Least Said by Pamela Fudge Read Free Book Online Page B

it?’
    ‘No,’ he agreed, ‘and she did mention yesterday that she hadn’t seen you in a while – just in passing, you know. Why don’t you both go, and then I’ll treat you to lunch – any restaurant of your choice?’
    ‘An offer we can’t refuse,’ I smirked, ‘but won’t Bette prefer to see you on your own?’
    ‘She’ll be offended if you don’t go,’ Tina said firmly. ‘She’s always so glad of your visits because the business means I don’t get down to see her as often as I – and she – would like. She absolutely adores William.’
    That was proved by Bette’s first words as she opened the front door to us. ‘Where is he then?’ she demanded, peering round us both, her eyes scanning the pathway behind us.
    ‘Who – Calum?’ Tina asked innocently.
    ‘No,’ Bette replied impatiently, dismissing her agent by reminding them, ‘I saw him yesterday. Where’s my little William?’
    ‘He’s at school, Bette,’ I reminded her, and watched the corners of her mouth turn down.
    ‘You’ll have to make do with us today,’ Tina said, ‘poor substitute though we might be.’
    ‘Oh, it’s nice to see you as well,’ Bette said over her shoulder, as she made her way to the kitchen but, from the clear disappointment in her voice, we were left in no doubt that we were second best.
    Bette had barely changed, I thought. Despite the fact she was close to her eightieth birthday it was clear she had no intention of giving in to growing old gracefully. Bette’s clothes were as flamboyant as ever, and multi-coloured patterns in a myriad of eye-watering colours jazzed up a silk top that flowed down over ample hips that were covered more soberly in a pair of black trousers. Her hair was the brightest blonde that her hairdresser’s palette could come up with and a pair of gaudy earrings swung from her ear lobes.
    Tea was made, with many hands making light work, and a delicious lemon drizzle cake – made by the daily treasure who came in to ‘do’ for her – was cut into hefty slices.
    Once we were settled the talk quickly returned to a story I had heard and enjoyed so many times over the years. It was the story of how Tina and Calum had met, and the story of how they had eventually got back together many years after their initial affair had ended.
    ‘It was also when Tina and I first met,’ Bette said for my benefit, even though I had also been privy to that piece of information longer than I cared to remember.
    I had to say that I never tired of hearing Bette’s version of events – embellished as it was by her romantic vision of a love story that had finally ended in happy ever after, many years after it all began.
    ‘Well,’ she was saying, when I wrenched my attention back from wishing I could claim a more auspicious first meeting for Jon and me, because merely working for the same company failed completely in the romance stakes as far as I was concerned.
    ‘We met at a writing weekend,’ Bette continued. ‘I don’t know if I ever told you that, Wendy,’ she threw a look in my direction.
    ‘Erm, I don’t think so,’ I replied, and could only keep a straight face by very carefully avoiding Tina’s gaze.
    ‘Well,’ Bette said, leaning back in her armchair and settling herself in for an enjoyable session relating her favourite tale. ‘I was keen to present Calum with my latest manuscript, but I couldn’t get near him for the would-be writers that surrounded him at the bar. Well,’ she said again, ‘I had scarcely turned away for a minute to speak to someone and when I turned back he had shrugged off the gaggle of writers and made a bee-line for Tina.’
    ‘How many times do I have to tell you, Bette,’ Tina protested, ‘that he only included me because I was talking to Maggie – she was running the weekend with her husband,’ she explained this as much for Bette’s benefit as for mine. I had always accepted her explanation, but Bette wouldn’t have it.
    Nonsense,’ she