Read Double Danger for Free Online Page B

burst merrily into the old song. And everyone laughed and it was a lovely happy day. Jessica would never forget it.
    And when the day’s work was done, Mrs Mellors said, ‘Now, you’re far too excited. You’re not safe to be left on your own in the state you’re in. Get in the van and come home with me. You can relax in my peaceful wee cottage until you get back to normal. I’ll cook us a nice meal and then we’ll enjoy a wee drink in the Abercromby. You can tell your news to all your friends there as well if you like.’
    It was the ‘tell your news to all your friends there’ that tempted Jessica and made her decide to go. She ran upstairs for an overnight bag and was back down, and breathless, within a few minutes.
    ‘You’ll have to learn to watch what you’re doing, Jessie. You shouldn’t be running up and down stairs in your condition.’
    ‘Well,’ Jessica laughed, ‘I couldn’t run very quick and I helped heave myself up and down by grabbing hold of the banisters.’
    ‘Still, look at you, all panting for breath. You’ll have to learn to keep calm and slow down.’
    ‘OK. OK.’
    ‘And another thing. When I said you’d be able to tell your friends when you meet them in the Abercromby, I didn’t mean you’d to go wild again and jump up and down and shout around as if you’ve gone off your head.’
    ‘OK. OK. I’ll be perfectly calm. Sedate even.’
    ‘That’ll be the day.’
    Once she was in the van and they’d set off towards the outskirts of the city, Mrs Mellors said, ‘Now, we’ll talk about all the arrangements for the wedding, and anything else you want to talk about, once we get to my place and have our tea. Meantime, you just close your eyes and relax.’
    ‘OK. OK.’
    ‘That baby of yours will be wondering what on earth is going on with you making it bounce about inside you so much. Seriously, Jessie, you could harm the baby. It could bounce right out if you’re not careful.’
    ‘Oh gosh, I never thought of that.’
    ‘Yes, you’ve not just yourself to think about now. You can’t afford to forget that. That wee baby inside you is depending on you to be sensible and not hurt it.’
    ‘I’d never want to hurt it,’ Jessica cried out. ‘Never, never!’
    ‘Well, just do as I tell you. Close your eyes and calm yourself. And stop trying to run about and jump up and down and get over-excited.’
    ‘Yes, all right.’
    Dutifully she closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat. She had been behaving thoughtlessly and foolishly. She realised that now. Would she ever learn? Even now, the mere thought of Brian and seeing him again made her heart flutter and race. She began taking deep, slow breaths.
    ‘That’s the way,’ Mrs Mellors said. ‘Just keep calm and you’ll be all right.’
    But how to keep calm, to keep calm all the time – that was the problem. If something happened to the baby, she couldn’t bear it. It was far too dreadful even to contemplate.

8
    ‘I’m worried now about the baby,’ Jessica admitted to Mrs Mellors once they had settled into the Vale of Lennox cottage. ‘Really worried.’
    ‘Well, the best thing to do about that and to put your mind at rest is to visit Dr Plockton again for a check-up. We can take a walk over there now and then hopefully we’ll be able to relax over a drink in the bar.’
    ‘OK,’ Jessica agreed, only too glad of the opportunity of getting checked over to make sure, absolutely sure, she had not done the baby any harm.
    Mrs Plockton met them at the door and Mrs Mellors said, ‘We haven’t an appointment but Jessica here is so upset and worried in case she might have accidentally done something to harm the baby. She’s an awful worrier.’
    ‘Come in, come in, my dear girl.’ Mrs Plockton put an arm around Jessica’s shoulders, drew her away from Mrs Mellors and led the trembling girl into the house. ‘I’ll look after you now, my dear girl. You’ll be all right.’ Turning to Mrs Mellors, she added in a