Summer of Secrets (9 page)

‘Summer and
I
,’ corrected her father.

‘Whatever. We’ve arranged to meet up and do some shopping – bikinis and stuff for the holiday.’

‘Oh no,’ her mother replied firmly. ‘In view of all this . . .’ She pointed to the newspaper and shuddered. ‘. . . you are not going anywhere with that
crowd.’

Caitlin stared at her, aghast.

‘Mum, you can’t do that! You promised. You can’t go back on your word now.’

‘You’re very naïve – that much has been made
quite
clear – and going off on your own with perfect strangers is now just not on. At your age, a family holiday
is much better – I’ve said it all along.’

‘She won’t be on her own. Because I’m going too,’ Jamie announced.

‘You? You never said.’

‘I couldn’t get a word in edgeways!’ he pointed out. ‘Summer invited me last night, at the party. And Izzy’s going to come, too.’

Bad move, thought Caitlin. Not a good idea.

‘You? And Isabella?’ Mrs Morland looked horror-struck. ‘But Jamie, you hardly know the girl.’

‘Mum, this is the twenty-first century.’ Jamie sighed. ‘You don’t have to know someone for months before you get – well, before you hold hands.’

‘But her family – I mean, you can see for yourself.’ His mother stabbed at the newspaper again. ‘What sort of example are they?’

‘What her parents do is not Izzy’s fault,’ Jamie retorted.

‘True, but your mother does have a point, Jamie,’ his father remarked. ‘I’m not at all sure that you’re wise to get too involved with all these upper-class,
trust-fund types. I said when Caitlin started at that school, that they’re not our sort, they don’t have our moral parameters and––’

Mr Morland stopped in mid-sentence as the doorbell rang.

‘I expect,’ Caitlin’s mother put in, looking reprovingly at Caitlin, ‘that will be someone from the village, waving a newspaper and gloating over your behaviour. Edward,
you get it.’

Her husband sighed and went to the door.

‘You want what?’ they heard Caitlin’s father exclaim. ‘Well, you can go on wanting. No comment – none whatsoever!’

The front door slammed with such force that the ornaments on the hall table rattled. Mr Morland stormed back into the room.

‘Bloody cheek!’

‘Dad!’ Jamie and Caitlin exclaimed in unison. The one thing not allowed in their house was any form of swearing.

‘Edward, what is it?’ Caitlin’s mother asked.

‘Local paper wanting to talk to Caitlin,’ he replied. ‘Apparently, someone recognised her photo and now the
Chronicle
want one of those “I was there and this is
what really happened” pieces.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Caitlin burst out eagerly. ‘I took loads of photos. Maybe they’d buy some – even do a double-page spread!’

One look at her father’s face told her that saying any more would be a very bad idea.

Within seconds, the doorbell was ringing again.

‘Oh, for pity’s sake!’ Mr Morland stormed out of the room. They heard the front door being yanked open.

‘I thought I made it quite clear–– oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realise . . . Yes, of course, come in, my dear.’

Caitlin and Jamie both started at the sound of a familiar voice; a moment later, their father returned, looking acutely embarrassed and closely followed by a very tearful Izzy.

‘I’m so sorry, really I am.’ Izzy sniffed, dabbing her eyes with a tissue and accepting the glass of lemonade that Caitlin’s mother offered her.
‘I should have phoned before I came, but it’s just that, well, Caitlin’s my closest friend and you’re such lovely people – and I didn’t know . . .’

She’s good, I’ll give her that, thought Caitlin, as she watched her mother soften before her very eyes.

‘. . . and Jamie said if there was ever anything he could do for me and, right now, just being with him would help so much . . .’

She looked up at Caitlin’s brother and gave him a watery smile. Jamie put a protective arm around her shoulder and glared defiantly at his parents.

‘I thought, where can I go to get away from all the phone calls – they’ve even got my mobile number and . . . well, here was the only place really. So I called a cab and just
came.’

She sniffed and pressed her lips together.

‘I’m sorry if it’s imposing – only Dad’s holed up with the PM . . .’

She paused to see the effect that her name-dropping had on the assembled company.

‘You mean . . . the
Prime Minister
?’ Caitlin’s mother satisfied her urge.

‘Mmm,’ Izzy went on, ‘and Mum keeps crying . . .’

‘Of course you’re not imposing,’ Mrs Morland insisted. ‘I’m glad you felt able to come to us. Whatever is going on with your parents, it shouldn’t be allowed
to affect you. Isn’t that right, Edward?’

‘Absolutely.’ He nodded.

Parents, thought Caitlin, are so two-faced at times.

‘I’ll just go and water those tomatoes,’ muttered her father, getting to his feet with more alacrity than he had shown all morning. ‘Leave you in peace.’

‘Edward . . .’ Mrs Morland protested, but he’d already disappeared through the back door.

‘Of course, Dad’s done nothing wrong, nothing at all,’ Izzy continued firmly. ‘He just likes to unwind from the stress of being in office. And he wasn’t really
flirting at the Ball, it was just . . .’

She stopped, clearly worried that she’d said too much.

‘Never mind all that,’ Jamie burst out. ‘How do you feel about a holiday?’

‘Fat chance now,’ Izzy replied. ‘Dad will say––’

‘Not with them, with me,’ Jamie went on. ‘You and me are off to Italy.’

‘Italy? You and me? What do you mean?’ Izzy gave the impression of being a cerebrally-challenged four-year-old as her eyes widened and she clamped a hand to her mouth. ‘I
don’t understand.’

Caitlin appreciated why Izzy had been awarded a drama scholarship.

‘Summer’s invited us. All we have to do is pay for our air fare.’

‘Summer? We’re going with Summer?’ Izzy’s face fell.

‘That’s OK, isn’t it?’ Jamie suddenly looked anxious. ‘I mean, we’ll do lots of stuff on our own. You can have all the privacy you want.’

Izzy recovered herself.

‘It’s like a dream come true,’ she cried. ‘Oh, I can’t believe it – you’ve saved my life!’

She looked at Jamie with the sort of expression most people reserve for new-born babies or small spaniels with floppy ears.

‘And your parents, dear?’ Mrs Morland queried. ‘They won’t mind you going off with Jamie and Caitlin?’

‘Course not,’ Izzy assured her. ‘They’re really laid-back and open-minded – they let me do more or less what I like.’

‘What a surprise,’ Mrs Morland muttered.

Izzy jumped up and grabbed Jamie’s arm.

‘Come on – let’s go into Brighton and celebrate! Ice creams on the pier and then I’ve got some serious holiday shopping to attend to!’

‘Me too,’ Caitlin added quickly. ‘I’ll just go and get my purse.’

‘Can I take your car, Mum?’ Jamie asked. ‘If all three of us are going . . .’

‘I suppose,’ his mother said, tossing him the car keys.

‘Do you have to tag along?’ Izzy hissed at Caitlin, as Jamie went to fetch the car. ‘I wanted Jamie to myself and––’

‘Hey, hang on!’ Caitlin argued. ‘I’ll have you know that you wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t for me – Jamie got me to set it up with Summer. And
don’t let my parents know, but he’s intending to take you off somewhere else most of the time. Summer’s just the alibi.’

Izzy flung her arms round her friend’s neck and hugged her.

‘So you were right – he really does love me! Oh, I’m so happy!’

‘Won’t you . . . well, be worried about what’s going on at home?’ Caitlin asked. ‘You know, with your dad and . . .’

‘Oh for pity’s sake, don’t keep going on about it!’ Izzy snapped. ‘My father can wriggle out of anything, trust me. Of all the people in the universe you need to
worry about, he’s not one of them.’

‘So come on, Izzy, tell me about Summer’s mother!’ Caitlin insisted, after Jamie had escaped to buy a car magazine and they were slumped outside Café
Nero with cappucinos and chocolate brownies, waiting for Summer to arrive. ‘You’ve been hinting at stuff for ages. What’s with all the secrecy?’

‘Well, I don’t know all the details but my dad used to play golf with a guy who worked with Summer’s dad, right? Apparently, she was out walking in the middle of a thunderstorm
and she fell, hit her head and that was it.’

‘How awful!’

‘And,’ Izzy went on, dipping her tongue into the froth on her coffee, ‘she lay there for two days before anyone found the body. What do you make of that?’

‘My God!’ Caitlin gasped.

‘Of course, Summer said it was a tragic accident, but she would, wouldn’t she? I mean, would you want the world to know that your mother drank herself into an early grave?’

‘You never said – you mean, she was an alcoholic?’

‘I guess. I mean, I don’t actually know for sure,’ Izzy confessed, ‘but this guy told Dad that she used to party like mad and get really off her face.’

‘Poor Summer,’ sighed Caitlin. ‘That must be why she hates parties – you know, bad memories and all that.’

‘I never thought of that,’ Izzy remarked pensively. ‘You’re quite clued up sometimes, aren’t you?’

Caitlin suddenly remembered that Summer had asked for a white wine at Mango Monkey’s and mentioned all the drinks she enjoyed in Italy. Could that mean, just possibly, that poor Summer had
inherited her mother’s genetic profile? Maybe she was heading the same way. Maybe that’s why she was a loner – all the magazines said that people with issues often hid themselves
away for ages at a time to try to disguise their problems . . .

‘I’ll have a chat with her when we’re on holiday,’ Caitlin said. ‘Find out . . .’

‘Not if you value your life, you won’t!’ Izzy exclaimed. ‘I told you – it’s a total no-go area with her. You’re much better to keep quiet about
it.’

‘She’ll tell me things,’ Caitlin assured her. ‘We’re on the same wavelength.’

‘Really?’ Izzy’s tone changed. ‘That’s not something
I’d
be bragging about.’

Caitlin was unloading her shopping on to her bed when her mobile rang.
Private call
.

She frowned, flipping open the lid. All her mates were programmed in with their names.

‘Hello?’

‘Pretty cool picture in the paper, wasn’t it?’ Her heart sank. It was Tom.

‘Not from where I’m standing,’ she replied. ‘My parents went ballistic.’

‘Well, I think you looked really sexy,’ he said, laughing. ‘I’ve cut you out and stuck you on the wall above my bed.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Look, I was
thinking. How do you fancy a trip to Southampton next weekend? That mate I told you about – he’s sailing his boat down there this week and having a party on Saturday night.’

‘Sorry, I’ll be in Italy,’ she said, enjoying the way it tripped off her tongue.

‘
Italy
? How come?’ Tom sounded as if it was incomprehensible that she would go anywhere without first consulting him.

Caitlin gave him a few sparse details.

‘And that Ludo guy? I suppose he’ll be there.’

‘Sure he will,’ replied Caitlin.

‘So what about me and you?’

‘There
is
no me and you,’ Caitlin pointed out. ‘Not yet, anyway.’

‘So you mean – there could be? When you get back?’

‘Well, I . . .’

‘I do like you, you know.’ With each day that passed, it seemed he was less up himself.

‘I like you too,’ Caitlin replied, because she was going away soon and because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. ‘I’ll see you when I get back.’

And hopefully by then, she thought, the entire universe will know that Ludo and me are an item and no one else stands a chance.

‘Bye Tom, take care.’

She could afford to be magnanimous with a fortnight in the company of Ludo Tilney stretching ahead of her.

Caitlin’s mother calmed down a bit after Sir Magnus telephoned her from Heathrow Airport.

‘Such a charming man,’ she enthused. ‘He was so sorry not to be able to meet us, but they’re flying out today to prepare the house for all you young people. I told him
you could be a bit headstrong . . .’

‘Mum, you didn’t!’ Caitlin gasped.

‘. . . and he said that he would keep an eye on you all and ring if there was anything at all to worry about. So that’s nice, isn’t it?’

‘Compared to what?’ Caitlin asked. ‘A playgroup outing? Mum, you are so embarrassing, it’s unreal.’

‘I just care, that’s all,’ her mother said.

‘I know.’ Caitlin smiled, hugging her. ‘But just care
quietly
for the next couple of weeks, yeah?’

  CHAPTER 5