“Are you Zoë? I’m here to take your mother to dinner.”
Judith didn’t call out to announce that she was sitting on the lounge chair round the corner, trying to develop a bad cold. She kept her gaze fixed on that door, and waited to see how her blue-eyed darling would react to Rudolph.
He looked down at her as if he was looking at anyone else shorter than him. Not a pretty paper doll. Not an adult-in-formation. Judith appreciated this.
Zoë looked him up and down very slowly and carefully. This was unusual. She was normally instantly at home with adults. In the end though, she seemed to approve. “You wanted to sell Mum the Harbour Bridge,” she said.
Rudolph took his cue from Zoë and kept everything light. Judith took her cue from Zoë and was cautious but cheeky. The two went to a tiny, bi
