Page 32 of Be More Octopus

'I suppose you were much better behaved at private school?'

'No, there was no one of the opposite sex to gawp at. Which is why girls were a mystery to me. Still are a lot of the time. I spent my formative years admiring them from afar on the bus. They were terrifying, the way they constantly flicked their hair and never stopped talking.'

'You're not terrified of us now, are you?'

'Some of you. Perhaps not you, though, except when you've got a vacuum cleaner in your hand.' That cheeky grin again.

'You're never going to let me forget that, are you?' Em could feel herself blushing.

'You've traumatised me. I will never be able to hoover again,' said Jack, dramatically. 'And I like to remind you every now and again because blushing suits you.'

Is he flirting with you?

She didn't get a chance to find out. A crowd of cub scouts charged into the room, bustling past them to get to the octopus, which decided that now would be a good time to squeeze behind a rock.

'Shall we head outside again?' Jack shouted so Em could hear him over the noise.

She nodded.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

There was a silver Mercedes' soft top in front of the main house when Em and Jack got back from their day trip.

'Nancy didn't say she was having visitors today. '

'That's my mother's car.' Jack smiled.

'I thought she wasn't coming until Tuesday?' said Em.

'So did I. But she is very spontaneous. It looks like she changed her plans. Let's go and say hello.'

As they walked into the main house, Em could hear women's voices laughing and talking in the kitchen. She recognised Nancy's. The other higher voice must be Olivia.

'Jack!' A glamorous-looking woman with white hair in a classic Marilyn Monroe style and a fifties circle skirt dress to match got down from a stool by the island and opened her arms wide. She must be Nancy's age, but she seemed much younger.

'Mother!' Jack went in for a hug.

Olivia stood back and looked her son up and down. ‘You've got some colour in your cheeks again.' She looked delighted. 'And you've put on weight.'

'Not too much, I hope.'

'No. You look just right. Your clothes fit you properly again. You'd lost so much weight you looked like a skeleton. I knew you weren't eating properly.'

Em looked at Jack. Olivia was right. Em hadn't noticed the change, but he had filled out slightly since that first day.

'You make it sound like I was at death's door.'

'Oh, darling. I'm so pleased.'

'The Devon air must suit you, Jack.' Nancy had stopped cooking. 'And the company.' She looked pointedly at Em.

'Mother, this is Emily. Em's an artist, and she helps Nancy with the holiday lets when she's not painting. '

That was a lovely way to introduce you. Even Em's inner voice sounded positive today.

Oliva turned her dazzling smile on Em.

'I'm so pleased to meet you at last. Nancy has been singing your praises ever since you arrived here.'