‘Why would I need to keep an eye on him?’ She almost laughed until she saw Graham had clearly meant every word.
Graham laughed and shook his head. ‘Would you listen to me? He’s a grown man. Forget I said that, the champagne must’ve gone to my head. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find my bride.’
But when Theo came over to join her she suspected the comment hadn’t been a mistake, but rather a warning that there was something she didn’t know about her boyfriend, a reason she should be on her guard.
*
Theo was disappointed they couldn’t stay longer in New Zealand. Work had only allowed him a fortnight off but he squeezed in as much skiing as he could. The first time they went was following a raucous night at the bars in town and it had summoned all of Lydia’s determination and stamina to stay upright that day, let alone move anywhere on her skis. She’d joined him another time after that but had then declared relaxation time and while Theo skied, Lydia enjoyed hot chocolates, the holiday atmosphere, and even managed to finish one of the novels she’d brought with her.
‘Here we go again.’ Theo held her hand as the plane took off, leaving New Zealand behind, ready to return to England where the autumn weather had brought storms and gale force winds. The plane whirred and the wheels came up as they began their ascent.
Theo turned his head to look at her and out of the window. ‘It was a great holiday, wasn’t it?’
She turned and snuggled against his shoulder. ‘I had a lovely time.’
‘And you enjoyed the skiing didn’t you? At least a little bit?’ He made a gap between his middle finger and thumb.
‘It was fine, but a couple of days out on the slopes was plenty for me. The wedding was my favourite part of the holiday. Your dad is really nice, and Natasha’s lovely too.’
He nodded. ‘She actually is. I didn’t take to her for a long time, but I can see now how good she is for Dad.’
Lydia put a hand on his arm. ‘I’m glad you think so.’
He smiled. ‘Did you have a good chat with her?’
‘I did.’ Natasha had talked all about the various career paths she’d followed or could’ve chosen and Lydia’s head felt much clearer than it had back in London. She was aware that she had a good job, but she also had alternative career options long-term.
‘Do you have any idea what you’d like to do next? Maybe magazine journalism?’ Theo suggested as the plane levelled out. ‘That might be different.’
‘It’s a possibility. But whatever I decide, we can’t afford to do anything too drastic if we want to keep a roof over our heads.’
‘We’re living the life, Lydia. This is what it’s all about. We’re in our twenties, living in London. Make the most of it.’
‘We’ve spent a fortune on this holiday,’ she said. ‘We’ll really have to tighten our belts when we get back to London.’ It wasn’t that she was boring but Lydia had always thought of the future as well as the present, unlike Theo, Mr-Live-in-the-Moment.
Theo patted his stomach, the non-existent hint of anything other than the same flat abs he’d had through uni. ‘After what I ate at the wedding, I’ll only be loosening my belt.’
Lydia poked him in the stomach and giggled but when she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, tired from the early wake-up call that morning, she couldn’t help wondering what Graham had meant when he said to keep an eye on his son. He was concerned about the company he kept, but hadn’t said why, and Lydia couldn’t get the niggling thought out of her head.
She just hoped Graham was exaggerating or completely wrong, and that Theo was in control of his own life. She wanted to believe that nothing was going to change.
