Page 50 of The In-Laws

Ross snorted.

‘And work extremely hard at it,’ Nancy said.

‘But not as hard as Mum does,’ Janis added.

‘No one works as hard as she does,’ Joni said. ‘Our friend Wendy’s mum is a lawyer who puts actual criminals in prisonandshe never misses any school events.’

Ouch. Kids really knew how to kick you where it hurt. Melanie didn’t seem bothered, though. She was smiling and staring into space, clearly on a supreme high from her phone call. This author must be a big deal – even Nancy had been very impressed. Katie wondered what it felt like to have Nancy’s admiration. Katie would never know, that was for sure, and she doubted Amanda would either, but Melanie did. Nancy respected Melanie and held her in high regard.

When Katie had met Jamie, she’d hoped his mum would fill the gaping hole that her own mother had left behind. Katie imagined being close to her boyfriend’s mother – hanging out, gossiping over cups of coffee, going for cocktails and chats, having a shoulder to cry on and a sounding-board for life. Boy, was she mistaken! She’d nearly got frostbite from Nancy the first time she’d met her, and over the years her mother-in-law hadn’t thawed.The only thing that kept a connection between them was Lucy. If it wasn’t for Lucy, Katie would happily never see the woman. Jamie worked with Nancy, so he saw her enough. It was Nancy’s bond with Lucy that was the link. Their closeness and similarity bothered Katie, but it made her proud too. To think that she, Katie the hairdresser, had produced the favourite grandchild, the smart, clever, bookish one. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Nancy!

‘I’m starving.’ Theo looked up from his phone.

‘Me too.’ Jamie clapped his nephew on the back. ‘Let’s eat.’

Katie went to open another bottle of wine, but Jamie stopped her.

‘No one is really drinking, and tomorrow’s Monday. We don’t need more wine, babe. Besides, I think we drank enough last night for a week. I can’t believe you’re not more hung-over. I’m struggling here.’

Katie wanted more wine, just a glass or two. The day seemed to be going on for ever. She went to the fridge and poured herself some Coke Zero. Then she went to the freezer to get some ice and to add a discreet splash of vodka. Just a little crutch to get her through.

18. Melanie

As the family chatter droned on around her, Melanie smiled into her wine glass. Petrus van der Beek wanted her to represent him. A Booker Prize-winning author had sought her out and askedherto potentially represent him. It was incredible. She wanted to shout and scream and jump up and down. But everyone was so muted. No one seemed to care. Ross was jealous. Frank and Jamie were happy for her, but they didn’t really get the significance of one of the most gifted authors in the world seeking her out. Nancy got it, but Nancy was never going to jump up and down. Melanie knew that she was pleased, but her mother-in-law would never over-praise her. Nancy was the boss and Melanie was now bringing in more income than she was. Melanie reckoned Nancy was beginning to feel threatened by her success. Before, Melanie had been driven by a need to succeed for herself and to cover Frank’s lack of success, but now … Now she was on a whole new level. She was already being inundated with calls from authors after Sloane’s big win, but once she bagged Petrus, she’d be snowed under.

She was now, by her own reckoning, one of the top agents in Europe. But no matter what she achieved, she would always be Nancy’s subordinate, an employee of the Fitzroy Agency. She studied her mother-in-law and noticed she had aged. She looked frail. There was no way she could continue to run the agency as before. Someone needed to lead from the front and the natural successor was her.But then there were Ross and Jamie … and now Lucy, for God’s sake. Melanie would always be a non-blood relative. Nothing would ever change that, and it meant she needed to figure out how to protect herself and her future.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Katie’s. ‘Earth to Melanie, would you like some birthday cake?’

‘Sure.’ She held out her plate.

‘A big slice for your big news. Congratulations.’ Katie lowered her voice. ‘Poor old Ross is turning green with jealousy.’

Melanie smiled at her sister-in-law. Katie was always generous and supportive. It was one of the many reasons the twins adored their aunt.

Katie handed out plates and when she leant over to give Nancy hers, the plate tipped and the cake fell onto her mother-in-law’s lap.

‘Oops.’ Katie giggled. ‘Sorry, Nancy.’

Nancy was not amused.

‘Oh, no! Let me help.’ Amanda jumped up and began to pick the cake out of Nancy’s lap.

‘Leave it! You’re making it worse.’

Crikey, that was rude, Melanie thought.

‘She’s just trying to help, Mum.’ Ross frowned.

‘Get me a cloth,’ Nancy barked, at no one in particular.

Jamie moved first and handed her a tea towel. Nancy tried to mop up the chocolate cake as the icing spread across her cream skirt. Melanie was about to tell her that it needed a specialist dry-clean, when Katie suddenly snapped her fingers and said, ‘I know! White wine! That’s supposed to get stains out.’ Before anyone could stop her, Katie picked up Jamie’s half-drunk glass of wine and tipped it into Nancy’s lap.

‘Mum!’ Lucy gasped.

‘OMG!’ The twins snorted.

‘Babe!’

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