A Song in the Night Read Free Page A

crowds who quickly mingled with ambling restaurant diners and nocturnal tourists until the streets were a sway of good-natured merrymaking. Meg and Tammy observed it all with eyes large and bright. Once inside their taxi, they pressed their small faces against the windows and watched the lights of London flash by. Tom, Ben’s teenage son, chattered amiably to the driver who nodded and mumbled as he negotiated his way towards their destination. When they arrived at Victoria, they all piled onto a train and spent the short journey making plans for their next few days together. Beth’s family were treating themselves to a break in a hotel. “Not every day you come down to London,” Ed had said. “We’ll splash out a bit. See ’ow the other ’alf live.”
    As they all prepared to separate for the night, Cassie took Beth in her arms and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. You were absolutely wonderful.”
    Beth’s face glowed. But before she had chance to reply, Josh came up behind them and, linking his arm through his sister’s, began to spin her round on the spot. Ben struck up a tune and, together with Ed and Tom, began to clap as though at some impromptu roadside ceilidh. The children jumped up and down on the pavement with delight, and Beth punched the air jubilantly as the spinning gathered pace. Rosie exchanged glances with Ciaran. He was watching the scene, his eyes filled with quiet pride. “They’re all as mad as each other,” he whispered to her. But Rosie knew he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
    “Whoa! You’ll have to stop …” Beth panted breathlessly after a couple of minutes. She was still laughing, but her voice came out in small gasps.
    Josh steadied her. “You okay, sis? Getting too old for this kinda thing?”
    Beth bent forward with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She tilted her face up at him and grinned. “Some of us have been working very hard tonight – just in case you didn’t notice.”
    Josh rubbed her shoulder affectionately. “We’ll let you off then. Looks like you need to get your feet up.”
    It was late by the time Ciaran and Beth finally flopped onto the sofa of their Streatham home.
    “Don’t you wish we could do concerts in jeans?” Ciaran loosened his collar and sighed. There was always a slight hint of Irish in his voice when he was tired.
    “Or combats?” Beth ventured. “Only I guess they wouldn’t look quite so glam.”
    Ciaran took her small hands in his and tenderly kissed the tips of her fingers. “You were so beautiful tonight, Bethy. You played like an angel. At one bit I wanted to stand on my seat and shout – Listen up, you lot! That girl’s mine. My bride! Isn’t she just gorgeous …? ”
    Beth shook her head and grinned. “I’m very glad you resisted the temptation. Your Rosie would’ve thrown something at you.” She looked down at her hands for a few moments, her expression becoming serious. “D’you think I did it justice? I mean, was it as good as you thought it would be?” Suddenly, away from all the applause and adulation, she knew she needed to hear it from him. What he thought meant more than all the compliments in the world.
    Ciaran took her gently by the shoulders. Pulling her round to face him, he looked deep into her eyes. “Bethy, you were awesome. Absolutely out of this world. I have never been so proud in all my life as I was tonight. Really.” He kissed her then for a long time until she knew. She was his treasure.
    Some time after midnight, he got up to make a hot drink.
    “Bring me a couple of paracetamol with mine,” Beth called out.
    “You got a headache?” Ciaran’s voice could just be heard through the clinking of cups and the buzz of the kettle.
    “Nah, not really.” Beth flexed her arms and hands. “Just need to loosen up a bit. They might help me sleep.” She tried not to think about the sickness, but it was there again, lingering somewhere in the pit of her