Home Truths (50 page)

‘This line is very clear, isn't it?’ Django marvels.

‘Yes it is,’ Penny agrees.

‘And how are you?’ Django asks. ‘This time of year – I imagine it can't be easy.’

‘Thank you,’ Penny says, ‘but you know it's OK – it's better than I thought. I've just had my lunch. It was tasty. And I'm going to play cards with friends tonight.’

‘You are on your own?’ Django queries.

‘Yes,’ Penny says, ‘I am.’

‘That's not right, not on Christmas,’ Django says. ‘Well I'm jolly glad we phoned now, I most certainly am.’

‘I'm OK, Dango,’ Penny says and she cringes because although she wanted to say Django she started saying Derek instead. ‘And how are you?’ There's a pause. ‘Hullo?’

‘Still here,’ says Django, ‘I'm still here. I've had a spot of bother, but I'm still here.’

‘Are you OK?’ Penny asks.

‘I feel fine,’ Django assures her. ‘I've had a very happy day. I'm passing you over – we have a tradition on the McCabe Great Ring Round, we go through the ages – so you'll have Pip, followed by Fen, followed by Cat.’

‘Hullo?’ says Pip.

‘Hullo Philippa.’

‘Merry Christmas.’

‘And to you. How are you?’

‘I'm pregnant!’

‘Oh! Oh! That's just wonderful news. When are you due?’

‘Late June – a week before Fen's daughter turns two.’ A pause. ‘How are you?’

‘I'm great, thank you.’

‘Would you like to speak to Fen?’

‘I'd like to speak to you a little longer,’ Penny says, ‘if I may.’

‘Oh, OK.’ A pause. ‘How are you, then?’

‘I'm great. I'm great. How nice to hear from you.’

‘Yes. And you too. Merry Christmas – I hope you have a happier year ahead.’

‘That's kind. Will you – well, will you let me know about the baby?’

‘Yes,’ says Pip, ‘of course I will. I'm passing you on to Fen now. Bye bye.’

‘Goodbye, Pip.’

‘Hullo,’ says Fen.

‘Merry Christmas, Fenella.’

‘And to you – and a happy new year. I hope it's a good one.’

‘Thank you. And how are you?’

‘I'm fine. Cosima is eighteen months old. She speaks a little. She says “turtle” quite a lot, actually.’

‘How extraordinary! How endearing. Your first word was “apple”. Pip's was “goody” and I'm afraid I don't know what Catriona's was.’

‘Oh. Quite.’ A pause. ‘How is the weather?’

‘We have snow, we have a white Christmas. It's picture perfect. And how is it with you?’

‘It's a little overcast. But quite mild, actually.’ A pause. ‘Would you like me to pass you on to Cat, now?’

‘I'd like to speak to you a little longer,’ Penny says, ‘if I may.’

‘Oh yes. Of course.’

‘What have you been up to?’

‘I've gone back to work, part-time, I'm enjoying it immensely.’

‘Good for you. That's great.’

‘Thanks. And you?’

‘Oh, I've been painting the house. And hiking. And I went to Florida with my friend Marcia – she has a condo there. Boy was it hot.’

‘That sounds good,’ says Fen. ‘I'm going to pass you on to Cat now. Have a very merry Christmas – and a lovely year to come.’

‘Thank you, Fen, thank you,’ says Penny.

‘Hullo,’ says Cat, ‘Merry Christmas and a happy new year.’

‘Well thank you, Catriona – and I wish you the same. How are you?’

‘Great – busy. Ben and I moved to Darley Dale. I'm heading up a new flagship bookshop near Sheffield and Ben is Dr Big in sports medicine at the local hospital.’

‘My, you girls – you have so much to be proud of. What achievements. It's wonderful.’

‘Thank you.’ A pause. ‘It's nice to be nearer to Django.’

‘Is he unwell? I get the feeling he is.’

‘He is.’

‘I'm so sorry,’ Penny trails off. She doesn't want to hear that it's cancer. But she suspects it is. She feels her instincts are heightened, having lived through Bob's cancer. ‘What have you done today – what is Christmas Day like for you?’

‘Oh, we've cooked and eaten and unwrapped an obscene amount of presents.’

‘Good for you!’

‘And phoned all our friends,’ Cat thinks for a moment, ‘and family.’

‘Is Django still there?’ Penny asks.

‘Yes – do you want a word?’

‘A word is exactly what I want,’ Penny tells her. ‘Goodbye, Cat. And merry Christmas. To you all.’

‘Hullo?’ says Django.

‘Hullo Django,’ says Penny. ‘I just wondered – I don't know why I just wondered.’ She pauses. She laughs a little. ‘But I just wondered if perhaps you remembered what Cat's first word was?’

Django pauses. ‘Garden.’

‘Garden,’ Penny marvels, ‘that's lovely. Well I guess I ought to let you go.’

‘OK.’

‘Thank you so much for calling me. I'm quite – I'm quite. I'm overwhelmed.’

Django looks around the room. All eyes are on him. ‘Maybe next year we can entice you over,’ he says.

Penny is speechless but again she fears Django might presume the line to be dead.

‘Oh my,’ she says quietly, ‘well. That is some invitation.’

‘Good!’ Django declares as he smiles at his girls. ‘That's settled then.’

Acknowledgements

No matter how deeply I love my characters and believe in them, I must reluctantly admit to spending most of my working life with people who don't actually exist. However, behind the scenes, I am blessed with a dynamic and crucial support network helping to bring my books to life. Sincerest thanks go to my team at HarperCollins – especially my esteemed editor Lynne Drew. My agent, the inimitable Jonathan Lloyd, thank you – your percentage is my pleasure. Dawn Gobourne (and Hilary, Germaine and Ana) at Haringey Library Services – thanks for making my working days so happy and cosy. Mary Chamberlain, my eagle-eyed copy-editor, and Sophie Ransom, my tireless publicist – thank you both for your patience and your attention to detail. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Bex Lane, Jerney de Vries, Naina Patel, Sue McMillan, Souki Hartigan, Sue McCormack and Sarah Henderson for enabling me, in so many ways, to write this book.

The Holistic Cancer Care Centre, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough (
in memory of David Sutcliffe 1937–2005
).

About the Author

Freya gave up a PhD to write her first novel,
Sally
, in 1991. For four years she turned deaf ears to parents and friends who pleaded with her to ‘get a proper job’. She went on the dole and did a succession of freelance and temping jobs to support her writing days. In 1995, throwing caution to the wind, Freya sent three chapters and a page of completely fabricated reviews to a top literary agent, and met with success: five publishers entered a bidding war for her books. In 1996
Sally
was published to great acclaim and Freya was heralded as a fresh voice in fiction. Her next books,
Chloë, Polly, Cat, Fen, Pip
and
Love Rules
have all been bestsellers. She lives in London with her family.

For more information on Freya North, visit her website at www.freyanorth.co.uk.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Praise for
Home Truths
:

‘An eye-poppingly sexy start leads into a family reunion laced with secrets. Tangled mother/daughter relationships unravel and tantalising family riddles keep you glued to the end.’

Cosmopolitan

‘An engrossing emotional drama that's sure to feature on bestseller lists.’

Eve

‘You'll laugh, cry, then laugh some more.’

Company

‘Freya North manages to strike a good balance between drama, comedy and romance, and has penned another winner in
Home Truths
… touching, enjoyable.’

Heat

‘Extremely skilful.’

Daily Telegraph

Praise for Freya North:

‘Freya North has matured to produce an emotive novel that deals with the darker side of love – these are real women with real feelings.’

She

‘Tantrums, tarts, tears and text-sex … what's not to love about this cautionary tale for true romantics?’

Heat

‘A distinctive storytelling style and credible, loveable characters … an addictive read that encompasses the stuff life is made of: love, sex, fidelity and, above all, friendship.’

Glamour

‘Passion, guilt, envy, love and sex, topped with lashings of laughs. Freya North has done it again, only better.’

Daily Express

By the Same Author

Sally
Chloë
Polly
Cat
Fen
Pip
Love Rules

Copyright

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Harper
An imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers
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Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

www.harpercollins.co.uk

1

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins
Publishers
2006

Copyright © Freya North 2006

Freya North asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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EPub Edition © 2006 ISBN: 9780007325788

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