He scowled in the direction of the whistle-blower. “Why did she have to do that at that precise moment?”“Don’t worry about it.” Angela joined him at the net and bestowed a kiss on his sweat-stained cheek in lieu of the more traditional handshake.“I’m sure she does it on purpose just to put me off. She’s always got to have the last bloody word.”“Or the last whistle.” Angela giggled. “But don’t worry, we still didn’t lose.”“Bad luck!” Ed trotted up to the net, smiling as though he’d just won the lottery. “That makes it an honorable draw, I believe.” He spoke in an irritatingly loud voice which defied his best efforts at refinement and still smacked of the Thames estuary. Jack was in no position to sit in judgment when it came to questionable roots. Even so, he curled his lip derisively and crushed Ed’s outstretched hand hard enough to make him wince.Ed, undeterred by a few bruised fingers, was irritatingly smug as Stella joined him at the net. Win or lose, Stella was always full of enthusiasm.
