Angel Uncovered Read Online Free Page A

do
things for herself again – such as riding or going to the
gym. But seeing how easily Lucy the new nanny communicated
with Honey, and how much the baby liked
her, only made Angel more painfully aware of her own
inadequacies as a mother. She still felt unable to confide
in Cal about her failure to bond with her daughter.
    'Well,' Flavia went on in her very nearly perfect
English, 'you will have to come out with the other wives –
we meet for lunch at least once a week and go shopping,
depending on our work schedules.'
    Angel's spirits plummeted still further at the thought.
Lunch and shopping? She felt as if she was turning into a
Stepford Wife!
    Flavia smiled at Angel, showing off her perfect white
teeth. But Angel wasn't at all sure how genuine that smile
was. Since she and Cal had arrived at the lunch party
which was being hosted by Flavia and Enzo, Angel had
detected a definite undercurrent of hostility coming from
Flavia. And Angel was pretty sure she knew why – Flavia
fancied Cal. While her husband was busy talking to other
guests, Angel caught Flavia gazing at him several times in
a way that was definitely flirtatious. Whenever she talked
to Cal she stood very close to him and made their
conversation seem intimate and exclusive by speaking to
him in Italian.
    Cal had made a huge effort to learn the language and
could actually speak it quite fluently. He had suggested
that Angel have lessons too and she knew that she should
but her heart wasn't in it right now. Though it was a pity
because if she'd had lessons she could have learned the
Italian for 'Fuck off, bitch!' which was exactly what she
wanted to say to swishy-haired, slinky-figured Flavia
right now.
    Angel sipped her champagne and looked round the
vast, white, minimalist living room at the other guests.
Without exception all the women were stylishly and
expensively dressed, all immaculately made up, all with
long glossy hair. They really were in a different league
from the English WAGs. Angel couldn't imagine the
sophisticated Italians hitting the fake tan, and wearing
Juicy Couture trackies and Uggs. The thought made her
feel even more homesick. She sighed and wished Gemma
were with her – she would no doubt have been in
fashionista heaven here, working out which designers the
WAGs were wearing. Angel was also very aware of the
other women sizing her up, and while they didn't look as
if they were about to burst into a chorus of 'Who Let The
Dogs Out', they didn't exactly look friendly either.
    Now Cal walked back over to where Angel and Flavia
were sitting, and Flavia rattled something off in Italian to
him and Cal laughed. Angel narrowed her eyes; she felt
well and truly sidelined. She got up from the sofa, saying,
'I'm just going to check on Honey.' The nannies were
looking after the children in another room which had
upset Angel. 'I thought Italians were supposed to love
children,' she had whispered crossly to Cal when they
arrived.
    'Shh! They do. It's just that Flavia has got some very
expensive things here and she doesn't want them broken.'
    'Honey can't even crawl yet, what's she going to do?'
Angel demanded. But Cal had told her to chill, that they
wouldn't stay long. Now he grabbed her hand and pulled
her back down on the sofa. 'She's fine, relax.'
    'Ah, these new mothers,' Flavia said, in what seemed to
Angel to be a patronising tone. 'Honey will be perfectly
all right. You should enjoy the time with your husband.'
As she said it she looked appraisingly at him. Yes , thought
Angel, she definitely fancies Cal.
    'Your husband's Italian is so good, aren't you
impressed, Angel?' Flavia went on. 'Did he tell you that I
taught him?'
    'He did,' she lied. Cal certainly hadn't mentioned it, but
no way did she want to give Flavia the satisfaction of
knowing that. Angel glared at Cal, who shrugged and
looked faintly guilty.
    'He was such a model student,' sighed Flavia, twirling
a strand of silky hair round a slim finger. She had
clearly spotted that