The Price of Love (35 page)

‘They’re called Hindley Haulage Company and their transport manager, Austin Maggs, will be contacting you next week,’ he went on. ‘I understand that they have about twenty lorries in their fleet so they should prove to be good customers. I think we should all drink a toast to that, don’t you?’ he suggested as he indicated to the waiter to refill their four glasses and also one for him.

‘I’m afraid you’ve been left out of this, little lady, because you are not allowed to drink champagne,’ he added smiling down at Anna, ‘but I am sure we can find something special for you,’ he told her as he called the waiter over again and whispered something in his ear.

A few minutes later the waiter reappeared with a box of chocolates decorated with a large bow in shining gold ribbon.

‘Now I must be on my way,’ he told them all after he had handed the chocolates to Anna and received a beaming smile in response.

There was complete silence at the table after he’d left. None of them knew quite what to make of the situation but when Lucy summed it up by saying, ‘I suppose that was Percy’s way of saying sorry’, they all started to laugh.

‘I was so damned annoyed that he’d picked up our tab that I wanted to tell him to mind his own business,’ Robert admitted.

‘Well, I’m glad you didn’t,’ Lucy told him. ‘I know Merseyside Mechanics is up and running but this new client will make a world of difference to us and, who knows what other customers will come our way if they are too commercial for Carter’s Cars to deal with in the future?’

‘True, and don’t forget we are going to have another mouth to feed in the autumn,’ Sam joked.

‘Why is that, Uncle Sam?’ Anna piped up.

‘Well, Aunty Brenda is going to have a little baby very soon,’ he explained.

Anna stared at them both wide-eyed. ‘Will it be a birthday present for me?’ she asked.

‘No, darling, Brenda’s baby won’t be born until November,’ Lucy explained.

‘Will I be able to help you to look after it?’

‘I shall be counting on you helping me to take care of it,’ Brenda told her gravely.

Anna jumped down off her chair and went over to Lucy who picked her up on to her lap and cuddled her.

‘When Daddy tucked me up last night he said that you really are my Mummy now that you and Daddy are married.’ She smiled.

‘That’s quite right,’ Lucy assured her.

‘Do you think we could have a new baby as well, Daddy?’ she asked hopefully, looking across at her father.

Robert tried to keep his face sombre but his eyes were twinkling as he looked across at Lucy before answering. ‘Yes, I think that is more than possible,’ he told Anna.