Page 11 of A Typical Family Summer

Ron turned away so Helen didn’t see him trying to hide a smile. The women had a “room-war” last Christmas when they’d visited Kate and Brett at the same time, and it looked like hostilities had well and truly resumed.

‘I’ll thank you to keep your hands off my things,’ Helen snapped. ‘I didn’t give you permission to touch anything.’

‘Oh, dear, I’m sorry,’ Beverley said insincerely. ‘I thought I was saving you a job. I didn’t realise you had things in your room that you don’t want anyone to see. Don’t worry—’ Beverley lowered her voice ‘—I didn’t notice anything, and if I had done your secret would be safe with me.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Helen demanded. ‘What secret?’

‘Whatever it is you don’t want anyone to know about,’ Beverley repeated.

‘I don’t have any such thing.’

‘That’s good.’ Beverley smiled winningly. ‘So you don’t actually mind me moving your stuff.’

‘Idomind. I would have preferred to have done it myself.’

‘That’s a relief,’ Beverley said.

‘What is?’ Helen demanded. Ron could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. The woman was seriously cheesed off.

‘That you’re happy to move rooms,’ Beverley said.

‘I didn’t say I was happy,’ Helen retorted stiffly.

‘You did! Didn’t she, Brett? Didn’t your mother just say that she’d have moved her stuff herself?’

Brett shot Ron a pained look. ‘Leave me out of this,’ he said to the two women. ‘I’m going to grab a beer. Do you want a drink, Ron?’

Glad to escape, Ron said, ‘I’d love a Coke, please.’

‘I thought you were starting dinner?’ Helen called after him, but Ron pretended he hadn’t heard.

He’d happily cook tonight’s meal, but he didn’t need Helen telling him what to do. Two evenings of her looking over his shoulder and issuing commands were enough. He didn’t mind her helping, but her idea of help was to bark orders like a drill sergeant, while he did all the work.

However, for Kate and Brett’s sake, and because they had been kind enough to invite him on the family holiday, he held his tongue and kept the peace, whilst being grateful that Helen was no relation of his. In fact, when he was back on the road, he’d probably never see her again.

It was a pleasant thought.

What wasn’t so pleasant was the thought of not seeing Beverley.