66

Eve breathed in the sea air, relishing the fresh salt smell on the evening breeze, the April sun warm on her face. She stopped on the sand and swung her arms wide, threw her head back and stood there for a moment in silence, gazing at the horizon. Eric was walking ahead, with Mairi’s dark head bobbing up and down on his back in the BabyBjörn, Arthur beside him, kicking the trail of water from the receding wave with his welly boots and laughing as the spray shot up. He was already soaked, but it didn’t matter.

As she stood watching her family, she wondered how her mother was getting on. She had been in such an edgy mood since she arrived at the house for Easter the previous week. Eve knew why, of course: Lisa’s baby.

Joshua – Josh – had been born three days ago, the Thursday after Easter. Two weeks early, but none the worse for that, according to Jack. And Eve had still not worked out what was going on in her mum’s mind when it came to the child. All through the pregnancy she’d barely talked about it, saying it was Jack’s mess. But she seemed to soak up every scrap of information Eve casually dropped into the conversation. Then, as the birth got closer, Stella became more and more tense.

‘I thought you said Greg was stepping up to the plate,’ her mum had said when Eve told her Jack wouldn’t be down for the holiday.

‘He is. Him and Dad. They’ll both be there.’

Her mum had frowned at this. ‘That’s pretty weird, don’t you think?’

‘Well, given the circumstances …’ Eve thought the whole thing was totally weird, but she wasn’t going to go there with her mum in such a wound-up state.

‘It seems your father’s intending to be involved with the baby, then.’ Her mother’s voice was flat.

‘I think so, sort of. I told you, he’s said Lisa can stay in the house till the baby’s a bit older, then they’ll sell it and divvy up the proceeds.’

‘So he’ll still be living with her.’ Her mother’s face was a picture of jealous disapproval.

‘No, Dad’ll be living in the cottage. Greg’s going to be in and out at Queen’s Park and he’s hired a maternity nurse for the first six weeks so Lisa won’t be alone. She says he’s earning a mint at Amazon.’

‘Why can’t Lisa live with him, then? The whole thing’s a bloody shambles. That poor baby won’t know whether it’s coming or going.’

‘Mum, don’t be snippy. They’re doing their best in a tricky situation.’ Eve had been patient. ‘It’s Lisa’s home. And she and Greg aren’t properly living together. They may never be. I don’t think Dad entirely trusts Greg to do the right thing. Lisa is his wife, don’t forget.’

‘Oh, I hadn’t forgotten,’ Stella had snapped, and flounced out of the kitchen. Eve, receiving a bewildered look from Eric as he collided with his mother-in-law in the doorway, had felt sorry for her.

Now Eve’s phone rang. ‘Hey, Dad, how’s it going?’

‘Yeah, good, good. Little Joshua seems to be behaving. The maternity nurse – who looks gloriously like Hattie Jacques, although you won’t know who that is – has Lisa on a terrifying regime of self-improvement, which Lisa’s lapping up. You know the thing, cold baths and lumpy porridge, hospital corners and bed before nine.’

Eve chuckled. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting the baby. And what about Grisly Greg?’

Her father harrumphed. ‘He’s around. I haven’t warmed to the fellow, but Lisa appears to like him, which is all that matters. I’ve left them to it and come down to the cottage for a few days.’

‘We’re on the beach,’ she told him. ‘But we’ll be leaving soon. Why don’t you come round later and have some supper?’

There was silence on the other end of the line and Eve wondered if she’d lost connection. Then her father said, ‘Actually, I’m looking for your mum. Is she with you?’

‘No …’ Eve hesitated, then made a decision. ‘She’s gone to the rose garden.’

Her father did not reply at once. ‘Thanks, Evie. I might see you later.’ And he was gone.