“Oh, yes. I didn’t realise it was that date, though.”
“It’s a shame. I’d love to go, but there’s no way I’m letting Cecilia down.”
“Of course not!” Carmen tapped her chin with one finger. “Maybe I’ll ask Tristan.”
Felicity laughed. “Tristan would love it. I can just picture him, mixing with all those celebrities.”
“Hmm, perhaps my brother is not the best person to take along after all. He’d probably be fawning all over them.”
Chuckling, Felicity nodded. “You can just go on your own, of course.”
“I know.” Somehow the thought filled her with sadness.
Felicity gave her a sympathetic smile. “Want a refill?”
Carmen glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I really have to get some work done.”
“You work too much.” Felicity scowled at her. “Please promise me you’ll do only the bare minimum this weekend.”
“Yes, Mum.”
Felicity huffed and stood. “Fine, don’t listen to me.”
Carmen laughed and pulled her friend into a hug. “Thank you for caring.”
“Always, darling, you know that.”
Chapter 7
Ash cast a glance at her appointment book and confirmed that her next client wasn’t until one o’clock. After that, it was full on until she closed at eight. It was a rare quiet Saturday morning, but she couldn’t complain. It would mean she could treat herself to a proper lunch for once—albeit a takeaway from the fabulous Greek place down the road—and a slow read of the latest copy of Wanderlust magazine.
The door slammed open behind her, and she whirled around.
Standing in the doorway, her long, blonde hair a messy frame for her flushed face, was Sophie. “Thank God you’re here.” She stomped across the room.
“Sophie.” Ash made her tone firm. “Door. And how many times have I told you not to slam it?”
Sophie stopped in her tracks. She seemed to deflate, her shoulders dropping along with her mouth. “Sorry.” She returned to the door and carefully closed it. When she turned back to Ash, her face was pale, her lips a tight line. “Mum’s just… Arghhhh!”
The cry of frustration could only mean one thing. Ash sighed. There went her quiet lunch. “Want some tea?”
“Yes. Please.” Sophie threw herself onto one of the sofas, then sat up again to remove her baseball jacket. She struggled to get one arm out of the sleeve and mumbled and muttered to herself as she fought with it. Eventually, her arm broke free, and she hurled the jacket onto the opposite sofa.
“Perhaps you’d better take a few deep breaths before you wreck my studio.” Ash folded her arms. “I’m here for you, you know that, but you have to treat my place with more respect.”
Sophie looked as if she wanted to retort with something sharp but bit her lip at the last moment. She gazed up at Ash, her expression one of sincere remorse. “I’m sorry, Auntie Ash. I really am.”
Ash breathed out slowly. “Okay, tea first, then you can tell me what’s going on.”
“Do you have any clients coming in? Sorry, I should have asked that first.” Sophie’s voice was subdued, and Ash turned back to her from the hot-drinks machine to answer.
“Luckily, no. I’m free for a couple of hours.” She finished making Sophie’s tea, carried it over to her, and set it down on the coffee table a good arm’s length away. Just in case.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Ash took the seat next to Sophie.
They sat in silence for a minute or so, Sophie staring at the cup of tea, Ash patiently waiting her out.
“She’s been going through my things,” Sophie said eventually, her tone carrying anger even though it was quiet. “She…she found a journal I’d been keeping.”
Oh shit. “When was this? This morning?”
Sophie looked up. “No, yesterday while I was at school.” She rolled her eyes. “But of course she was at bingo last night so didn’t get around to talking to me about it until this morning.”
Ash grimaced. She could just imagine how that conversation had gone. Especially with Courtney no doubt nursing a hangover. If there was one thing for which her sister could be relied on, it was a Saturday morning hangover.
“Trina says it’s my own fault for writing shit down.” Sophie’s head had dropped towards her chest. “That I should have written it on my laptop so Mum would never see it, but somehow it’s not the same. I’ve always liked writing in a proper notebook.” She looked back up. Her eyes had welled up with tears, and she brushed them away with a fierce hand.
“Yeah, I can relate to that. But wait, backtrack a moment. You told Trina? Does that mean she knows what’s in the journal?”
Sophie’s eyes went wide, and she paled even further. “Bloody hell, no! I’m not stupid.”
Ash held out a hand. “Hey, I was just checking, okay? She’s your best friend, and you know I thought she’d be very supportive if and when you ever decided to tell her.”
“I know,” Sophie whispered. “But I’m so scared. And now my bloody mum bloody knows, and it’s awful .” At that, she burst into the tears that had been threatening to break free for the last five minutes. She pressed her hands against her face and sobbed into them.
Ash wrapped her arms around her niece. She pulled Sophie close and stroked her hair, the way she’d done since Sophie had been a little girl. “Hey, shush now. Come on. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it bloody isn’t!” Sophie’s voice was muffled against her shoulder. “She was so angry, Auntie Ash.” She lifted her tear-streaked, blotchy face and stared at Ash. Her bottom lip trembled. “And God, she’s really angry at you too.”
I just bet she is . “Don’t you worry about me. I can handle your mum.” Ash grinned, and her reward was a faint smile.
“Yeah, I reckon you can.” Sophie sniffed and huddled closer
