"What did we actually hear them saying in the kitchen that time?" asked Pippa.

Jo furrowed her brow. "I don't remember."

"Did they actually talk about an affair?"

"Well, there was a woman mentioned."

"A lover? Did they say lover? Because she could have been anyone, right? She could have been someone from the shop. A buyer? Or someone to do with money? A rent collector or accountant or something?"

"I s'pose," murmured Jo.

"Didn't Josh at one point tell his dad he should have gone to him first before turning to her?"

"Oh my G.o.d," whispered Jo. "Maybe they were talking about an accountant. A female accountant."

"Has been known."

"But why be so cloak-and-dagger about an accountant?"

Pippa shrugged. "Maybe d.i.c.k keeps his accounts a secret from Vanessa."

"He did keep saying she'd leave him if she knew the truth."

"Yeah, well that fits. He probably thought she'd leave if she found out how bad it was."

"Oh come on, surely not. She's not that bad."

Pippa shook her head. "That's not the point. The point is d.i.c.k thought she might be."

"Maybe that's why Josh called her Scary Spouse," Jo said quietly.

Pippa laughed. "That's brilliant!"

Jo gave her a look.

"Sorry," said Pippa. "He may be a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but that's funny."

Jo sighed. "Oh no."

"I think it's safe to say there was no affair," concluded Pippa, holding up the receipts.

"And that Josh and d.i.c.k's real secret was that Josh is in fact a generous, trustworthy type, taking responsibility for his father's actions by paying your salary."

They took a moment to rea.s.sess the situation so far.

"And as such," concluded Pippa, "you have f.u.c.ked up big-time."

Jo groaned.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" asked Pippa.

"He hid the secret very well," whispered Jo.

"Yes," agreed Pippa. "We can add clever to his list of attributes then."

Jo sank her head back against Josh's bed.

"This is all good, hon," soothed Pippa. "It means he's a h.e.l.l of a lot nicer than you thought. You're not obsessed with a nasty bloke, you're obsessed with a really decent catch."

"Nngh," agreed Jo.

"I have only one question."

"Hm?"

"What are you still doing in here?"

Jo tilted her head. "I'm waiting for the ground to swallow me up."

"Just apologize to him."

"Where should I start?"

"How about with absolutely everything you've ever said to him?" suggested Pippa. "That might make a good start."

"I can't." Jo hid her head in her hands.

"Course you can."

"I can't."

After a moment's silence, Pippa spoke again.

"Course you can."

"I can't."

At which point Pippa gave up.

Chapter 30.

Toby carried four choc-ices upstairs and waited outside Tallulah's bedroom door until a strategy occurred to him. Unfortunately, the choc-ices were considerably faster at melting down his hands than the strategy was at occurring. When they started dripping, he had no choice but to knock on the door.

Ca.s.sie, Tallulah, and Zak yelled at him to leave them alone. He stared at the door handle, stared at his creamy knuckles and knocked again. There was more yelling. He poked his head round the door. The yelling started up again. He showed them the choc-ices. There was an aborted yelp of joy from Zak, followed by a thoughtful silence.

Toby used the moment to squeeze in a broken explanation for his past behavior and an apology that would have melted the heart of anyone.

They stared at his red eyes, and they stared at the choc-ices. When Tallulah crossed the room, took the choc-ices, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek, they all knew he was forgiven.

And a good thing too. Toby's contribution to the meeting proved vital.

While the children concluded their business for the day in a most satisfactory manner, Jo and Pippa were going round in circles.

"Okay. I've got to say sorry," repeated Jo.

"Yup."

"But I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he hates me."

"Because you haven't said sorry."

"Okay. I've got to say sorry."

"Yup."

"But I can't."

Pippa looked at her watch. "I have a flight to catch in two months."

"Right!" announced Jo. "I'm going to say sorry." And she got up and walked out.

As she strode purposefully through the kitchen toward the living room, she saw Toby in the hall opening the living room door, followed swiftly by Tallulah. In one fluid movement, she turned on her heel and strode back into the kitchen, where she busied herself frowning and humming.

When Ca.s.sie and Zak bounced in, she gave them an absentminded smile.

"Thank you, Jo!" yelled Ca.s.sie. "Toby just gave us all choc-ices!"

They came over and hugged her.

"We've got something to show you," said Ca.s.sie. "But we can't show you here, Toby might see. It's a secret."

"Where shall we go?" asked Zak.

"I don't know," pondered Ca.s.sie. "Toby mustn't hear us. Where is he?"

"In the living room with Josh," said Jo.

"Where can we go where he won't hear us?"

"I don't know," said Zak, looking out into the garden.

"Shall we go into the garden?" suggested Jo, following Zak's idle gaze.

"Yes!" they both cried.

They went into the garden, and Zak got so excited he started running in place.

"I know!" he cried. "Let's go into the playhouse! Then no one will see us!"

Ca.s.sie frowned. "Jo won't fit."

"But I want to do it in the playhouse!" insisted Zak.

"Of course I can fit," Jo told Ca.s.sie. "Let's go into the playhouse. I think it's a great idea."

"Oh, alright." Ca.s.sie sighed.

They bent down and single-filed it through the door. Once inside, they sat in a cosy little circle.

"Well, go on then," Ca.s.sie told Zak. "Give it to her."

"I haven't got it," said Zak.

"I gave it to you!"

"No you didn't!"

"I did! I put it on your bedside table!"

"Well, then, you didn't give it to me, did you, Clever Clogs!"

"Guys!" shouted Jo. "Why don't you just go and get it?"

There was a pause.

"You go," Ca.s.sie told Zak.

"No!" said Zak. "You go!"

"No!"

"Guys!" shouted Jo again. "Why don't I go and get it?"

"No!" they yelled.

"Okay then, why don't you both go and get it?"