Page 16 of Loving Jemima

She texted her car service, picked up her bag, and walked out of her flat, patting her sad MG on the bonnet as she walked past.

The restaurant was predictably bland. The staff were hushed, the tables were far enough apart to be discreet, and the food was the sort of fare she’d grown used to at boarding school. Her father was on his phone when she arrived, so she kissed hischeek and ordered a glass of wine. Just one glass, she promised herself.

“Good to see you,” her father said when he finally put his phone down.

“You too,” Jem said politely. “You’re looking well.”

“And you’re looking like someone who’s regretting her decisions,” her father said sharply. “I suppose you’ve come to beg me to be lenient.”

“No, I…” Jem sighed. What was the point of lying? Her father had always had an uncanny ability to read her. “Well, yes, I suppose. I was just wondering what you thought working for you would give me in the long run. I mean, wouldn’t it be better for me to work in an area well-suited to my skills.”

“Which are?” her father asked.

Jem swallowed. It was a fair question. She had been to boarding school. Then she’d done a year at finishing school. And then, well, then she’d just started living. She had no degree and had shown no real aptitude in anything other than field hockey, and that wasn’t a skill that most employers were looking for.

“Pa,” Jasper said, appearing like a cheap magician. He bent down and kissed his father on the cheek. “Jem.” No kiss for her.

“Jasper, my boy, glad that you’re here. In fact, I’m glad you’re both here, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell the two of you.”

“Me first,” Jasper said, pulling out a chair and gesturing to the waiter who hurried over. “Bottle of champers, we’ll take whatever Dom you have on the list. Quick as you can.”

“Spending my money profligately, I see,” their father said, raising an eyebrow.

“You’ll see why in a moment, Pa,” Jasper said mysteriously.

Jem eyed him. He looked uncharacteristically slightly flustered, though he had his usual arrogance and a familiar self-satisfied look. “What’s going on?”

The wine waiter was already pushing over the champagne bucket and they all sat in silence as the bottle was opened and poured.

“I have an announcement to make,” Jasper said, once they were alone again. He lifted his glass. “To family.”

Jem mouthed the words but didn’t actually say them.

“Out with it, boy,” said their father.

Jasper grinned. “Rosie’s pregnant.”

Jem could see the relief bathe her father’s face, could see that he had been carrying the entire weight of the family until just this moment.

“Well done,” he said gruffly.

“Congrats,” Jem said. Poor Rosie. Now she’d never escape Jasper.

“We’re not formally announcing it yet,” said Jasper. “But I thought you should know, Pa. Of course, it’s early to tell but I’ve got a feeling the sprog’ll be a boy.”

“Good, good,” said their father.

“And you had something you wanted to talk about?” Jem prompted him.

Their father shook his head. “Not now, let’s not distract from the main news of the day, shall we?” He raised his glass again. “Jasper, I’m proud of you.”

Why, Jem had no idea. Donating sperm to make a baby wasn’t exactly the most difficult part of the process, after all. It was poor Rosie that would be paying the price. Still, she drank and waited as her father and Jasper talked about the markets.

It wasn’t until dessert that she finally had a chance to speak again. Jasper had excused himself and her father was happily eating a sticky toffee pudding, his favorite.

“I’m sorry, Pa,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow at her.