Two Loves Read Online Free Page A

least have been consulted. ‘Perhaps he’s miserable rather than just worried. We’ve been … quite close.’
    â€˜I don’t want to know. Please don’t upset me. I try to clear my mind of worries when I’m breast-feeding.’
    Rosamund relented. ‘Do you have any other worries? Besides me, I mean?’
    â€˜Of course I do. Money.’
    â€˜Money’s always a bloody problem.’
    â€˜We used to have oodles and now we’ve only got Thomas’s salary. We’re selling the BMW. We may have to sell the orchard. We’ll certainly have to sell the—’
    Eliza looked up to see that Rosamund was looking about her and yawning, so she stopped abruptly. ‘Sorry to bore you,’ she said.
    â€˜It’s just that you used to be so genial towards me,’ Rosamund said. ‘That evening we were all at that parent–teacher barbecue, and you came across Thomas and me sitting on our own behind the beer tent and you seemed so complacent about it, almost as though you were giving us your blessing. “I’ve got to go now, Thomas,” you said, “but if you want to stay longer, I’m sure Barbara and Tony can give you a lift back.” To tell you the truth, I was sure you’d got someone waiting for you.’
    â€˜No, I just had some work to finish. Work was always more important than anything else. I had to keep at least one jump ahead of all the others who were scrabbling around for my job. I was the first woman to be made a director of the firm, so I had something to live up to.’
    â€˜And yet you gave it all up to have another baby?’
    â€˜That’s right.’
    â€˜Aren’t you going to give him the other breast?’
    Eliza glanced at her sharply. ‘No, he’s all right now. He’s dropping off.’
    â€˜But won’t you feel lopsided?’
    â€˜No, he’ll have the other side when he wakes up next. Though I don’t know what concern it is of yours.’
    â€˜I can’t help being interested in babies, that’s all. Who does he look like?’
    â€˜Can we change the subject? I don’t know why we should be discussing mothercraft. The thing is, I thought I could trust Thomas. I thought you and he were just friends. I wanted him to have friends because I felt guilty about neglecting him. I didn’t know he was fucking you.’
    â€˜As a matter of fact, I didn’t know he was fucking you.’
    â€˜Christ, I’m his wife. Haven’t you got any decency?’
    â€˜We didn’t for ages. He used to come to the house to fetch Harry and we’d just sit and talk and drink coffee. I was pleased to have company, I don’t meet many people except my mother’s friends.’
    â€˜And then?’
    â€˜Well, it was the evening Harry stayed the night in that little tent Joss had. I think it was Joss’s birthday. Yes, his seventh birthday.’
    â€˜That was … three years ago.’
    â€˜Almost three years. Yes, three years in June. And Thomas strolled up to see if they were all right – you know how they can suddenly get homesick and frightened of the dark. But they were both fine. Asleep, in fact. They were both asleep.’
    Rosamund’s voice had become low and meditative as she re-lived that night, but Eliza’s acid look brought her back to the present. ‘So we sat and talked for a while. And then there was this terrific thunderstorm; thunder, whipping lightning, rain in torrents flowing down the garden, so we simply had to get them in. We went out with torches and scooped them up, still in their sleeping-bags, and would you believe, they were still asleep as we laid them down on the floor in Joss’s room. Their faces were soaking wet from the rain as we carried them in, but they were still fast asleep. Then I went to my room to get a dry shirt and Thomas followed me.’ Rosamund felt herself blush and put