Kitabı oku: «The Affair», sayfa 3
Tuesday, 15 Sept 2015
Vikki was kneeling against the back of the sofa as she looked out of the window with her chin resting on her hands. She was peeking through a gap in the vertical blinds so she had a good view of the empty space on the driveway next to her Corsa. From the corner of her eye, she could see Freya mimicking her, although her little girl had to stand rather than kneel to see out of the window.
‘Where’s Daddy?’ Freya said with a whimper. They had been waiting for at least ten minutes and the toddler had lost patience after the first two.
‘He’ll be home soon,’ Vikki said, and not for the first time. She was getting impatient too.
‘No, tell Daddy to come home now,’ Freya insisted as her cupid’s bow lips began to tremble.
Turning her head towards her daughter, Vikki felt some of the tension that had been building over the last week or so slip away. Becoming a mother at twenty-one had been overwhelming and still was, but she would love and protect Freya until her dying day, just like her own mother had always done with her, and please God, would continue to do.
When Vikki’s lip began to quiver too, Freya asked, ‘Mummy want a cuddle?’
‘Yes, please.’
Vikki held back the tears and began blowing raspberries against Freya’s neck.
‘We do tumbles now, Mummy?’ Freya asked when their giggling subsided.
Vikki narrowed her eyes. ‘Let’s see if you can do this,’ she said and shuffled backwards to give herself enough space. In one flowing move, she was standing on her head, her back brushing against the sofa cushions and her legs pointing to the ceiling. Using one hand to keep her balance, Vikki helped Freya into a vaguely similar position.
Despite being out of practice and out of shape, Vikki held her position with relative ease while the little girl toppled over and tried again. There had been a time when Vikki thought she might have made a half-decent gymnast, but her dad had convinced her that her greatest potential lay in academia. She had achieved success in neither, and as Vikki considered what a disappointment she would be to her dad now, she failed to notice Rob’s old Ford Focus pulling up outside, or hear the clatter of keys being dropped on the radiator shelf by the door.
‘Don’t you think you’re a bit too old for that?’
‘Daddy!’
Freya tumbled off the sofa, tipping Vikki over in the process as she ran into Rob’s open arms. Vikki got to her feet and waited patiently with her arms behind her back until Rob had balanced Freya on his hip and beckoned her towards him.
‘I’ve missed you,’ she said, stepping over so he could wrap his free arm around her. ‘And I’ll have you know there are top gymnasts who are my age and still winning gold medals.’
‘For balancing upside down on the sofa? I dread to think what Freya will be telling her nursery teachers about your antics,’ he said, before giving her a curious look. ‘And what’s with all the makeup?’
‘I’ve got to keep up with the other mums on the school run.’
‘Don’t be silly, you don’t need to compete. You’re leagues above them all.’
Vikki wasn’t convinced. She might be younger than a lot of the other mums, but for the last three years she had felt frumpy. She didn’t know any of the others particularly well, and she desperately wanted to fit in. ‘I wanted to make myself feel good, that’s all,’ she said.
He kissed the top of her head, ‘Especially today of all days,’ he said. ‘How are you doing?’
She could only shrug. ‘How was your day?’
‘Still getting to know my new form,’ he said, scrunching his nose. ‘It’s not easy when most of them are counting down to leaving in the summer. I would have much preferred Year 7s.’
‘It only proves what faith Mrs Anwar has in you,’ she said. She would never get used to calling the head by her first name; Nadia Anwar had been deputy head when Vikki had attended Sedgefield High, and she still felt like a student whenever she was in her company.
‘I suppose,’ Rob said. ‘She’s certainly set me a challenge, although I think I’ve got a couple of allies in class who will keep the rest in check.’
‘I bet you have them wrapped around your little finger.’
When he kissed her again, his daughter demanded attention. ‘Frey-ya too,’ she said and planted a sloppy kiss on her daddy’s lips.
‘Hmmm, blackcurrant-flavoured.’
‘My juice!’ Freya cried and began wriggling until Rob put her down. She raced back to where she had abandoned her sippy cup on the windowsill.
Rob took the opportunity to pull Vikki closer. ‘If you won’t tell me how you’re doing, maybe you could tell me how your mum got on.’
‘The operation went well,’ Vikki said, surprised that her voice could sound so matter of fact. Everything had happened in a blur and Vikki almost wished Rob and her mum had kept their secret that bit longer. She would happily trade blissful ignorance for sleepless nights and restless days, and today had been the worst so far. ‘I’ll find out more later, but the nurse I spoke to said something about the surgeon taking more surrounding tissue than they were planning.’
‘That might be a good thing, less chance of leaving anything nasty behind.’
‘But longer for Mum to recover from the operation,’ Vikki said. ‘She’s going to struggle on her own for a while.’
‘Is there any chance Lesley could help out more?’
Lesley was a friend of her mum’s who helped out with the holiday cottages during the busy season. She would do all she could, but it wouldn’t be enough. Besides, it wasn’t the suggestion Vikki had wanted Rob to make.
‘I doubt it, she has so many other jobs to juggle.’ Vikki clung tighter to Rob, as if it would squeeze the correct response from him.
When she bit her lip, he must have guessed what she was after. ‘If you’re asking if you should stay with her when she gets out, then say it, Vikki.’
‘No, I don’t want to leave you. Unless you could come with us …’
‘The three of us in one bedroom and your mum in the room next door? What do you think?’
‘If I did go, it wouldn’t be for long, maybe just a week,’ she said.
Rob didn’t look completely convinced. ‘But are you sure you could cope with looking after your mum, and Freya too?’
‘I … don’t know. But I’d hate to look back and regret not helping her more.’
The only time Vikki and Rob had spent apart since they were married had been following her dad’s death. She had gone to stay with her mum for a couple of weeks under the guise of offering support, but it had been Vikki who had needed her mum as much as anything, and Rob had probably been relieved that someone else had to cope with her bawling her eyes out every two minutes. Vikki wasn’t so sure she would cope any better now, and from the look on Rob’s face, he was thinking the same.
Rob’s body sagged a little when he sighed. ‘Yes, of course you should stay with her.’
His answer should have made Vikki feel relieved, but she burst into tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, burying her face in Rob’s shoulder. ‘I’m a rubbish wife and a rubbish daughter.’
‘Of course you’re not. You’re doing amazingly well,’ he whispered. When her sobs subsided, he lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him. ‘I won’t say I’m not going to miss you, but stay as long as you need. Don’t worry about me.’
‘Are you sure?’ she asked, and with one small hiccup, swallowed the last of her tears.
‘Yes, Vikki, whatever you want. You’re the boss as always. I’m yours to command.’
She gave him a tentative smile. ‘In that case, do you think you could do something else for me?’
‘Hmm,’ he said, raising his eyebrows. ‘What are you after now, Victoria?’
‘I’ve had a go at writing something and I need you to check it for me.’
Rob laughed. ‘That wasn’t exactly the suggestion I was expecting,’ he said. ‘What is it?’
‘An objection to Sarah Tavistock’s planning application,’ she said, and then, seeing Rob’s expression, added, ‘Will you look at it? Please, Rob.’
‘But why bother? Elaine doesn’t think it’s worth it, especially now you know all the details.’
Vikki’s original assumption had been that the land in question was in the green belt and should be protected. She had been dismayed to discover that it was classed as a brownfield site and had been in industrial use up until fifty years ago. It had been an old pottery and when the buildings had been demolished, the land had been soiled over rather than cleared, which explained why it had been left fallow for so long. The new plans included the removal of all the industrial waste, which would actually improve the land.
‘I still want to try. It’s what Dad would expect one of us to do, and obviously Mum’s not up to it. So will you?’ Vikki asked again.
‘OK, OK, if it keeps you out of trouble.’
When Vikki hugged Rob tightly his hands moved gently over her hips and bottom.
‘So there was something else you were after,’ he said in a hushed tone.
Sex couldn’t be further from Vikki’s mind, but she responded by pushing herself against him. ‘I love you,’ she told him.
‘And I love you,’ he replied, before pulling away with a groan. Freya had been watching them quietly. ‘But I’m afraid some of your particular gratifications are going to have to wait until bedtime, or this one’s bedtime at least.’
Despite the shadows hanging over her, Vikki felt a small sense of victory as she watched Rob scoop Freya up into his arms.
Scarlett
I remember the first time I realized exactly what effect I had on him. No way was I expecting him to, you know, get excited and I swear I didn’t know what to do. When I think back, it was so embarrassing. I was such a child.
Mum had dragged us out for Sunday lunch with her friends Sarah and Miles. I didn’t want to go, but sometimes it’s just not worth the argument. I was the youngest there, so obviously they all treated me like a kid. Miles actually asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up.
When – I – grew – up?
I’d already grown up, for God’s sake, and I’m pretty sure he’d noticed. Sarah definitely had. She made some comment about everyone looking while I was putting on my lip gloss in the restaurant, as if I hadn’t worked that out for myself.
Anyway, after our main course, I sneaked off to the Ladies so I could put on more lip gloss without Sarah’s bitchy comments, and after that I went outside to escape for a while. The restaurant backed on to the canal and had an outdoor dining area, but it was teeming down so luckily it was deserted.
I stayed close to a wall that had an overhanging roof to give me some shelter, and the sound of the rain hammering against the tiles was so loud I didn’t hear him come outside, not until he’d sneaked up next to me.
‘Looking for an escape route?’
I was looking out over the canal, watching it trembling in the rain. I was trembling almost as much, if I’m being honest, and I wouldn’t look at him when I said, ‘You too?’
‘Yeah, this kind of thing is my idea of hell. I could do with a stiff drink.’
‘So could I,’ I said. OK, maybe I was only trying to sound older, but I really could have done with a drink.
‘It’s school tomorrow.’
‘Don’t remind me.’
‘Your schooldays will be over before you know it, Scarlett. And in spite of all the stress with exams, I bet it’ll be one of the best years of your life. It was for me.’
‘You can remember that far back?’
He laughed. ‘You’re growing up fast, aren’t you?’
It was a comment I’d heard loads of times, usually from older men who were staring at my boobs, but he just looked out across the water. I can remember wanting him to look at me. I took a deep breath so my chest would stick out more, and made a pout. ‘Who says I’m not already?’
‘Fed up being treated like a child?’
‘Or ignored completely. Everyone’s too busy worrying about Liam.’
‘Oh, you’re not ignored, Scarlett.’
‘You think? For the last hour it’s been all about Liam and how he should get out more. I’m sure Mum thinks he’s going to hack into some government network from his bedroom and bring the country down. Either that or she’s worried he’ll never leave home and she’ll be stuck with him for ever.’
‘He’ll be fine.’
‘I know he’ll be fine,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘The point is I don’t care.’
‘So what do you care about? What would make you happy, Scarlett?’
I liked the way he talked to me, like he was really interested in what I had to say, like I had an opinion that mattered. I could have told him that what I wanted most was to be noticed instead of gawped at all the time, but I’m pretty sure he knew that.
I didn’t actually get the chance to say anything because just then a gust of wind caught the rain and blew it towards us. I turned to the side but he stepped in front of me, like he was protecting me. When I turned back to face him, I was too scared to look up.
‘Are you getting wet?’ he asked, whispering the last word.
He’d put his hand on the wall next to me, blocking me in and I had no idea what to do next. I’d had boys making crude comments before, but this was way different. For one thing, I most definitely wanted the attention this time. OK, I knew it was bad and Mum would be horrified if she knew, but I’d been dreaming of being this close to him. And in my fantasies we’d gone way further. But I wasn’t expecting it to happen for real and that’s why I panicked. ‘I’d better go,’ I told him.
‘That’s a shame,’ he said. ‘I thought we were kindred spirits for a moment, Scarlett. My mistake.’
He lowered his arm and trailed a finger down my arm, which sent this weird electric current through my body. It felt so strong that it seriously made me flinch.
‘Sorry,’ he said quickly. ‘You should go.’
I didn’t move, and I suppose I was curious more than anything. It was like I had this power over him. He was tempted to do something he shouldn’t, something that was very, very bad, and it was all because of me.
I looked up and whispered, ‘Or I could stay.’
I was actually daring him to move closer and I couldn’t believe it when he did. He pushed against me and it wasn’t the first time I’d felt someone with a hard on, but that had only been Linus and I don’t think he had a clue what to do with it. This was a man and he definitely knew what to do. He took hold of my hand and later he told me exactly what he had been tempted to do, but at the time he was being the perfect gentleman. He kissed my palm. ‘Run away, little girl,’ he said.
And I did run away, but I can’t tell you how much I regretted it. I played that scene over and over again in my mind afterwards and I swore that next time, I wasn’t going to let him off so easily.
5
The Accusations
Nina’s head was throbbing but she didn’t have the energy to move from the breakfast bar to search out painkillers. Rubbing her temples, she suspected the intense pressure around her forehead had been caused by all those months of sticking her head in the sand. How had she not seen this coming?
There had been plenty of signs that Scarlett was heading for trouble, if only Nina hadn’t been so preoccupied with proving to the world, and Sarah especially, that everything was fine. If she had been worried about anything, it had been Liam and his complete withdrawal from society. She couldn’t have named one of his friends, whereas she had met most of Scarlett’s, or the girls at least. Her daughter had been more circumspect about introducing her male friends, but as it turned out, Scarlett hadn’t been as interested in boys as Nina had presumed. At what point had she fallen for this man who had got her pregnant, the man who had abused her? Had Nina met him? Did she know him? According to Scarlett, he was going to support her, just as soon as he had told his wife.
Groaning, Nina dropped her head on the counter. His wife. She knew what Sarah thought, but what she was suggesting was unthinkable. She was wrong; except, no matter how many times Nina repeated this mantra, a seed of doubt had taken root in her mind and it was growing at an alarming rate.
She reminded herself that she was still in a state of shock. It was going to take a day or two for the news to sink in, and whatever happened next, it would ultimately be Scarlett’s decision. Her daughter would need to know what support her family, and Nina in particular, were willing to offer. Bryn had given no view on what Scarlett should do, but he didn’t disagree when Nina had said any ideas Scarlett might have about keeping the baby were utterly ridiculous. But this was an alien world she found herself in and stranger things had happened.
She had wasted too much time the day before, paralysed by fear while Scarlett and Liam hid away in their rooms. Bryn had been at a loss how to help, but had eventually got the message that his wife needed space too, and she had been relieved when he had gone out to work on Sunday evening. But the moment he had returned that morning and slipped into her bed, Nina had got up. She didn’t want to talk to him, she didn’t know what to say and, more tellingly, she hadn’t wanted him to touch her.
Was she really as blind as Sarah seemed to think? Had she been taken for a fool and willingly put her family at risk? Was everything her heart had been telling her a lie?
With her head spinning, Nina tried to straighten up and as she did, the overhead spotlights blazed into life. She wasn’t sure who was more shocked, her or Bryn.
‘I thought you’d left for work,’ he said when he had caught his breath.
Nina rubbed her eyes as she adjusted to the light and then looked at her husband. She searched in vain for familiar features, but her vision was skewed and her eyes refused to focus.
‘I’m taking the day off,’ she said.
6
Before
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
After parking her car behind Bryn’s taxi, Nina rubbed the back of her neck. It had been an especially long day at the shop which had been transformed into a witch’s coven for Halloween. After spending hours perched on top of step ladders draping gossamer thin spider’s webs across shelves stacked with autumnal wreaths and papier-mâché pumpkins, she was looking forward to a long soak in the bath, but before she could get out of the car, her phone started to ring.
‘Sorry I haven’t called. I know it’s been ages,’ Sarah began, ‘but I’ve been ridiculously busy.’
‘It’s all right,’ Nina said with a twinge of guilt. She hadn’t exactly gone out of her way to contact her friend either.
‘Anyway, I’ve got a spare five minutes and thought I’d check on things in the Carrington household.’
‘Thomas household,’ Nina corrected.
There was a pause. ‘Are you OK, Nina?’
Sarah’s remark hit a nerve. After barely two words, her friend was ready to assume Nina’s life was in freefall, which was why she had been less than eager to phone her. From the moment she had started dating Bryn, a lowly taxi driver and a bankrupt to boot, Sarah had been convinced Nina was going through a full-blown midlife crisis.
The question alone made Nina check her reply, but she felt confident when she said, ‘I’m fine. A bit tired, that’s all. It’s been a busy day at the shop.’
‘You should see my desk. I’m snowed under with paperwork and Miles has gone on strike. He has some major project at work that’s slipping, so he’s never here. I’ve got planning objections to deal with and, to top it all, the delicatessen has just secured contracts to supply another two restaurants.’
‘And that’s bad news?’
‘Oh, you have no idea how draining success can be.’
‘Couldn’t you simply hire someone to help?’ Nina said.
‘You mean the job I had in mind for my darling daughter until she decided to betray me and turn her back on her heritage?’ Sarah asked. ‘I told her the other day that all this pressure will put me or her dad in an early grave, but she wouldn’t listen, said I was trying to manipulate her.’
‘I’d be happy to swap you one career-minded student for a teenage cave-dweller.’
‘Ah, so that’s what’s bothering you,’ Sarah said. ‘I knew there was something. Did you have that talk with Liam?’
‘In a fashion,’ Nina said. ‘He wants to do something in computers but I have a suspicion he thinks he’s going to invent some amazing new program that will earn him millions without ever having to leave his room.’
‘Maybe the problem is he doesn’t want to leave home, as in, leave you and Scarlett.’
‘And why would that be, Sarah?’ Nina said, already knowing the answer. ‘We have Bryn to look after us now.’
‘The kids do seem to be getting on well with him.’
Sarah had been watching Bryn throughout their Sunday lunch the month before. Her friend’s eyes had narrowed every time Liam, or especially Scarlett had spoken to him. And when Scarlett had disappeared and Bryn had fetched her back to the table, Sarah had made a fuss about Scarlett looking unsettled. The only reason she was unsettled was because Sarah had pulled the ‘Are you OK?’ routine on her too.
‘Yes, they are. If anything, they’re starting to take advantage of him. I’m sure Scarlett thinks he’s her private chauffeur.’
‘It’s a shame he doesn’t get on so well with his own daughter. Did you ever find out why she didn’t show at the wedding?’
Nina had never met Bryn’s daughter Caryn who lived in Wales with her mum. Bryn and his first wife had divorced when their daughter was in her early teens, around the same time his printing business had collapsed. Caryn was in her early twenties now and from what Bryn had told her, she hadn’t had that much to do with him since his move to Sedgefield a few years ago. He had been hopeful that she would come to the wedding, but not surprised when she hadn’t.
‘I’m sure she had her reasons.’
‘Doesn’t that worry you?’
‘Why should it, Sarah?’ Nina said, too tired to control her frustration. ‘If Adam were to remarry, I’m not sure either Scarlett or Liam would be rushing up to Scotland to wish him well. I’m not for a minute comparing Bryn to Adam, by the way, I’m only saying that family relations can get complicated.’
‘OK, don’t bite my head off,’ Sarah said, her voice echoing because she had pulled the phone from her ear. ‘I only say these things because I love you and I worry. And if I’m honest, I worry most of all about Scarlett.’
‘You think I don’t?’
‘Of course you do, but you still see a little girl, whereas I can see a beautiful young woman emerging.’ Sarah dropped her voice when she added, ‘Is she on the pill yet?’
‘No,’ Nina said levelly. Through the windscreen, she peered towards her front door, which looked more inviting than ever.
‘It’s just that Miles and I were talking, and you know how impressionable young girls can be. They try to act all grown-up when they’re still children – and by grown-up, I mean doing grown-up things.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Nina said. ‘And you and Miles can put your minds at rest. We’ve had that talk.’
‘Recently?’
‘No, but nothing’s changed,’ Nina said, stopping short of saying that nothing had changed since the wedding, but she refused to play along with Sarah’s game.
‘Hmm,’ Sarah said.
Nina had had enough. ‘Look, Sarah, for the first time in years I feel like I have a fighting chance to be happy, and for my family to be happy. It might take time, but with patience things will settle into a new rhythm. Don’t look for problems that aren’t there. Please.’
‘I only want what’s best for you,’ she said. ‘As lovely as Bryn seems, I would have felt a whole lot better if you had drawn up a pre-nup, like I told you to.’
‘Well, I didn’t, and strangely enough I still manage to sleep at night. If you really want what’s best for me, Sarah, don’t try to get me to worry about problems that don’t exist. I’m sorry, but I have to go. There’s a long, hot bath with my name on it and I’m looking forward to relaxing. Maybe you should give it a try.’
Nina let out a frustrated sigh as she ended the call, but the sigh transformed into a groan when the phone started ringing again the moment she went to open the car door. The call was from a mobile number she didn’t recognize, and Nina was tempted to ignore it, but she went with her gut instinct which, despite Sarah’s doubts, turned out to be as reliable as ever.
‘Hello, Mrs Carrington?’
‘Well, it’s Mrs Thomas now.’
‘Ah, yes, of course, sorry,’ the man said. ‘Mrs Thomas, this is Rob Swift. I’m Scarlett’s form tutor.’
‘Is everything all right?’
Nina had received many calls from school in her time, but it was usually during school hours when one of her children was ill. Neither Liam nor Scarlett had ever been a cause of concern, certainly not one that necessitated a call from a teacher out of hours. Not once.
‘I hope so,’ Rob said, but his tone didn’t instil confidence. ‘It might very well be nothing to worry about, but sometimes I think it’s better to nip these things in the bud.’
After two difficult phone calls in quick succession, Nina dragged herself out of the car. The knot in her stomach twisted as she put her key in the front door. Inside the house, she imagined an idyllic scene where Bryn would be cooking dinner, humming to himself contentedly while Scarlett and Liam were upstairs in their rooms. OK, maybe it wasn’t idyllic, but at least her kids weren’t hanging around on street corners causing trouble. Scarlett had a stable family life and more support than ever before. If she was in trouble at school, she had no one to blame but herself. Sarah would have that ‘told-you-so’ look on her face when she found out, but Nina refused to take responsibility for this one. She could feel her blood boiling and when she stepped into the house, she would have happily screamed out Scarlett’s name but there was no way she would be heard above the commotion in the kitchen.
‘But you hate my friends! You’re only going so you can annoy me!’ screeched Scarlett.
‘It’s working then.’ Liam’s tone was light with just a hint of smugness.
‘I hate you!’
Silence.
‘You do know it’s fancy dress?’ Scarlett said. ‘What would you go as anyway? A zombie or something, because that’s what you look like most of the time!’
‘In that case I won’t need fancy dress, will I?’
‘I’ve got a pirate’s outfit you could borrow.’
‘He’s not going, Bryn.’
‘I am. And thanks, Bryn—’
Before Liam could finish, Scarlett said, ‘I’ll have it.’
From the hallway where she had remained, Nina heard Bryn laugh. ‘It’ll be too big on you. The jacket would be more like a dress.’
‘Fine, that’s how I’ll wear it. Can I try it on now?’
‘Erm, sure,’ Bryn said.
Bryn appeared from the kitchen first while Scarlett hung back for one parting shot at her brother: ‘Loser.’
‘Hello, I didn’t hear you come in,’ Bryn said, startled to find his wife standing statue-still by the front door.
‘I’m not surprised, given the racket those two were making.’
Scarlett squeezed between them and, ignoring her mother, said, ‘Where is it, Bryn?’
Bryn kissed his wife briefly on the cheek. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ he said, and followed Scarlett upstairs. Having temporarily lost her momentum, Nina went to check on Liam.
‘What was that all about?’
‘Eva’s throwing a Halloween party for her birthday and I’m invited.’
‘And are you going, or by some chance is this another way of winding up your sister?’
Liam shrugged. ‘You keep saying I need to get out more.’
‘So you are going?’ Nina repeated. She wouldn’t put it past Liam to keep up the pretence and therefore the tension between the warring siblings right up to the last minute. It didn’t bear thinking about. ‘I would have thought a room full of people, especially Scarlett’s friends, would be torture for you.’
‘I know you might not believe this, Mum, but I can actually function in the real world. I think I definitely will go now!’
With that, another of her children stormed off upstairs.
Nina dropped her handbag on the kitchen counter. These weren’t big problems, she told herself; no doubt a similar scene was being repeated up and down the country. So why did the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach persist as she slipped off her coat and headed upstairs?
Liam’s door was firmly closed while the door to her bedroom had been left slightly ajar. One of the wardrobe doors was open and she could see reflections playing across the white gloss veneer.
‘What do you think?’ Scarlett was asking.
‘It’s a bit short.’
When Nina slipped into the room, she found Bryn standing close to the door while Scarlett was on the other side of the room in front of the bay window. The curtains had been drawn and the only light came from a bedside lamp, draping Scarlett’s tall and slender body in shadow. Bryn’s pirate jacket was swimming on her and its cavernous sleeves hung down over her hands. She was wearing opaque black tights, which was lucky because the jacket only just covered her bum.
‘What do you think, Mum?’ she asked.
When her daughter raised her arms and did a twirl, the jacket lifted up further. Nina was relieved to see that her school skirt had been hitched up rather than removed to give Scarlett at least a modicum of dignity.
