Shopaholic and Sister

“No! Of course not!” I look up and meet Luke’s eye. “Well… maybe. Kind of. We’ve been away all this time and it’s like… we just popped out to the shops!”

“It was always going to be a gamble, surprising everyone,” he says reasonably. “They weren’t expecting us for another two months. It’s no wonder they’re a bit thrown.”

“I know. But it’s not just that.” I take a deep breath. “Luke — do you think Mum and Dad are… hiding something?”

“Yes,” says Luke.

“Yes?”

I’m gobsmacked. I was expecting him to say, “Becky, you’re imagining things,” like he usually does.

“There’s certainly something going on.” Luke pauses. “And I think I know what it might be.”

“What?” I stare at him, agog.

“That woman who was with them. The one they wouldn’t tell us about? I reckon she’s an estate agent. I think they’re considering moving.”

“Moving?” I echo in dismay. “Why would they do that? This is a lovely house! It’s perfect!”

“It is a bit big for them now that you’ve gone… ”

“But why on earth wouldn’t they tell me?” My voice rises in distress. “I’m their daughter! I’m their only child! They should confide in me!”

“Maybe they thought you might get upset.” Luke suggests.

“I wouldn’t get upset!” I exclaim indignantly.

Abruptly I realize I am upset.

“Well, OK, maybe I would. But still, I can’t believe they’d keep it a secret!”

I break away from Luke’s arms and walk over to the window. I can’t bear the idea of Mum and Dad selling this place. My eyes sweep over the garden in sudden nostalgia. They can’t leave this garden. They just can’t. This is where I learned to walk. This is where Luke and I got married.

Suddenly my attention is caught by the sight of Tom Webster in the garden next door. He’s dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that says MY WIFE LEFT ME AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT and is struggling to carry the hugest plank of wood I’ve ever seen.

Blimey. He looks quite ferocious.

“It may not be that,” Luke is saying behind me. “I may be wrong.”

“You’re not wrong.” I turn round miserably. “It has to be that. What else could it be?”

“Well… don’t think about it. Come on. It’s the christening tomorrow. You’ll see Suze!”

“Yes.” I feel my spirits rise. “That’s true.”

Luke’s right. Maybe today hasn’t gone quite according to plan — but tomorrow will be fantastic. I’ll be reunited with Suze again, my best, most closest friend in the whole entire world. I just can’t wait.

Five

THE TWINS’ CHRISTENING is being held at Suze’s parents’ house in Hampshire, because they’ve been living there while the east wing of Tarquin’s Scottish castle is being rebuilt. They would have used his house in Pembrokeshire, but at the moment it’s being lived in by some distant cousins. And his house in Sussex is being used as a location for a Jane Austen film.

This is what Suze’s family is like. Nobody has just one house.

As we drive down the familiar tree-lined avenue I’m jumping with excitement. The stone house looks as huge and grand as ever with its pillared entrance, although some of the ivy has been pruned away from the front. Two stone griffins stand like sentries by the front door, and there are flower garlands around their heads, just like there were on Suze’s wedding day.

“Hurry up!” I say as Luke maneuvers the car into a parking space. He hasn’t even turned off the engine before I’m leaping out of the car and sprinting over the gravel toward the house. Now that I’m here, I just can’t wait to see Suze!

The heavy front door is ajar and I push it open. Inside, the huge flagstone hall is decorated with the most amazing arrangements of lilies. A pair of waiters are striding through with champagne glasses on a tray. And on the ancient chair by the fireplace is a discarded saddle. Nothing’s changed here, then.

The waiters disappear down a corridor, and I’m left alone. Walking over the flagstones, I suddenly feel a bit nervous. What if Suze has gone all weird, like my parents?

And then I spot her through an open door, standing in the drawing room. Her blond hair is up in a chignon and she’s wearing a gorgeous print wrap dress. And in her arms is a tiny baby dressed in a long christening robe. Wow. That must be one of the twins.

Tarquin is standing nearby holding a second baby, which is also in a christening robe. And although he’s wearing the most ancient suit in the world, he’s actually looking pretty good! Not quite as… stoaty. It occurs to me that maybe Tarquin will get better looking the older he gets. When he’s fifty he’ll probably be a sex god!