Made in Heaven Read Online Free Page B

boyish.
    â€˜I’m so sorry. I’m Graham Ashton. I expect you’ve all finished lunch ages ago. My apologies.’
    He took the glasses off and put them away and Charlotte saw that his brown eyes were flecked with green.
    â€˜Do come in, Dr Ashton. It’s quite all right, really. We’ve kept you some food, of course. I’m Charlotte Parrish, Suzannah’s great-aunt.’
    â€˜It’s good to meet you.’
    Charlotte said, ‘We’re all in here,’ and smiled over her shoulder at him as she led him into the dining room.
    â€˜Darling, at last,’ said Maureen, wiggling her fingers in her husband’s direction, sketching out a sort of wave and at the same time calling him to her side. ‘Where on earth have you been? This is my husband, everyone, Graham Ashton.’
    Bob, whose chair was nearest to the door, rose to his feet and extended a hand.
    â€˜Very glad to meet you. Do come and sit down. We’ve left room, and I’m sure there’s some food. You know Zannah, of course, and this is my wife, Jocelyn. Joss.’
    Charlotte saw what happened next, and yet, later on, when she told Edie and Val about it, and then lay in bed going over the events of the day, she was at a loss to understand the way one thing led to another. Joss’s face: that was what she noticed first. She’d turned quite white, and both her hands were up in front of her mouth. She stood up and muttered something.
I must go. I can’t
. Charlotte hadn’t quite caught the words.
    â€˜Joss?’ That was Bob.
    â€˜Ma? What’s the matter? What’s wrong?’ Zannah and Em, getting up and moving towards their mother.
    Isis sat quite still and stared. Maureen clutched Adrian’s sleeve. Graham Ashton remained near the door as though he was never going to move again. He, too, was staring as though he’d seen a ghost. Joss got up from her chair. The French window was open behind her and she ran out on to the terrace and sat down on the top step of the flight leading down to the lawn. Bob moved quickly to follow her, indicating to Zannah and Em that he was in charge; had the situation under control.
    Around the table, everyone hovered, uncertain what to do next. Charlotte could see that if she didn’t say something, if she didn’t restore order, everything she’d wanted this day to be was in danger of disintegrating. She said, with a great deal more confidence than she felt, ‘Please sit down, Dr Ashton. And everyone … I’m sure we’ll be back to normal in a minute. Let me get the coffee. Bob will take care of Joss. Don’t worry.’
    No one spoke. Maureen whispered to her husband, who had moved stiffly to sit beside her, looking trapped and uncomfortable. Zannah and Em, you could see, were longing to go and find out what was wrong with their mother. Isis said, ‘Is Grandma ill?’ and Charlotte, glad of the distraction, had answered, ‘I’m not sure, dear. Just sit still and finish your tart.’
    Then Joss came into the dining room again. Bob stoodnext to her, with one hand on her elbow. She said, ‘I’m terribly sorry, everyone. I have to go home. I … have a migraine. I must go. Charlotte, thank you so much for everything … I … ’
    â€˜Are you sure you don’t want to go upstairs and lie down, Joss?’ Charlotte said.
    â€˜Or I could take you home to the flat,’ said Zannah. ‘You could rest there.’
    â€˜No, really, I can’t. I couldn’t. Thank you, but I have to leave now. I can’t … I want to go home. Now, please. At once. I can’t tell you how sorry … how sad … ’
    Her eyes filled with tears and she seemed to be having some difficulty breathing. She was still white, but now two red patches had appeared on her cheeks. Bob put an arm around her and led her out of the room. Charlotte followed them to the