Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams by Rosie Rushton Read Free Book Online

fascinating,’ Rob replied eagerly. ‘They have these spiny tongues and, of course, they have this distinct hierarchy – even in captivity, the older ones get to feed first.’
    â€˜Oh my goodness, is that the time? My parking ticket runs out in five minutes!’ Emma exclaimed. Politeness was one thing; dying of boredom quite another.
    Much as she thought Rob was a loser, Emma couldn’t help feeling sorry for Harriet, whose lips were still puckered in anticipation of a kiss as he disappeared through the door with an airy wave and no backward glance.
    â€˜He’s lovely, isn’t he?’ Harriet asked eagerly as they walked back to Emma’s car.
    Rather than lie, Emma found herself assailed by a fit of sneezing, hoping that Harriet would take the jerking of her head as a nod.

CHAPTER 4
Daring dream:
To win the crown of party planner/matchmaker of the year
    â€˜EMMA! OH MY GOD, EMMA – LOOK!’
    As Emma manoeuvred her bright red Daihatsu Charade into the drive on Saturday afternoon, and pulled up outside her own front door she smiled, just a little wearily, at yet another of Harriet’s verbal explosions. She had been ooh-ing and aah-ing ever since Emma had picked her up from her friend’s rather rundown semi in Hollyhill, one of Brighton’s less attractive areas. First, it was the ‘amazing’ and ‘dinky’ little car that had been Emma’s seventeenth birthday present from her father (when Emma switched on the ignition and the message ‘Hello, Happy’ appeared on the instrument display, Harriet went into paroxysms of unrestrained glee); this was followed by a seemingly endless reading and re-reading of two text messages from Rob both of which, as Harriet kept telling her, had three x’s at the end and that must mean he loves her right? – and now there was another exclamation of astonishment, the source of which Emma couldn’t fathom.
    â€˜That man, Emma – over there. It’s him!’
    Emma glanced to the left where a figure in ill-fitting trousers and a pork-pie hat was striding purposefully along the gravel path towards the orchard.
    â€˜So? What about it?’
    â€˜What about it?’ Harriet repeated. ‘Emma, are you blind? That’s Tarquin Tee – the guy off the telly. The one who does
Going Green,
the one with —’
    â€˜OK, OK, I don’t need a potted biography of my own father,’ Emma said, pulling up outside the front door.
    â€˜Your . . . you mean . . . but he can’t . . .’ Harriet stammered and then turned and glared at Emma accusingly. ‘He’s your
dad?
How come you never told me?’
    Emma shrugged. ‘I never thought,’ she admitted, switching off the ignition and releasing her seat belt. ‘All my mates know and I guess I just – well, I assumed you did too.’
    By now, Harriet’s nose was glued to the car window.
    â€˜Will I get to talk to him?’ she asked in breathy tones.
    â€˜Oh no,’ Emma replied sarcastically. ‘You’ll be staying in our house but, of course, a word won’t pass his lips! Of course you’ll get to talk to him, silly. Although whether he’ll have anything riveting to say is quite another matter.’
    As if he had heard her, Tarquin turned, put a hand in front of his eyes to shield them from the glare of the sun, and began beckoning wildly.
    â€˜Looks as if your moment has come,’ Emma teased, opening the car door. ‘Only please, don’t drool for too long; it’s bad for his ego and, besides, we’re going todump your stuff and then go round to George’s. I’ve got things to sort.’
    â€˜This is so amazing, I can’t get my head round it. Oh my God!’ Harriet kept saying, clearly far more impressed by Emma’s balding father than the upcoming social event of the season.
    â€˜Emma darling, perfect timing!’ Tarquin cried. ‘And you