Cuckoo In The Nest

by Nora Kay

Genres: Sagas

Synopsis

When Linda Chalmers hears her best friend from college has died her whole life changes forever. She finds herself the guardian of precocious fifteen-year old Jennifer. Ignoring her mother Kirsty's warnings and her family's reluctance Linda brings the young girl back with her to Dundee to prevent her being sent to a foster home. She believes Jennifer to be a victim of her past and is determined to ensure that she is made to feel welcome in her family. The rest of the family are unsure what to make of the sullen girl thrown into their midst. When Jennifer shows that she has no intention of settling for the lifestyle set out for her, tensions begin to rise. Spoilt, selfish and beautiful, dreaming of wealth and fame, Jennifer won't let anything, or anyone, stand in her way. She can only cause heartbreak for herself and those who have taken this cuckoo into their nest.

Release date: April 11, 2013

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Print pages: 400

Sample

When the post arrived Linda Chalmers’ husband had left for the office and the children for school. There was only one letter and it was addressed to her, to Mrs Linda Chalmers. It was typed and to Linda it appeared to be a business letter. She wondered what it could be and why it should be addressed to her and not to Matthew. She took it through to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Finding a clean knife among the breakfast dishes, Linda slit open the envelope and drew out two pages. Only a few lines were typed on the second page and under them was a scrawled signature. From the heading she saw that the letter had come from a firm of solicitors in Inverness.

As she began to read her eyes widened in shock and horror. The letter was to inform her that their late client, Elizabeth Marshall, and her husband, Robert, had been killed when their car went out of control. The letter went on to say that no other car had been involved and that their daughter, Jennifer, a back-seat passenger, had escaped with bruising and was at present being cared for by a neighbour.

Horrified though she was Linda was mystified as to why she was being informed. As she read on the reason became clear and she stared at the words in total disbelief. This couldn’t be, it couldn’t. She read that part again to make sure she wasn’t mistaken. She wasn’t.

Linda wished that her husband was beside her. Matthew would deal with everything. Matthew who was always so calm, so reasonable, so dependable. It was very tempting to phone the office but she wouldn’t. She wasn’t one of those women who phoned their husband at every crisis or imagined crisis. Matthew, she knew, would not appreciate it if he was called away from an important meeting unless it was life or death and it was hardly that. He wouldn’t want to upset those in authority. The nineteen eighties was a difficult time. Job security was a thing of the past and there was no such thing as a safe job or a job for life. Her news would have to wait until Matthew came home.

The housework got done in fits and starts and at midday she made herself a snack lunch then stared at the plate with unseeing eyes. In the afternoon she prepared the vegetables for the evening meal and tried to keep her mind on what she was doing. The day dragged on. She could have phoned or gone to see her mother. She could have phoned her sister, Helen, although the likelihood of her being at home was small. Helen led a busy life. As well as looking after her husband and two teenage sons, she served on various committees and in her usual brisk manner, organised everything and everybody. No one seemed to mind too much. Helen could be overbearing and annoying at times but she was good to have around in times of trouble. There were plenty of folk who offered sympathy but Helen did much more. She would drive over to wherever it was with prepared food for the invalid and the family, too, should that be necessary.

Certainly her mother and Helen would have to be told at some point but not yet. This was something she and Matthew would have to discuss and she was becoming ever more nervous.

When Matthew did arrive home, Linda strove to act normally. Since she had waited this long she could hold out until the meal was over and the children upstairs doing their homework or busy with their own pursuits. They knew not to disturb their parents. Coffee in the sitting-room after the meal was their time to be together and relax. It was a time they both enjoyed.

Matthew drank some of his coffee and was looking at his wife curiously. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, not handsome in the conventional sense, but attractive for all that. He had thick, dark brown hair showing some grey and his eyes were blue-grey.

‘Has something happened? You seem a bit on edge.’

‘I am, though I thought I had hidden it.’

‘Not from me, I know you too well.’ He gave the slow smile she loved.

They made an attractive couple. Linda was a nice-looking woman of above average height. She had a neat figure with small firm breasts and she was blessed with long shapely legs. Her fair hair was curly and cut short. Linda was thirty-five, two years younger than her husband. The letter was to hand and she gave it to him.

‘That came after you left for the office.’

First he studied the envelope, turning it over. Linda closed her eyes for a moment. It was typical Matthew and it was infuriating. She would have had the letter out of its envelope and half read by this time.

‘What, tell me, is a firm of solicitors in Inverness doing writing to my wife? Has some long lost relative left you a fortune?’

‘If only,’ she said and managed the ghost of a smile.

When he began reading the letter, Linda studied his face but it gave nothing away. He did, however, go back to read part of it again. Only then did he look up.

‘Poor souls, what a dreadful end. Had the man lost his concentration or what?’

‘He must have, I suppose.’

‘You had better tell me something about this Elizabeth and Robert.’

‘Betty. She was always called Betty. She was my best friend, you should remember that.’

‘I think I do but vaguely. You lost touch?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did I ever meet her? I don’t seem to remember.’

Linda smiled. ‘No, you didn’t meet Betty. We, you and I, had just started to go steady when we got the invitation to their wedding. I had to go alone.’

‘Why was that?’

‘A week before the wedding you managed to break your leg playing rugby.’

He grinned. ‘Of course, I remember now. I remember it very well. My game was never the same after that.’

Linda worried her lower lip. ‘What are we to do, Matthew?’

‘I’m leaving it to you.’

Her eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected that. ‘Matthew, that isn’t fair. I can’t decide something like this on my own.’

‘I didn’t know you had a goddaughter,’ he said quietly.

‘Neither did I.’

‘What?’

‘It’s true, Matthew. I have absolutely no idea why this letter was sent to me. Why me?’

‘Linda, you must have been asked. Betty must have asked you.’

Linda was getting angry. ‘I’m telling you I wasn’t.’ She was almost shouting and put a shaking hand over her mouth.

‘Calm down, darling. This isn’t making sense to either of us but remember I know nothing at all. Tell me what you remember and take your time. I’ll pour us both more coffee and you can begin by telling me about your best friend from your college days. That will give you a starting point.’

She nodded. ‘I’m sorry I shouted, Matthew, but it was all getting on top of me.’

‘I’m not surprised. You have been worrying about it all day.’

‘I have. I nearly phoned you but I didn’t.’

‘There wasn’t much I could have done.’

‘I knew that.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I am going to get this hopelessly mixed up.’

‘Not to worry, we’ll sort it out.’

She took another deep breath. ‘Betty was very pretty, easily the best-looking girl in our year. She wasn’t conceited about her looks. She was just a very nice person and the two of us got on great.’

‘A very popular young woman?’

‘Very and, of course, the boys were all over her. She dated a few but it was Alan Stephenson she began to go out with regularly. Alan was crazy about her and he was genuinely nice. When they got engaged we were all delighted and Betty was so happy.’ She stopped.

‘Go on. This is when things went wrong, I imagine?’

She nodded. ‘It happened when Robert Marshall came on the scene. He was a bit older than our crowd and he was handsome. Really, really handsome, Matthew, and he had the charm to go with it.’ She paused to drink some of her coffee. ‘The moment he set eyes on Betty he wouldn’t leave her alone. She was flattered but she didn’t take him seriously. After all she was engaged to Alan and they were making plans for their wedding. Then suddenly the engagement was broken off . . .’

‘Did you have an inkling of what was going on? Did Betty confide in you?’

‘No, she didn’t. It was obvious to us that she was keyed up and nervous but we put it down to pre-wedding nerves. Then it was all out in the open. She had fallen in love with Robert and broken off her engagement to Alan.’

‘How did Alan take it, being thrown over?’

‘How do you expect? He was devastated but there was a quiet strength to Alan. He didn’t make things more difficult for Betty. He accepted that she didn’t want to marry him and decided he should disappear from the scene.’

‘Which he did?’

‘Yes.’

‘And, as is now obvious, she married the other bloke?’

‘Yes.’ Linda sighed.

‘What did you think of him?’

‘I didn’t like Robert, I didn’t trust him. I know we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead . . .’

‘Why not? I never understood the sense of that. A person was what he was.’

She smiled. ‘Robert was a bighead and thought himself wonderful.’

‘Did you suggest to Betty that he could be less than perfect?’

‘No, I did not. Don’t be silly, Matthew, Betty was on cloud nine.’

‘To say anything to Betty would have put your friendship at risk?’

‘The friendship might have survived but it would have been damaged.’

‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have interrupted. Go on.’

‘Have you finished?’ she said, looking into his coffee cup.

‘Yes, thank you.’

‘Perhaps you would put the coffee table back and we’ll get more room for our legs.’

Matthew got up to put the table back in its position.

‘Thank you, dear.’ She made herself more comfortable in the chair. ‘We invited them to our wedding but they didn’t come, which didn’t surprise me. I don’t think Robert had much in the way of qualifications but he had managed to get a job down south. They were settling in to a new house and Betty was expecting a baby.’

‘You kept in touch?’

‘Yes, we did but the letters were few and far between.’

‘You wouldn’t have known if the marriage was working out?’

‘Betty said nothing to suggest it wasn’t but reading between the lines I didn’t think she was happy. Robert never stuck for long in one job and Betty was working part time to help out. She couldn’t do full time, not with a baby to look after. Then they decided to take over a shop and small tearoom and for a while that was doing well then that failed too.’

‘Did you hear anything after that?’

Linda was becoming exasperated with Matthew. ‘Any letters I got were left for you to read.’

‘A personal letter – I might not have read that.’

‘You were given the chance. I never had any secrets from you.’

‘I wasn’t suggesting that. Let us get back on track. Was that the last you heard from your friend?’

‘No. She did write and apologised for the long delay in replying to my letter and to tell me that they were coming back to Scotland. She seemed to be happy about that and I thought we might manage to meet.’ Linda paused. ‘I wanted that but I am not sure that Betty did. She knew we were very happy . . .’

‘And if she wasn’t, she didn’t want you to know.’

‘I suppose that is possible. Anyway time went on and no letter. I couldn’t get in touch even if I wanted to because she hadn’t given me her address. And that, Matthew, is all I can tell you.’

He was silent for a few moments. ‘Don’t jump down my throat, but when the baby was born did she suggest . . .’

‘That I should be the baby’s godmother? No, Matthew, and I repeat no. I can’t make it plainer than that. Heavens! It isn’t the kind of thing one would forget.’

‘Had she asked you to be godmother to her daughter what would have been your answer?’

Linda thought for a few moments. ‘Had Betty asked me,’ she said slowly, ‘I would have considered it an honour. It is an honour. Yes, Matthew, I would have agreed and you would have known about it.’ She moistened her lips. ‘Did you have a godparent?’

‘No.’

‘Neither did I. I think long ago it was the custom in some families but not so much now.’

‘It is not exactly a written agreement. I mean there is nothing binding about it.’

‘I have to disagree with you there, Matthew,’ Linda said shaking her head. ‘It is binding when you give your word.’

‘Quite,’ he said in a clipped voice, ‘but you didn’t.’

‘That’s right, I didn’t.’

‘Not many godparents are called upon to do much more than remember birthdays and Christmas.’

Linda shivered.

‘You’re cold?’

‘No, I’m not. I was thinking of that poor child. How must she be feeling? Matthew, she has just lost both parents and apart from the pain of loss she must be feeling very scared. Neighbours cannot be expected to take care of her indefinitely.’

‘Does that mean you have made up your mind to take her?’

‘No, it doesn’t. If you want to know, I feel hard done by. Jennifer is not my responsibility yet I am made to believe she is.’

‘The letter does not suggest anything of the kind. You are being informed of the position, that the girl is at present being cared for by a neighbour.’

‘And I have been mentioned as godmother which is as much as saying that I should take some responsibility.’

‘You are reading too much in to it. At the moment you are too emotional to think clearly.’

‘Which is why I need to talk about it with you.’

Matthew didn’t think there was anything to talk about. The godmother bit was obviously some sort of misunderstanding and all Linda had to do was phone or write to this solicitor, express sorrow over what had happened to her old friend and her husband and then state very clearly that she was not in a position to offer the girl a home. Only, of course, being Linda she would be incapable of doing that. Hers was always the helping hand. He groaned inwardly.

‘How old is this girl?’

‘I’ve been working that out. Jennifer must be fifteen.’

‘Fifteen,’ he almost spluttered, ‘I thought we were talking about a nine- or ten-year-old. At that age she is able to take some responsibility for herself.’

‘Would you like to think of ours taking responsibility for themselves at that age?’

‘Not quite the same.’

‘I think it is.’

‘I meant she must know about her own relations.’

‘Not if she doesn’t have any, or I should say anyone prepared to give her a home for a few years.’ Linda let out a shaky breath. ‘Matthew, we don’t know what state she is in.’

‘She got off with cuts and bruises.’

‘What about the mental damage?’

‘She will have been seen by doctors.’

‘That sort of damage doesn’t always show up.’

‘Another problem if and when it does.’

‘I don’t see it that way.’

Matthew was fast losing patience. ‘What way do you see it?’

‘I think Jennifer might be in need of a bit of loving care.’

‘Which you are going to provide.’

‘No, I wouldn’t take that on myself.’

‘You think we can give it?’

‘I would like to think so,’ Linda said quietly.

‘Did you meet any of Betty’s family when you were at college?’

She nodded. ‘Her grandmother. Betty’s parents died when she was small and she was brought up by her grandmother. On the one occasion I was in her company I can remember thinking her quite old then.’

‘We can forget about her.’

‘I think so. Wouldn’t the solicitor know about relatives? No, of course not, not unless he was told,’ she answered herself.

‘It would appear yours is the only name he has.’

‘Why Betty should have given my name I can’t imagine. It just doesn’t make sense. What do you make of it, Matthew?’

‘I could be way out but I believe it might have happened this way.’ He put one long leg over the arm of the chair which usually earned him a rebuke but if Linda noticed she made no comment. ‘Betty could have been feeling a bit depressed, the marriage going through a bad time and she had begun to worry about the future. Maybe her health wasn’t so good and she got to wondering that if something were to happen to her, what was to become of Jennifer? I gather she didn’t have a lot of confidence in her husband.’

‘Robert would be duty-bound to look after his own daughter.’

‘He wouldn’t be the first to conveniently forget his responsibilities and clear out.’

‘If it was that, how awful and poor Betty.’

‘That was only a thought. It might not have been anything like that.’

‘On the other hand you could be right.’

‘She could have been thinking that way when you came in to her mind. Her best friend, someone she could trust.’

‘Fair enough, I could go along with that but surely I should have been asked?’

‘No doubt that was her intention but she kept putting it off and as time went on it was forgotten altogether.’

Linda nodded.

‘What about our three? They should have their say. Taking a stranger into our midst would be a big upheaval in their lives.’

‘They would quickly get used to it.’

‘Don’t be so sure.’

‘I agree they should have their say.’

‘No time like the present. Get them down here and we’ll find out.’

‘Matthew, it is too soon,’ Linda protested. ‘We need to discuss this further before we involve the children. And I would like to talk it over with Mother and Helen, find out what they think.’

Matthew was frowning. ‘With due respect, what they think is not important. This isn’t going to affect them.’

‘Thank you very much,’ she said huffily.

‘Of course talk it over with them, but there is no hurry.’

Linda got up. ‘I’ll call the children.’ She went to the foot of the stairs. ‘Hannah, Heather and Robin, come downstairs. Daddy and I want to talk to you.’

‘What about? Can’t it wait?’

‘No.’

‘What is so urgent?’

‘You’ll find that out, Hannah, when you come down.’

‘This isn’t at all convenient, you know. I am working on something serious and stopping in the middle of it is going to break my concentration.’

‘You’ll get your concentration back just as you always do when your friend, Julie, phones,’ Linda said drily. The girls lived within easy walking distance of each other, they saw each other at school, yet still found it necessary to phone.

Silence.

‘I want the three of you downstairs now. That is an order,’ she said in her ‘I am not standing any nonsense’ voice.

Linda went back to the sitting-room and there was the clatter of feet on the stairs. Robin, in grey trousers and a light grey shirt was first down and sat cross-legged on the floor. Hannah was behind him and frowning. She sat on the sofa and crossed her long skinny legs. At thirteen years of age, Hannah was very conscious of her appearance and it didn’t please her one little bit. The other two had all the luck. They had their mother’s fair curly hair whereas hers was light brown and dead straight. She couldn’t leave it alone. Either she was stretching strands of it across her mouth or tucking it behind her ears.

Linda could see the promise of beauty and told her so but Hannah was having none of it. She was never going to get a boyfriend, she was convinced of that.

Heather, on the plump side and pretty, joined her sister on the sofa but sat as far away as possible.

Linda was frowning and shaking her head. ‘Robin, we do stretch to chairs in this house.’

The boy made no effort to get up. ‘I like sitting on the floor.’

‘Robin,’ his father roared. ‘You heard your mother. Sit on a chair and do as you are told.’

The child’s lips trembled. His daddy never spoke like that to him and Linda was looking at her husband in surprise. The prospect of having Jennifer to live with them must be upsetting him more than she thought. She was finding it upsetting too. Matthew was going about this in the wrong way.

She pulled the leather pouffé nearer to her chair and Robin sat down quickly. The thumb went in to his mouth. Robin was eight years of age and he had almost outgrown that bad habit. It only happened when he was distressed. Linda gently removed Robin’s thumb from his mouth and put a protective hand on his shoulder. If Matthew was to call him a baby that would be the last straw.

‘Daddy, I think I know what it is. You’ve lost your job.’

‘No, Heather, I haven’t. Why should I have lost my job?’

‘Mary McKenzie’s daddy was paid off. She was crying in school because they won’t have any money.’

‘I’m glad to say my job seems safe enough at present.’ He paused. ‘Your mother has something she wants to tell you.’

Linda could have wished for more time to prepare herself. In this kind of situation the right words were important. She would keep it short and simple and hope for the best. When she got to the end both girls remained silent. Robin twisted round on the pouffé to look at his mother. He was a tender-hearted little boy, too tenderhearted Linda often thought, and she worried about him. Matthew said he would toughen up but not if she fought his battles for him.

‘If that girl has no place to live she will have to come and stay with us.’

That was a relief. ‘You would like that?’

‘Not much,’ he said gloomily and Matthew grinned.

‘Does that mean you don’t want her to live with us?’

‘No, Mummy, I never said that. She . . .’

‘Jennifer. I think we should give the girl her name.’

‘She – Jennifer – can come but I wish she was a boy. I would like a big brother.’

‘Where would she sleep?’ Hannah said abruptly.

‘Hannah, I hadn’t got to thinking that far.’ And neither had she. ‘I suppose you and Heather could share . . .’

‘Oh, no, nothing doing,’ Hannah said, sitting bolt upright and looking outraged. ‘I thought it might be that and I am telling you here and now that I am not having it. And that is final,’ she said in case any doubt still remained.

‘Well! Well!’ Linda said, taken aback.

‘And that goes for me too, I’m not sharing with Hannah,’ Heather said with a toss of her head. ‘If she has to come here we will have to move to a bigger house.’

‘I like it here, I don’t want to go away,’ Robin said fearfully.

‘Don’t worry, son, we will not be moving,’ Matthew said firmly. He looked at Heather then turned his attention to Linda. She took the hint.

‘This is our home, Heather, and as Daddy says this is where we stay. Moving house is not an option.’

Linda was remembering the time when they bought the house. With the arrival of Robin, the four-apartment bungalow had been too small for their needs. They required an extra bedroom, two extra bedrooms, in fact. Before long the girls would want their own rooms. She smiled thinking of the excitement when that day had come. The smile faded when she thought of what she was asking. No wonder Hannah was rebelling, and Heather too, although not quite so forcefully.

She was asking a lot and they were only children. How would she have felt if at Hannah’s age she had been asked to share her bedroom? Not at all happy, that was for sure. Very likely she, too, would have rebelled. Hannah was making her position very clear. There was no way she was going to share, not with her sister and most certainly not with a strange girl.

Linda could see no answer to her problem. She could, of course, be worrying about something that wouldn’t happen. Some long-lost relative might already have appeared on the scene.

Her thoughts drifted back to their home. Matthew and she had all but decided to reserve one of the bigger houses being built on the new estate and there was no reason at all why they should have gone to view Hillcrest. The stone-built family house was situated in a quiet cul-de-sac in Abbotsfield, a pleasant little village not far from Dundee. It was beyond their means. Matthew said it was unfair to put the occupants to the trouble of showing them around when they were in no position to put in a reasonable offer. Linda had agreed with every word Matthew said but in spite of that they had gone to view the house.

It was madness. Linda fell in love with Hillcrest the moment she stepped inside and Matthew was very favourably impressed. They went home to do more calculations but the result was the same. There was no way they could afford it. And that might have been the end of the matter if Linda’s mother hadn’t come to the rescue. When her time came, she told them, all she had would be divided between her two daughters. Helen’s husband, George, was an architect, a successful one, and in no need of financial help. Their share would come to them in the fullness of time. ‘Believe me, my dears,’ she had said, ‘I am not depriving myself of anything in order to help you out. I have all I could ever want. My small comfortable cottage is ideal, my car might be old but it is very reliable and there is more than enough for me to live on.’

Matthew was shaking his head. He didn’t have George’s kind of money it was true but he did hold down a responsible position with the well-established engineering firm of Charles Rattray & Sons. He was clever and conscientious and promotion was in his sights. The future should be bright but nothing these days was certain. There could be a slump in trade. Matthew had a horror of debt and it required a lot of persuasion but eventually his mother-in-law talked him in to it.

‘You need the money now not later,’ Kirsty had told him gently. ‘To find the house of your dreams is rather wonderful. Please don’t let pride stand in the way.’

He had smiled at that. ‘All right, you win,’ Matthew said, getting up to give his mother-in-law a kiss on the cheek. ‘This is very generous of you, Kirsty,’ he said huskily.

George, her other son-in-law, called her Ma which she heartily disliked. She ought to have said so at the start but she hadn’t and now it was too late. Matthew said he wasn’t going to call her Ma or Mother-in-law. If she had no objections, he would use her Christian name. Kirsty assured him she had none and that to be called Kirsty by a handsome young man would make her forget her age.

‘I’m just so glad I can be of help.’

‘This will be repaid as soon as possible,’ Matthew’s voice was firm.

‘There is absolutely no hurry.’ There was the faintest touch of annoyance in her voice. She knew Matthew wouldn’t be happy until the debt was repaid in full. In the event promotion had come quickly and before they could have expected it, Kirsty’s money was returned to her with grateful thanks. Hillcrest was the kind of house where a young couple would want to put down roots and bring up a family and they would be forever grateful to Kirsty for making it possible.

The old couple who were selling the house had taken a liking to Linda and Matthew. There was a lot of interest in the house and they could have held out for more but they accepted what they considered a fair price. The sweet-faced lady had loved her house and she wanted it to go to someone who would care for it the way she had. Linda would, she was sure. They were moving to a much smaller house and the heavy furniture would look out of place. If the young couple should want it they were very welcome. It would give them a start and the children would have their freedom. Most little ones were boisterous at times and heavy furniture didn’t show the damage. Linda and Matthew were delighted. Solid pieces like that were in demand and would have fetched a good price in the saleroom. As a thank you gift, Linda had found out their new address and arranged for the delivery of a handsome bouquet of flowers and a card to wish them health and happiness in their new home.

Linda’s thoughts had returned to the present.

Hannah looked glum. She was glum. She didn’t want to be thought of as selfish and she didn’t think she was. Being the eldest of the family gave her status. Jennifer, whatever her second name was, was not family but Mum would make sure that she was treated the same. No, not the same, better than family. There would be a big fuss made of her and she and Heather would be told to be especially nice and make her feel welcome and wanted. Hannah felt a rush of anger. Robin, being the boy, was safe enough, he didn’t have to share. In any case his bedroom, which was much smaller than theirs, couldn’t accommodate two single beds. And as for Mum and Dad, it wouldn’t affect them. Married couples shared a bedroom or most of them did. Julie’s parents didn’t, their daughter told Hannah in confidence. They had separate rooms. And it wasn’t because they weren’t on speaking terms, it was nothing like that. Her dad snored. He always had but it was getting worse. And it kept her mum from sleeping. Julie had giggled. She hadn’t known if her mother had meant it or not but she had said it was separate rooms or a divorce.

I don’t want that girl, Jennifer, here, Hannah thought miserably but it was going to happen. She knew it was.

‘Mum.’

‘Yes, Hannah?’

‘I am not trying to be difficult but I do have rights.’

‘And what are those rights, Hannah?’

‘As the eldest of this family I am surely entitled to have my own bedroom.’

Linda didn’t answer.

‘How old is she?’ eleven-year-old Heather asked.

‘Fifteen.’

Hannah stared at her mother. This was worse than ever.

‘If she comes she will be the eldest,’ Heather said triumphantly.

‘No, she won’t, she isn’t family, she doesn’t count,’ Hannah said furiously.

‘Will you two stop it? Really, I have to say I am disappointed. I had thought better of you both.’

Linda waited for some support from Mat