buy something ghastly with a load of E numbers,’ Claire protested.
‘Fuelling the volcano,’ he said, taking her arm and heading along the bank. ‘We’ll be looking at the ducklings, Alice,’ he called back.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Claire said.
‘The ice cream? Lunch? Or are you telling me that you don’t want to be the Wish Fairy?’
Oh, fudge, here comes the smile again…
‘I thought it was your aim in life to wave a wand over everyone and make their dreams come true.’
‘If I wave it over the rose garden will you send away the contractor?’
‘You can try.’
Alice caught up with them, walking carefully as she carried a little cardboard tray supporting their ices. Hal took one and offered it to her. There was a momentary collision of fingers, fuelling the little personal volcano inside her. The ice should have melted on the spot.
He took one for himself, accepted his change, then, admiring the traffic-light coloured nightmare that would have her daughter spinning like a top, said, ‘That looks interesting.’
Resisting the urge to snatch it out of Ally’s hand, she bit off the top of the chocolate flake on her own ice. Seeing her spin and whoop, even if it was an additive-induced high, had to be better than the misery of the last week or two.
‘Rose gardens, dog walkers, donkeys,’ Hal said as he steered her along the bank in Ally’s wake until they reached a bench.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Magic-wand time. You appear to have a soft spot for dog walkers, donkeys, even teddy bears.’
‘Especially teddy bears,’ she said, sitting down on a bench strategically placed so that two weeping willows offered a theatrical view of the river. A stage set with brief walk-on parts by passing swans, oarsmen, a passenger boat on its way upriver to Melchester.
‘Everyone, in fact, except me.’
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