Page 46 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
‘No, thanks. I just had breakfast. Has Madison found hernecklace yet?’
‘No, I haven’t,’ calls Madison. ‘It’s definitely gonewalkabout, although why on earth everyone else’s valuables were left completelyuntouched is a mystery to me.’
Ruby wanders in and joins them, and I hear her say, ‘Maybethe intruder – if there was one – was disturbed in the act, so they onlymanaged to snatch your necklace and run?’
Madison grunts, seeming unconvinced by this theory.
‘It definitely wasn’t Bee, your cleaner, though.’ Ruby seemsquite firm about that. ‘I’ve got to know her quite well since we’ve been hereand I know for a fact she’d never do anything like that.’
‘But if you’ve only known this Bee person for a few days,Ruby, maybe youdon’t actually know her at all,’ says Madison darkly.
‘Well, let’s hope the mystery is solved soon. I’m just goingto help Jaz with the food.’
‘Thanks.’ I smile as Ruby joins me. ‘Could you pop some morebread in the toaster, please?’
‘No problem.’ She grabs the loaf. ‘Soyouseem fine.Weren’t you ill yesterday, like the others?’
‘Well, I was feeling a bit nauseous. But unlike the others,I wasn’t actually sick.’
‘Did you have any paella? Ellie says that was the culprit.’
‘No. None.’
‘Hm.’ Ruby frowns, staring into the distance as she waitsfor the toast to pop up.
I laugh. ‘You’ve got your mystery-solving expression on. Whatare you thinking about?’
‘Well, there areotherreasons why you could befeeling nauseous... aren’t there?’
I stare at her and she shrugs, and then I knowexactlywhat she’s thinking...
*****
I walk home from the village later, feeling as if I’mabout to sit an exam. The butterflies are having a field day in there. As soonas I get back to Clifftop House, I nip straight upstairs and do the test.
Afterwards, standing at the bedroom window, I stare out overthe misty blue horizon. Waiting until it’s time.
Swallowing hard, I go back into the bathroom where I’mconfronted with another blue horizon.
But this time, it’s the small line on the paddle that’stelling me...
I’mpregnant!
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
When Harry FaceTimes me ten minutes later, it seems soridiculously perfect, I actually laugh out loud.
Perhaps there’s some mysterious telepathic connectionbetween us that means he’s sensed already that something momentous is happening– even before I’ve had a chance to call him and tell him we’re going to behaving another baby!
‘Guess what?’ he says. ‘We’re coming to see you.’
‘What? Really? You and Emma? When?’
‘Tomorrow, if that suits you. I mean, if you’ve already gotplans with the girls, it’s not a problem. We could –’
‘No, ofcourseI want you to come! And even if we didhave plans, seeing you and Emma would come first every time. What about Luna?’
‘We’re bringing her as well.’
