Free True Colours by Jeanne Whitmee Page A

of lasagne. Katie longed to pick up her plate and empty it over his head. When he had once again withdrawn Sophie looked across the table at Katie.
    ‘So, what about your designing work?’
    ‘Oh, I’ll still do that,’ Katie told her, picking up her fork. ‘We’re going to open another shop eventually in East London and I’ll be in charge. It’s all so exciting.’
    ‘It must be. Congratulations.’ Fran and Sophie smiled at her and each other indulgently.
    ‘I’m dying to see your new outfit, Fran,’ Sophie said.
    ‘She looks lovely in it,’ Katie put in. ‘It’s to wear at your son’s open day at school, is it?’
    Fran nodded, lowering her eyes. Every time she thought about it tears threatened, a sight which irritated Charles intensely. She swallowed hard and looked up with a smile. ‘He’s looking forward to it so much,’ she said. ‘Charles and I will miss him so much but it’s what’s best for him after all so we can’t be selfish,’ she said, echoing Charles’s words. ‘And of course a whole new world will open up for me.’ Again, Charles’s words.
    ‘You’ll go back to work?’ Sophie asked.
    ‘I hope to,’ Fran said. ‘Being part of Charles’s business will be so fulfilling.’
    After lunch the three went to a film and afterwards Fran insisted on treating them all to afternoon tea at the Ritz.
    They parted company, the three of them agreeing on a date for their next meeting and went their separate ways. On the bus on her way home Katie reflected on the day. Clearly her friends hadn’t believed her when she’d told them her news. Why did they think she was still that pathetic, fantasizing schoolgirl from the past? She’d told the truth – well, almost. She had to admit that she’dmade it sound just a little bit better than it actually was. She sighed. Maybe one day what was in her head and what came out of her mouth would coincide!

CHAPTER SIX
SOPHIE
    Driving home from the station I couldn’t help feeling depressed. It had been a lovely day and I really enjoyed seeing Katie and Fran again but for some reason being with them had made me feel sad. It wasn’t their fault of course. They’d been great company, each with their stories of what life held for them in the future. No doubt Katie’s bit of news about the partnership was exaggerated but nevertheless, life definitely seemed to be on the up for her. As for Fran – well, she had it made, hadn’t she, with her wealthy husband and adored son? They both seemed so fulfilled and happy with life that I’d felt obliged to put on a brave face about my present situation.
    It wasn’t just that either. They both looked so fantastic. Fran was so
soigné
and well groomed. Even tear-away Katie had looked sophisticated today in the little black dress she had to wear for work, her wild red hair tamed into a neat French pleat.
    After lunch, in the Ladies, I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror and decided that the time had definitely arrived when I must change my style. I looked long and hard at the reflection staring back at me and all at once I saw how ludicrous I looked – a thirty-something woman still dressing like an art student. I took in the maxi-skirt decorated with mirror embroidery, the gypsy top and sandals – all of which had seen better, not to say
younger
days. This morning I’d briefly considered making a trip to Fantaisie myself until Fran told me how much she had paid for her chic new outfit. I felt my jaw drop and tried hard not to gape in horror when shecasually named the price. The kind of money I’d had to spare for clothes since Rex and I took on the restoration of Greenings wouldn’t buy an outfit from a jumble sale let alone designer clothes.
    Contrary to the scene I’d painted for the girls, Rex wasn’t working on the house at all these days. True, he’d had a lot of commissions and, as he’d pointed out, that was where the bread and butter came from. (Rex is old fashioned about being