Verity leaned back against the hall wall and closed her eyes.
‘Oh, Honor,’ she whispered sadly beneath her breath. Opening her eyes, she said as steadily as she could, ‘Honor, I don’t think that would be a good idea, do you? I—’
‘You’ve spoken to Dad, haven’t you?’ Honor demanded in a flat, accusing voice. ‘I thought you liked me…I thought we were friends…’
Verity could hear the tears in her voice.
‘Honor,’ she pleaded. ‘Please…’
‘I thought you liked me…’ Honor was repeating, crying in earnest now.
Verity pushed her hand into her hair. She had left it down this morning, oblivious to the admiring male glances she had attracted as she’d walked across the supermarket car park, the bright sunlight burnishing it to honey-gold.
‘Honor. Honor, I do…I do…but I shan’t be staying in town very much longer. I only intended to make a very short visit here,’ Verity began, but Honor was no longer listening to her.
‘You’re leaving? No, you can’t. You mustn’t. I need you, Verity.’ Then the phone went down.
Leaning against the wall, Verity took a deep breath.
Honor looked at her father. He was still talking to his customer. Sometimes grown-ups just didn’t know what was good for them!
She went up to him.
‘Dad, I’ve changed my mind and I want to go swimming with Catherine after all.’
‘All right,’ Silas agreed. ‘Give me five minutes and then I’ll drive you round to Catherine’s.’
‘I’ll need to go home first to get my swimming things,’ Honor reminded him.
‘Fine…’ Silas replied.
He was well aware that he was in his daughter’s bad books—and why. His only comfort was that one day she would understand and thank him for protecting her. One day…but quite definitely not today.
‘So what are you going to do?’ Catherine asked Honor interestedly. They were sitting in Catherine’s bedroom eating Marmite sandwiches and drying one another’s hair after their trip to the leisure centre.
‘I don’t know yet,’ Honor replied in despair.
‘You could always try to find someone else to be your stepmother,’ Catherine suggested cautiously.
‘I don’t want anyone else,’ Honor retorted passionately. ‘Would you want to change your mother?’
Catherine looked at her.
‘Sometimes I would,’ she reflected. ‘Specially when she won’t let me stay up late to watch television.’
‘Goodbye, Honor.’
Honor turned dutifully to smile and wave as she got out of Catherine’s mother’s car.
The latter had just brought her home and Honor could see her father opening the front door for her. Dragging her bag behind her, she headed towards him.
‘No kiss for me…?’ Silas asked her with forced joviality as she stalked past him and into the house.
Honor turned to give him a withering, womanly look.
‘Honor, I was thinking, you know that puppy you wanted…’
‘I don’t want a puppy,’ Honor told him coldly. ‘I want Verity.’