Page 120 of Playing the Game

“They’re months away,” she replied. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see your mother.”

Tuva settled in her seat and crossed her legs. “That has to be a first. I don’t know whether to be worried or touched.”

Jonas caught Heidi’s eye. She nodded.

“I’ve come to make you an offer,” he replied.

“Oh really? I’m intrigued.”

“Well,” he began. “Now that I’m settled at Brockton, I wondered if Anna would like to come and do her further education in England.”

It was as though he’d thrown a grenade into the centre of the room and they were all waiting for it to go off.

Anna clutched his arm. “Really? Can I?”

“Wait a second,” Tuva replied. “After the way you’ve behaved this week, you are not in the market for treats. Besides, you live here.”

He had to tread very carefully now. Tuva would block this out of spite. The control freak in her baulking at letting Anna have freedom.

“I think it would do Anna good,” Jonas continued. “I was away most of the time when I was her age.”

Tuva shrugged. “That was your choice.”

It hadn’t been his choice at all. This woman had created such a toxic environment he would have done anything to stay away.

“Mama, please can I go?”

“I don’t think so.”

“But…”

Jonas squeezed her hand. “Darling, why don’t you go to your room for a little while? Let me and your mother talk.”

Anna appeared uncertain what to do next.

“I know,” Heidi said. “I’ll come with you and we can find an outfit for dinner tonight.”

“Dinner?” Tuva interjected. “She is grounded.”

Anna leapt to her feet. “I hate you.”

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in the process.

“I’ll go,” Heidi said, following Anna out of the room.

This left Jonas and Tuva alone. They faced each other like the old adversaries they were. Back in the day, Tuva had won most of the arguments. His father would usually come down on her side.

“What are you trying to achieve?” Tuva asked.

“To make my sister happy,” Jonas replied. “She’s tried to run away and now she’s getting into drugs.”

Tuva shifted on the couch. “And you think you can do a better job of raising my daughter than I can.”

How he yearned to scream the affirmative in her face. Jonas swallowed the urge down.

“I’m not saying that,” he said. “Anna is clearly unhappy. I think it would do both of you good for her to have a break.”