Free Until He Met Meg by Sami Lee Page A

figure paced the room just beyond her to the background sound of suspenseful music.
    ‘What are you watching?’
    At Meg’s question the other woman almost leapt off the couch, whirling around to face her. ‘Blimey girl, you scared me! I thought you were out.’
    ‘I’ll be leaving soon to collect Phillipa.’ Meg glanced again at the television. ‘Mrs Dunkirk, are you watching the soaps?’
    Meg thought she saw an almost guilty flush infuse the older woman’s features. ‘I just turned on the television and the show happened to be on.’ Her face rearranged into her more familiar menacing scowl as she gave up the façade. ‘Oh, hush up will you? I’m just about to find out who the “Sunrise Valley Strangler” is.’
    Smothering a smile, Meg moved to sit with dutiful quiet on the couch beside Mrs Dunkirk. She hadn’t seen this show in years, not since the last time she had been rugged up in bed with a stomach bug.
    Meg watched, feeling Mrs Dunkirk’s tension as the shadowy figure continued to stalk through the room. The dramatic music reached a crescendo when the cupboard door swung open and the woman who had been hiding gasped in shock. ‘It’s you!’ she exclaimed, just before the screen froze on her face and the end credits began.
    ‘Blast!’ Mrs Dunkirk swore animatedly. ‘I really thought today was the day we’d find out.’
    ‘Ah, but this way you’ll be sure to watch tomorrow.’
    Mrs Dunkirk narrowed her eyes. ‘It’s not polite to make fun of your elders, young lady.’
    ‘I wasn’t,’ Meg swiftly denied. ‘My mother used to watch this show whenever she got the chance. I remember watching it days I was home sick from school.’
    ‘My mother watches it too.’ Mrs Dunkirk’s scornful expression settled back into one of mere irritability. ‘She tapes it for me while I’m here and we watch it together at night. But today, I couldn’t help taking a peek.’
    ‘You live with your mother?’
    ‘She has a bad hip,’ she said testily, flicking off the remote control and rising swiftly to her feet. ‘She needs help getting around, and my no-good brother’s no help.’
    Meg didn’t know what to say. She’d only been trying to make conversation with the woman. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. It’s very nice of you to help your mother out.’ In fact, the thought of Mrs Dunkirk sitting at home with her mother watching taped episodes of the silliest soap opera on television made her seem more human than she had appeared at any point up until now.
    Mrs Dunkirk harrumphed. ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do than skulk around here bothering me?’
    ‘Actually, when Phillipa’s in school and you do all the housework, there doesn’t seem to be all that much to occupy me. What did the other nannies do?’
    ‘Sat around mostly.’ Mrs Dunkirk picked up a rag and bottle of cleaning spray and began polishing the coffee table’s surface. She made another sound in the back of her throat that conveyed displeasure. ‘Made themselves comfortable and took advantage of the cushy working conditions Mr Carlton provides. A few even spent their time devising ways to catch the boss’s attention. I’m sure you know what I mean.’
    Meg could hardly miss the implication. A man like Bryce was sure to have even the most sensible person dreaming that he might sweep them off their tired, working-girl feet.
    Not that she dreamt of any such thing, Meg assured herself, and almost believed it.
    ‘The young miss sorted those ones out pretty quickly,’ Mrs Dunkirk continued, a look very much like smug pride causing her mouth to curl. ‘She’s a clever girl, that one.’
    ‘Do you mean to tell me Phillipa has been purposely scaring away nannies she thinks might have eyes for her father?’ No wonder the girl had gone through so many carers. Is that why she had been so resistant to any attempts Meg had made to build a civil relationship?
    Did Phillipa think she was after Bryce?
    ‘Saves me having to get