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.Peg slowly laid her knife and fork on the table and climbed down from her chair.She sat on the floor next to the sofa where her mother lay and placed her head on Poppy’s lap, ready to feel the sweep of her palm against her hair.‘I know, Mummy.’ Peg inhaled her mother’s scent and closed her eyes.Claudia helped Martin unload the shopping from the car and then prepared a plate of bubbling cheese on toast to be eaten by the four Crickets in front of the TV, all snuggled on the sofa under one large duvet.Poppy nibbled at hers, doing her best to emulate someone who was enjoying their grub.She knew it made everyone feel happier to see her eat.‘Look at you, you look like little chicks in a nest.’ Claudia smiled at Poppy and Martin, who each had a child on their lap and a plate of food in their right hand.‘Cheep cheep!’ Peg called through her mouthful of toast.‘Cheep cheep!’ Max copied his big sister.Poppy and Martin laughed.‘And, my little chicks, if you have everything you need, I am going to love you and leave you.’‘What? No!’ Poppy didn’t want Claudia to go.‘No panic, only for two days.I need to go to Clanfield and gather my post, check my plants and all that terribly urgent stuff.Plus I should get out of your hair, leave you in your little nest.’‘You’re not in our hair.We love you, Granny Claudia.’ Peg spoke for them all.‘Just a couple of days, I promise.And I love you all too, very much.’ Claudia inhaled deeply, to quash the rise of emotion in her throat.‘Martin, you have my number.If you need me any sooner, shout!’Claudia blew kisses and hopped into her Mini.The next day, Martin was busy in the kitchen.He gripped the hot roasting tin with the floral oven glove and rattled the potatoes around in it, then lifted the tin up to his face.‘Mmmnn, if I do say so myself, I make the best roast spuds known to mankind! A pinch of rosemary, a dash of rock salt and these puppies will be good to go.’Poppy leant on the countertop and sipped at her herbal tea.‘Jamie Oliver can only dream of making roast lamb as tender as mine and no way could he match my award-winning spuds.’ Martin smiled.Poppy let her eyes wander over their entire stock of pots and pans, dishes, sieves, spoons and jugs, which were strewn, in various states of disarray, across the work surface.The peelings of carrots and the tops and tails of sugar-snap peas were in a pile on the sink drainer, and the butter, cooking oil and at least half a dozen different jars of herbs were all lid-less and lined up on the window sill.‘I bet Jamie doesn’t make this much mess.’ She sighed.‘Ah, I bet he does.The difference is, Jamie probably has a team to clear it up for him.’‘Well, sadly, Mart, love, you haven’t.’ Poppy pulled her cardigan around her shoulders, trying to fend off the constant chill that hovered within her.She rubbed at her shoulder, hating the sharp bite of bone against her palm.They could hear Peg’s shouts and whoops of joy as she played with Max outside.‘Listen to those two.’ She flicked her head in the direction of the garden.Martin forked a crispy golden morsel of potato from the bottom of the pan and held it up to her face.‘Sure you can’t be tempted? These little bits are what I call the chef’s perks.’‘I’ll try and eat a bit later, promise.’Martin returned the roasting tin to the oven and started to move the pots and pans closer to the sink: stage one of the great clear-up.He looked out of the window to see Peg holding Max by the hands and swinging him in a wide circle.Max was flying out horizontally as Peg spun round, going faster and faster.‘Jesus, if she let’s go of him, he’ll go flying!’ Martin tapped on the window.Peg didn’t hear him.‘I mean it, Poppy, she’s spinning him round really fast! She’ll either fall and hurt them both or his bloody arms’ll come out of their sockets!’Martin tried to quell the edge of panic in his voice.He knocked harder this time and called out, ‘Peg! Peg!’, but to no avail.Peg was lost in the game of making her brother squeal ever more loudly.Opening the window, Martin shouted, angry now
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