Page 39 of Be More Capybara

‘Probably not.’

‘I’m amazed she added you to the insurance after the bumper incident.’

Nigel went pale. ‘She hasn’t.’

‘So you drove here uninsured? Blimey, Nigel. Law-breaking is a slippery slope.’ She laughed. ‘You’ll be drug running next.’

‘Only if Madison takes me to the cleaners.’ But he was surprised that, in the rush to sort Lucy out, he’d completely forgotten about car insurance. ‘I’d better break the news to Mum.’

Helen sat back in the chair, looking at her phone while he made the phone call. His mother answered immediately.

‘Darling. Everything ok?’

‘Yes and no. I had to rush Lucy to hospital, but she and the baby are all fine. I guess they’ll be sending her home very soon and Mark’s here now.’

‘Thank goodness for that. How did you get there?’ She sounded suspicious.

‘I borrowed your car.’

There was a silence. He resisted the urge to say anything, formulating his plan in his head.

‘And what shape is it in now?’

She hadn’t forgotten then. ‘The same shape as when I got into it. But Helen’s pointed out that I need putting on the insurance if I’m going to drive her home.’

Neat move, Nige. She’ll be keen for you to spend more time with Helen, so you’ve painted her into a corner there.

There was another silence.

‘Well. You’ve not left me with much choice, have you? Give me five minutes.’

28

HELEN

Helen got into the Triumph’s passenger seat.

‘I still can’t believe Nancy’s only put you on the insurance until midnight,’ she said as she put on her seatbelt.

Nigel laughed. ‘I know where I rank in her affections, and it’s always been behind this car.’

‘Why is she so enamoured with it?’

‘It was a present from Dad. Much as he was a lying, cheating, selfish bastard, I think they loved one another.’ He looked thoughtful for a moment.

‘I never met your dad.’

‘He was rarely around, was he? Too busy with his mistress.’

It was never a topic that ended well. Nigel obviously thought the same. He changed the subject. ‘The weather looks like it’s going to stay dry. Shall we put the lid down?’

‘It’s winter. It’s not much above freezing.’

‘If we turn the heater up, we’ll be fine. I can always pull over and put it back up again if it’s too cold.’

‘Go on, then. In for a penny.’ The new, more relaxed Nigel was back. Or rather, the Nigel that was like the one she remembered from their younger years.

Nigel turned on the engine and set off out of the car park towards the main road.