A Bouquet of Barbed Wire Read Online Free PDF Page B

down. ‘How do you know?’
    ‘She told me.’
    ‘When?’ He heard his own voice, quite calm and chill.
    ‘Before the wedding. She was trying to reassure me, I think, that she was really in love and not trapped. She said “Mummy, I wanted this to happen. I really did.” ‘
    Manson felt sick.
    ‘I wasn’t going to tell you but now you seem so worried maybe it’s better you should know. There was more than one before Gavin. She said she was curious and she thought she was in love, all that, but she never wanted to be pregnant till she met Gavin.’
    Manson said, ‘I don’t think I want to hear any more.’
    ‘I’m only trying to show you that she really loves him. Can he be so bad if she loves him that much? Do you credit your daughter with so little judgment?’
    Manson got up abruptly and poured a fresh drink. ‘I don’t know what I credit her with. I’m not sure I know her any more. For you?’
    ‘Thanks.’ Cassie gave him her glass. She was frowning. ‘Darling, this has blown up awfully suddenly, hasn’t it? What was it … seeing her for the first time since the wedding that did it?’
    He answered reluctantly. ‘I suppose so. Oh, I don’t know, she’s been on my mind all day, that’s all. Did she tell you she fell asleep in a bus queue this morning?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Well, that’s pretty alarming, isn’t it?’
    ‘I don’t know, is it? Did she hurt herself?’
    ‘No, some man caught her, she said.’
    ‘Well, then.’
    ‘Now you’re not going to tell me that falling asleep in a bus queue is a normal symptom of pregnancy.’
    Cassie smiled. ‘Oh, she’s probably exaggerating a bit. I used to get pretty sleepy when I was pregnant, don’t you remember?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Well, I did. That’s quite normal. I expect she just built up the bus queue story to make it entertaining.’ She sipped the fresh drink he had given her. ‘Or to get attention.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Don’t be so shocked, we all do it. It’s nice to get attention. Like saying “I nearly got run over” when what we really mean is a bus passed a bit close. God knows there’s little enough drama in life.’
    He said with sudden feeling, ‘Yes, that’s horribly true.’
    She looked at him steadily. ‘Do you wish there was more?’
    ‘I don’t know. I just feel—oh Cass, I just feel so
old.’

7
    P RUE SAID , ‘Well, we needn’t go if you don’t want to.’ She was lying on her back with her arms behind her head. The curtains had not been drawn and a small amount of moonlight shone across the bed. She stretched and made a purring sound. ‘I’m quite happy to stay here, you know that.’
    ‘Yeah, I notice you wait till my defences are down before you spill the good news.’
    ‘Oh, Gavin.’ She raised herself on one elbow to look at him. ‘Are you mad at me?’
    ‘No, I’m not mad at you, honey. It’s just not my idea of a crazy weekend, that’s all.’
    ‘I’ll cancel it.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Yes, I will. I’ll ring up first thing in the morning and say we can’t come.’
    ‘No. Hell, we can’t do that.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Think how sore they’d be. Your old man’d blow his top.’
    Prue lay down again. She said firmly, ‘If you don’t want to go, I don’t want to go.’
    ‘Now that’s just ridiculous.’
    ‘Why is it ridiculous?’
    ‘Because they’re
your
folks, that’s why. Naturally they want to see you and naturally you want to see them. What we. really should do is sleep in a hotel round the corner, thenyou could spend all day and all evening with them and I could take in a movie or something.’
    ‘Oh, Gavin, now
you’re
being ridiculous.’
    ‘Honey, you know I don’t dig this family scene.’
    Prue said in a small voice, ‘I hope you’re going to dig
our
family scene.’
    ‘That’s different.’
    ‘Is it really?’
    ‘Sure it is. I can’t wait to feel the little bastard kick.’
    Prue curled herself round him. ‘Oh, Gavin, I do love you.’
    ‘That’s good, baby,