Page 42 of An Ill Wind in Seabury
George flipped the phone case open. ‘It’s your sister! Want me to answer?’
Claudia nodded.
George tapped at the screen and then grinned into the camera. ‘You’ve reached Claudia’s phone. Please hold…’
He swivelled the camera around to face Claudia.
‘What on earth are you doing with Rory’s brothers?!’ said Freya, her laughing face filling the screen. ‘Wait... is that a BABY?!’
The baby in question snuffled and squirmed slightly.
‘Oops. Did I wake her?’ whispered Freya.
Claudia gently rocked Melody, and the baby promptly wound her little fist into her jumper and fell back to sleep.
‘Nope,’ said Claudia with a sigh of relief. ‘Close, though. And, for your information, that’s your little niece-to-be.’
‘I know that,’ chuckled Freya. ‘I just wasn’t expecting you to be holding her. And is it the jetlag talking… or was that George Slatter who answered your phone?’
Claudia nodded. ‘Yep. That was George.’
‘You’ve got so much explaining to do, young lady!’
CHAPTER 16
CLAUDIA
Claudia leaned her head back against the deck chair and closed her eyes, doing her best to let the sound of the waves calm her down.
It was practically impossible.
‘Talk about adventures!’ she muttered, kicking her feet in the sand and opening her eyes again to stare up at the pure blue of another Seabury day.
Claudia knew she should be absolutely knackered, but it felt like there was a ball of energy waiting to burst right out of her chest. The meal at Seabury House had ended up going on until the wee small hours, though that had been partially her fault. The phone call with Freya had been a long one.
After a bit of banter, the others had practically ushered her out of the kitchen and into the vast ballroom so that they could speak in private. It had felt decidedly like an intervention, but Claudia was grateful. Matt was right—Freya reallydidneed to offload about their mother.
Now, thanks to the Peppers, the air was completely clear between them… and Claudia felt like she had her sister back. Even better, Freya had banned her from reporting back to their mother, because Rory would be calling her himself.
“I mean, we’ve got nothing to hide,”Freya had laughed.“Rory will answer anything she throws at him!”
Claudia grinned. Nowtherewould be a conversation she wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall for!
Grabbing her phone, Claudia quickly checked the screen.Nope. Nothing yet.It wasn’t her mother she was expecting now… it was something far more exciting.
The moment Claudia had heard George close the front door of the cottage gently behind him that morning, she’d jumped out of bed. George had suggested she might fancy a leisurely breakfast, followed by lunch at The Sardine while she waited for him to finish his round.
‘Poor, sweet George,’ she chuckled, toeing her shoes off and wriggling her toes into the sand. ‘Little does he know what I’ve been up to!’
Claudia had showered, dressed in her neatest, most businesslike outfit, and then scuttled outside to meet Connie at the end of Sandpiper Lane. She’d managed to corner her new friend the previous evening and sworn her to secrecy before begging her for her help. Connie had almost imploded with excitement… but miraculously, she’d somehow managed not to blab.
The phone vibrated in Claudia’s hands, and she sat up so fast, it was a miracle the deckchair didn’t try to swallow her whole. She quickly clicked the screen on.
It was just a text from Connie.
Any news?! C x
Claudia grinned and quickly typed a reply.
