Free Swimming Pool Sunday by Sophie Kinsella, Madeleine Wickham Page A

with me.
    But instead she smiled at Alexis and Daisy, said, ‘I’ll catch you later,’ and swam swiftly, confusedly, away.
    The sun sat determinedly behind a cloud for the next half an hour, and eventually the prone sunbathers around the pool gradually began to stand up, stretch, look at their watches and start to gather their belongings together.
    Meanwhile, Amelia and Katie, utterly oblivious of the weather, had commandeered the diving-board. Amelia was doing back dives and Katie was doing front dives.
    ‘I’m going to be in the diving team when I go to senior school,’ Amelia was announcing proudly, standing with her back to the water. She bounced up into the air, arched her back, and entered the water cleanly, hands in a neat point.
    ‘So am I,’ said Katie, as soon as Amelia’s head popped up above the water again. ‘Look at my star jump!’ She leaped high into the air, with legs outstretched and toes pointed, then brought them together sharply before plunging into the water.
    ‘That’s not a dive,’ said Amelia scornfully.
    ‘Well, nor is a back dive,’ said Katie, paddling breathlessly to the side of the pool.
    ‘Yes it is,’ retorted Amelia. ‘Why do you think it’s called a back dive if it’s not a dive?’
    ‘Dives are facing forward ,’ said Katie. ‘Look!’ She rushed recklessly past Amelia onto the diving-board, and essayed a cautious forward dive from the end, one hand clutching her nose.
    ‘That was rubbish!’ yelled Amelia, as soon as Katie’s head was clear. ‘I’m going to do another back dive. Get out of the way!’
    ‘So am I!’ retorted Katie desperately. ‘So am I going to do a back dive! You just wait, Amelia.’
    Louise was gathering up her things, preparing to leave, when Barnaby came striding over.
    ‘I thought I’d take the girls out to supper,’ he said, with no preamble. ‘For a pizza, maybe. They’d like that.’
    ‘They’ve got school tomorrow,’ objected Louise, ‘and it’s already getting late. Maybe another time.’
    ‘We won’t be long,’ insisted Barnaby. ‘I’ve hardly seen them today.’
    ‘Yes, you have,’ retorted Louise. She paused. ‘And anyway, they’ll be too exhausted to go out after all this swimming.’
    ‘No they won’t,’ said Barnaby obstinately. ‘It’s only five. We’ll go straight from here, eat at six, be home by seven. Easy.’
    ‘It’s not easy,’ said Louise, her voice rising. ‘I then have to get them bathed and ready for bed, and check their homework, and make sure they’re in a fit state for school tomorrow.’
    ‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ exclaimed Barnaby. ‘What does school matter?’
    ‘Yes, well, I might have expected you to take that attitude,’ said Louise. She folded up a towel with abrupt angry movements.
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Barnaby glared at her.
    ‘Mummy! Watch!’ A piercing voice came from the diving-board.
    ‘In a minute, Katie,’ Louise called. She glared back at Barnaby. ‘It means whatever you want it to mean.’ There was a moment’s silence. Then Amelia came bounding up, dripping wet and shivering.
    ‘Where’s my towel?’ she demanded. Barnaby ignored Louise’s gaze.
    ‘Amelia!’ he exclaimed. ‘Feel like going out for pizza tonight?’
    ‘Yeah! Pizza!’ Amelia beamed up at Barnaby.
    ‘Mummy! Amelia! Watch me!’ Louise ignored Katie’s cry. Her nostrils were white with anger.
    ‘Barnaby!’ she hissed. ‘If you don’t stop doing this, I’ll …’
    ‘You’ll what?’ Barnaby whipped round, and stared at her with a deep angry hurt in his eyes. ‘What exactly will you do, Louise?’
    ‘Am–ee–lia! Watch me do a back dive!’ Katie’s final appeal was so shrill that they all turned to watch.
    Standing with her back to the water, Katie was bouncing on the end of the diving-board. She bounced and bounced until the board was vibrating vigorously, then, shooting a triumphant look at Amelia, hurled herself backwards into the air.
    The last voice