Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next 2)

'No, I'd better run along,' replied Miles. 'Just tell her I called, won't you?'

He walked off and I stood up. Bowden, very unusually for him, was giggling.

'What's so funny?'

'Nothing – why don't you want to see him?'

'Because I might be carrying his baby.'

'You're going to have to speak up, I can hardly hear you.'

'I might,' I repeated in a hoarse whisper, 'be carrying his baby!'

'I thought you said it was Land— What's the matter now?'

I had dropped to the ground again as Cordelia Flakk walked in. She was scanning the office for me in annoyance, hands on hips.

'Have you seen Thursday about?' she asked Bowden. 'She's got to meet these people of mine.'

'I'm really not sure where she is,' replied Bowden.

'Really? Then who was it I saw ducking under this table?'

'Hello, Cordelia,' I said from beneath the table. 'I dropped my pencil.'

'Sure you did.'

I clambered out and sat down at my desk.

'I expected more from you, Bowden,' said Flakk crossly, then turned to me. 'Now, Thursday. We promised these two people they could meet you. Do you really want to disappoint them? Your public, you know.'

'They're not my public, Cordelia, they're yours. You made them for me.'

'I've had to keep them at the Finis for another night,' said Cordelia. 'Costs are escalating. They're downstairs right now. I knew you'd be in for your assessment. How did you do, by the way?'

'Don't ask.'

I looked at Bowden, who shrugged. Looking for some sort of rescue, I twisted on my seat, looking over to where Victor was running a possible unpublished sequel to 1984 entitled 1985 through the Prose Analyser. All the other members of the office were busy at their various tasks. It looked as if my PR career was just about to restart.

I sighed. 'All right. I'll do it.'

'Better than hiding under the desk,' said Bowden. 'All that jumping around is probably not good for the baby.'

He clapped his hand over his mouth but it was too late.

'Baby?' echoed Cordelia. 'What baby?'

'Thanks, Bowden.'

'Sorry.'

'Well, congratulations!' said Cordelia, hugging me. 'Who is the lucky father?'

'I don't know.'

'You mean you haven't told him yet?'

'No, I mean I don't know. My husband, hopefully.'