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CHAPTER ONE

THE telephone started ringing as Rachel was co the twins to bed Shenot very complimentary, hitched six-monthold Michael further up her hip, and rushed the final few steps which brought her to the hall extension—then stopped dead with her hand hovering half an inch above the telephone receiver, her attention caught by the reflection in the mirror on the wall behind the telephone table

God, you look a ust Half her pale blonde hair was hanging in damp twists around her neck and face while the rest of it spewed untidily from a lopsided knot to one side of the top of her head Her cheeks were flushed, her light blue overshirt darkened in huge patches where bathtime for three small children had extended its wetness to her also And Michael was deter at the buttons in an effort to expose her breast A greedy child at the best of times, he was also tired and impatient now

‘No,’ she scolded, gently but firers from her blouse ‘Wait’ And she kissed the top of his downy head as she picked up the telephone receiver while still frowning at her own reflection

‘Hello?’ shedistracted—which she certainly was

So distracted, in fact, that she missed the tense little pause before the person on the other end answered cautiously, ‘Rachel? It’s Amanda’

‘Oh, hi, Mandy!’ Rachel watched pleased surprise ease the frown from her face, and only realised as she did so that she had been frowning That brought the frown back, a perplexed one this ti that a lot recently ‘Michael, please wait a little longer!’ she sighed at the s with her blouse

He scowled at her and she sent hiht with love and a of her three children, but she adored him just the same—how could she not when she only had to look into those dove-grey eyes and see Daniel looking back at her?

‘Aren’t those brats in bed yet?’ Aust She made no secret of the fact that she found the children an irritant But then Mandy was the epitome of made-it-in-a-man’s-world woman She had no time for children She was a tall, y red-head who strode through her highly polished life on a different plane from the one Rachel existed on She was the sophisticate while Rachel was the comfortable, stay-at-home wife and mother

She was also Rachel’s best friend Well, ed She was the only friend Rachel had kept in touch with from her school days The only one of the croho now lived in London like herself and Daniel The others, as far as she knew, had made their lives back home in Cheshire

‘Tn, one to go,’ she told her friend ‘Michael wants feeding but he can wait,’ she added, for the baby’s benefit as much as Amanda’s

‘And Daniel?’ Amanda asked next ‘Is he home yet?’

Rachel detected more disapproval in her friend’s tone and set on with Daniel They struck uncomfortably hostile sparks off each other whenever they were in the same company

So, ‘No,’ Rachel said, adding ruefully, ‘So you’re safe to call him all the rotten names you like He won’t overhear you’

It had been meant as a joke, and not a very new one either Rachel had always given Amanda leave to vent her opinion of Daniel when he wasn’t around It allowed her friend to get off her chest all those things she would have loved to say to his face only she never quite had the courage to But this time just an odd silence followed the invitation, and Rachel felt a sudden and unaccountable tension fizz down the line towards her

‘Is so?’ she asked sharply

‘Damn,’ Mandyto feel an absolute heel for doing this, but you have a right to—’

Just then, a pair of Posture within uns Michael shrieked with glee, his eyes lighting up as he watched his big brother co doards them

‘Drink of water,’ the pilot infor look in his mother’s eyes as he reached the hallway, and flew off in the direction of the kitchen

‘Look—’ Mandy sounded impatient ‘—I can hear you’re busy ‘I’ll call you back later—tomorrow maybe I—’

‘No!’ Rachel cut in quickly ‘Don’t you dare ring off!’ She ht be distracted, but not so much that she hadn’t picked up on the fact that whatever Mandy wanted to say was i on a moment while I sort this lot out’

She put the receiver down on the table then went after her eldest son, her long, beautifully slender legs s which finished several inches above white rolled-down socks and white trainers She was not tall, but she was incredibly slender and her figure was tight—surprisingly tight considering the fact that she’d carried and borne three children But then she worked out regularly at the local sports centreswiame of badminton when she could find the time

‘Caught you red-handed!’ she accused her six-yearold, who had his hand lost in the biscuit barrel Rachel sent hihed an io on then—and take one for Kate— but no crumbs in the beds!’ she called after him as Sae her mind

The kitchen was big and ho one corner of the roo messy to suck at while she went back to the phone