After the Honeymoon by Janey Fraser Read Free Book Online Page B

Tom’s a bit dull but he’s a good man. Just make sure you hang on to him.’
    Emma stared at her mother, shocked. It wasn’t the ‘dull’ bit, which Mum had come out with before. No. It was the ‘Don’t make the mistake I did.’
    The divorce had been Dad’s fault for going off with that tart in the office. Was it possible that Mum blamed herself for not giving him more attention? If so, that was ridiculously old-fashioned.
    Frankly, she’d expected more from her mother. At fifty-two, she was still a very good-looking woman. Even her name, Shirley, suggested a certain
joie de vivre
which, despite her single status, Mum possessed all right. Sometimes she was mistaken in the street for a taller Barbara Windsor. She had the same blonde looks and warm, welcoming face, with a throaty laugh that made you feel good about yourself. Certainly, if it wasn’t for Mum looking after Willow, Emma couldn’t do her dinner lady job.
    Maybe Tom was right. She ought to trust her enough to go away. After all, you only had one honeymoon.
    ‘Mummy and Daddy won’t be long,’ she said, giving both children one more kiss and hug. ‘Be good, won’t you?’
    Oh no. Willow was beginning to wail even louder and Gawain, with a grip that was incredibly strong for a four-year-old, adamantly refused to let go. ‘They’re just tired,’ her mother said crisply with an authoritative air. ‘I’ll take them home now.’
    Somehow, Emma managed to extricate herself from her son’s grasp, feeling like a traitor. ‘Mummy,’ he called out desperately as Tom took her hand and led her to the car outside. A group of friends were already gathered there, confetti in hands; broad grins on their faces. ‘I can’t do this,’ she cried, the tears rolling down her face as she threw her bouquet into the little gathering. ‘I really can’t.’
    ‘They’ll be fine.’ But her new husband’s voice was tight and she could tell from his tone that he had doubts too.
    ‘What if the plane crashes?’ she whispered as Tom’s friend’s car, with its silver and purple ‘Just Married’ pennant fluttering from the aerial, slid through the night on the way to Heathrow. ‘We wouldn’t be around to bring up the kids. What if …’
    Tom’s hand reached out for hers and held it firmly. ‘You can’t go down that road, love.’
    Oh, but she could. ‘We should have changed before we left,’ added Tom, adjusting his suit trousers uncomfortably. ‘There’ll just be time at the airport if we don’t get held up.’ His arm wrapped itself around her. ‘How does it feel to be Mrs Walker?’
    Wonderful, she wanted to say. Perfect. But she couldn’t. All Emma could think of, as Phil’s old Vauxhall Cavalier approached the bright lights of the airport, was that she’d left her children behind and that if she had a choice, she would gladly have swapped them for Tom here on the back seat.
    ‘The temperature in Siphalonia is approximately twenty-six degrees and counting.’
    The pilot’s enthusiastic voice sent a ripple of appreciative murmurs through the plane. Emma woke up from an uneasy sleep, hazily recalling the events of the last few hours, and felt her stomach lurch with fear all over again as she thought of the children. She glanced at Tom, whose face was lit up with excitement. I hate you for not understanding, she thought. I hate you.
    But it was too late to turn back. They were here. And if anything did happen to the children, they could just fly back like Tom said, providing there was a flight available.
    ‘I also have another notice,’ said the pilot’s voice, crackling slightly on the loudspeaker. ‘We have a newly married couple on board. Mrs and Mrs Walker! Let’s give them a round of applause, shall we?’
    And to Emma’s embarrassment, Tom stood up and made a mock bow, pointing to her. Everyone began to turn round in their seats: for a minute she wished they hadn’t changed out of their wedding finery and into jeans and sloppy