The Family Next Door(38)

“Uh, sure,” Fran said, dividing the muffin between Rosie and Mia, who played on the floor.

“Ange?” Essie said.

Ange blinked as if she’d just woken up. “What? Oh. Yes, fine.”

Ange had been roped in to the catch-up too, and she seemed as enthusiastic as Fran had been. She picked up her own banana muffin and took a bite, which was unexpected. Ange rarely ate anything with refined sugar in it. Fran noticed that Ange’s shirt was rumpled and untucked, which was also unlike her.

“Great!” Essie said, with odd enthusiasm. Essie didn’t even seem bothered by the muffin crumbs that Mia and Rosie were mashing into her floor rug, and usually she was quite house-proud. But her good mood only lasted a few more seconds before Polly shrieked from the bedroom.

“Noooo!” She fell back against the cushions. “Surely not! I only put her down … twenty minutes ago!”

“Catnapping,” Fran said sympathetically. “Ava is the same. The only place she wants to sleep is in my arms. Little devil.”

Ava was sleeping in her arms as she spoke. Although Fran was exhausted from her three-hour routine, she had to admit, with everything else that was going on, Ava’s basic needs were a relief. Essie, on the other hand, seemed almost angry that Polly had woken up. She stomped off to the bedroom to resettle her. Fran stared after her.

“Do you think Essie’s all right?” Fran asked Ange.

Ange frowned in the direction Essie had just wandered, but it was clear her thoughts were elsewhere. Fran started to wonder if Ange was all right.

“I guess she does seem a little … scatty,” Ange said vaguely. “But having a baby that doesn’t sleep can make you a little crazy.”

She was right about that. Fran hadn’t slept properly herself in days. She’d been too busy thinking about what Dr. Price had told her. She could get a paternity test without Nigel’s permission, if she used DNA from Rosie, but he neither recommended this nor would perform this service. He thought it would be a much better idea to tell Nigel the truth with support. She nearly laughed. Support? Where would she find that?

Besides, things had been great with Nigel lately. He’d been the perfect husband. A devoted father to Ava and Rosie. A loving husband. That was why her constant back-and-forth was so ridiculous. Why would she go and get a paternity test when things were so great between them?

She wouldn’t, she decided. Of course she wouldn’t.

Keys jangled in the door and then Essie’s mum appeared in the front room. At the same time Essie came out of the bedroom, carrying Polly.

“Oh, thank God,” Essie said, nearly collapsing with relief at the sight of her mother. “I’m going insane. Polly’s barely had a wink of sleep all day. I’m losing my mind.”

Essie thrust the baby at her mother. Fran ached with jealousy. Why didn’t she have a mother like Barbara? Someone who would swoop in and take over when things got too tough. Her own mother wasn’t the kind who helped out, and she was certainly not the type you confided in. She imagined her mother’s response if she were to confess her infidelity.

“What a mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” she would say in a hushed voice. “You need to forget this paternity business and just put this whole thing behind you.” Then she’d probably add: “I don’t think we should tell your father about this,” and the matter would be laid to rest.

Her mum had other strengths, of course. Intelligence, a good moral compass, a passion for travel. But handling a situation like this was outside her many capabilities. Which meant Fran didn’t have a person in the world to confide in.

Barbara put her purse down and adjusted Polly on her hip. “She looks exhausted. Did you try rubbing her back?”

There was a short silence while Essie, presumably, gave her mother the unhinged look of a woman whose baby hadn’t slept.

“Why don’t I try?” Barbara said quickly, and she disappeared from the room with Polly. She was the mother every woman with small children wanted.

The mother than Fran needed.

Essie fell into her armchair. “Ah. Silence. I have no idea how she does it. I swear to God, if that baby cries again I’m going to lose my … Fran, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said, realising in horror that she was crying. Ange and Essie sat forward in their chairs. This was new territory for them. Fran didn’t know who was more uncomfortable.

“What’s going on?” Essie asked.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“The beginning is always a good place,” Ange suggested gently. She edged her chair a little closer to Fran’s and laid a hand on her arm and that was all the encouragement Fran needed.

“I had an affair,” she blurted out. The relief of confessing was instantaneous. “I mean, it wasn’t really an affair. More of a friendship and a handful of one-night stands. It was a year ago, a guy from work.”

Ange withdrew her hand, and rose to her feet.

“Ange? What is it?” Essie blinked wildly, trying to get a handle on what was going on.

Ange glared at Fran. “What is it? I’m shocked and upset, that’s what it is. Infidelity is a lot more damaging than ‘a handful of one-night stands.’ It can break up families, destroy lives! Anyway, I think I should leave before I say something I regret.” She snatched up her purse. Her face was contorted as though she was fighting back tears. Her hands, Fran noticed, were shaking.