Staying Away at Christmas by Katie Fforde Read Free Book Online Page B

‘You’re such a brilliant mother, Sal, really you are. The girls are a real credit to you.’
    ‘But? I feel a but coming on!’
    ‘Nothing about you, but I do think this meeting will just be signing a document so the antique centre can get the space back or something. It won’t be anything exciting.’
    ‘So, you don’t think there’ll be actual money then?’
    Gina shook her head. ‘I don’t see how there could be. You saw Aunt Rainey more often than I did but I think we’d have known if she was rich, surely? She didn’t own a house and she never seemed to have much cash.’
    Sally sighed again, ‘I miss her, you know. Aunt Rainey was a real character, always talking about the Beatles and all those old bands as if they were her best friends, but she was a lot of fun. I wish I’d seen more of her really but having the twins so soon after we moved down here, it wasn’t easy.’ She smiled. ‘She came to tea a couple of times, always dressed like an ex-rock chick, and I thought how much the girls would love her when they were a bit older but, well, she died.’
    ‘She was a lot of fun and quite eccentric. And if you’re not careful, you’ll end up just like her,’ Gina added.
    ‘I wouldn’t mind. She was great.’
    ‘I know. It was a compliment. Sort of.’
    Sally regarded her sister as if not knowing quite how to take this. Eventually she changed the subject. ‘So, what was he like? This Matthew Ballinger?’
    ‘I haven’t met him, have I?’
    Sally waved a hand, as if this was a minor detail.
    ‘But you spoke to him. What was his voice like?’
    ‘OK. Nice, even. Although he sounded a bit grumpy … You’re doing it again, aren’t you?’
    ‘What?’ Sally’s outraged innocence reminded Gina of her nieces when confronted with some huge mess or other.
    ‘Matchmaking,’ said Gina, trying to sound firm. ‘That’s why you’re fussed about what I’m wearing. You’ve got to stop this.’
    Her sister looked out of the side window, possibly slightly embarrassed. ‘Well, it’s time you had a boyfriend again.’
    ‘No it’s not. I’m on a break from men. The last one was a real disaster, who actually took money from me as well as all the other crap you know by heart now.’ Gina paused. Being lighthearted about her failed relationship wasn’t yet easy, even if she was well and truly over him. ‘That was part of the reason why I moved down from London, in case you’ve forgotten. I’m not going there again, not for a long time.’
    ‘Where? London?’
    Her sister growled.
    Sally allowed Gina a second to calm down. ‘That wasn’t the main reason though. After all, London is massive. You could have avoided Egan if you tried.’
    ‘Oh, I tried! But when you know all the same people you’re bound to run into the one man you really don’t want to see.’
    ‘That’s just an excuse. You really moved because you wanted to see your nieces grow up,’ said Sally comfortably.
    Gina smiled in agreement. ‘I do. And there’s the fact that business is so dire and my only big client left has come down here too. Also the rent on my flat had shot up and with the recession I had to regroup. All of which you know.’
    ‘You’ve missed out “and you pestered the life out of me”,’ said Sally.
    ‘That too.’ Gina laughed.
    ‘You’ll love it down here though. I know you will.’
    Reluctantly, Gina agreed. ‘I know I will too. I already love waking up in my cottage and seeing fields at the bottom of the garden instead of the back end of a dodgy fish and chip shop.’
    ‘There will be things you’ll miss though,’ said Sally generously. ‘You were in the seething metropolis and now you’re—’
    ‘In the sticks? Missing being able to get a good curry?’ Sally had never before acknowledged a single downside. Was she now feeling responsible for her sister’s happiness?
    ‘We have a truly brilliant balti, but maybe you’ll miss the buzz? I hope not. I’m so thrilled that you moved.