Page 74 of Tears of Gold

I wait for the penny to drop.

“Why, do you plan to start eating and joining the rest of us in the real world?”

Is she for real? The six-foot, slender supermodel-like waif thinks I’m skinny.

“We are definitely going to need elastic waistbands.”

Hold on… here it comes….

“FAITH!”

“Shh, no one knows. Well Miss Beesley and Abi, but that’s it. Oh, and Tabitha.”

“I’ve never shopped for a pregnant woman before.”

“I’m not even showing yet. I just want to be discreet so in a few weeks it doesn’t suddenly become obvious. It’s best no one knows, not with everything I have going on.”

She cocks her head to the side and analyses me. She reminds me so much of Abi. They can both see through me.

“Actually, we are having a dinner tonight; would you like to come?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, of course you.”

She nods thoughtfully. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

“Right, come on, let's go and find some new clothes. Oh and I want a present for my friend. I never thanked her for saving my arse the other week.”

“I’m all about the 'thank you' presents.”

“Oh, and something for Eli. Small and personal.”

“Didn’t you just ink him again?”

“How on earth do you know that?” I raise an eyebrow in question.

“I buy his shirts. He said he needed more blue because white was no longer suitable for work.”

I snort. Well that makes more sense than where my crazy hormonal brain was going.

“Come on, let’s go and burn the Fairclough credit card.”

I link my arm through hers and we walk past Harrods and cross over at the lights to Harvey Nicks.

“I’ll need some work clothes. I’ve got meetings next week.”

“Are we showing ink or not?”

I grin. “Showing ink, not showing baby bumps.”

“Excellent.”

By the time the old-fashioned bell tings at half-six, I am almost ready, although I am missing a fiancé; he’s been stuck at work. I shove my gold hoops into my ears and take one last look at myself in the mirror.

I almost look like I could belong to them—the Faircloughs—almost, excluding the ink. The ink is all Hitchin.

Saskia picked me up a beautiful Ted Baker dress with an almost Grecian feel to it. Halter-necked and gathered in a tie under my chest, it has plenty of room in the pleated skirts to hide whatever the future may bring. With a last look in the mirror, I run my hand down my tummy, the smooth pale pink material sliding under my touch. I could almost believe there is the slightest curve, but I know there isn’t. Babycentre UK assures me that it won’t be there for at least another seven to ten weeks. That’s good. It means I’ve got that long to get everything in order.