Free Busy Woman Seeks Wife by Annie Sanders

you tea
     in bed for a week.”
    Frankie held up his hand to silence her. “Who? Sorry? Ella Ward. Can I ask what it’s in connection with? Oh, yes. I’ll just
     see if she’s available. Hold the line, please.” He covered the receiver and ignored her frantic gesticulation. “It’s someone
     called Mike from the radio station. Do you want to—”
    Ella ripped the receiver from his hand and plastered a perky smile on her face. “Hello, Ella here!” Frankie watched with interest
     as the expression on her face transformed from cautious to excited to delighted to incredulous. “Yes, absolutely. I certainly
     do… Well, I’d love to. No problem.” She shot a quick look at Frankie. “Let me just check my diary.” She covered the mouthpiece
     and turned to him, her face bright and pleading. “They want me!” she whispered loudly. “You see, they said they’d call. But
     the thing is, Frankie, they need me straightaway—today. Someone’s had to go into hospital suddenly and…”
    “You’re dead right someone has to go to hospital. Your old lady! You can’t bottle out like this. You just can’t.”
    “But you’re not doing anything at the moment. You said so yourself. Oh please, Frankie. She’s quite sweet really. And you’d
     do it so much better than me. I’m a crap driver too. I’d probably scrape the car or get it towed away. Oh please, please,
     PLEASE! It’s just for a little while, because they’re short. I promise I’ll be back on duty by bedtime. And I’ll never ask
     you anything again. And I’ll make you tea for a
year.
Honest!”
    Frankie shook his head emphatically, closing his eyes with an air of finality, then snapping them open again as he heard her
     chirp, “Yes, amazingly enough, I can move a couple of things around and get to you for—oh—say, 12:30?” She was rummaging in
     the pile of clothes Frankie had sorted the night before after his trip to the launderette, pulling out tops and discarding
     them on the floor. He gesticulated at her, shaking his head and mouthing, “No, NO, NOOOO!,” but she turned her back and rapidly
     concluded the conversation. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll look forward to seeing you then. Thanks! Bye!”
    An awful silence fell as they stared at each other. Frankie spoke first, his voice low and serious. “You have gone too far
     this time. Call them back at once. You have a job to do and you’re bloody well going to do it. You can’t leave that old lady
     in the lurch, and I’m not bailing you out this time.”
    “Oh, come on, Frankie. This is my big break! This would be like the Royal Shakespeare Company calling you. You can’t let me
     down now.”
    “No way, nohow. Absolutely, definitely not!”

Chapter 9

    F rankie let himself in with the key Ella had pressed into his hand before disappearing off to Croydon, seemingly transported
     by clouds. At least he’d managed to bring her down to earth long enough to make a call to Alex’s mother, informing her that
     a “trusted friend” would be taking her for her appointment and that he’d be there very soon, assuring her that she’d be back
     later as usual. He’d also extracted all kinds of promises of breakfast in bed, trips to the launderette, taking out the rubbish.
     If she stuck to all the vows she’d made, the rest of Frankie’s life would be one of luxury and indolence. But the chances
     of that . . .
    He called out as he made his way upstairs. “Helloo? Mrs. Hill? Are you there? I’m Ella’s friend. I’ve come to take you to
     your appointment…”
    “About time too! I’m in here.” An imperious voice from a room to his left caught him unawares. Granny Applecheek she obviously
     wasn’t. Maybe Ella had been right. He pinned on his warmest smile and tapped on the door, which swung open at his touch. There,
     silhouetted against the window, was a profile that sent shivers down his spine, a profile that had done the same for men both
     young and old ever since the