There was a shocked silence.
‘Joss, dear.’ Dot put her hand on Joss’s arm. ‘I am sure there is absolutely no danger of little Ned having any kind of an accident. Edgar had no business frightening you like that. And I don’t think we should discuss it any more at the moment. Edgar, a christening is a family occasion and it’s important that Joss’s parents have a chance to be here. A few days or even weeks are going to make no difference whatsoever.’ She sounded really cross.
Edgar shrugged. ‘I’m sure you’re right, dear.’ His eyes contradicted the meekness of his tone. They were plainly angry. ‘Very well, may I suggest we leave the discussion now. Should you wish me to baptise little Ned I shall do so of course. Otherwise fix it up with James Wood, but I beg you to do it as soon as possible.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Dot, I think we should be going. Jocelyn has only just had a baby and she must be very tired.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘He is a beautiful child, my dear. Congratulations. Don’t let my wittering on frighten you. Enjoy the baby and enjoy the house. It needs happiness – the best exorcism of all.’
As soon as the Gowers’ car had disappeared up the drive Joss turned on Lyn. ‘What on earth is the matter with you? How dare you think I am trying to cut out Alice and Joe. That’s an outrageous thought. What kind of person do you think I am?’
Lyn was unrepentant. ‘I am beginning to wonder. I think all your new-found grandeur has gone to your head.’
‘Lyn!’
‘Take a look at yourself, Joss.’ Lyn scooped Tom up into her arms. ‘Now, I’m going to get lunch. May I suggest you rest or something as the lady of the house should!’
Joss stared after her as the door closed. Then, miserably she turned towards the pram. Picking Ned up she cuddled him for a while before carrying him to the chair and sitting down. Closing her eyes she tried to relax. It was natural for Lyn to be jealous. She had every reason. Joss had a husband, children, a beautiful house – it must seem like untold riches to Lyn, who had failed to find a job at all for the last year, and had until Joss and Luke had offered her this one, been unemployed. Joss dropped a kiss on Ned’s little head.
In her arms the baby slept. Closing her own eyes Joss, worn out, let her head rest against the chair back and drifted into sleep.
She was awoken by screams as Ned suddenly slipped from her arms.
‘Ned! Oh God!’ She grabbed at him in time to stop him falling to the floor and clutched him against her. She was shaking. ‘Oh my little love, are you all right?’ Ned was crying hard, small high-pitched screams of distress which tore at her heart.
‘Ned! Ned, little one, hush.’ She cradled him to her, cursing herself for falling asleep.
‘Joss?’ It was later. Luke put his head round the door and then came in.
Joss was sitting by the window, the baby at her breast, listening to the tape of Chopin nocturnes which had been her favourite listening for the last week. ‘How is he?’
‘OK.’ She bit her lip.
‘Lunch is nearly ready. I hear the Gowers were here.’
She nodded. ‘I suppose Lyn has told you.’
‘She’s very upset. You know, Joss, you’re not handling her very tactfully.’ He sat down opposite her, watching fondly the cameo before him of mother and child. ‘I’ve warned you. We have to be careful. We don’t want to lose her. Don’t forget, you have a job to do. That publisher was serious about his contract. You’re not just playing at the hobby of writing now. It’s for real. With real money. You can’t risk losing Lyn.’
Joss nodded. ‘I know. And I didn’t mean to upset her. Or you. It was Edgar who thought it so important that Ned be baptised.’
‘And he will be. Just as soon as we’ve got a date organised when Alice and Joe can get here. And my parents too, Joss. Don’t forget them. They haven’t even seen the house yet.’
‘She’s going to neglect Tom, you know.’ Lyn turned from the range where she was stirring a saucepan of soup as Luke came in.
‘Nonsense.’ Luke sat down at the table with a four pack of Fosters he had taken from the fridge. ‘Here, like one?’
‘No thanks. She is.’ She turned back to her soup. ‘Poor little Tom Tom really was the Davies’s grandson. Ned – you’re not really going to call him that, are you? – is the Belheddon child.’ Her voice stressed the last two words with heavy sarcasm. ‘Believe me, Luke, I know her.’
‘No, Lyn, you’re wrong.’ Luke shook his head adamantly. ‘Terribly wrong.’
‘Am I?’ She flung down her spoon and turned to face him. ‘I hope so. But I want you to know I love little Tom as if he were my own. While I’m here he will never be second best.’
‘He will never be second best with Joss or me either, Lyn.’ Luke kept his voice steady with difficulty. ‘Where is Joss now?’
‘With the baby, I don’t doubt.’
‘That goes without saying, Lyn.’ Luke took a deep swig from his can. ‘The baby is two days old, for God’s sake!’ Unable to contain his irritation with her any longer he turned and walked out of the kitchen. In the courtyard he stood still for a minute staring up at the sky, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Silly bitch. Stirring it. The rivalry and antagonism which had always been so close to the surface between the sisters was beginning to get to him. He took several more gulps of lager as a thin brown face, creased with anxiety appeared round the coach house door. ‘Luke, that you? Can you come a minute?’
‘Sure, Jimbo. On my way.’ Putting his thoughts about Lyn firmly out of his head Luke tucked the empty can into the dustbin as he passed and disappeared into the oil-smelling interior of his domain.