A Few Little Lies
Page 33
Dora tucked the letter back in her in-tray.
‘Dora, are you up there?’ Sheila repeated.
It was extremely tempting to say no. Instead she pressed the call button.
‘Come up. Sheila, it’s unlocked.’
She padded into the kitchen, scratching and yawning deliciously with every step. Oscar and Gibson, the resident tom cats, mewled the lament of the wildly overindulged and leapt onto the cooker while she plugged in the kettle and lit a cigarette. Opening the fridge, Dora prised a carton of milk off the shelf and sniffed it speculatively.
A few seconds later. Sheila pushed the kitchen door open. She peered around and sniffed, looking rushed. Sheila inevitably looked rushed.
‘Oh, you’re in here, are you? I thought you told me you’d stopped smoking? You’ve left the street door on the latch again. Don’t know why you’ve bought that security thing, anyone can just walk up –’
Dora hunted around for the teapot. ‘I nipped across to the shop first thing.’
Sheila’s eyes narrowed. ‘Not like that, surely? You’re not ill, are you?’ She picked her way across the kitchen and stood a wicker basket on the table amongst the debris of breakfast letters and open books. Oscar headed towards the cat litter tray.
Dora glanced down at the grey dressing gown she was wearing and shook her head. ‘No, I’m fine. I’ve been up for hours. I’ve been working on the computer this morning. I’m working on a new book. Lillian Bliss may have gone, but Catiana Moran is still going strong.’
Sheila looked at Dora and tipped her head accusingly to one side. ‘What are all those boxes doing in the hall? Are you moving out? I did wonder if you would after all the thing with the burglaries. It makes sense really.’
Behind Sheila, the kitchen door opened to reveal Jon Melrose, fetchingly attired in a white towelling bathrobe. He grinned at Sheila, whose face had frozen into a tight mask of astonishment.
‘No, actually I’m moving in, until Dora and I can find a house to buy together,’ he said. He glanced at Dora, hovering by the teapot. ‘Any chance I can have a cup?’
Dora nodded. ‘My pleasure. Why don’t you sit down. Sheila, you’ve gone really pale.’
If you enjoyed A Few Little Lies, check out these other great titles by Susan Welfare.
The party was supposed to be the ultimate surprise, but instead it turned out to be the most ordinary event of the day …
When warring sisters Suzie and Liz come together to organise a 40th anniversary party for their parents, they struggle to keep their personal dramas in check and make it a magical day.
Suzie is struggling to keep her marriage afloat and Liz is keen to retain her Queen Bee status. Their aunt and mother are much the same, with Lilly and Fleur at loggerheads over their very different lives.
Meanwhile Suzie’s daughters Hannah and Megan are learning that growing up isn’t as easy as their parents profess.
As the champagne flows and the drama unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that this is a party that no-one will ever forget – but will there be a happy family left at the end?
Buy the ebook here
A heart-warming read that looks at the paths not crossed – if you enjoyed This Is Your Life in its heyday you’ll adore this.
Fame and fortune can’t hide the secrets of her past …
When fading soap star, Helen Redford, goes back to her old home town to make a TV show about her glittering career she catches a glimpse of the might-have-beens that drove her to leave in the first place.
Ex boy friends, old scores to settle, friendships gone sour, chances not taken,and secrets about Helen’s family that have haunted her since she was a little girl.
As the champagne flows and the drama unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that this is a party that no-one will ever forget – but will there be a happy family left at the end?
Buy the ebook here
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Married with four sons, Sue Welfare is the author of Just Desserts, Off the Record and a number of erotic novels. Unlike the heroine of A Few Little Lies, Sue finds that her erotic writing is one of the worst-kept secrets in East Anglia. Born on the edge of the Fens, she is perfectly placed to write about the vagaries of life in a small country town.
SUE WELFARE was runner-up in the Mail on Sunday novel competition in 1995, and winner of the Wyrd Short Story prize in the same year. She is also a scriptwriter, and her comedy appeared in the 1999 Channel 4 Sitcom Festival.
OTHER BOOKS BY
JUST DESSERTS
OFF THE RECORD
MOVING ON UP
GUILTY CREATURES
FALLEN WOMEN
DOUBLE OR QUITS
A SURPRISE PARTY
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