aware of such a jab of jealousy it was like a physical pain.
Tansy was back now. Things would be fine. Dom could go back to work; there was no need for her to stay.
‘Oi.’ The call came from a dumpy little woman dressed in twinset, pearls and neat, sensible skirt and shoes. She was standing in the road beside a big, canvas holdall. She was watching Tansy and the kids with approval. ‘Don’t I get a hello?’
‘Ruby,’ the kids yelled, and abandoned Tansy and careered round the far side of the taxi to reach her.
‘Can I get paid?’ the taxi driver said-plaintively-and Erin was suddenly aware of Charles approaching from behind. He had his wallet out, was counting notes, waving away change-that was such a Charles thing to do-and was moving to help Tansy to her feet.
‘Hi,’ Tansy said. ‘Who are you?’
‘Charles,’ he said easily, smiling down at her. ‘And you?’
‘I’m Tansy.’
Charles did have a nice smile, Erin thought as she watched them. He hardly used it on her any more. He was too busy improving her-or disapproving of her. But when he smiled…
He was smiling at Tansy now. And Tansy was smiling at him. Charles seemed…dumbstruck.
‘Find any eggs?’
She turned and Dom was behind her. He was watching the Charles-Tansy tableau, but his hand came down on her shoulder and rested, just briefly, as if he knew there was a certain amount of emotion here she didn’t know what to do with.
‘Seventeen,’ she said absently. ‘We’ve eaten six.’
‘Well done, you.’
‘It seems we have the cavalry,’ she said, cautiously.
‘We do indeed.’ He didn’t shift his hand and she was irrationally grateful.
‘Tansy and Charles…and Ruby?’
‘My foster-mother. I might have known she’d be here.’
‘Why?’
‘There was a fire last night,’ he said, sounding half fond, half exasperated. ‘Ruby and Tansy have the same fine-tuned antennae. It’s a wonder the firefighters beat them here. And Charles…why do you think he’s here?’
‘I’ve come to take you home,’ Charles said, dragging his eyes from Tansy with what looked like difficulty. ‘We heard the doctor’s house burned down last night. It was on the local news. Erin, you need to be sensible.’
‘I don’t,’ Erin muttered, but maybe she did.
‘You don’t have anywhere to stay.’
‘But it isn’t burned down,’ Tansy said, turning to survey the house. ‘I was expecting much worse. But, hey, is that my bedroom window boarded up?’
‘Your bedroom’s burned,’ Dom said.
‘I lit the fire,’ Martin said in a scared little voice, and any doubt Erin had that Tansy was a Very Nice Person dissipated just like that. Tansy hauled the little boy into her arms, gave him a hug that looked as if it could have cracked more ribs and kissed the top of his head.
‘I imagine it must have been a mistake,’ she said. ‘Has Dom talked to you about it?’
‘Y-yes.’
‘Then there’s nothing more to be said.’
‘So you don’t need me.’ Ruby, too, was staring at the house like it had betrayed her. ‘I thought you might like me to take the boys back to Dolphin Bay.’
‘The boys are fine,’ Dom said.
‘So…can I still stay the night?’ she asked. ‘I can’t turn round and drive all the way back. Can we all sleep here?’
‘Um…maybe not,’ Dom said. ‘The boys’ bedroom is okay, and mine is, too, but Tansy’s isn’t, and Erin’s using the sitting room.
‘I’ve come to take Erin home,’ Charles said, but he was sounding less sure of himself now. He was still watching Tansy. Mesmerised. ‘Maybe we can even take the dog,’ he added, like it was a rehearsed speech. ‘In view of the fire, my mother says it’s the only Christian thing to do.’
Tansy snorted. Why hadn’t
The snort threw Charles off balance. He really was a good person, Erin thought again. He’d been put under as much pressure by their combined parents as she had. ‘
He was a good person but she didn’t want to marry him. Especially not now. Not when she’d figured what she could feel.
Dom’s hand was still on her shoulder. It felt weird. It felt…right. For she needed determination, and if Dom’s hand on her shoulder gave her that determination, well and good.
Okay. Deep breath and jump.
‘You don’t need to take me home,’ she said, to Charles and to all of them. She took a deep breath and managed a smile. ‘And of course Ruby can stay. I have alternative accommodation. I’ve figured it out. I’m taking a new direction and I may as well tell you all. I’m taking a job as a local doctor. Charles, my home is here.’
If she’d detonated a bomb she could hardly have had less of an impact. They stood, stunned, all of them, staring at her like she’d grown two heads.
She couldn’t see Dom. He was behind her. She was aware that his hand had stiffened on her shoulder.
She should have told him first. Of course she should. But she already knew his misgivings and she’d decided to ignore them.
Maybe those misgivings were valid and maybe they weren’t. She could always leave. But, dammit, she was going to try. Surprise is the essence of attack, she thought. She needed to breach defences she knew instinctively were all around the man standing behind her.
Maybe that was a dumb thing to think when Tansy was here. Maybe Tansy had already breached his defences. But Dom still had his hand on her shoulder. If he and Tansy were an item, surely he’d have let her go by now. He and Tansy…Maybe not.
Please not.
She needed a smile. She needed…something. She looked round and found Ruby had the required smile. It was a smile of questions but it was a smile nonetheless.
‘You’re moving in with my son?’
‘Dom’s your son?’
‘My foster-son,’ Ruby said, extricating herself from kids and moving forward. She gripped Erin’s hands, kissed her warmly on the cheek, then set her aside and hugged Dom as if he were the same age as Martin and Nathan.
She reached about as high as his chest.
‘You’ve found a woman,’ she said, sounding delighted.
‘No,’ Dom said adamantly, and Erin thought maybe it behoved her to clear a few things up.
‘I’m not moving in with Dom.’
‘You’re not?’ Ruby said, sounding disappointed.
‘I’m moving into the old doctor’s house by the hospital.’
‘You’re kidding,’ Dom said-faintly.
‘But that’s wonderful,’ said the church lady. In all the excitement she had been forgotten. ‘I’m so glad. I’ll get Graham to get the contracts drawn up straight away. And seeing you’re tight for accommodation here, I’ll organise to set the old doctor’s house up so you can sleep there tonight. We’ll even supply dog food.’ She beamed. ‘Nothing like striking while the iron’s hot, don’t you think?’
‘Huh?’ said Charles, and he said it for all of them. ‘Huh’ was right.
‘Bye,’ the church lady said, and climbed back into her car and drove off.
One down, Erin thought, dazed. Many more to go.
She needed to get Dom alone.
Like that was going to happen.
