Free Red Letter Day by Colette Caddle

can afford it.'
    'That's not the point. He only wanted to kit the place out with necessities, not luxuries.'
    Rose was in pain now and though she'd only known Celine a couple of days she knew there was no point in arguing with the girl. 'Fine. Let's go home.'
    Celine shot her a worried look. 'Are you okay?'
    'I'll be fine once I get my shoes off and have a coffee.'
    When they pulled up outside the shop, Rose put her head into Dominic's to ask her son to help Celine take her purchases upstairs.
    'Sorry, Rose, he's gone. But if you keep an eye on the shop for a minute, I'll help Celine.'
    Rose leaned heavily against the counter. 'Thanks, Dominic, I'd appreciate that.'
     
    Fergus sat in the window of the café and watched Celine Moore and Dominic unload his mother's car. Dominic said something and Celine laughed. Fergus had never heard her laugh. In fact he'd never seen her smile. Over the years, the image that had stayed with him was of a young, pale-faced girl, dressed all in black, with tears coursing silently down her cheeks. He'd never even heard her speak.

Chapter 10
    Marina put on her lipstick, pressed her lips with some tissue paper and then added a layer of gloss. 'Josh, are you ready yet?' She pulled on a calf-length suede skirt and black top. After she'd slid on her knee-high black leather boots, she went to her jewellery box and selected some strings of coloured beads to wrap around her long throat and a heavy bronze slave bangle for her wrist. 'Josh?' she called again and began to pick her way through the trail of toys that led to his bedroom. Her son was sitting playing with his train set and there was an ominous dark stain on the Tommy Hilfiger jeans that she'd dressed him in less than an hour ago. 'Have you had a little accident, honey?' She crouched down beside him and fondled his blond head.
    Josh didn't bother to reply.
    'Come along, darling. Mummy will get you some clean clothes. And remember, when you want to do a tinkle, you must do it in the toilet.'
    'Don't want to!'
    'Joshie, be a good boy.'
    'No!'
    'But we have to hurry. We're going to visit Granny.'
    'Don't want to. Granny doesn't like me.'
    Marina hugged his wriggling body to her chest. 'Oh, silly, of course she does! Granny loves you.'
    'Does not.'
    Marina sighed. 'Come on, darling. Let's get you out of those wet jeans and if you're a good boy you can have a chocolate biscuit.'
    'Two biscuits,' Josh demanded with a belligerent look in his eye.
    'Two it is.' Marina beamed at him and led him to the bathroom.
    It was thirty minutes before Marina piled Josh into the car and drove the short distance to her mother's house.
    Kay led the little boy into the living-room as Marina went back to the car to fetch the bags. Josh would only be here a few hours but Marina always brought enough gear to last the week. There were the medicines — just in case. A complete change of clothes — that Kay usually had to dip into. And enough toys to keep triplets happy.
    'Now Mum, no television,' Marina told her mother before she left, 'and make sure Joshie has a little nap.'
    Kay nodded as she always did, and manoeuvred her daughter towards the door. 'He'll be fine, Marina, don't worry.'
    When Kay came back into the room, Josh had all her ornaments on the floor and had knocked over a plant. 'Okay, Josh.' She smiled through gritted teeth. 'Why don't I fetch the chocolate biscuits and we can watch Barney.'
    Immediately Josh clambered up onto the sofa and beamed at her. 'Yippee.'
     
    Marina's back ached as she held the pose for that 'one more take'.
    'That's a wrap, thanks, Marina, you were great.'
    Marina kissed the photographer on both cheeks. 'My pleasure, Gerry.' Not bothering to remove the heavy makeup, she went out to the car and headed in the direction of Hopefield. She was an hour late but Celine had said that her boss was relaxed about what time she took her lunch break. And after a much-needed cup of coffee, Marina was looking forward to a rummage through those