A Family Concern Read Free

there.’
    â€˜That’s great.’
    â€˜And Mum?’ Rona asked after a minute.
    â€˜Intends to go down with flu,’ Tom said drily, ‘so I’ll be solo at the first two bashes.’
    â€˜And then there’s Christmas,’ Rona went on tentatively. ‘Will you be spending it with Catherine?’
    â€˜No, she’s going to Cricklehurst, as usual.’ He paused. ‘You’ll all be at Maple Drive, I take it?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Rona said miserably.
    â€˜Of course you will, your mother will expect it. Don’t worry about me, sweetheart, I’ll be fine. Sorry, but I’ll have to go now – I’m supposed to be following the estate agent back to his office to sign papers. I’ll be in touch about the arrangements for the twenty-fifth.’
    â€˜It’s also your birthday, Pops,’ Rona put in quickly. ‘What about after the reception? Would you—?’
    â€˜I’ve arranged a quiet dinner with Catherine. It seemed best, under the circumstances.’
    â€˜Fine,’ she said. And wished she meant it. They exchanged goodbyes and she switched off her mobile, stepping out of the doorway she’d made use of as a cheerful voice behind her said, ‘Rona Parish, as I live and breathe!’
    â€˜Kate!’ The two women hugged each other. ‘I’ve not seen you for ages.’
    â€˜Just what I was thinking. Have you time for a cuppa at the Gallery?’
    â€˜Indeed I have,’ Rona replied. It was just the antidote she needed to shake her out of her misgivings; she’d known Kate Tarlton – or Kate Halliday, as she’d then been – since her schooldays.
    â€˜Where’s that hound of yours?’ Kate enquired, as they went up the iron staircase leading to the walkway above the shops.
    â€˜At home, recovering from an injured paw. He got a thorn in it at the park and it turned septic. He’s over the worst, but he has to wear one of those wide plastic collars to stop him pulling the bandage off. He hates it, poor love.’
    The café was crowded on this cold afternoon. The coveted window tables were all taken, so they settled at a corner one and, after a brief consultation, ordered tea for two and toasted teacakes.
    â€˜Now,’ Kate invited, ‘tell me what you’ve been doing since I last saw you. What are you working on at the moment?’
    Here we go! Rona thought. ‘Helping people find their birth parents,’ she replied, and resignedly watched her friend make the connection.
    â€˜Of course – that case that hit the headlines.’
    â€˜That started it, yes, but the two I’ve done since have been decidedly less spectacular, thank God, and ended much more happily. Reunions and hugs all round.’
    â€˜Don’t tell me you’ve located
two
sets of parents in a matter of weeks? Superwoman, or what?’
    Rona shook her head. ‘I didn’t do the locating this time; I advertised for people willing to tell me their stories, and had a surprising number of replies. Barnie Trent, who’s features editor at
Chiltern Life
, is quite keen on the idea – striking while the iron’s hot, he calls it. He’s commissioned an article per month, with a minimum of four.’
    â€˜Well, you certainly handed him a scoop with the first one,’ Kate commented. ‘The inside story, and all that. And your Buckford articles are still running, I see. You’ll be taking over the magazine at this rate!’
    Rona smiled. ‘There are a couple more, but I finished writing them months ago. You’re right – normally the new series would wait till they ended, but as I said, Barnie’s taking advantage of public interest.’
    The waitress approached and unloaded her tray on to the table.
    â€˜How’s the jewellery business?’ Rona asked as she poured the tea. ‘Besieged by Christmas shoppers?’
    Kate had