Read Revenge in the Cotswolds for Free Online

someone.
    When the mobile trilled at her, she leapt to grab it, thinking Drew had found a moment to call her earlier than usual. But it was a different number showing on the screen. ‘Hello?’ she said.
    ‘Thea. It’s Damien. Where are you?’
    ‘Damien? For heaven’s sake – what’s happened? Is it Mum?’
    ‘No, no. Don’t panic. It’s nothing like that. Where are you?’ he asked again.
    ‘A little place called Daglingworth. You won’t have heard of it. Why do you want to know?’
    ‘Just curious. I can never keep track of you these days, with that boyfriend and everything.’
    Were older brothers meant to supervise their sisters, then, like a mother with a grown-up daughter, she wondered irritably. Damien had always been someone to avoid as much as possible, with his prissy judgements and tendency to over-control everyone. As older brother to three sisters, he had assumed responsibilities that nobody had ever actually accorded him.
    ‘So …?’ she prompted. She didn’t like to have the phone tied up for long, when all she wanted was to speak to Drew.
    ‘Listen. I’ve got some news.’ His voice was oddly unsure, even shy – which was highly unusual.
    ‘What?’ Already she had guessed that he was going to take holy orders, or sell all his goods and become a hermit. Damien had embraced religion some fifteen years ago and had become difficult to talk to ever since. Occasional attempts to convert one or other of his sisters never came to anything.
    ‘Judy’s pregnant.’
    ‘Good God!’ Despite repeated requests that everyone in the family refrain from such expletives, the habit was far too deep to change. And perhaps this time, he would deem it appropriate anyway. ‘That’s amazing.’
    ‘I know. We can hardly believe it. It’s due in August, which doesn’t seem very far off. We had no idea until last week.’
    Thea tried to do the calculations. ‘She’s four months on, then?’
    ‘Sixteen weeks,’ he agreed.
    ‘And she’s forty-four – is that right?’
    ‘Not quite, but she will be when it’s born. A baby, Thea! At our age!’
    ‘Yes,’ she said faintly. ‘It’s hard to imagine.’ And it was. Judy had a PhD in numerology, which had apparently fitted quite readily into Damien’sreligious faith and practice. She worked as some sort of consultant to a perfectly mainstream financial institution, which supposedly did at least involve an understanding of numbers.
    ‘We never even
dreamt
…’ He was obviously trying to say something about how the creature had been conceived, but was too embarrassed. ‘We thought it was … you know, the menopause.’
    At least he didn’t call it The Change, Thea thought. ‘I gather that happens a lot,’ she said, wondering with a distinct horror whether it could ever happen to her. ‘People seem to cope pretty well. You’re both in good health, at least.’
    ‘You are meant to offer congratulations,’ he said, sounding stiff and awfully old.
    ‘Take it as read. What does Mum think? Have you told Jocelyn? What about Emily?’
    ‘Mum’s delighted. She likes babies. And I’m calling Jocelyn next, after you.’ The question about their other sister was ignored.
    ‘You’re right about Mum. Well, thanks for telling me. I appreciate it. I’ll come and see you sometime. Maybe over Easter. I need to go now – sorry. You’ll be fine. Tell Judy from me, she’ll be a great mother.’
    ‘Thanks.’
    She pressed the red button and sat back on the sofa where she’d gone from the first moments of the call, thinking a long relaxed chat with Drew was about to take place. How in the world had Damien’s Godmade such a drastic mistake as to send them a child? Her brother and his wife were like a couple from the pages of Charles Dickens. She was tall and angular, he short and wide. Neither of them managed the details of daily life especially well. Their house was untidy and disorganised, with books, papers, unopened letters, empty CD cases and