodbye to you this morning! Well done’

‘If the next one’s like that, I won’t complain’ Lynn smiles from the pillows.

‘Next one?’ Chris chokes from the depths of Kester’s hug ‘I haven’t got over this one’s speedy arrival yet.

‘I helped’ Ellis informs him from the armchair next to the bed, cradling the baby and looking up with a stunned but exuberant expression.

‘He acted as catcher’ Chris laughs and feints a punch to Ellis’s chin ‘He had to! There was no time for anything else’

‘Yeah…I mean no…I mean…Oh God!’ Ellis blushes a fiery red and casts a sidelong glance at Lynn before lowering his eyes.

‘It’s fine’ Lynn assures quietly, stretching out to clasp his hand. ‘I was glad you were there’ she whispers.

‘She would’ve been half way to Woodbury if you hadn’t!’ Chris’s smile wavers ‘She just….came!’ He blinks hard as he strokes the baby’s downy dark hair with a finger. ‘Shot out’ he mumbles, sounding as stunned as Ellis looked. ‘You were an absolute… star’ his voice cracks ‘Sorry’ he clears his throat and turns a watery smile to Kester ‘We were all rushing about trying to get organised but she just wasn’t going to wait. This poor sod was at the receiving end…literally’ he clasps Ellis’s shoulder ‘never been so proud of him’

Ellis looks up with tears in his eyes. ‘I was a bit proud of myself’ He turns away, embarrassed.

‘Sooo…let’s see this little scrap that is my sister’ Kester takes the towel swaddled baby from Ellis and sits on the side of the bed. His finger draws the towel away from her chin and he smiles.

‘Not so little’ Lynn comments, easing herself to sitting upright.

‘She is beautiful’

‘Cerys’

‘Hello Cerys’ Kester dips his head to kiss her gently on the forehead. ‘Welcome to this funny old world’

Helen bustles into the room, laden with carrier bags. ‘I think I managed to get everything’ she announces  ‘Hello you’ she says fondly to Kester. ‘Surprise or what?’

‘She certainly was’ Kester eases Cerys into the crook of his arm, rocking her gently as she starts to stir, her mouth opening in a silent cry as a tiny fist tries to break free of the towel.

Helen watches him for a few seconds from the other side of the bed, a smile playing on her lips, then turns her attention to Lynn as she places the bags next to her ‘Hope everything’s alright. They didn’t have a great selection but I’ve got all the essentials’ she starts to unpack.

‘It’s just to see us through until we get home’

‘I suppose everything ought to be rinsed through first, especially the clothes’

Lynn bites her lip and glances at her daughter. ‘Poor little thing! Would it matter if things were in packets?’

‘I honestly don’t know’ Helen looks at a loss. ‘But at least she’ll have nappies’

‘Instead of a flannel and sticky tape?’ Lynn giggles. ‘It was all I could do to persuade her that cutting two holes in a sandwich bag wasn’t necessary, we’d do without plastic pants’

Helen grins ‘Ever resourceful, our Mrs. Brown’ she eyes the sheet-lined, blanket-padded washing basket set between two straight backed dining chairs. ‘Who needs a cot?’ she laughs

‘Where is she now? She’d know. Wouldn’t she?’

‘I passed her haring off towards the village’ Kester turns to say ‘I tooted but she was too intent on getting the news out’

‘Never mind’ Helen smiles as her hand digs into the first of the bags. ‘One pack of nappies..’ she says, putting them on the bedside table along with wipes and lotion. ‘I’ll take the other bits and pieces and rinse them through. I can have them done and dried inside an hour’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I am’

‘Then we’ll have a little princess instead of a bundle of rags’

‘Oh, Chris, that’s awful!’ Lynn chides ‘She looks lovely all wrapped up like that and they’re good towels, not rags’

‘Would anyone care for another cup of tea?’ Harriet asks from the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her and slightly hesitant.

Ellis jumps to his feet ‘Here…you come and sit down, Granny, I’ll make it’

‘Yes, come on Mother, you haven’t had a decent cuddle yet’

Harriet moves forward, smiling at Ellis and laying a hand on his arm. ‘After your sterling performance earlier, I shall forgive that little slip’

‘Oh’ Ellis grimaces ‘Sorry Harriet’

‘That’s better’ she says, beaming at him and sitting down. She settles herself. ‘A brief cuddle then I think we should all leave Lynn to rest’

‘Don’t I get another cup of tea?’ Lynn pouts exaggeratedly.

‘Brilliant!’ Chris chuckles from the end of the bed. ‘That’s one for posterity’ he laughs, his camera poised for another shot. ‘Everybody close in a bit…..’

Tawny House, Manor Road

Chapter Twenty-three

Samms Plant Hire, Oatfield

‘Charlene’s dumped Jonathan. That’s what’s the matter with her’ Ingrid imparts as she carefully closes the office door behind her and stands the other side of Nathan’s desk.

‘I know’ Nathan says without looking up from the plans laid out in front of him.

‘How do you know? Did she talk to you about it?’ Ingrid sounds annoyed at not getting in first with the news.

‘No…but Davo let something slip. Him and her are pretty close’ he mumbles absently as he makes pencil notes on the blank edge of the paper.

‘Close?’

Nathan looks up sharply. ‘Not that sort of close for God’s sake! Can’t a bloke be mates with a woman without everyone thinking they’re getting their end away?’

‘Alright, alright….I was only asking’ Ingrid retorts.

‘Yeah, and making something out of nothing’ Nathan glowers. ‘She baby-sits for them sometimes. You know what Dave’s like, bit of a loner. It’s good for the both of them. Don’t ask me how she persuaded him to take his missus out occasionally ‘cause I don’t bloody know, but she did’ he shrugs and looks down again.

‘I didn’t know that’

‘Goes to show you don’t know everything’ he mutters

‘Sorry I said anything now’

Nathan sighs and puts the pencil behind his ear while he pours himself a mug of coffee, ‘Sorry’

‘Is it that that’s put you in such a foul mood?’

‘Just don’t ask’

‘I am asking’

Nathan takes a noisy slurp from the coffee and cradles the mug between his hands. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, it is’ he snaps. ‘I think she’s being stupid but I can’t say anything to her else she’ll know Davo’s said something to me’ He closes his eyes momentarily. ‘God! Why do I let myself get involved?’

‘What’s behind it all then? Was it something that Jonathan has said or done that upset her? Is that why she split up with him?’

‘Sorry, Ingrid, I really can’t say’ he says, shaking his head before taking another swallow and setting the mug down on the cabinet.

‘He seemed such a nice bloke too’ Ingrid’s mouth purses ready to criticise.

‘He IS a nice bloke!’ Nathan points a warning finger. ‘Don’t go thinking he’s done anything wrong, he hasn’t. It’s just Charlene being Charlene and I don’t want to risk you going off at her. I don’t know the whole story, just enough to think she’s being stupid but she won’t see it that way. I’ve got no right to say anything at all. Nor have you, right? That’s it, end of subject. Okay?’