Fraser's Line Read Free Page B

burden he had to carry – it was not something to put on these innocent young children.
    ‘Are you ill?’ George asked.
    ‘Not at all,’ Fraser assured him, ‘so you have nothing to worry about. Of course we all miss Grandma a lot, and we shall always think of her, but you children mustn’t be unhappy. She would not have wanted that.’ He had changed the subject rapidly. ‘Shall we get your train set out after lunch, George? Shall we see if Mummy says there’ll be time?’
    ‘Oh magic! Yes, please!’ Then George’s face had fallen. ‘I think Mummy’s going to make me sort my room out this afternoon.’
    Fraser could not bear his disappointment. Sometimes Sarah was rather too hard on the children. Discipline was a good thing, of course, but he wondered if you could overdo it.
    ‘I’ll ask her,’ he promised. ‘Perhaps there’ll be time.’
    ‘Time for what?’ Sarah had appeared with a jug of water.
    ‘George and I would love to play with the train set after lunch. Kate might help us, too. That won’t interfere with your plans, will it?’
    ‘We’ll see.’ Sarah was obviously thinking fast. She had hoped Fraser would go fairly early as she had a lot of work to do over the weekend. On the other hand she was sorry for him, and she realised it could be therapeutic for him to have some time with the children and the train set, an activity all parties loved. And it would keep the children happily occupied for a while. ‘I think we could fit that in for an hour after lunch,’ she agreed, and George had been ecstatic.
    The children continued to behave well during the meal. Once Kate had interrupted a conversation between Sarah and her father, but was quickly stopped. She had to wait until they had finished and was then given permission to speak. Fraser wondered if he and Edie had been so strict with the girls. It was difficult to remember, and he had to admit that he had left most of the disciplining to Edie.
    Michael’s mobile phone must have vibrated in his pocket, because he took it out and looked at it, and then put it away. A few minutes later he took it out again, and then asked to be excused for a moment. When he came back he seemed strained.
    ‘I’m sorry, darling,’ he said, ‘but something rather urgent has come up, and I’ve really got to see to a delivery this afternoon. It will only take an hour – I’ll be back in two hours at the outside. And I promise I’ll do everything we had planned when I get back.’
    ‘Oh no! Do you really have to go? We said we’d make it a family day today, and Grandpa has come, and I do need you to be here.’
    ‘I won’t be long,’ Michael promised. ‘I’m sure the children will be happy playing trains with Grandpa, and I’ll be back straight after, and I’ll see they get their outside exercise, and then I’ll do whatever other jobs you have lined up for me.’
    Sarah was obviously fighting emotion, but she managed to put on something approaching a smile. ‘Very well, but you’re quite sure it won’t be more than two hours?’
    ‘Absolutely.’ Michael was relieved. ‘I’ll help you clear away first, and I’ll be back before you’ve noticed.’
    When the meal was finished both the children chorused, ‘Please may I get down?’ and then George suddenly started racing round in small circles, imitating an aeroplane, and shouting: ‘We’re going to play trains! It’s magic! We’re going to play trains!’ He banked steeply, spun round, crashed into a chair, and landed on the floor in a heap.
    ‘George!’ Sarah shouted. ‘Stop that this minute! Any more of that rough behaviour and there’ll be no trains for you!’
    George stopped in his tracks and his face fell. He was obviously realising that a moment’s thoughtless display of exuberance looked like jeopardising the very activity he had been anticipating so eagerly.
    ‘Sorry, Mummy,’ he said, anxiously. ‘Sorry, sorry, Mummy. I won’t do it again.’
‘You certainly