yell, ‘Thank you, Zoe!’
It made her smile, despite the fact everything inside her said it was wrong to.
She was downstairs again half an hour later, this time accompanied by Jasper and Aimee. After putting up with five minutes of moaning and groaning when she’d tried to get them up—aware of what they were like in the morning from Melody—she’d resorted to motivating them with a little competition. Zoe’s Ten Minute Challenge had worked like a dream with Ava and Grace and it had worked a treat with Matt’s children too. The added opportunity of picking a place of their choice to go had acted as a wonderful incentive for them to get washed and dressed with teeth brushed within the allocated time.
Aimee had narrowly won the contest which had triggered a tantrum from Jasper. Zoe had felt distinctively unimpressed and worried about a child of school age reacting like a toddler, and after telling him she’d be in the other room, had waited him out, pulling his door halfway closed while she helped Aimee pack a rucksack. The girl had looked at her a few times, mouth opening to say something but had shut it again each time.
‘I give him two minutes,’ Zoe had whispered out the side of her mouth.
Aimee smiled, as if to say, in your dreams.
He was done in just under. It wasn’t long, yet he hollered pretty loudly and she was half expecting Matt to come thundering up the stairs to demand what was going on, but he didn’t appear.
Seeing Jasper’s feet approach from the corner of her eye, she’d stood up, passing the rucksack to Aimee. ‘Ready to go downstairs?’
The girl nodded, her auburn ponytail bobbing, blue eyes wide and looking impressed, possibly by Zoe’s prediction about the length of Jasper’s tantrum being right.
Jasper inched forward. ‘Can I come too?’ he hiccuped, rubbing at his green eyes, so much like Matt’s.
Zoe wasn’t fooled for a second; if they were real tears she’d put on trousers and call herself Bob.
‘I suppose so,’ she replied briskly, ‘if you’re ready?’
He pursed his lips like he was considering his options, then tucked his hands in his pockets, small dark head bobbing. ‘Yes.’
‘It was sort of silly behaviour, wasn’t it?’ she remarked conversationally as they wandered down the stairs, Aimee trailing behind them. ‘After all, you can’t always win. You’ll just have to try really hard next time to be even faster. And I heard that you’re a big boy. Your dad told me you’re starting school soon and your birthday is not long after.’
‘Yes!’ his eyes brightened. ‘In forty sleeps time on the second of September I go to school. It was forty, Melody helped me count before she went,’ his little face clouded over, ‘and I’ve been counting by myself but I’m not sure I’m right…and my birthday is on the third day of September. I’ll be five,’ he finished proudly.
Zoe gulped hard, upset for him and her sister that Mel wasn’t going to be here to see him start school, or for his birthday. But she said nothing. It would do no good to upset him further and it wouldn’t be fair to quiz a four year-old about adult decisions. ‘Well then, you need to have a big think about what you might do at school if you lose a game, because if you get cross like that the teacher will probably make you sit on your own and the other kids might not want to play with you. I bet you want to make friends, don’t you?’ she affirmed by nodding.
‘Yes,’ he agreed seriously.
‘So you have to find ways to not be cross. It’s okay not to win everything, all right? As long as you try your best that’s all that matters. If you feel angry about something, tell me and we can work out how to make you feel better. I know some really cool counting games. Can you do that for me? Will you let me know?’
‘Uh-huh. That would be super cool. Holly might like to play those games with us.’
‘Holly?’ Her face froze, and she stopped on the spiral staircase. Who the heck was Holly? Had Matt moved on to someone new already? He’d only supposedly split with the pop star ex-fiancée just over a week ago. No wonder the kids were confused and insecure if he paraded an endless stream of women through their lives. Why wouldn’t he have told her about a girlfriend? As their nanny, she needed to know these things. Every person in his life was part of his children’s world, a role model or an influence.
‘She’s ‘Ncle Noel’s girlfwiend.’ Jasper lisped as he stared up at her.
Zoe had noticed that one of his two front teeth was not quite fully grown and occasionally affected his speech, but knew it would improve as the tooth grew. ‘I thought the only uncle you have is Stephen?’ she said. ‘Did your mummy have a brother?’
‘No, don’t think so,’ Jasper looked puzzled, glancing over his shoulder at his sister, who shook her head.
‘So who’s Noel then?’ she asked gently, switching her gaze between both children.
‘Daddy’s friend,’ Jasper replied, ‘and my g- g…’ He screwed his face up, rounded cheeks puffing out. ‘My g- something. Can’t remember. But Holly is really, really, really good at ice skating,’ he said excitedly, ‘just like me, we can both skate backwards but she can do spins but I can’t yet and she has long yellow hair and blue eyes and white skin and her teeth sparkle and she makes ‘Ncle Noel smile even though he hates Chwistmas and can be really gwumpy,’ he finished on a gasp of breath.
‘Wow!’ Zoe grinned, ‘Holly sounds amazing! Noel is a lucky guy.’
As Jasper nodded eagerly at her summation, Aimee leaned into Zoe’s side and whispered softly in her ear. ‘Godfather.’
‘Ah. Thank you Aimee,’ she turned her head and murmured back in a low key tone, trying not to look too triumphant that the girl had actually spoken to her. Neither should she get a big head. Aimee had probably only supplied the information through frustration at her brother’s inability to remember Noel’s role in their lives.
When she looked at Aimee and saw her downturned face and pink cheeks, she knew it’d been right not to make a fuss. Starting down the stairs again, she watched to make sure Jasper didn’t trip over his own feet.
‘So, I bet you’ll be extra quick tonight when you get ready for bed, Jasper. Do you think you might be able to beat your sister then?’
‘I’ll try my best!’
‘Good boy.’ Another victory, he’d taken something on board. ‘Same goes for you,’ she said casually at Aimee over one shoulder, ‘anything you need, just ask.’
Aimee didn’t reply, but her expression when Zoe flicked a look at her was quietly grateful.
Zoe felt strangely nervous on reaching the ground floor. Matt had given the impression the other nannies dressed smartly, but she had no idea what they wore in Knightsbridge, so had gone ultra-smart. Was she over-egging it in her grey knee length skirt and matching nipped-in jacket? She probably looked like she was off to the city for an interview. Plus she was going to fry in it. Her body temperature was already climbing.
She gestured the children to go in front of her. ‘Come on, time to say good morning to your dad.’
Aimee turned around, pale red brows drawing together.
‘But we can’t go in and see Daddy in the morning,’ Jasper piped up, ‘we’re not allowed into his office. He finds us to say hello and goodbye when he leaves for work if he can.’
‘Sometimes,’ Aimee supplied in a barely audible voice, staring at her feet.
What? Melody had said he could be closed off from the children, but she hadn’t expected that they weren’t allowed to