She stopped, turning her head. Had she imagined it, or had she just heard her name being called? No, there it was again. She swivelled around. It was coming from the house.
She glanced over at Josie, but the girl was now lying back, headphones over her ears, oblivious to everything but the sun kissing her naked skin.
‘Amy!’
She backed away, out of the orchard, through the gate. The shouts were more insistent now – and she recognised the voice. David. So he hadn’t gone for a run, she thought, feeling suddenly filled with righteousness. She could see him standing by the pool, facing the house, and quickened her pace, ready to tell him exactly . . . but then she saw Tilly standing at his side.
‘There’s Mummy!’ the little girl cried, pointing. David whirled around, and Amy saw the anger creasing his face.
‘Amy, where the hell have you been?’
‘Nowhere, I was just . . .’ She gestured vaguely behind her.
‘I came back from my run and found Tilly sitting on the edge of the pool!’
Amy’s eyes widened, looking to her daughter with alarm. Tilly pouted up at David. ‘But I didn’t go in, Daddy.’ She looked at Amy and beamed. ‘I’m not allowed without an adult,’ she said, proud to be able to recite the rules. Then she frowned. ‘Why’s Daddy angry?’
‘He’s not angry with you, darling,’ said Amy, looking up at David. ‘I think he’s angry with me.’
‘Damn right I am,’ he hissed, then thought better of it and bent to look at Tilly. ‘Why don’t you go back and watch the farm thing on the TV, Tills? I’ll be up in two minutes.’
Tilly nodded. ‘Are you going to tell Mummy off?’
David shook his head slowly. ‘We’re just going to have an adult talk.’
‘Okay,’ said Tilly, running off up the terrace steps.
Once she was gone, David turned back to Amy. ‘So where the hell were you?’
‘I only left her for a minute. She was happy watching her programme.’
‘What if she’d slipped? What if she had slipped and fallen into the water without her armbands?’
‘You’re being melodramatic, David.’
‘Am I? She’s five years old, Amy. She can’t swim. You can’t just piss off and leave her when the mood takes you.’
‘I didn’t—’
‘You didn’t what? Didn’t leave her?’
‘God, David, you can b
e such a sanctimonious prick sometimes,’ she snapped, all the anger and frustration she had built up imagining David and Josie together spilling out. ‘You’re the one who wanted to go off running; you could have stayed and watched Tilly, you know.’
‘You really can be unbelievably self-centred at times, d’you know that?’ David shook his head in disgust and turned towards the house.
‘Me? Selfish?’ shouted Amy, following him. ‘You’re the one insisting that I do exactly what you want.’
He stopped and looked at her. ‘Is this about the pact? Amy, we had an agreement and it wasn’t just for my benefit. You’re overworked and stressed out, and it’s not healthy for anyone, least of all Tilly – as I think we’ve just seen.’
She glared at him. ‘And now I’m a bad mother too?’
David rubbed a hand across his brow. ‘You’re putting words in my mouth,’ he said. ‘You’re a wonderful mother, but you’ve got to look after yourself too. And this bloody job application is exactly the opposite of what we’re supposed to be doing here.’
Deep down Amy knew that what he was saying had some truth, but she was too wound up, too irritated by his controlling manner.
‘I knew you hated me going for the Mode job,’ she spat, jabbing a finger at him. ‘If you have a problem with it, why don’t you just tell me?’