Nomance, T Price [bookreader .TXT] 📗

of flyspray,Pine Fresh. No, make that Jasmine. Okay, Lily ofthe Valley. A tub of petunias and a . . . ’ Juliet was speakingfaster and faster. Carla got into a flurry as she piled the stuffup on the counter. ‘ . . . and a geranium. That one there. Andanother pot mum. The yellow this time. The purple rather. No both.Carla!’ Juliet’s sudden exclamation brought Carla to a dead stop.Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the pot mum.

‘Yes?’

‘A bunch of cutdahlias.’ Juliet blubbered. Eyes welling over with tears. Carlahurried to the bucket of dahlias. ‘And, by the way . . . ’ Juliet’svoice became tiny and squeaky, ‘may I see Porchester, please?’

‘Oh Gawd!’ Carlagrabbed a bunch of dahlias and stomped back to the counter. ‘I knewthis would happen!’

‘Why not?’ Julietwailed.

‘He has to stay in myroom,’ Carla said, slapping the dahlias down onto the wrappingpaper that she had spread over the counter. ‘He’s got a big daytomorrow.’

Juliet’s featureswrithed around for a bit. ‘Why’s that?’

Carla began to wrap theflowers.

‘Oh, I’m taking himshopping first.’ She paused to look at Juliet. ‘I’m sorry, but I’msure you understand that I can’t tell you where.’ Juliet nodded,her lower lip trembling. Carla went on, ‘What I want to do is gethim a complete new outfit. Something nice. Not too dainty though,because he’s a little man. After that, we’ll go to the park for alovely, lovely couple of hours in the sunshine, where we can listento the birds singing in the trees and the little kiddies laughingand splashing in the paddling pool . . . ’ Juliet’s face developeda crippled smile and Carla assumed she had calmed the situationdown. She sellotaped the wrapping paper around the dahlias and, topromote the happy vibe still further, added, ‘And then after thepark we have a really, really important appointment – we’re off toRichmond-upon-Thames.’

‘Such a lovely place!’Juliet’s voice cracked.

‘Gorgeous, gorgeous.And the clinic is right on the river. Brilliant views. I’m surePorchester won’t kick up a fuss when they give him the MMR jab –’

Carla fell silent asJuliet’s expression became riven with horror. Her eyes wereablaze.

‘You fucking bitch!’Juliet jabbed at her with stiletto fingers. Carla stepped back andraised the dahlias like a club. Juliet screeched, ‘You’re goingdown!’

Carla shook her head inperplexity. ‘Why?’

‘Because you’re notgoing to do it. You’re not!’

‘You’ll wake the baby!’Carla remonstrated in desperation.

‘You don’t care aboutmy child,’ Juliet hissed.

‘Of course I care,’Carla said with feeling. After all, Porchester was worth twentythousand quid in the States. ‘And anyway, he’s my child,remember?’

Juliet pressed herfists to her eyes and shuddered. ‘Don’t do it,’ she begged, hervoice drained of emotion – that was reassuring in a way. ‘Don’tgive him the MMR. I’ll pay for the separate jabs,’ She dropped herhands to reveal dulled eyes.

Carla looked into thesewith a throb of regret. There was fifteen quid’s worth of stuff onthe counter. If she didn’t agree with her, Juliet might not buy.Carla had recourse to cajolery.

‘Now that’s silly. Youdon’t want to waste your money on doctor’s fees, do you Juliet? Notwhen the doctors themselves say MMR is as safe as houses.’

‘No it’s not,’Juliet intoned.

‘But they should know.And anyway, he’d have to have three jabs otherwise. He’s not a pincushion, is he?’ She gave Juliet a coaxing smile. ‘Come on, what’swrong with getting it all over with in one?’ At this Juliet’s eyesbegan to well up again. ‘Oh fuck,’ Carla said, in lieu of pleasedon’t cry. Glancing around she noticed a can of deluxeweedkiller. She picked it up. ‘Look, Juliet, it’s the same thing.’She read from the can. ‘”Perfectly safe for lawns, whilecounteracting dandelions, nettles and squitch.” See? Threein One. Like the MMR jab. Measles, Mumps and Rubella. It’s progress– that’s all.’

Seemingly lifeless,Juliet stared at the can of weedkiller for a moment.

Suddenly, shockingly,she came alive again.

She leaned forward andusing the whole of her arm she swept the pot plants off thecounter.

They hit the floor witha collective smash.

Carla flourished thedahlias. ‘Right.’ She directed her voice to the doorway behind her.‘Gwynne!’

‘Gwynne!’ Julietsneered. ‘Gwynne’s busy picking his nose in a Billericay semi.’

‘No he’s not,’ Carlasaid, without a trace of conviction.

Juliet emitted acheerless laugh. ’Check it out in the Daily Telegraph’sspecial announcements.’ She glanced down at the floor. ‘I’ll leaveyou to clean the mess up.’ She turned and started towards thedoor.

‘Hey! You should payfor these,’ Carla hollered after her. Juliet kept walking andCarla’s hollering took on a wounded undertone. ‘I was hurt too, yousnotty cow. I loved David . . . I didn’t make him run off with yourdamned husband!’

Juliet stopped, turnedand gave her a chilling look. Carla closed her mouth and wassilent. Juliet produced a smile – a thing of pure malice andsauntered out of the shop.

With a juddering sigh,Carla threw the dahlias and the can of weedkiller to one side andraised the counter. She hesitated for a second and then hurriedstraight to the shop door. The street was adorned now by its usualquota of pointless pedestrians. Juliet had disappeared. Carladebated for a moment whether she should close the shop for the restof the day . . .

She started in surpriseand wondered at herself.

Running Romancefor all these years had left her with a cavalier attitude to meredeath, and yet here she was, fretting like she had something tolive for after all! Then she remembered that she had a hardwarefranchise waiting for her in Milton Keynes.

Oh yeah, that’swhy she wanted to go on living.

Or was it?

All of a sudden Carlaneeded to check on the baby, and to check it right now.

She hurried back behindthe counter and through into the house. Upstairs, in her bedroom,she found Porchester fast asleep. For the merest instant she sawsomething other than a bag of cash lying in the cot and before sheknew what she was doing she gave him a tender little caress.

Carla jerked her handaway and backed off, disorientated.

What the hell?

She clawed her hairaway from her sweaty forehead.

‘Too hot,’ she murmuredto herself.

Trouble was, she had tokeep the heat up in the shop for the palms, ferns and other exoticgreenery. It was tough to work in there now. On the other hand, shehad noticed some of her