The Holiday Home Page 0,83

his head.

‘Look at her. Poppa never let Pru or me touch the Dorothy, but he’s happy to take his life in his hands for his granddaughter.’

Belinda looked up from where she was sitting with a pile of pink tulle in front of her. ‘She’s having a ball. Come and sit down and help me with this stuff. It’ll take your mind off her.’ She passed Connie a quantity of pink fabric. ‘All you have to do is make a little frou-frou skirt and put some gathers in for the waist. We’ll sew the pink ribbon on as a waistband and voilà!’

Connie sat and took hold of the proffered netting. ‘How many do we have to make?’

‘As many as we can. And then we have the turquoise blue.’ She nodded towards a plastic bag at her feet.

Connie threaded a needle with pink cotton and together the women sewed in silence. After a few minutes, Belinda said, ‘It must be a great feeling to have a sister. Pru seems so much fun.’

‘Really? Well, we have our moments,’ replied Connie.

‘You can share so much. Secrets and laughter.’

‘Mmm.’

‘I’d have loved a sister.’

‘Are you an only child?’

‘Yes. And I grew up wishing for a family. You see, it was just me and Mum. I didn’t even have a father, let alone brothers or sisters.’

Connie didn’t know how to reply. She wasn’t really in the mood to hear about Belinda’s deprived childhood. The best she could manage was a subdued, ‘Oh,’ as she kept on sewing.

Belinda did a few stitches more and then looked up at Connie. ‘You’re so lucky to have the family you have. A loving dad. Money. This house.’

‘Mmm.’ Connie had turned to look out to sea to watch Abi and Henry again.

Belinda changed tack. ‘Frankie is a sweetie, isn’t he?’

Connie turned back with suspicion. Was Pru right? Did Belinda fancy Francis? ‘Er. Yeah. I suppose so. He’s a very good father.’

‘I think he’d make a wonderful partner.’

On Pru’s behalf, Connie became defensive, ‘Really?’

‘To be honest, a lot of the mums at school have a crush on him.’

Connie could not conceal her disbelief. ‘Francis?’

Belinda nodded her head and bit through a piece of cotton. ‘Oh yes. I’m not sure Pru knows what she’s got.’

Connie decided that Belinda needed to know her sister’s marriage was sound. ‘Oh, I think she does. They’ve been like a couple of honeymooners these last few days.’

Belinda’s eyes clouded over. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Just that this holiday seems to have relaxed them both. They’re enjoying each other’s “company”, shall we say, more than ever.’

Belinda twisted her mouth to one side. ‘Oh. I see. You surprise me. I thought they had quite a … cold marriage.’

Connie laid her sewing in her lap. ‘What makes you say that?’

Belinda tried to bluff Connie into divulging more information. ‘Something I sort of picked up. Pru doesn’t seem the passionate sort and … well, quite frankly, Frankie is a very sexy man.’

‘Is he?’ said Connie, taken aback.

‘You should hear the women at the school gates.’

‘What do they say?’

‘That if his wife doesn’t want him, there are plenty who do.’

Connie was both astonished and furious on Pru’s behalf. ‘Well, you can tell them that my sister and Francis are very happy and have a healthy, passionate marriage – not that it’s any of their business!’

Belinda said nothing but bent her head to her sewing.

It occurred to Connie that she might be hiding tears. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked.

Belinda added the finished skirt to the pile and stood up, keeping her face turned away from Connie.

‘Oh, gosh yes! Talking of Frankie, I promised I’d help him with the trifles,’ she said. ‘Any problems with the rest of those skirts, give me a call.’ And she walked across the paving and through the kitchen doors.

*

Francis was stirring an enormous pot of chilli mince.

Belinda sniffed appreciatively. ‘Something smells good,’ she said, sidling close to him.

He gave her a quick look and carried on stirring, ‘Hi. You’re just in time. Would you make a couple of bowls of couscous? There’s some coriander, parsley, dried apricots and oranges and limes to squeeze into the mix over on the side.’

She put her arm gently round his waist and squeezed him. He felt her warm breast on his arm and shamefully remembered how that feeling had aroused him until this week’s surprising revival of his sex life with Pru.

He made a casual movement away from her so that she had to let go of him.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘I’ll get on with this,