The Nanny Part 29

"Fish fingers, chips, broccoli, and peas," she said, handing Ca.s.sie a hairband. "Are you going to be a good boy and lay the table?"

"Alright then," said Josh. "But only because you called me a good boy."

The children had hysterics. Jo handed Tallulah the other hairband. The girls had finished her hair. She stood up and twirled for them to appraise their handiwork.

"Tallulah's is lower than mine," said Ca.s.sandra. "She looks awful."

"No she doesn't," said Tallulah. "Does she, Josh?"

Josh crossed his arms and made great play of studying Jo. She was wearing three-quarter-length trousers and a T-shirt with a picture of a little pink heart on her chest. She'd been studiously copied by Ca.s.sandra and Tallulah down to the color and style of their hairbands, the only visible differences being that they both had nail polish on and no b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The three of them stared defiantly back at him.

"Hmm," thought Josh out loud. "Does Jo look awful? Let. Me. Think."

After a while, Jo moved to the oven to start preparing tea.

"She looks like a ten-year-old," Josh said eventually, joining her at the hob.

"Well," muttered Jo, her head half in the oven. "Better than acting like one." She took her head out of the oven and found Josh staring at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. Had she gone too far? Flushed, she remembered what Shaun had said about Josh being a spy for his mother. Could he get her into trouble?

"Where are the forks?" asked Zak, suddenly behind them.

When Jo's mobile rang, and it was her mum, she made a point of asking Ca.s.sandra to finish the tea, instead of asking Josh.

"I'll do it," said Josh quietly.

"No, it's fine," said Jo.

"I can do it," said Ca.s.sandra.

"I don't mind," said Josh pointedly. "I'm not a child, I can look after my own family."

Jo stared at him. Then said into the phone, "Mum, can I phone you back-"

"Don't be ridiculous," interrupted Josh, his voice rising. "Speak to your mother, I'll finish doing the tea." As she went into her bedroom, she heard him muttering, "No one's indispensable."

She shut the bedroom door behind her.

"How's Dad?" she asked.

"He's got a checkup next week," answered Hilda. "I'm terrified. He hasn't been looking good lately."

"He hasn't been looking good for the past fifty years," said Jo. "But we still love him."

There was a pause. "How are you there, love?" asked Hilda.

"I'm fine, Mum. How are-"

"They feed you properly?"

"Well, they feed me, but most of their food's really weird."

"They're not Asians are they?"

"Mum! No, they just eat differently."

"You're getting your meat and two veg?"

"Yes, Mum. I-Would you like me to come home?"

"Course not!" exclaimed Hilda. "What d'you want to come home for?"

"To see you, silly."

"What d'you want to come home to see me for?"

"Because I miss you!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're far too busy. Can't go rushing off all the time-what would they think? Mind you, I think your dad misses you a bit."

"I'll come next weekend."

"Ooh, lovely!"

"Oh no! I can't. The weekend after."

"Smashing."

"I'd better go."

"Right."

"I've got to give the kids tea. Their half brother's with us, and I think he may be checking up on me."

"Oh dear."

When Jo returned, she found the children seated politely at the table, eating quietly. She started tidying the kitchen up around them.

"I know what I want for my birthday," announced Zak, milk moustaching his upper lip.

"Do you?" asked Josh. "What?"

"I need a digital watch."

"Didn't Mummy and Daddy buy you a watch last year?" asked Ca.s.sandra. "You keep breaking them."

"You're right," said Zak seriously. "Perhaps I should get two."

"How many children do you want when you're older?" Ca.s.sandra asked Tallulah gravely, forking her peas.

"Four," answered Tallulah. "How many do you want?"

"Two," said Ca.s.sandra.

"Do you want a boy and a girl, or a girl and a girl or a boy and a boy?" asked Tallulah, in between small, pensive mouthfuls of broccoli.

"Boy and a girl," came the rapid reply.

Jo smiled. "I don't think it works like that. You don't get a choice."

The girls thought about this.

"You might get a boy and a boy," whispered Tallulah.

There was a long, long pause.

"Tallulah's so lucky," whined Zak suddenly. "She's got more chips than me. That's not right."

"Lula, honey," coaxed Jo, using her soft Tallulah voice. "Do you think you'll be able to eat all those chips?"

Tallulah looked at her plate and considered the question. "Probably not."

"Would you give Zak some?"

Tallulah handed Zak some of her chips.

"Thank you," said Zak, slightly taken aback.

"My pleasure," said Tallulah gravely.

Josh and Jo glanced at each other and then quickly away, before Tallulah crumpled into Jo's body, a heap of anguished regret.

When d.i.c.k came home, the children were bathed and ready for bed. It never mattered how tired they were, whenever Daddy got home they found new energy and fluttered round him like day-old b.u.t.terflies, enjoying their last moments of consciousness. Jo watched d.i.c.k come alive in his children's company. She smiled, then looked over to see if Josh was also watching. He was watching, but he certainly wasn't smiling. Maybe Shaun was right about him.

That evening, she made a concerted-and big-effort to phone Sheila.

"Shaun says he had a good time," said Sheila.

"Oh!" said Jo. "Have you seen him then?"

"Yeah," said Sheila. "He had lunch with me and James today."

"How's James?"

"Fine."

There was a pause. Jo didn't know what else to say.

"How is everyone?" she asked.

"What?" said Sheila. "Everyone in the world?"

"No. Your folks."

"Same as usual."

"James?"

"Still fine."

There was another pause.

"It's so knackering here," said Jo. "And this stupid brother's making my life a misery."

"Oh yeah," said Sheila. "Shaun told us all about him. The one who listens to you two having s.e.x."

"Yeah," said Jo, her mouth dry. "That one."

"Sounds like a right saddo."

"Mm."

When Jo got off the phone, she had a quick shower and lay on her bed trying to read. She knew there was absolutely no way she'd manage to get to sleep before Josh came and showered and walked through her room to go to bed.

Three bedtime stories, three last hugs, three big fat kisses, and three sleeping children later, d.i.c.k went downstairs, tired but content. It wasn't to last.

He went to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a stiff whiskey, sat down in the conservatory, turned on the TV, then turned it off. He stood up, sat down again and then, very slowly, put his head in his hands.

Vanessa got home at ten and went straight to the kitchen for a stiff drink. d.i.c.k was putting a video of Top Gear in the machine. He looked up at her briefly.

"h.e.l.lo, darling, decided to come home have you?"

She watched him as he perched on the edge of the sofa, head tilted slightly, feet crossed at the toes, eyes wide, watching his video. Her stomach lurched. She walked slowly toward him. She was wearing the high heels she knew he found s.e.xy.

d.i.c.k pointed at the screen. "Look! It's got a gently kicked-back rear end."

Vanessa stopped. "That's nice. Night, darling," she said, gently kicking back her own rear end. "Don't forget to turn off the lights."

"Mmm," called out d.i.c.k after her, eyes still on the screen.

Half an hour later, a knock at the en suite shower door disturbed Jo from her thoughts. She picked up her book.

"Come in!" she called, and immediately felt foolish-Josh didn't want to come in, he wanted to come through. Josh opened the door slowly and Jo glanced up from her book toward him. She felt heat flush up her chest. He was wearing nothing but jeans, his damp hair tousled. He stood in the doorway drying his hair before replacing the towel on the rail. Jo stared until he looked at her.

"Bruises are going down nicely," she said quickly, turning back to her book.

Josh padded slowly across her room and looked down. "You think?" he asked opening his arms out. She looked up.

He turned slowly round until he faced her again. She was lying on her side, head cupped in hand, legs dangling over the bed, hair cascading over the grinning coyote. He raised his eyebrows at her, as if daring her to answer.