“That’s a relief, because I’m not sure I could handle two sisters having a crisis simultaneously.”
“Two sisters?”
“Beth is home.”
“Oh.” So no time to pull herself together before having to handle her nieces. On the other hand, if Beth was home early, maybe Hannah could enlist her help in tracking down a pregnancy test. “I thought they weren’t arriving for a few more days.”
“It was spontaneous. She didn’t mention any of this to you?”
“When would she? We’re both busy. Beth and I aren’t exactly falling over each other every day, you know.” Guilt was a constant background hum in her life, but occasionally it exploded out of control. Like now, when she was reminded just how bad she was at keeping her fingers on the pulse of her family. If there had been a change in rhythm, she wouldn’t have known about it.
Posy glanced at her. “It was a simple question. No need to overreact.”
She was overreacting to everything these days. It was an uncomfortable experience. “How can Beth be home early? Isn’t Jason working?”
“He’s not with her. Nor are the kids. She wanted some time on her own.”
“She’s having a crisis?”
Was that why Beth had called? Because she was in trouble?
Hannah’s guilt intensified. She’d assumed the call was to confirm dinner. It hadn’t occurred to her something might be wrong.
She cast her mind back to the conversation, searching for clues, but all she could remember was the fact that Adam had strolled onto the plane and she’d tried to finish the call as fast as possible to avoid the different parts of her life colliding.
“Do you know what’s wrong?”
Posy hesitated. “You should probably ask her yourself.”
She was the last person to advise anyone on their personal problems, and she could hardly ask for Beth’s support when she’d been so bad at offering any herself.
She made a decision. “Posy, could we stop at a pharmacy?”
Posy frowned. “Are you sick? Champagne headache? I have something for that back home.”
“I’m not sick.”
“Then—”
“I need to buy a pregnancy test.”
“You’re pregnant?” Posy slammed her foot on the brake and Hannah was grateful for the seat belt.
“I don’t know. That’s why I need the test.”
“Right.” Posy stared straight ahead, her hands still gripping the wheel. “Well—let me think.”
“What is there to think about?”
“A place where we can buy a pregnancy test without the whole of the village knowing. Why didn’t you buy one in the airport?”
Hannah sighed. “I tried. They’d sold out.”
“They don’t sell pregnancy tests in Manhattan?”
Hannah turned her head and stared out of the window. “I’ve been putting it off. I’m probably not pregnant. I don’t feel sick or anything.”
“But you’re late.”