When She Was Bad(44)

‘That is so unfair.’

It was unfair, Sarah knew it. Oliver hadn’t even mentioned the poker. But she was so tired. And he was an easy target.

‘Look, there’s nowhere in the world I want to go to less than this stupid weekend in Derbyshire. Last night all I could think about was how Rachel is going to manipulate the whole thing to suit her agenda. She’ll do anything to humiliate me. But I can’t give her an excuse to sack me.’

‘You should take her to a bloody tribunal. That’s what you should do. This is bullying.’

‘Um, you said bloody. Mummy, Daddy said bloody.’

‘Yes, I know he did, Sam, but sometimes people say bad things when they get upset.’

‘I’m upset. I’m upset because you’re going. Bloody. Bloody. Bloody.’

‘Sam!’

‘I’m allowed to say it because I’m upset.’

Still attached to her leg, Joe started crying.

‘Look, it’s only two days. I’ll be back tomorrow. I’ve got to do it otherwise it’s going to be even worse when I have to tell her about . . . that other thing.’

She dipped her head in Sam’s direction and raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

Oliver sighed and dropped his hands from her shoulders.

‘I suppose I could ask Mum to come over and help.’

‘Are you serious? I’m away just one night and you can’t cope without reinforcements? Anyway, the last time your mum came over while I was away she basically scalped Joe.’

‘Oh come on, it was only a trim.’

‘She knew I loved his hair long.’

‘He told her he wanted it cut.’

‘Only after she’d said it would make him look like a big boy, like Sam.’

They glared at each other. Oliver was the first to look away.

‘Fine. I won’t call her if it makes you happier. I’ll look after the boys and do the shopping because there’s bugger all in the fridge, and clear out the stinking nappy bins and . . .’

‘Bugger! He said bugger!’

‘What you mean is you’ll do exactly what I do ninety-nine per cent of the time.’

‘That’s not fair. I do more than my share.’

Sarah put up her hand wearily. ‘There’s no point having this argument. I’m too tired and I need to get going. Boys, you be good for Daddy.’

‘That’s right. Walk away. Just like you always do.’

‘Mummy stay Joe,’ said Joe, his chubby hands clamped around her knee, creasing up her dress.

‘I’ll be back before you know it,’ she said, peeling his fingers off her and planting a kiss on the top of his head where his hair was still messy from sleep.

She went to kiss Sam but he darted away from her outstretched arms and climbed up on to the side and then the back of the sofa.

He folded his arms and glared at her.

‘Bloody bugger,’ he said.



She was meeting Charlie and Amira at St Pancras station to catch the train to the hotel in Derbyshire. Paula was driving and giving Chloe a lift. Ewan, he’d admitted the previous afternoon, was travelling up with Rachel.

‘It makes sense,’ he’d said defensively. ‘She has a company car and she drives practically past my flat.’

‘Since when was Clapton on the way from anywhere, let alone Islington?’ Amira had asked him in the office, but he’d just smiled, looking pleased with himself.

By the time she arrived on the concourse, twenty minutes late thanks to the argument with Oliver, Sarah was tired to the very bones of her, so that just lifting one foot in front of the other used up vast reserves of energy.

‘You’re late. We’d better put our skates on,’ said Charlie. ‘I don’t think missing our train would be the best way to kick off all that lovely team bonding.’

‘Team bonding my arse,’ panted Amira. ‘Team absconding, that’s what I’ll be doing first chance I get.’

It was a relief to find their reserved seats, just as the train was pulling out. Sinking down opposite Charlie, Sarah noticed for the first time how pale he was.

‘You OK?’ she asked.

‘Of course,’ he replied over-brightly, brushing a hand across his brow in a self-conscious gesture. Sarah gasped.

‘Your arm! What happened?’

Instantly Charlie tugged down on his shirt sleeve which had risen up when he lifted his hand, trying to hide the jumbo-sized plaster on the side of his arm, just above the wrist, through which she could see a faint pink stain seeping.

‘Oh, this – cut myself opening a can of tomatoes, can you believe? Got halfway round with the tin-opener and it got stuck so I was jerking at it and the bloody thing stabbed me. Hurt like a bugger as well.’