Penny Jordan's Crighton Family Series

‘I hope you don’t mind our joining you,’ Olivia commented, ‘but hearing your voice has made Caspar feel positively homesick.’

‘No such thing,’ Caspar objected. ‘Not that it isn’t good to hear a familiar American accent,’ he added, turning to Bobbie.

‘He’s a typical Philadelphia lawyer,’ Olivia told Bobbie, pulling a wry face.

Caspar shook his head and informed them both that he was now a university lecturer and not a lawyer.

‘Technically maybe, but you did qualify in law and that’s the subject you lecture in,’ Olivia reminded him. ‘Honestly, you’d think that having come from a family that’s more or less obsessed by the law I’d have rebelled and picked a husband who did something else,’ Olivia mock complained to Bobbie, whilst Caspar laughed and tugged gently on her silky bob, teasing her. ‘Well, sharing a common career gives us something to talk about, and unlike other married couples, we’re never going to be able to complain that we find each other’s careers uninteresting.’

‘I would guess from your accent that you’re from New England,’ Caspar commented to Bobbie.

‘You guess right,’ Bobbie confirmed with a smile. ‘I was born and raised in a small town some ways north of Boston, but since my dad became involved in politics my folks spend a good part of their time in Washington.’

‘Do you come from a large family?’ Olivia asked her.

‘Some,’ Bobbie replied cautiously, ‘On Dad’s side...’

‘Do you mind if we join you?’

Bobbie tensed as she looked up and saw Luke and Fenella standing on the opposite side of the table.

‘No, of course not,’ Olivia answered when the small pause that followed Luke’s request had stretched just that little bit too far.

Deliberately avoiding any kind of eye contact with him, Bobbie turned to tell Joss approvingly how much she was enjoying the buffet.

‘This salmon is delicious,’ she told Olivia, forking up a second mouthful.

‘Salmon ...’ Fenella gave a fastidious shrug. ‘It’s terribly fatty. I only ever eat white fish and of course I always have it steamed. Some people just have absolutely no idea about the amount of calories they can add to their food by not cooking it the right way. You’ve put on weight recently, Olivia. You must be what...a good size twelve now?’ Fenella commented, eyeing Olivia assessingly.

‘Must I...? I have to confess I really don’t know,’ Olivia returned easily. ‘Since Amelia’s birth the last thing on my mind has been my weight although, if anything, before I became pregnant, I do feel I was a little underweight. However, if I’m honest, I have to admit that I’ve been taking full advantage of the fact that breast-feeding allows you to eat generously.’

‘Breast-feeding...?’ Fenella’s voice squeaked, her eyes almost popping. ‘Oh, but surely...’ Her eyes dropped betrayingly to the soft, womanly curves of Olivia’s body before she bit her lip and looked away again. ‘When I had Crispin I was adamant that I couldn’t possibly feed him myself. I’m afraid I’m just not the earth-mother type.’ She gave a small tinkly laugh, the expression in her eyes making Bobbie feel compassionately sorry for the unknown Crispin.

The easy atmosphere of friendly warmth had vanished from the table with the arrival of Luke and Fenella to be replaced by one that was guarded and slightly strained, and as she looked around the table, Bobbie knew that she wasn’t alone in feeling this. Caspar’s mouth had thinned as he listened to Fenella’s comments. Olivia looked as though she wanted to respond more forcefully than she had but was trying to restrain herself.

‘Oh, Luke, you know-I said I didn’t want any wine,’ Fenella protested, nonetheless taking a delicate sip from the glass she had picked up and giving Luke a flirtatious glance from beneath her lashes as she demanded coyly, ‘You wouldn’t be trying to get me tipsy, would you?’ then giving him a meaningful look.

Bobbie nearly choked on her food as she heard Caspar muttering exasperatedly under his breath, ‘Not if he’s got any sense,’ and then had to fight to restrain her mirth as she saw the acid look Luke was giving her.

‘It’s a pity Aunt Ruth isn’t here,’ Joss mourned, oblivious to the adult melodrama going on around him. ‘Salmon is her favourite, as well,’ he informed Bobbie.

Bobbie put down her fork, the food on it untouched.

‘Yes, you must meet Ruth before you leave the area,’ Olivia broke in warmly. ‘If you’re really interested in learning more about the family, then Ruth is the best person for you to talk to.’

Luke was frowning as he looked at her, Bobbie realised.

‘Is there any particular reason why you’re interested in our family?’ he asked Bobbie.

‘No particular reason,’ Bobbie countered calmly, unable to resist challenging him, ‘Is there any particular reason why I shouldn’t be?’

Fenella, obviously unwilling to share Luke’s attention with anyone, gave Bobbie a baleful look as she leaned across the table between them, putting her hand possessively on Luke’s arm and demanding, ‘Let’s dance, Luke. We used to dance so well together,’ she told him huskily.

‘Did we?’ Luke grimaced. ‘I must confess I don’t remember.’

‘Er...we really ought to go and talk to Saul and his parents, darling,’ Olivia intervened quickly, pushing back her chair as she spoke.

‘Yes. I shall have to be leaving soon,’ Bobbie told Joss. ‘But before I go, I must thank your parents.’

She, too, stood up, unwilling to witness the scene she could sense was about to follow as they all left Luke and Fenella at the table. Out of the comer of her eye, Bobbie could see Fenella pouting sulkily.

‘Phew, poor old Luke,’ Olivia commented once they were all out of earshot.

‘He obviously must have found her attractive once,’ Bobbie couldn’t resist pointing out coolly.

‘Well, yes,’ Olivia agreed, ‘but he was very, very young, only twenty-two, and I think he was disillusioned pretty quickly. You don’t seem to like Luke very much,’ Olivia stated with a lawyer’s directness.

‘Not much,’ Bobbie agreed cheerfully.

‘I’m sorry that Luke called you a quarterback,’ Joss told Bobbie softly five minutes later when Bobbie had said her goodbyes to Olivia and Caspar.

‘Well, I guess it’s a kind of compliment,’ Bobbie responded wryly. ‘I reckon a major league quarterback gets paid a heck of a lot more than I’m ever likely to earn.

‘Look, I can see your folks over there.’ She directed Joss’s attention to the gap in the dancers crowding the floor through which she could see his parents.

‘I wish you didn’t have to go,’ Joss mourned as she made her way determinedly towards Jenny and Jon. ‘But you’re still going to be here for a while yet, aren’t you?’ he asked her, brightening.

‘For a while,’ Bobbie agreed cautiously.

There were things she had to do, information she needed to gain, which would be better accomplished out of sight of Joss’s shrewd young eyes.

‘Thank you for allowing me to gatecrash your party,’ Bobbie said after reaching Joss’s parents.

‘You didn’t gatecrash it,’ Joss objected indignantly. ‘I invited you.’

Jenny laughed. ‘You’re more than welcome,’ she assured Bobbie warmly. ‘I just hope that Joss hasn’t taken up too much of your time or made a nuisance of himself,’ she said, ruffling Joss’s hair and smiling lovingly at him as she gave him a brief hug.

‘No way,’ Bobbie replied. ‘I’ve enjoyed talking with him and hearing all about the Crighton family.’

It had been a long night, Bobbie acknowledged tiredly as she reached the sanctuary of her hotel bedroom and locked the door. She made her way to the bathroom, then stripped off her clothes whilst she ran a bath.

Half an hour later, she decided regretfully that she had soaked in the deliciously deep and steamy depths of the huge Edwardian-style tub for long enough, and besides, there was one last thing she had to do before she could finally go to bed. She dialled the number and then waited until she heard the familiar voice so very like her own.

‘Can we talk? I couldn’t wait until Sunday to talk to you,’ she asked conspiratorially.

‘Just,’ came back the answer. ‘They’ve just gone out. Okay, give. What have you found out?’

‘Nothing much, other than the fact that certain members of the Crighton family are unbelievable, obnoxious and arrogant.’