Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

Ten

Ten

 Becky had been bursting at the seams to tell Amy about what she’d seen, or rather, whom she’d seen at the hotel. But having quickly forgiven Leo, they had a considerable amount of making up to do, and he ended up staying the night. But the moment she closed the door behind him, the following morning, she was on the phone.

“Amy, it’s me. Just wondering if you fancy popping round for a coffee?”

“Any particular reason?” Amy asked, guessing from Becky’s tone that it wasn’t just for a general chit-chat.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you.”

“Oh God! I knew it,” she groaned. “You’ve slept with Adrian, haven’t you?” She shot a despondent look at Ben who rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.

“Oh, that’s great, that is!” Becky replied. “I ask my best friend round for a coffee and a chat, therefore, I’ve shagged Adrian!”

“Well, what is it then?”

“Just pop round when you get a minute and I’ll tell you. It’s not something we can discuss over the phone.”

“Beck! Oh, okay. I’ll be round as soon as I can. I’m not sure what time it’ll be, though. And I’ve got some news, myself.”

“And I suppose you’re not going to tell me until you come round?”

“You’re joking? You know me with secrets - not that it is a secret - Nat’s back. She turned up on our doorstep early this morning.”

“Bloody hell. That’s a bit out of the blue, isn’t it?”

“Yep. Wanted to surprise me, she said. Anyhow, I’ll fill you in when I get there. See you in a bit.”

“So,” said Ben, looking totally confused, “did she sleep with him, or not?”

“Apparently not. But she has got something to tell me.”

“What?”

“I don’t know, do I? Oh, you know what, I’m just going to go now; the suspense will kill me otherwise. You weren’t going anywhere, were you?”

“Nope, you carry on, I’ll watch the kids.”

 Twenty minutes later, Amy was sitting at Becky’s breakfast bar, aghast. Her mouth literally dropped open when Becky enlightened her as to Helen’s movements the previous afternoon.

“You’re winding me up?” she managed, slowly shaking her head.

“I’m not. They were right there in the hotel restaurant - together.”

“But what were they actually doing?”

“Well... leaving. They’d just finished lunch, I suppose.”

“Oh,” Amy said with a combination of disappointment and relief. “So they weren’t exactly compromising themselves. There could be an innocent explanation.”

“Amy, they were in a busy restaurant, they’re hardly likely to have been shagging on the table.”

Amy shook her head again. “But, Helen! She despises infidelity. She rates it above only murder and paedophilia on the contemptuous scale.”

“So she says. She’s such a hypocrite; the way she slags off Marcus and goes on about Adrian. And all the time she’s having it away with a married man.”

“But...” Amy said, confounded, “and, I know I probably hadn’t ought to say this; her being my sister, but in all honesty, I would have thought Amanda was probably a better catch - looks wise, I mean.”