Page 78 of The Price of Love
‘Sssh.’ I kicked his ankle.
‘And Ocean’ — Flint nodded at his younger brother — ‘is writing a book based on all the stuff Ganda left him.’
‘It’s from Ganda’s diaries and letters. The story of an inventor and some of the crazy gadgets he comes up with, and how he finds his true love.’ It was the longest, most coherent sentence I’d ever heard Ocean say.
‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, anyone?’
‘No, Ash, it’s much more realistic than that. Anyway, I’ve got a publisher for it and they want to publish some of Ganda’s other notebooks. LikeCountry Diary of an Edwardian Lady, only with gadgets.’
Blimey. Ocean was almost fluent now.
‘What about Ash?’
‘Ah, well, my theory all falls down there a bit. Still got the twelve pairs of waders, Ash?’
‘Yep. But I’m taking them to the tip tomorrow, if anyone wants to come for a ceremonial seeing-off.’
I caught Cal’s eye and we grinned at each other. I hadn’t come so badly out of the inheritance thing. Maybe the half a million pounds hadn’t materialised, but I’d got Cal, I’d got a whole new life beckoning to me from fifteen acres of moorland and a small, white house. Oh, and a nose, in a matchbox.
* * *
I couldn’t settle at work on Friday. In fact, we were all edgy, twitchily enervated by the muggy heat, snappy with each other and miserable with overwork.
‘The twins wouldn’t go to bed last night, till midnight,’ Katie said. ‘They said it was “too hot”. Were you hot last night, Clive?’
‘I’m hot every night, darlin’.’
I looked at her. ‘Why do you even bother?’
‘I keep hoping he’ll break his programming.’
I fiddled with a notepad, tearing little strips off the corners, shredding them and starting again. I couldn’t concentrate on work, even though I knew I should. Ihadto get this article in shape before the paper went to press on Tuesday, and there were still the pictures to sort out.
‘Why don’t you go home, Will?’
‘What, and sit around thinking? Can’t. I need to be occupied.’
‘Go round to your man’s then. I’m sure he’ll occupy you.’
Clive went ‘hur hur’ in the background. Katie reached out a foot, depressed the handle under his chair and watched smugly as the seat shot downwards, causing him to bang his chin on his desk.
‘Cal’s busy, sorting things out for tomorrow. I don’t want to get in the way.’
‘Well, go and help your sister with the baby then. I’m sure she’d be glad of someone to take Grace out for a push so she can catch up with her beauty sleep.’
‘She’s busy, too. She’s moving in with Jazz.’
‘In withJazz? Is she mad? His place is only a short hop from being an anthrax zone.’ Katie sighed. ‘I still think you should be somewhere else, Will. I’ll finish the article for you.’
‘Do you know what to say?’
‘Of course I do. Now, just go.’
‘If Luke rings . . .’
‘I’ll tell him you’ve gone home early to pack. All right?’
So I went home. The house felt strangely under-occupied without Bree and Grace. Ash had gone off to the tip onMonday and not been seen since, and even Flint had gone out somewhere, so there was complete quiet as I let myself in.
