Paula, looking pleased with herself, pulled herself on to the spare stool and swung her legs.
‘So, all we have to do is sit here and wait for men to come in asking for a single white carnation.
You’ll be able to have a good look at them first, incognito. And if they’re too hideous for words you wouldn’t have to bother turning up.’
‘Cruel!’ protested Janey, starting to laugh.
‘Sensible. Not to mention good for business.’ Paula threw her a sidelong glance. ‘Do you think you might advertise, then?’
Paula was trustworthy, but some items of gossip were just too good to pass up. Her mother worked at Trezale House and Janey was determined that Maxine shouldn’t find out about this.
Now, more than ever, she needed to keep the last vestiges of her self-confidence intact.
‘Maybe when I’m fifty,’ she replied with tolerant amusement. ‘But for now, I think I’ll give it a miss.’
Maxine, unable to understand why she couldn’t simply scrawl the names on with pink Magic Marker, was struggling ill-temperedly to sew name tapes into Josh’s school shirts. Guy hadn’t helped, earlier, when he had remarked, ‘Not that anyone else is likely to mistake Josh’s shirts for their own, the way you iron them.’
He had said it jokingly, but Maxine had detected the dig. And although she’d been sewing for the last two and a half hours the pile of new school clothes still waiting to be attacked seemed more mountainous than ever.
‘Dad’s taking photographs of Serena,’ Josh reported from his position in the window seat overlooking the back garden. He frowned. ‘She doesn’t have very big bosoms for a grown-up.’
Maxine suppressed the memory of what she’d imagined working for Guy would be like. In her innocence she’d envisaged organizing games of hide-and-seek for the children, accompanying them to the pantomime and in her free time socializing happily with Guy. In her more elaborate fantasies, she was the one being endlessly photographed. And because Guy was so famous and respected, interest in his stunning new model would spread like wildfire ... the life of a super model beckoned ... she would become wealthy, a celebrity, loved by everyone ...
especially Guy Cassidy.
‘But then your bosoms are only little, as well,’ said Josh, who had been studying her with a critical eye. ‘Your sister has much bigger ones than you.’
‘A word of advice.’ Maxine clenched her teeth as she bit off a length of thread. ‘You’ll find life a lot easier if you don’t go through it telling people what small bosoms they have.’
‘Bosoms’ was currently his favourite word. Josh smirked.
‘And don’t you think you should be getting changed into something more suitable?’
Guy and Serena were supposed to be taking both Josh and Ella into St Ives for lunch and it was one o’clock already. Maxine, who had set her heart on an afternoon of serious sunbathing, was beginning to wonder if they’d forgotten.
Josh shrugged. ‘Oh, we aren’t going now. Dad’s taking Serena to meet some of her friends instead. They’ve got a yacht moored at Falmouth.’
Maxine’s heart sank. Bang went her peaceful afternoon. She wondered whether Serena had done it on purpose.
‘So we’re staying here with you,’ said Josh cheerfully. Then, in conversational tones he added, ‘Why do you keep pricking your fingers, Maxine? I hope all that blood’s going to wash out.’
Maxine was battling with the washing machine, which was making alarming noises like a jailer rattling his keys, when the doorbell rang. Glancing out through the kitchen window she saw a silver-grey Rolls Royce parked majestically in the drive. What fun, she thought, if the visitor was yet another of Guy’s ritzy model girlfriends, complete with sneer and a bootful of suitcases. He could install her in the other spare bedroom and visit them on alternate nights like some Arab sheik.
But just as the identity of the last unexpected caller had turned out not to be the milkman but Serena, so thisone appeared not to be a pouting, leggy model at all.
Wrong again, thought Maxine, realizing that she was grinning inanely at the visitor on the doorstep. What a good job she hadn’t set her heart on a career as a fortune teller.
‘Good afternoon,’ said the man, and although she was certain they hadn’t met before, he looked vaguely familiar. Hastily rearranging the grin into a more suitable smile, Maxine shook his outstretched hand and wondered if he might know something about erratic washing machines.
‘You must be Maxine, the new nanny,’ he continued warmly. ‘I’m Oliver Cassidy.’
Realization dawned. ‘I spoke to you on the phone earlier,’ she said, recognizing the deep, well-bred voice. ‘How nice to meet you, but I’m afraid Guy isn’t back yet. We aren’t expecting him home until this evening.’
‘I know.’ Oliver Cassidy looked a lot like his son but Maxine felt he possessed a great deal more charm. Now he shrugged and smiled. ‘But it seemed a shame to pass up the opportunity to see my grandchildren. It’s been quite a while, you see, and I’m only down here for the afternoon.’
Delighted to see him and mightily impressed with his car — which even had personalized plates — Maxine said at once, ‘Come in! Of course you couldn’t miss seeing the children.They’re playing in the summer-house at the moment; shall I go and call them or would you prefer to take them by surprise?’
‘Oh, surprise, I think.’ Guy’s father winked at her. He really was tons nicer than Guy, she decided. She’d never really gone for older men before, but he was almost enough to make her think again.
‘Can ‘I get you a drink?’ she said brightly, but Oliver Cassidy shook his head.
‘That’s kind of you, my dear, but I’d better not. I’m driving.’
‘It’s a beautiful car,’ said Maxine.
‘My great pride and joy.’ He nodded, acknowledging her admiration. ‘I thought Josh and Ella might enjoy a ride
