Page 92 of The Love Letter

An hour later, she went upstairs to the sound of excited screams emanating from both her son and Simon.

‘You’ve not come up to tell me it’s time for bed? It’s Saturday and we’ve nearly got to level three andI’mwinning,’ said Jamie, not taking his eyes from the screen.

‘Then you can win again tomorrow. It’s gone half past nine, Jamie.’

‘Mumma, please!’

‘Sorry, Jamie. Your mum’s right. We’ll play again tomorrow, I promise. Night night.’ Simon put his controller down and gave Jamie a pat on the shoulder.

‘Night, Simon,’ Jamie called as he left the room.

Zoe tidied up Jamie’s room while she waited for him to come back from the bathroom, then she tucked him in. ‘Anything you’d like to do tomorrow?’

‘Finish the game.’

‘Apart from that?’

‘No, not really. Stay in bed late, watch loads of TV, drink loads of Coke, all the things I can’t do at school.’ He grinned up at her.

‘Okay, deal, apart from the Coke.’ Zoe kissed him. ‘Night.’

‘Night, Mumma.’

Simon was pouring himself a glass of water from the kitchen tap when Zoe arrived downstairs.

‘Sorry. All that excitement made me thirsty. I’ll clear out of your way.’

‘I think you deserve a proper nightcap after that masterpiece of imagination at the supper table. Are you sure you didn’t train as an actor?’ she said with mock suspicion.

‘As it happens, I do feel I know New Zealand rather well. My girl—I mean, myex-girlfriend, has spent the past year out there.’

‘Ex?’

‘Yeah. She loves it so much she’s decided to stay and marry a local.’

‘I’m sorry. Would you like a brandy? Or a whisky?’

‘I . . . As long as I’m not in your way.’

‘No. You-know-who is off elsewhere on official business, so I’m by myself all weekend. The drinks cabinet’s in the sitting room. Let’s go in there and I’ll put the fire on. It’s turned nippy.’

Simon sat in an armchair with his brandy while Zoe stretched out on the sofa.

‘You’ve certainly made a hit with my son.’

‘He’s a bright kid. You must be proud of him.’

‘I am. Marcus is always saying that I mollycoddle him too much.’

‘I think he’s an extremely well-adjusted and normal young man.’

‘I try my best, but it’s never easy bringing up a child by yourself, although at least he had my grandfather here. Changing the subject, Joanna sent you a message. She said she wants you to ring her.’ Zoe studied Simon’s expression. ‘She told me she’s known you for years and she promised she won’t let on about knowing who you really are to Marcus. Will she?’

‘Absolutely not. I trust Jo implicitly. She knows most of my secrets.’

‘Except for one. Until today anyway,’ Zoe countered. ‘I also told her about Art. What with you being here and something else she’d seen, she’d virtually guessed anyway. You really think that even though she’s a journalist, she wouldn’t spill the beans?’

‘Never.’