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Nick was so pissed off, but he has no reason to be. I can’t help the fact that Nick and Alex didn’t get on at school (Nick went to Windsor College for a year, before getting expelled for laziness).

Anyway, Sadie is so unreliable.

Alex and I did more running and less walking this time.

We jogged along the Thames and all the way to Embankment.

A man on the deck of a river cruiser shouted: ‘Alex Dalton! I don’t believe it. Just the man. Jump onboard – I have some killer news about Maverick.’

Alex said, ‘Not right now, Ben.’

The man looked at his cocktail glass, pretended to rub his eyes and said, ‘Did you just say, “not right now” to a business discussion?’

Alex said, ‘We’ll talk tomorrow.’

We ran on, and I asked about Maverick.

Alex said, ‘It’s a Swedish hotel chain. We’re looking to them over.’

I said, ‘So isn’t that important? Do you want to go back?’

Alex said, ‘It’s not important. Not right now.’

Thursday April 2nd

Phoned Laura to ask about her and Zach, but she said nothing much was happening. They’ve been on a few dates, but that was it.

Bugger. I was hoping they were secretly engaged or something. That would irritate Catrina Dalton and Helen no end.

After clearing out the bathroom yesterday, I realise I might still be traumatised about Daisy’s birth.

She came out okay in the end, but they had to use some big metal barbeque tongs.

Before I had Daisy, I wanted a natural birth. Now I know the truth.

Nature is cruel and awful and we’re lucky to have things like morphine and haemorrhoid cream.

Friday April 3rd

Good Friday

Nick is in Sheffield for an audition this weekend, so I’m back in Great Oakley.

Considered getting Daisy an Easter egg. But she’s a bit young for chocolate (although Mum says we had Easter eggs ‘practically from birth’). So I bought her socks with little chickens on them.

Got the usual Cadbury’s Buttons Easter egg for Callum.

I’m not giving it to him until Easter Sunday.

Dad always insisted we didn’t have our Easter eggs until then, and it taught us patience and self-control.

Saturday April 4th

Did a bad thing. Ate Callum’s Easter egg.

Luckily the village supermarket was still open, so I bought him another one.

9pm