Chapter 1 – Unwanted Visitors
Bridget sat in front of the television is her underpants, eating out of an ice cream tub. She looked down at her stomach and groaned. She could feel herself putting on the calories. Christmas and New Year was over and with it, the joy. She and Mark Darcy had shared an amazing night a couple of nights ago and now that seemed so far away. She hadn't heard from him since he'd left for Paris on a business trip.
Bridget flicked through the channels and threw the remote on the floor in frustration. She got up and decided to take a soothing bath but before she could reach the bathroom, there was a knock at the door. She grabbed a bathrobe and tied it around herself. Bridget looked out of the window to see her parents smiling at the front door. She gave another little groan and opened the door.
'Bridget! It's freezing out here, let us in!' Squealed Mrs Jones. She gave Bridget a disgusted look 'Have you just gotten out of bed?' Pamela Jones walked into the living room to find clothes all over the floor and a tub of ice cream spilling onto the sofa. 'Oh my god! Bridget, look at this mess! What if Mark were to walk in right now?!"
Bridget looked confused. She had not told anybody about her and Mark yet. Could her parents possibly know? Pamela grinned at Bridget and ushered her into a chair while Mr Jones flicked through the channels to see what was coming on TV.
'I have something to tell you Bridget!' Pamela's grin widened. Bridget fidgeted in her seat. If her mother did know about her and Mark, she didn't need an I-told-you-so at the moment. 'Mark Darcy did not go to New York with that frigid cow Natasha!' Bridget hid a smile. Her mother was completely oblivious.
'Really? Why's that?' Bridget began to pick up a few of her clothes off the floor as to keep herself busy and hope that her mum wouldn't notice the grin that had widened on her face.
'Nobody knows really. I did of course ask Mark's parents but they said it was a private matter and not one that they could discuss with close friends! It's totally ridiculous!'
Mark had told his parents that Bridget and himself were now an item but he wished that it would be kept a secret until they were ready to tell everybody themselves and Bridget was glad that they had told her mum to bugger off and mind her own business.
Mr Jones switched off the television and engaged in the conversation. 'I haven't seen Mark recently.' 'Oh he's on a business trip-' Bridget blurted out before she could stop herself. Pamela eyed Bridget curiously. 'How do you know?' 'Uh...um...well...err' Bridget tried to think of a convincing lie to feed to her parents who were both looking at her suspiciously and finally she said, 'Sit up Britain! Where I work...had huge responses to the Agani-Heaney case and Mark is wanted for another interview about being Eleanor Heaney's barrister and his clerk phoned me...at work...to say that he was on a business trip.' Bridget smiled, unable to contain the joy she felt for successfully lying to her mother.
'Oh I see. Well I haven't heard from Natasha either. Rumour has it-' Pamela began in a whisper, leaning close to Bridget as though there may be somebody watching '-that Mark told Natasha in New York that he did not want to marry her and that it would be the worst mistake of his life. Then he came back to England and naturally, she felt embarrassed and could not show her face here again.'
Bridget decided to choose her words carefully. 'Worst mistake of his life?'
'Yes, well that's what we've heard.' Mrs Jones looked at her husband and smiled. 'Isn't that right Colin?'
'Yes that's right.'
Bridget shuffled uncomfortably 'Well did he say why it would be the worst mistake of his life?'
Colin Jones shook his head and Pamela said, 'Not a word but it's obvious isn't it?'
Bridget's eyes widened, 'Is it?'
'Yes,' shouted Mrs Jones impatiently. 'If a rich man is engaged to marry a rich cow, why would that possibly be a mistake? Well I'll tell you why, there's a girl involved. There always is in matters of the heart.'
'Who...who is the girl?' Bridget tried to keep her voice steady.
Colin Jones shrugged and escaped to the kitchen for a beer.
The morning dragged on with Bridget's parents talking to her about allsorts and she had hoped that Mark would not choose this moment to come home or to phone. Pamela Jones had a tendency to answer Bridget's phone and literally push her out of the way just to hear who was calling and why. Luckily for Brig, each of those times, Tom had been on the other end screaming 'Bridget I'm in a gay bar and I've seen this cute guy and I think a full-on-' At this point, Pamela always hangs up! Finally they left and Bridget ran herself a warm bath.
Bridget sat in front of the television is her underpants, eating out of an ice cream tub. She looked down at her stomach and groaned. She could feel herself putting on the calories. Christmas and New Year was over and with it, the joy. She and Mark Darcy had shared an amazing night a couple of nights ago and now that seemed so far away. She hadn't heard from him since he'd left for Paris on a business trip.
Bridget flicked through the channels and threw the remote on the floor in frustration. She got up and decided to take a soothing bath but before she could reach the bathroom, there was a knock at the door. She grabbed a bathrobe and tied it around herself. Bridget looked out of the window to see her parents smiling at the front door. She gave another little groan and opened the door.
'Bridget! It's freezing out here, let us in!' Squealed Mrs Jones. She gave Bridget a disgusted look 'Have you just gotten out of bed?' Pamela Jones walked into the living room to find clothes all over the floor and a tub of ice cream spilling onto the sofa. 'Oh my god! Bridget, look at this mess! What if Mark were to walk in right now?!"
Bridget looked confused. She had not told anybody about her and Mark yet. Could her parents possibly know? Pamela grinned at Bridget and ushered her into a chair while Mr Jones flicked through the channels to see what was coming on TV.
'I have something to tell you Bridget!' Pamela's grin widened. Bridget fidgeted in her seat. If her mother did know about her and Mark, she didn't need an I-told-you-so at the moment. 'Mark Darcy did not go to New York with that frigid cow Natasha!' Bridget hid a smile. Her mother was completely oblivious.
'Really? Why's that?' Bridget began to pick up a few of her clothes off the floor as to keep herself busy and hope that her mum wouldn't notice the grin that had widened on her face.
'Nobody knows really. I did of course ask Mark's parents but they said it was a private matter and not one that they could discuss with close friends! It's totally ridiculous!'
Mark had told his parents that Bridget and himself were now an item but he wished that it would be kept a secret until they were ready to tell everybody themselves and Bridget was glad that they had told her mum to bugger off and mind her own business.
Mr Jones switched off the television and engaged in the conversation. 'I haven't seen Mark recently.' 'Oh he's on a business trip-' Bridget blurted out before she could stop herself. Pamela eyed Bridget curiously. 'How do you know?' 'Uh...um...well...err' Bridget tried to think of a convincing lie to feed to her parents who were both looking at her suspiciously and finally she said, 'Sit up Britain! Where I work...had huge responses to the Agani-Heaney case and Mark is wanted for another interview about being Eleanor Heaney's barrister and his clerk phoned me...at work...to say that he was on a business trip.' Bridget smiled, unable to contain the joy she felt for successfully lying to her mother.
'Oh I see. Well I haven't heard from Natasha either. Rumour has it-' Pamela began in a whisper, leaning close to Bridget as though there may be somebody watching '-that Mark told Natasha in New York that he did not want to marry her and that it would be the worst mistake of his life. Then he came back to England and naturally, she felt embarrassed and could not show her face here again.'
Bridget decided to choose her words carefully. 'Worst mistake of his life?'
'Yes, well that's what we've heard.' Mrs Jones looked at her husband and smiled. 'Isn't that right Colin?'
'Yes that's right.'
Bridget shuffled uncomfortably 'Well did he say why it would be the worst mistake of his life?'
Colin Jones shook his head and Pamela said, 'Not a word but it's obvious isn't it?'
Bridget's eyes widened, 'Is it?'
'Yes,' shouted Mrs Jones impatiently. 'If a rich man is engaged to marry a rich cow, why would that possibly be a mistake? Well I'll tell you why, there's a girl involved. There always is in matters of the heart.'
'Who...who is the girl?' Bridget tried to keep her voice steady.
Colin Jones shrugged and escaped to the kitchen for a beer.
The morning dragged on with Bridget's parents talking to her about allsorts and she had hoped that Mark would not choose this moment to come home or to phone. Pamela Jones had a tendency to answer Bridget's phone and literally push her out of the way just to hear who was calling and why. Luckily for Brig, each of those times, Tom had been on the other end screaming 'Bridget I'm in a gay bar and I've seen this cute guy and I think a full-on-' At this point, Pamela always hangs up! Finally they left and Bridget ran herself a warm bath.