A Friend of the Family by Lisa Jewell Read Free Book Online Page A

were dead and she’d embraced the London family resoundingly from the moment she met them. She and Bernie got on like best mates from the outset and even went out occasionally, on their own, which Tony couldn’t help but feel a bit unnerved by. Ness and Bernie even looked vaguely similar, with their yellow hair, long legs and strong features. Except, of course, that Mum was ten times better-looking than Ness, even at fifty-five.
    The front door of 114 opened before they’d even had a chance to ring the doorbell and Mum greeted them ina red velvet blouse with her hair in a top-knot and a glass of wine in her hand.
    ‘Bernie!’ Ness threw her arms around her and hugged her hard. ‘You look beautiful – where did you get that blouse? It’s gorgeous!
    ‘River Island!’ Bernie exclaimed with pleasure. ‘Reduced from £34.99 to twelve quid! It’s nice, isn’t it?’ She gave a little dance to show off the bargain blouse.
    ‘Now, close your eyes,’ she said to Tony, closing the front door, ‘no peeping.’
    ‘Oh God. Do I have to?’ Tony groaned.
    ‘Come on, just do as you’re told.’
    Tony closed his eyes reluctantly and let his mum lead him through to the kitchen. Tony could smell the comforting aroma of dad’s roll-ups and hear Goldie’s overgrown toenails clacking against the wooden floor.
    ‘OK – you can open them now.’
    He parted his eyelids slowly and at first could make out only the blurred outline of someone standing by the kitchen table. And then his vision cleared and he saw a lanky bloke with a beard and shoulder-length hair grinning at him.
    ‘All right?’ said the skinny bloke.
    Tony’s face broke into a massive grin. ‘Ned!’
    They strode across the kitchen towards each other and shared a rib-crushing bear-hug. ‘Jesus, Ned. What are you doing here? Are you here to stay? You know? Or are you…?’
    ‘I’m back for good. Back for ever.’
    They pulled apart and regarded each other affectionately,their eyes searching for physical evidence of the three years that had passed since they’d last seen each other. And in Ned’s case there was plenty of it. Creases had started to form at the corners of his eyes, his Adam’s apple had begun to soften and there was definitely a little more beef underneath that baggy T-shirt. He’d left a boy and returned a man. Well, as much of a man as a skinny, bespectacled geek like Ned could ever hope to be.
    ‘What the hell is going on with your hair?’
    ‘What?’Ned pulled a hand through it.
    ‘You look like you’re wearing a fucking wig.’
    ‘Oh, don’t you start. I’ve already had Mum and Dad taking the piss. What d’you think of the beard, though, eh?’ He ran a hand over it, thoughtfully. ‘Cool, huh?’
    ‘Surf’s up,’ Tony cackled, miming a surfer balancing on his board.
    ‘You can talk,’ said Ned, grabbing hold of Tony’s belly and bouncing it up and down. ‘Christ, you’ve got fat.’
    Tony grinned at the insult – funnily enough it didn’t hurt coming from Ned. And then he became aware of a figure hovering at his side. ‘Oh God. Sorry,’ he said, stepping out of the way. ‘Ned, this is Ness, my girlfriend.’ He watched Ned’s face as he absorbed the reality of Ness, the unfashionable clothes, the slightly crooked teeth and the total and utter lack of similarity in any way to his ex-wife. ‘Ness, this is Ned.’
    ‘Nooo,’ said Ness sarcastically, rolling her eyes at Tony and leaning in to kiss Ned on the cheek. ‘How fantastic to finally meet you.’
    ‘Great to meet you, too,’ said Ned, ‘you’ve come highly recommended.’
    ‘Oh yeah?’
    ‘Yeah – Mum hasn’t stopped going on about you. She reckons you’re Tony’s saviour.’
    Ness flushed pleasurably and Tony felt himself bristling with irritation. Saviour? What the hell was all that about?
    A set of knuckles banged against the front door.
    ‘Oh, that’ll be Seany. OK now, quiet, everyone.’ Bernie put a finger to her lips and went to