I’m so glad you decided to come.’
I took hold of Penny’s arm and ushered her inside. ‘Laura and Judith are in the living room, waiting to carve the jack-o’-lanterns.’
Penny looked less than keen when Laura handed her a large carving knife. For a moment or two, I thought she might refuse to take part but, in the end, she agreed to give it a go.
It soon became obvious that she didn’t have the knack. After several slips of the knife, her pumpkin ended up with one eye three times bigger than the other. It also had a jagged mouth that might have been hacked out by a deranged serial killer using a chainsaw.
‘I recognise that crooked smile. It reminds me of your ex,’ joked Laura.
I cringed. Laura is one of my dearest friends, but she’s never been what you’d call tactful. I mean the whole idea of the Halloween party was to help Penny get over Simon, not remind her of him every
