Chapter 18

Both Andrew and Toby found Emma’s refusal to divulge any details of her meeting with Amber utterly infuriating.

‘Now listen, the pair of you,’ she said severely, ‘I know that it has always been our policy to tell each other absolutely everything, but this is a clear case when somebody’s confidences must be respected. If at some point in the future Amber chooses to tell one or other of you exactly what we talked about, then all well and good. I would, however, strongly advise both of you to refrain from ever mentioning the meeting. As far as you two are concerned, it simply didn’t take place.’

‘But Emma, you have to tell us something,’ pleaded Toby.

Emma frowned.

‘All right,’ she relented, ‘Amber had a dark secret. The sort that nobody should have to have. She managed to tell me about it, which I think took a great deal of courage, especially as we haven’t known each other for five minutes. By talking to me she has opened a safety-valve that I think was in danger of exploding. It hasn’t made the secret go away but it doesn’t seem so dark any more. I hope that makes sufficient sense, because I promise you I’m not going to say another word.’

‘Emma, you’re a super-hero,’ Toby hugged her.

‘Well, we’ve always known that,’ agreed Andrew, ruffling her hair, ‘But what we’d now like to know is: does Toby get his new girlfriend back?’

‘I think so, we shall have to wait and see.’

‘Am I supposed to phone her?’ asked Toby worriedly.

‘No, I should wait for a while and let her make the first move. I think she’ll manage it all right. Now changing the subject completely, are you coming swimming tomorrow afternoon, Toby?

Amber did not telephone the following morning but shortly after lunch her green Spitfire pulled into the drive at Northolt. Andrew opened the front door in surprise when he heard it pull up.

‘I hope you don’t mind me coming over,’ said Amber shyly, ‘Emma was sure it would be all right.’

‘It’s more than all right, it’s terrific!’ exclaimed Andrew, ‘Emma’s full of surprises. She never said a word.’

In fact Emma had talked to Jackie about it and as a result the two of them had spent part of the morning in the kitchen, because they decided to serve special tea during the afternoon. When she heard the voices in the hall, Emma bounced joyfully out of the kitchen and threw her arms around Amber.

‘I knew you’d come,’ she said, squeezing her tightly. She turned to Andrew. ‘I want to hide Amber’s car,’ she said and her boyfriend knew why at once.

‘OK, I’ll get Mum’s out of the garage and park it round the side. I doubt if you’ll trust me to move that flash machine of yours though Amber?’

She laughed and handed him the keys without even thinking about it twice.

‘Come on into the kitchen and meet Natasha,’ said Emma, ‘She’s making cucumber sandwiches.’

‘Very cool. Just like me,’ whispered Amber.

‘Are you?’ asked Emma softly.

‘No, I’m frightened to death. If you don’t hold my hand I’m going to run away.’

Emma giggled and led her through into the kitchen. Only a few minutes later Amber was laughing and joking with Natasha and Jackie as she was put to work with a butter knife.

Later on, when the preparations were finished, Emma took Amber through into her bedroom to undress. She shed her own clothes in a few moments and went over to the mirror to check her make-up.

‘I hope that mascara of yours is water-proof,’ she said.

‘Fortunately it is,’ replied Amber as she shed her last vestiges of clothing. She turned to face Emma. ‘Well, what do you think?’ she asked.

Emma looked at her and began to laugh. Amber’s pubic bush had been carefully trimmed into the shape of a heart, exactly the same as her new friend’s. Emma skipped across the room and kissed her.

‘Wonderful,’ she replied, ‘The boys will all go mad. Now tell me, what are you going to do with all that beautiful hair?’

‘That’s simple. Watch.’

Amber took some pins and a small band from her handbag and put them ready on the side in front of the mirror. Then, with amazing rapidity, she plaited her hair, swirled it up on top of her head and pinned it into place.

‘That’s fantastic!’ exclaimed Emma in admiration, ‘How do you do it so quickly?’

‘Practice,’ was the simple reply.

‘Are you ready for your first public appearance do you think?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘It’s very simple. You wrap a towel like this.’

Emma picked up her towel off the bed and put it round herself tucking the two loose ends in just above her breasts. Amber copied her.

‘You can live in that all afternoon if your courage fails you,’ suggested Emma with a smile, ‘Otherwise, if you want to swim you can go as close to the steps as possible, drop it on the patio and get in quickly. Nobody will take any notice, I promise. Once you’ve been naked in the water for about two minutes you won’t have any qualms at all when it comes to getting out. I promise you that too.’

Amber squeezed her arm gratefully.

‘You’ve been so kind to me.’

‘You’re really very welcome,’ replied Emma, offering her arm, ‘Let’s go out to the pool.’

Tom was sitting in the sun reading a newspaper and Andrew was busy with the pool net when the girls arrived by the poolside. Both of them were naked and Amber didn’t exactly know where to look. Emma noticed her discomfort and giggled.

‘You’ll find your eyes wandering,’ she whispered, ‘You won’t be able to help it. It’s silly, but there you are. It’s perfectly normal, so don’t worry about it.’

‘How are you doing girls?’ called Andrew from the far side of the pool, ‘Hey Amber, I love your hair up like that. It looks very stylish. I hardly recognised you.’

Emma wandered over to a lounger and casually dropped her towel. Tom looked up as she did so and immediately caught sight of her pubic “heart”.

‘Emma,’ he laughed, ‘Whatever have you been getting up to?’

‘It’s the latest fashion,’ she replied with a grin, ‘Surely you’ve seen it in the magazines?’

Andrew’s father frowned for a moment and then his face lit up.

‘Yes, of course I have. It was in the one that my depraved offspring brought home the other day. He showed it to me specially.’

‘What do you think?’ asked Emma.

‘It’s very fetching as a matter of fact. I’ve heard of the expression: “Wearing your heart on your sleeve”, but this is altogether more interesting.’

‘Wearing your heart on your pubes,’ laughed Emma. ‘It’s the nineteen-sixties version.’

Tom chuckled.

‘You youngsters. We never used to get up to that sort of thing in our day.’

‘Poor old Poppa Stevenson,’ said Emma sympathetically, ‘It must have been dreadful living in medieval times.’

She screamed when he hit her on the bottom with his newspaper and ran over to her boyfriend.

‘Protect me from your father, he’s beating me up,’ she cried.

‘I’ve no doubt you deserved it,’ laughed Andrew and began pushing her towards the water.

‘No, stop it,’ she protested.

‘Time for a nice swimmy, Emma.’

‘All in my own good time.’ she retorted.

‘Water’s lovely and warm,’ he said, edging her closer.