Page 84 of The Boathouse By the Loch

Faye smiled at her. ‘Sorry, it’s a bit of an in-joke. You know that old eighties movie she likes …’

‘Oh, yeah.’ Jake smiled. ‘So, what did you choose?’ Jake couldn’t stop smiling. He still couldn’t believe this was really happening – they were all going to Scotland together.

Natty ran up and gave Jake a slip of paper. ‘Here – we printed yours out.’

‘You booked already?’ Jake said in surprise casting a glance over at Faye.

Natty said, ‘Yes, while you were still asleep. We wanted to surprise you.’

Jake took the ticket. He was surprised all right. He gave Natty a hug.

‘It’s a train ticket,’ said Faye.

Jake looked at the train ticket with a sinking feeling. ‘Well, that’s just … wonderful, Natty.’

Of all the ways to travel, why had she needed to choose the train? Jake tried hard not to think of Eleanor, but it wasn’t working. They had always gone to Scotland by train. In the beginning, they hadn’t. They had gone by car, but the car journeys had been long and monotonous. It had been Eleanor’s idea to go by train. And it had stuck. They had always got the sleeper train. Jake looked at his ticket. At least it wasn’t a sleeper.

‘Mummy always says that trains are very romantic.’

Jake peered at Faye.

‘Er … no, I don’t.’

‘Yes you do.’

‘Well, um, not in this scenario, sweetheart.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘I mean this is a holiday, not a romantic break.’

Jake looked across at Faye, disappointed.

‘Why not?’ said Natty. ‘You two could smoochy-smoochy on the train.’ Natty puckered her lips.

‘Natty!’ Faye exclaimed. ‘No one is doing any smoochy-smoochy on the train – or anywhere else on holiday.’

‘Shame.’

Faye turned swiftly in Jake’s direction. ‘Pardon?’

‘I said, er … same, no one is doing the … smoochy-smoochy.’

Faye looked at him for a long moment.

Jake wondered if she thought he was taking the mickey. He kept his expression neutral.

‘Well, good. I’m glad to hear it.’ Faye turned to Natty. ‘Why don’t we go shopping for your phone this morning?’

Jake noticed she’d quickly changed the subject.

‘Can Jake come too?’ Natty asked.

Jake turned to Faye expectantly. He wanted to spend the day with them. He wanted to spend every day with them until they all left for Scotland. They could go shopping for her phone, then get some lunch out, and take Natty to one of the London parks, and perhaps to a museum in the afternoon.

‘Oh, Mummy, please say Jakey can come too. Please, please, please.’

Faye turned to him. ‘Jake, would you like to—’

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