MIDNIGHT - HarperCollins NZ
MIDNIGHT - HarperCollins NZ
MIDNIGHT - HarperCollins NZ
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JOSEPHINE COX<br />
‘No eggs or bacon? Well, it won’t do, my girl. It won’t<br />
do at all!’ Raking her hands through her hair, the older<br />
woman began stamping her foot. ‘No eggs or bacon!<br />
You’re worse than useless! Can’t even mek a bed properly!<br />
However hard I try, you never learn, do you?’<br />
Turning her attention on the stranger, she stared him<br />
up and down. ‘An’ who the hell are you?’<br />
Peter Scott gave a sly, gappy grin. ‘Oh, now I see<br />
what yer at!’ The grin slipped into a scowl. ‘Don’t play<br />
the innocent with me, you old cow,’ he hissed. ‘Oh,<br />
an’ I can tell you now – lying in bed with you turned<br />
my stomach!’<br />
‘What d’you mean?’ Looking from the man to her<br />
daughter, Eileen was obviously confused. ‘What does<br />
he mean?’ she repeated worriedly. ‘What’s he saying?’<br />
‘I’m warning yer, don’t try that on me!’ he snarled.<br />
‘I don’t tek kindly to being conned!’<br />
All the same, this time he thought he might have<br />
fallen on his feet. First the old one sidles up and asks<br />
him to go home with her, and now he discovers there’s<br />
an even better opportunity to get away with his pockets<br />
full. Maybe after he’s given the younger one a good<br />
seeing-to, an’ all.<br />
Twisting the tale, he said, ‘Nice try, ladies – I’ll give<br />
you that. But it won’t work. Y’see, I ‘appen to be in the<br />
same line of business.’<br />
‘What are you getting at?’ This time, Libby sensed<br />
real trouble. Like before, her mother had obviously<br />
thought this man was her husband and promised him<br />
the earth to come back home with her. It was not the<br />
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