Читать книгу A Perfect Cornish Summer - Phillipa Ashley - Страница 13

Chloe perched on a stool at the breakfast bar and punched Hannah’s number into her phone before she could chicken out. This was a bad idea. Her daughter would see it was ‘Mum’ calling and probably not pick up. The most likely scenario was that the call would go to voicemail again.

Her thumb hovered over the off button.

‘Mum?’

She gripped the phone. ‘Hannah?’

‘Who else would it be?’

‘No one, but … it’s good to hear you.’

Silence. A pause. Would her daughter ring off? ‘Is everything OK?’

‘Yes. Fine … We’re fine. I’m fine and Dad was, the last time I spoke to him. I only wanted to see if you and Ruby are OK.’

Another pause. ‘Yes. We’re OK.’

Chloe couldn’t stand the tension. She heard noises: doors opening; doors slamming?

‘I should go,’ Hannah said.

‘Not yet, please. I … Are you …’ Is he there? Chloe ached to ask the question but it was too incendiary. ‘Are you on your own?’

‘I was. But not now.’

‘Oh. I see.’

‘Why do you ask, Mum?’

Hannah wasn’t stupid. ‘No reason. I only wanted to see how you were. To see if there’s any way we can … come together. I hate – I mean I’m really sad about – the way things have gone between us.’

Chloe heard a man’s voice clearly saying ‘Hannah? Who is it?’ That had to be Jordan. Was he controlling Hannah? Threatening her? Chloe wanted to be sick.

‘I have to go, Mum. Ruby’s crying.’

‘Is she OK?’

‘Of course she’s OK. Why wouldn’t she be? I can look after her.’

Suddenly, the conversation had taken a turn for the worse. ‘Hannah. Wait. I wasn’t implying that you couldn’t …’

‘I have to go.’ There was a note of desperation in Hannah’s tone. Chloe couldn’t hear Jordan anymore, but could sense his presence from two hundred miles away.

‘OK. Hannah, I want you to know that you can call me any time or text or email me. Or your father. If you need us.’

‘Mum. I’m fine. Please, why won’t you understand that I’m fine …’ There was a child’s wail and then the male voice again. Chloe couldn’t hear what was said but Hannah muttered, ‘Yes, I’m coming!’ Then, ‘Sorry.’

The phone clicked off. Chloe stared at it in her hand before tossing it onto the sofa. She hugged herself and paced around the flat. Fine. I’m fine. For God’s sake, that phrase had to be the biggest lie on the planet. Hannah and Chloe had both said it to each other more than once when the opposite was clearly true.

Yet Hannah had at least taken the call. That had to be something and all Chloe’s instincts as a mum told her that Hannah wanted to take a step towards reconciliation … but the call had also left her no further forward. Jordan was in the house, and possibly listening in to Hannah’s side of the conversation. Maybe when her daughter had some time alone, she might call back … Plus those final comments … what did they mean?

‘Yes, I’m coming!’ That was obviously meant for Jordan. Or possibly little Ruby. And the ‘Sorry’ – that could have been directed at either of them, or at Chloe herself. Or maybe she was overthinking things. She was at a loss for what to do next, if anything at all. Instinct made her want to rush over to Bristol that minute, but common sense told her to leave things as they were, and hope Hannah reached out to her.

Chloe caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her mascara had smudged, leaving her with two spidery imprints under her eyes. She’d better go and wipe it off in the bathroom. She picked up the phone again on the off-chance Hannah had texted her. There was no message, of course, but she did notice one thing.

The time.

‘Oh shit!’

She was late for the festival meeting. In fact, it had probably already started.