so tired I’m going to have a bath.’
‘Oh, right. Supper’s at seven thirty.’
‘What are we having?’
‘Granny’s done one of her shepherd’s pies.’
‘Oh yum. Is Jem back yet?’
‘I haven’t seen him.’
Connie went to the kitchen to find Greg, who, on seeing her, quickly pressed a button that made his computer go to screen saver.
She ambled over and put her arms round his shoulders.
‘You seem to be working so hard this holiday. I’ve hardly spent any time with you.’ She kissed his head.
He flapped his broken arm in its cast. ‘It’s this thing. I feel absolutely bloody useless. You and Pru have been so busy with the house. How’s the roof looking?’
‘Not bad. The roofer seems a nice man, even if he is a friend of Merlin’s.’ She perched her bottom on the table and faced Greg. ‘He says it’ll be finished tomorrow.’
‘What about Merlin? Any news on the boiler?’
‘He says he’s ordered it and it’ll be here at the end of the week. In the meantime, the old one is at least giving us hot water and the leak under the sink has stopped.’ She ran her fingers across her neck and shoulders. ‘Fine holiday this is turning out to be. Your arm, the house … I could do with a day away from this place. Just the two of us. Can we do that?’
Greg looked at his wife. She looked exhausted. It was true: she had been working non-stop while he and Janie had been enjoying virtual sex via email. Maybe she deserved a bit of a treat.
‘What would you like to do?’
‘Nothing too complicated. A drive along the coast. Find a nice pub for lunch and sit in the sunshine. Hmm?’ She moved off the table and sat in Greg’s lap. She kissed him warmly. He put his good hand on her bottom and gave it a squeeze.
‘Why not. My wife and I are going to have a day out tomorrow.’ They kissed again, more passionately this time.
‘Get a room, can’t you?’ Abi came in with her hair wrapped in a towelling turban and wearing shortie silk pyjamas covered in pink hearts.
She picked up a magazine from the worktop and went out to the verandah where she collapsed, groaning, on to a sun lounger.
Her parents watched her. Connie giggled. ‘Drama school, do you think?’
‘They couldn’t teach her anything,’ smiled Greg.
‘Hi, guys.’ Jem walked in and swung his shoulder bag down on to the table. ‘Does my face look red?’ He crouched to examine his reflection in the toaster.
‘A bit,’ replied his aunt. ‘Did you forget to put sun cream on?’
‘Yeah. It didn’t look that sunny.’
Greg reopened his computer and started typing. ‘That’s because the sun’s rays bounce off the—’
‘—sea. Yes, I did that at school. Well, now I’ve done the control experiment and can confirm that the sun’s rays do indeed bounce off the sea and burn your bloody face to a crisp.’
‘Language, Jem.’ His mother appeared with dark circles under her eyes and a laundry basket under her arm. ‘Connie, are you making tea?’
‘Yeah.’ Connie got off Greg’s lap and stretched. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’
Pru walked to the washing machine and began loading it. ‘I’m exhausted. What with Francis’s eye and the house and everything, I shall need a holiday to get over this one.’ The washing machine started whirring happily and Pru yawned before sinking into a chair. ‘If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to take a day off tomorrow.’
Connie tightened her lips imperceptibly. ‘Tomorrow? The roofer is coming to finish off tomorrow and someone needs to be here to make sure he does.’
‘What about you?’
Greg came to the rescue. ‘Connie won’t be here. I am taking my darling wife out for the day. She deserves a rest and a treat.’
‘And you think I don’t?’
‘No, Pru. Of course you do. Perhaps you and Francis could go out the day after tomorrow?’ Greg was at his most charming. ‘Maybe even go away for the night? Mousehole or Sennen?’ Then the clincher. ‘You really deserve it.’
Connie bridled. ‘I’d like a night away too. God knows I could do with it.’
‘While you lot are making your social arrangements, is there any tea for a hard-working man of the sea?’ Poor Jem, his face glowing like a red Christmas bauble, was still standing waiting for attention.
Francis came in from the garden with a selection of herbs. ‘Hi, Jem. Golly, your face looks red. I’ll get you some after-sun. Lamb chops with fresh mint sauce and redcurrant and rosemary gravy, everybody?’
Ignoring this, Pru dived straight in: ‘Francis, we are having a day off tomorrow. We are going for a drive and lunch out.’
‘Are we?’ he replied, opening the kitchen drawer where the first-aid kit was stored. ‘That’s nice. Here, Jem, put this on.’ He handed Jeremy some calendula cream. ‘I’d love to have a day out with you.’
‘No, no,’ Connie said quickly. ‘It’s our turn tomorrow. Yours the day after.’
Greg saw his mother-in-law coming across the garden from The Bungalow and had an idea.
‘Tell you what. Why don’t we all have tomorrow off and ask Dorothy to babysit the roofer?’
Nothing ever goes according to plan with families. The following morning, Connie, who had got Abi and Jem out of the door and off to work, was looking forward to her day out, alone, with her husband. But her plan was to be thwarted.
Once she’d got the kids off she called Greg down for breakfast and spread a coastal map over the kitchen table. They were calculating how long it would take them to drive to Polperro and Fowey when Francis walked in, rubbing his hands together and saying, ‘What a great idea this is. Just the four of us out for the day. Like old times, eh? So, where are we going?’
Greg smiled, ‘Nice try, old man. Very funny. This is a day out for—’
But Francis wasn’t listening. Pru had swept in, in a new Diane von Fürstenberg blue multi-print chiffon dress which, even Greg had to admit, made her look pretty good. He gave her an appreciative wolf whistle and got a punch on the arm from Connie.
‘Thank you, Greg,’ Pru said condescendingly while glaring at Connie. ‘I felt the need to make an effort after looking
