Her One and Only by Penny Jordan

concluded,’ Samantha fibbed airily, quickly redirecting Bobbie’s attention by asking her, ‘How’s Fran doing at school now? You were concerned that she wasn’t being stretched enough.’
    ‘Mmm... I was, but Luke says that she is only four and he doesn’t want her being pushed too hard and that he’d rather she exercised her own curiosity naturally.’
    ‘Well, he does have a point. Look at the way the pair of us ran wild whenever we went to Gramps, and it certainly didn’t do us any harm.’
    ‘No, I suppose not.
    ‘Olivia’s invited us over for lunch today.’
    ‘Has she? How are she and Caspar?’ Samantha asked affectionately and within several minutes the sisters were deeply immersed in a detailed update of what was happening within the Haslewich and Chester branches of the Crighton family.
    ‘It’s a pity that Grandma Ruth can’t be here right now,’ Bobbie commented.
    ‘Mmm... I was looking forward to seeing her and Gramps,’ Samantha admitted. ‘But I can understand why she felt she had to go to Pembrokeshire. How is Ann?’
    Ann Crighton, Hugh Crighton’s wife, had been involved in an accident which had resulted in her being hospitalised for several weeks.
    ‘Well, she’s at home now and the doctors have confirmed that she will make a full recovery, but Hugh’s terrified that she’s going to try to do too much. She’s been forbidden to climb any stairs or to do anything more than walk very slowly and gently until the damage to her back heals properly.’
    ‘It’s frightening to realise just how much damage even the slightest car accident can cause.’ Samantha gave a small shiver. ‘According to what Gran has told Mom, it was just a simple shunt and the car which hit Ann’s was hardly moving at all.’
    ‘Yes, I know,’ Bobbie agreed soberly. ‘It certainly made me feel very wary about taking Francesca out anywhere in the car for weeks afterwards and I can understand, too, why Hugh asked Grandma Ruth for her help in keeping Ann occupied whilst she’s recovering.’
    ‘They’re such a lovely couple and although Gran never says so, I suspect that she secretly prefers Hugh to Ben, even though Ben’s her full blood brother and Hugh only a half.’
    ‘Mmm...but then just because there’s a full blood relationship between siblings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to like one another.’
    This was said so gravely that Samantha gave her twin a quick look before teasing, ‘And what conclusions am I supposed to draw from that, sister dear?’
    Bobbie looked at her, her face relaxing into a smile.
    ‘Don’t worry, I’m not trying to say I don’t like you... hate you sometimes, maybe...’ she teased back and then, shaking her head, she confided, ‘No...it’s not us...but...’
    ‘But what?’ Samantha encouraged when she fell silent.
    ‘Well, you know how it can be with families sometimes...brothers and sisters, siblings...just don’t always get on...’
    ‘Sibling rivalry... Well, we’ve certainly had our fair share of that in the Crighton family. I mean, if you want a classic example just look at Jon and Jenny’s family. Louise and Katie positively loathed Max at one time, and...’
    ‘Yes, yes, I know what you’re saying but it isn’t...’ Bobbie stopped again and then started to trace an abstract pattern on the wooden kitchen table with her fingertip.
    ‘It’s Fran and the new baby,’ she admitted huskily after several seconds. ‘I think she’s starting to get a little bit jealous—even before he or she is born.’
    She looked so upset.
    ‘But surely, Bobbie, that’s only natural,’ Samantha defended her niece immediately. ‘She’s bound to feel a little bit jealous,’ Samantha told her twin robustly. ‘Everything will be all right, though.’
    ‘Yes, I know you’re right,’ she agreed, adding gently, ‘You will make such a wonderful mother, Sam.’
    Although Samantha laughed, a little later on whilst her twin was on the telephone