Part 21 (1/2)

There was a long pause then she said, 'I'd love to. But I'm busy.'

'Oh. OK.' Huffily Luke turned his back.

Too out of sorts to try anyone else, he went straight home after work to find Brigita occupying Poppy's normal spot on the sofa in front of Property Ladder Property Ladder.

'Everything OK with Clara?' he asked her, more for something to say than because he really cared about the answer. Which wasn't to say he didn't adore his youngest child; he just couldn't get too excited about the minutiae of raising her.

'Oh yes, Daddy. Since I come she is so much better behaved. I think before she is a little mardy, no? But I teach her some manners.'

Luke studied Brigita. No one could remotely call her pretty with that sallow skin and slightly stringy hair, but she did have rather magnificent b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He slapped himself down. Fancying the nanny was too much of a cliche even for him.

'You don't mind doing all this babysitting?' he asked.

'No. I need t'earn as much as I can so me and me boyfriend can buy a house in 'artlepool. So the more work I do the better. And it's nice to see Mummy enjoying herself. When I started, she always seem to 'ave a monk on, but now it is all much better.'

'Good, good,' said Luke, not having a clue what she was talking about.

After Brigita had gone, he poured himself a whisky, watched his rival Paxman on Newsnight Newsnight, noting with envy his still thick head of hair. Maybe he'd had a weave. He wondered if he'd ever b.u.mp into him at Dr Mazza's. Talking of which, he must make another appointment.

He went to bed, but sleep wouldn't come, so he went down to the kitchen and was pouring himself another drink when Poppy burst through the door. She was pink-cheeked and smiling, wearing a purple silk slip dress with a fake fur waistcoat over it and thigh-high green suede boots. Luke's heart stopped at the loveliness of her. He realized he'd forgotten how beautiful his wife was.

'Oh, you're still up,' she said.

'Insomnia.'

'Poor you.' She kissed him on the cheek. 'Shall I make you a camomile tea?'

'Where have you been?' he asked, surprised at the sudden neediness in his voice.

'At a party,' she said, grabbing a Ryvita from the breadbin and taking a bite. 'Launch of some deodorant.' She pointed to a bag she'd deposited on the counter. 'Look, a free one for both of us. Don't say I don't spoil you.'

Luke walked up behind her and wrapped his arms round her waist. 'How come you've been going to so many parties recently?' he muttered into her hair. To his surprise, he felt her stiffen.

'I've been meaning to talk to you about that,' she said.

But Luke didn't really care what the answer was, just as he no longer cared that Poppy wasn't looking for a job. He was distracted by the feel of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands. Cupping them, he kissed her on the back of her neck and was rewarded by her twisting round and kissing him full on the mouth. Twenty minutes later, they were naked on their bed, both breathing heavily.

'That was lovely,' Poppy said.

'It was great,' Luke agreed. Certainly, Poppy had been far more pa.s.sionate than usual. Maybe it was because she was drunk. Still, Luke wasn't complaining. At last, he felt his eyelids grow heavy, his breathing start to slow.

'Luke,' she said, wrapping herself around him, 'you know you asked about why I was going to so many parties?'

'Uh,' he said. 'I'm half asleep now, darling. Let's talk in the morning.'

28.

That same evening, Thea and Rachel were sitting in a vegetarian restaurant in Islington, sharing a thali. Rachel seemed to have doubled in size since Thea last saw her, she'd also had a scan and knew she was expecting a boy.

'Isn't it amazing?' she breathed.

'Incredible.' Thea tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible about the black-and-white picture of a piece of ectoplasm. 'Who do you think he looks like?'

'Dunc, I hope.' Rachel eyed the paper lovingly. 'b.a.s.t.a.r.d.'

'Sorry?' That's what Thea had always thought of Dunc but she was surprised to hear her friend say it.

'That's what I'm calling the baby until Dunc deigns to marry me.'

So much for Rachel being cool about marriage. 'So he's still holding out on that?' Thea said emotionlessly.

'Mmm. Says he can cope with being a father but being a husband is just too grown-up. Doesn't seem to care it's upsetting my mum and upsetting his mum that their first grandchild will be born out of wedlock.'

'For Christ's sake! What would have happened if Dunc had been born in 1920? Would he have refused to go to war because it was ”too grown-up”. He's what... thirty-three?'

'He's spoilt.' Rachel's face fell. 'He's had a cushy life with his mum doing his was.h.i.+ng and cooking for him, then various girlfriends doing it, and now me. I've spoilt him, Thea. And he b.l.o.o.d.y knows he calls all the shots.'

'No, he doesn't.'

'He does. I didn't tell you this before because I was worried you'd judge me, but it wasn't all quite as rosy as I made out when I told Dunc I was pregnant. He hit the roof. Told me I'd trapped him. And... I guess I had. So I made him all sorts of promises. Told him he wouldn't have to change a nappy ever, that I'd do all the night feeds, that he'd never have to push a pram if he found it too embarra.s.sing, that if it was all too much for him he could just leave.'

'Oh,' Thea said. It wasn't that Rachel's confession was a surprise in the shocker stakes it was up there with finding out Elton John was gay or the Queen was rather posh. But hearing her confess so bluntly that she'd trapped her man gave Thea pause for thought. Wasn't that what the bimbo had done to Luke? 'But I'm sure he won't be like that when the baby arrives,' she said in rallying tones.

'Well, I hope not, but he's always going to have the option to duck out when times get tough. It's not that I mind so much for me, it's the b.a.s.t.a.r.d I care about. Being born into a world where his dad was more interested in alphabetizing his LPs than singing him lullabies would be sad.' As usual, she did an abrupt Rachel U-turn. 'Anyway, forget it. Boring. How's your gran?'

'Same as ever. I went to see her last weekend and she just stared into s.p.a.ce and rocked. It was grim.'

'Mmm. Must be.' Like most people, Rachel wasn't much good on doling out sympathy about an old, ill person she'd never met. Boyfriend troubles were so much easier to relate to. 'And work?'

'Still in disgrace.'

'That swine Marco.'

'Yeah, that s.h.i.+thead... but, you know, his behaviour apart, I think I'm just a bit bored.'

'But you have the most exciting job in the world.' Rachel always pointed this out, when Thea gently compared their salaries.

'Used to have. But now all I get given are the most rubbish stories about councils cutting back on recycling and Jordan launching a new range of lingerie. I'm desperate to get back on the road again, but until I crawl my way out of the doghouse, that's as unlikely as...' to have. But now all I get given are the most rubbish stories about councils cutting back on recycling and Jordan launching a new range of lingerie. I'm desperate to get back on the road again, but until I crawl my way out of the doghouse, that's as unlikely as...'

'As me and Dunc getting married. Why don't you leave?'

'Because there's nowhere else to go. All the networks are cutting back. And because...'

'Because Luke doesn't work at another network?' Rachel asked gently.

'Rach! I told you. Luke and I are as dead as the dodo. I never even see him any more. In fact, he asked me for a drink this evening and I turned him down flat. You'd have been proud of me.'