Second Chance - Jane Green [110]
‘I imagine that once people know you’re definitely separated, you’ll be hearing that from pretty much everyone, but of course I won’t say anything in front of the kids. Can I meet them?’
‘Is breakfast ready?’ Saffron looks over at Paul, who nods. ‘Let’s get them in.’
‘Mummy,’ Daisy has put down her fork and is staring at Saffron, ‘I thought you said your friend was a beautiful famous actress.’
Paul shouts with laughter and Saffron gives him an exaggerated evil eye.
‘Daisy!’ Oliver says loudly. ‘That’s very rude.’
‘No it’s not!’ she says, her voice rising towards tears. ‘It’s not rude, it’s true.’
‘It is rude. Isn’t it rude, Mummy? To make comments about people when they’re sitting in front of you?’
‘I wasn’t making comments.’ Daisy pouts. ‘I was just saying she’s not beautiful.’
‘It’s okay, Oliver.’ Saffron smiles. ‘I don’t mind. Usually I am beautiful and famous, but today I’m just ordinary. I change, a bit like Cinderella.’
‘You forgot to say modest.’ Paul grins.
‘Ah yes. That too. Olivia?’ Saffron suddenly looks over at Olivia. ‘You look horrible. Are you okay?’
‘Back in a sec,’ Olivia gulps, standing up and rushing from the table, hand over her mouth.
Seconds later the unmistakable sound of retching and heaving comes from the upstairs bathroom.
‘Oh God.’ Paul stops chewing and lays his knife and fork down. ‘Just what I need to hear in the middle of breakfast.’
Saffron reaches over and steals a piece of bacon off his plate, chewing on it thoughtfully. ‘Doesn’t bother me. Is she ill or is she pregnant?’
Paul starts to laugh. ‘Olivia, pregnant? Hardly,’ and then he sees Holly’s face. ‘Oh God. Is she?’
Holly tries to feign ignorance, but she has always been a terrible liar.
‘Don’t ask me,’ she says eventually. ‘It’s got nothing to do with me.’
Olivia comes back into the room, breathing newly brushed minty breath, looking more than a little uncomfortable.
‘So… are you preg?’ Saffron looks straight at her.
‘God, Saff.’ Paul rolls his eyes. ‘Subtlety would take you a long way, you know.’ Olivia shoots a look at Holly, who shakes her head vigorously. It wasn’t me, she wants to say.
‘What’s preg?’ Oliver pipes up loudly. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Sssh, Oliver,’ Holly says. ‘I’ll tell you later.’
‘It’s okay, Oliver.’ Olivia sinks down at the table, and shrugs. ‘It means I’m having a baby. It also means it’s a bloody nightmare. Whoops, excuse my language. But, yes. It would seem that despite being resolutely single and having never wanted children my entire life, I am now pregnant.’
‘So who’s the lucky man?’ Saffron says.
‘No one worth talking about. Nice guy, American, we’re no longer in touch.’
‘Not the guy Tom introduced you to?’ Saffron says, and Olivia nods miserably.
‘Does he know?’ Anna asks. Olivia shakes her head.
‘I can’t see the point,’ Olivia says quietly. ‘I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll keep it.’
Holly is looking at Anna as Olivia talks and sees the shock on Anna’s face. The shock and dismay that Olivia could so casually get rid of a baby, when she and Paul would give anything in the world to have one.
‘You would have an abortion?’ Anna asks softly, attempting to keep the emotion out of her voice, attempting not to judge, or at least not to let her judgement show.
Olivia, suddenly remembering Paul and Anna talking about IVF, starts to backtrack furiously. ‘I don’t know…’ she says quickly. ‘I mean, I haven’t decided. I just don’t know what to do, haven’t really made any decision…’
‘It’s okay,’ Paul says, taking Anna’s hand under the table and squeezing it. ‘You don’t have to censor yourself because of us.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Olivia looks directly at Anna, who looks as if she’s going to cry. ‘I didn’t want to say anything. I wasn’t going to say anything. I thought I could just quietly go and have a termination and nobody would ever know.’
‘It’s fine,’ Paul says as a tear rolls slowly down Anna’s face. ‘Don’t worry. What’s important is how you feel.’
‘Mummy?