are no ponds or anything like that to worry about either. Besides, he’ll have Dylan to play with. Do you want to get his ball and throw it for him, Charlie?’
‘Yes, please!’ The lad didn’t need much inducement.
‘His ball is in a box just under the steps,’ Beth told him.
As Sophia reluctantly released the light grip on his shoulder, as if intuiting his mother’s concern, Charlie turned to throw her a disarming grin. ‘I’ll be all right, Mummy—promise!’ he said, and without further ado he flew out through the open patio doors onto the decking area, where two long tables were laden with platters of what remained of the delicious food Beth had prepared.
The repast still looked appetising in the watery spring sunshine, even though the hungry guests had helped themselves to a fair amount of it already.
Pounding down the wooden steps, fetching the dog’s ball and racing out into the neatly mown garden, Charlie called loudly, ‘Dylan! Dylan! Do you remember me? I’m Charlie. Come here, boy!’
‘I’ll introduce you to everyone in a moment—but first let me get you a drink, Sophia.’
Beth cleverly brought the other woman’s attention back from her anxious perusal of her disappearing son. Paul had joined them just as Charlie had run out into the garden, and now Jarrett’s sister turned to him with one of the dazzling persuasive smiles that her husband had always found so hard to resist.
‘Darling? Would you be a love and get Sophia a nice glass of champagne?’
‘No!’
The loud, vehement refusal sent a buzz of shock eddying round the other guests—Jarrett included …
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