Charlie went straight over to see her grandparents after lunch. With Matthew’s news still ringing in her ears, she looked at the house in a new light. It wasn’t falling down, wasn’t decaying like the ones they’d been looking at that morning, but the paint was looking tired and dirty, and now she looked more closely, the place didn’t look as loved and cared for as it used to do.You don’t notice things, she thought to herself. You think they’re just going to stay the same forever – and then they change.
“Grandmère?”Her grandmère was working in the vegetable garden that they’d made when the tree house was built. Charlie remembered the day vividly: her intense pleasure in the tree house, her gratitude to her grandpère for making it.
“Charlie!” Her grandmère greeted her in the normal way. “What brings you here? And how lovely to see you.”
“I wanted to ask you something. But it’s a bit personal. Very personal in fact.”Lorraine looked down at her grand-daughter’s bent head.
“You may ask me anything. Perhaps, I choose not to reply, but always you may ask. Never will I be cross with you for asking.”
“Are you planning to sell Saxtead Villa? And why?”Lorraine looked over Charlie’s shoulder into the library where she and Jonathan had spent so many peaceful evenings together. Charlie, too, loved the house – she could hear it in her voice.
“Ma petite, it’s complicated. Many reasons. We had hoped for a large family, to fill it up, to want to live here themselves…”
“I’d like to live here!”
“But it would make your mother very unhappy to live here. And your father – he would not ask that of her.”
That silenced Charlie.
“But Grandpère, it won’t be the same!”“Nothing stays the same, Charlie. You know that.”
“But I love this house so. And what about the tree house?” Charlie sniffed unhappily, and her grandfather’s voice softened.
“Charlie, my dear, if I could move that to your present house, I would.”
“I’m sorry. This is sad for you too, isn’t it? You’ll have to finish the car first, though!”
“Then get helping! You can sand down the panels as well as anyone. And tell me how the riding is coming on.”“I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know I had! Mostly because they ache. Matthew’s going to do an exercise plan out for me, to strengthen them. But I love it! Aches and all.”
“And your paintings, for the competition?” The two of them began working together, conversation flowing easily between them.
This was really more than a bit embarrassing, but it was a conversation David was going to have to have! Thankfully, he did know Naomi, Poppy’s mother, a bit – she and Jonquil had been to the same exercise class at one point. He began somewhat hesitantly.“Naomi, I’m really sorry about this, but I think that my daughter has been taking advantage of your Poppy…”
“Are you sure?” Naomi asked, when David had got to the end of his somewhat reluctant story. Naomi Aspal was a nice woman – no-one could work out why her husband had been idiot enough to go off with someone else.“Poppy’s pretty open about how much she’s got and how much she’s spent. I think it all more or less adds up. Let me ask her.”
“Poppy, if Daisy’s been borrowing from you, then I want to pay it back.”“But she hasn’t.” Poppy was quite emphatic. “I mean, maybe a pound for a bus fare or something like that, but that’s nothing. She’s always got scads of money – from her grandmother.”
“Poppy, darling, I’m not going to be cross with you,” Naomi said.
“Honest, Mum, I don’t need to lend her anything. She’s always got loads.”
David thanked her, and asked her not to mention it to Daisy. Poppy pulled a face.
“No, Poppy darling, please don’t. This is quite serious. Let Daisy’s dad talk to her first. And Daisy might not be pleased that he’s talked to you…”That swung it. Poppy obviously didn’t want to antagonise Daisy.
“I won’t tell her I’ve asked you. I don’t need to anyway,” David said, smiling reassuringly at Poppy. “Now I know it’s not from you, then I can talk to Daisy – and my mother-in-law.” And his tone was grim as he mentioned Cynthia.
He needed to talk to his daughter before he spoke to Cynthia though. David made sure he finished work in good time and came home steeling himself to get the truth out of Daisy. Poppy and Chloe were round but just going home; planning their next shopping trip before they went from the sound of it. Chloe was protesting that she couldn’t afford it and Poppy was trying to persuade her. But David recognised the phrases Poppy was using: they were ones Daisy said all too often.
“When I’m talking to you, I’d like your full attention, please. I want to know exactly how much money Cynthia has given you. And don’t fudge the issue.”
“How am I supposed to know? I can’t keep track of everything.”“Then we’ll go online together. We’ll go through your wardrobe. And we’ll find out just how much everything has cost. That will give us a rough estimate. And we’ll start with what’s in your purse…”
Daisy knew she was beaten.
“Are you sure this is going to be good for me?”“Yes. Trust me. I do know which muscles you need to strengthen to help your riding. Go on telling us about what happened next.”
“Well – oof – Dad finally got a figure from Daisy. Five hundred quid Grandma H had given her since my birthday! Then he went off to see Grandma H.”
“My parents would never do that,” Hanako said, wonderingly. “Confront an elder, say they had been lying? Never! They call it keiro – respect for the aged.”“They call it?” Matthew asked. “What about you?”
“I don’t know. I am a child of two cultures. Charlie would say truth matters above respect – my parents would say the opposite. And I am not sure where I stand.”
“So what happens next?” Matthew asked, grunting in his own turn as he too began a (somewhat tougher) workout.“Well, Daisy’s banned from accepting any more money from Grandma H. Dad told Grandma H that he wasn’t having her favouring one of his daughters so much above the other. He said it wasn’t fair. And Mum backed him up – and even Grandpa H actually said he didn’t think it was on, and he never contradicts Grandma H! And now Dad’s busy protecting Mum from the fallout, and Daisy is awful to live with.”
“No, we’re going to have to move. Extending just doesn’t make sense financially, to get the space we really need. Shall we look at somewhere with a cellar to put Daisy in?”Jonquil laughed. “Don’t tempt me! I’ve got some viewings booked for tomorrow. I can finish work early, I’m owed some time. If any of them look promising, we can go and see them together at the weekend. They’re in our price range, and they’re the right size, but I’m not sure if they’re going to be what we want…”
“Are you sure about this one?” Charlie had volunteered to go with her mum to look at the houses – it was better than being at home with Daisy and her rage and resentment!
“No,” Jonquil said, “I’m not. I have a feeling that the estate agents were a bit – shall we say, optimistic? – in their description of it. Still, we might as well look around.”
“Mum, this is dreadful. And no bigger than our house is now.”“Yes, but it’s got an extra floor. And it’s cheap – though we’d have to spend a lot on it!”
The extra floor was only a big, bare attic room though, with no plumbing, no heating, no nothing! The next house on the list was fairly close by.“Hmmm. Looks like they employed the same architect – and decorator.”
Jonquil laughed. “You could be right, Charlie!”
“Well, this house is big enough – but it needs so much work, I’m not sure about it. Re-plumbing, re-wiring, we’d have to move some walls, convert the attic into a usable space…I don’t think we could live in it while all that was going on.”“Anyway, you don’t like Victorian architecture, do you?”
Jonquil was surprised. “I love it. I always have. Your grandma could never understand why, but I think my dad does. Why did you think that?”
“Well, because you wouldn’t want to live in Grandmère and Grandpère’s house.”“I’d love to live there. It’s your father who doesn’t.”
“No. He thinks you’d be really unhappy there, so they’re going to sell up and move – oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that!”
“I think we need to go and see Jonathan and Lorraine.”And Jonquil swept Charlie away, ignoring her remaining list of houses to view.
She found her father-in-law in the garage – unsurprisingly.“Jonathan?” she said hesitantly, as she went in.
“Jonnie, my dear! I thought it was Lorraine, coming to tell me the meal was ready, and where was I?”
He put back the tool he’d been reaching for and hugged her, the warmth of his greeting unmistakeable.“Such a pleasant surprise! Is David with you?”
“No. Charlie is – she’s gone to find Lorraine. She has something to confess. And I have something to ask.”
And Jonquil listened carefully as Jonathan explained to her just why David had believed she would be miserable living in Saxtead Villa.“My mother told him that? Told him that I didn’t like Victorian architecture, found it oppressive?”
“Maybe she thought…”
“Oh no. She knew I liked it. But she doesn’t. And I’m beginning to see just how much mischief she’s caused. She didn’t want me to marry David – and I never worked out how my father persuaded her to change her mind – and she’s worked against him ever since. Very subtly, I’m beginning to see.”
Jonathan was worried. He’d never seen Jonquil quite as coldly angry as this.
“Jonnie, my dear, we would love to have you living with us. You truly are the daughter I never had.”Jonquil’ eyes brimmed with tears. You couldn’t mistake Lorraine’s honesty. (Unlike your own mother, a little voice whispered in her head.)
“What about you, ma petite?”
“I’d love it too. Here has always felt more like home than our house – that’s such a boring box.”
“So – we need to plan a little. Come upstairs and see what we have.”
They made their way to the now unused top floor of the house.“This room – it would be big enough to split into two bedrooms. It used to be the night nursery.”
“And you could have something bigger than a cupboard, Charlie! You get first pick of the bedrooms, I promise you. That’s only fair.”
Charlie smiled to herself.
Her mother and grandmère made their way down to the next floor, but Charlie stood on the top floor landing and imagined living there. The sky was shading to evening outside the window, and she felt content in a way she’d never felt before. Grandpère was right, she thought, there is something special about living in a house where your family has lived for ages.
“You’re going to want to entertain sometimes – but you could have these two rooms for a big sitting room. And as for a kitchen – we can share one, or we can put one in for you on this floor. Space we are not short of! And if you move here – it will be possible for Jonathan and I to stay here also. And to see the house full of people again – that would be lovely.”“I’ll talk to David tonight.” Both Jonquil and Lorraine could feel it: this fizzing undercurrent of excitement.
And Jonathan, in the garage, working on his beloved car as a way of staying calm, was hoping too with all his might that this would work out for them all.
“We have some news for you both.”I know what’s coming, thought Charlie smugly. But Daisy doesn’t. Charlie wasn’t totally right about that, but never mind.
“We’ve found a new house. Well, it’s not a new house, but a new place to live. We’re going to move in with Grandmère and Grandpère.”
“No way! We can’t possibly! I won’t! It’s not fair! Why didn’t you ask me where I wanted to live?”Charlie smiled sweetly to herself as she watched Daisy say goodbye to any freedom she might have enjoyed over the weekend.
“When you’ve quite finished? Why would we consult you? And as for Not Fair, the less you say about that, the better. We have another piece of news for you as well. You’re going to have a baby brother or sister in September!”Charlie couldn’t believe her ears! How fantastic! Daisy was less enthusiastic.
“But you’re far too old to have a baby!”
“I’m thirty-five.” Jonquil’s voice was icy. “The same age grandma H was when she had me. And I’ll thank you to be a little less rude, young lady.”
“But all my friends will laugh at me.”
“Oh dear. How sad. You may go to your room, Daisy.” David sounded mild enough, but both Daisy and Charlie could see that one more word from Daisy, and she would be seriously sorry.
“Don’t come down again. I don’t want to see you again today.”
“So what do you think your chances are?” Hanako asked.“Hard to tell. Some of the others are really good – and not every picture is here yet anyway. Some were on display in the town hall, for publicity.”
Matthew said nothing, which was odd. In fact, he looked a bit odd, come to think of it. And he hadn’t come out with a single dreadful joke. Hanako led the way outside for some fresh air for a while.
“Matthew, are you feeling all right?”“Yes. Yes, I am really. I’ve just had a bit of a shock, that’s all.”
“Is your mum back again?”
“No. No, it’s not her. It’s Bryony and Dad. They’re expecting a baby. In September.”
“But…” The normally reserved Hanako was anything but, almost tearing out her hair instead.
“I wasn’t going to say anything today, but so’s my mother. I mean, I know she had me young, but that was so she could then study and concentrate on her career. Is there something in the water? All three of our mothers…”
Matthew suddenly started counting on his fingers – and then grinned to himself.“No. I don’t think it’s the water. What did you all do when we had that power cut back in January?”
“Went to bed early – oh!” The penny suddenly dropped for Hanako – and she blushed faintly too. “How did you think of that?”
“Well, you do get used to thinking like that if you’re breeding horses at all,” Matthew explained.
“I see Daisy’s come today,” Matthew remarked a few minutes later, changing the subject. “Does that mean she’s starting to speak to people again now?”“Daisy? Are you sure? She’s not touching this with a bargepole, she said yesterday, when Mum and Dad asked her if she wanted to come.”
“Well, I thought it was her – but I did only see her at a distance. Do you want to go inside, or go for a walk?”
“A walk. I said so yesterday to Mum – I can’t bear the suspense. I’ll come back at the end and read the list of names. And take my paintings away. All the presentations are going to be next week in the town hall, so there’s nothing happening here.”
“Last. For both of them,” Charlie said disappointedly. “And with really low marks too. I thought I’d done better than that.”“Charlie,” said Matthew, coming to a halt before her painting.
“But – that’s not mine. No, actually, it is. It’s one I did when I was really little. But…”
Hanako was already heading off to look at Charlie’s other entry – which should have been her chipmunk painting.
“Does this look familiar too?”“Yes. I did it when I was about four, at Grandmère’s house, as a birthday present for Mum. And she’s kept it ever since. It lives in our attic now. I think I know who’s done this. And I’m going to kill her!”
And with that, Charlie left the room.
Hanako remained by the picture, uncertain of what to do next, and was glad she had when, a few minutes later, David and Jonquil arrived.“Hanako! Did we just see Charlie rushing past, looking really upset. I’ve just seen the list – poor her, she’d tried so hard. I’m surprised though…”
“Um,” Hanako said politely. “Please forgive me for interrupting you, but I think you should see the pictures hanging in Charlie’s name.”
One glance told David all he needed to know.
Jonquil gazed sadly at the other picture.“Did Charlie say anything as she left?”
“Um,” said Matthew, sounding like Hanako, but not for the same reason. “Um…she said she was going to kill Daisy.”
That jolted Jonquil into sudden life. Charlie just didn’t say things like that. It was probably time she and David headed home…
“Okay. Why did you do that? No, it wasn’t a joke. You made me look a fool in front of a lot of people. And you spoilt my chances of winning. Is that it? You couldn’t bear it if I was good at anything? It’s got to be All About Daisy. All the time. Daisy has to have the biggest bedroom. Daisy has to have the nicest clothes. Daisy has to have all the money – and she’ll cheat and lie and steal to keep it like that.”“I didn’t steal! Grandma H gave me the money.”
“You stole my paintings. Today. My paintings that I did. You’re a liar, a cheat and a thief.” And, much to Daisy’s shock, her easy-going sister hit her. Hard.
“You hit me! You’re not allowed to hit me! You can’t do that!”
“Just watch.”
And David and Lorraine came into the room just in time to see Charlie attacking Daisy in a furious, no-holds-barred rage.
“Have you any idea how angry I am with you? What you did to Charlie today was so far beyond the pale, I have no words for it.” David was managing to find them nevertheless.“It was mean, despicable, low-down disgusting behaviour. And you disgust me.”
Jonquil was in the car, taking the still-furious Charlie to stay with Grandmère and Grandpère for the night. He wanted them both out of the way.
“It was only a joke…”
“Oh. That’s what makes you laugh, is it. Making a fool out of your sister, and ruining her chances of winning. What a lovely sense of humour you have. You must be really proud of it. Don’t give me that lie! This was not intended to be funny for anyone. Except, of course, you.”Her father’s anger and sarcasm was beginning to get under Daisy’s skin, and the tears began to fall.
“It’s not fair,” she wailed. “Charlie’s allowed to wear whatever she likes and people still like her, and her friends think she’s really nice, and she doesn’t have to worry about always being pretty and up-to-date and everyone at school thinks Hanako’s really cool, and now Matthew too because he can ride, and they’re her friends so she must be mega-cool and she doesn’t even try…” And the rest of her words vanished in a storm of weeping.
“But how do we undo this?”It was five weeks later, and the house they’d lived in together since Charlie was born was empty now, the furniture gone to Saxtead Villa.
“I don’t know. I don’t know where Daisy’s got this looks-are-everything from. Not us – I mean, look at Charlie.”
Jonquil smiled faintly at that.
“It’ll be all right, darling. Don’t worry – it’s bad for the bump. We’ll get through this together. We’ll sort Daisy out. I think the general reaction she’s getting from everyone at school has given her pause for thought.”“Mmmm. My mother was really cross about that too – I told you I bumped into her at the supermarket and couldn’t escape. And we have to tell her that I’m pregnant. I’m starting to show.”
“We’ll do it today. And then we’ve cleared everything up, and we’re starting something new together.”
They’d all gone outside to admire the garden – though to David’s mind it was too manicured and too neat.“We’ve got some news for you,” Jonquil began, but her mother over-rode her with practised ease.
“I don’t know what you were thinking about, letting poor Daisy suffer so. Everyone seems to know what she did. It’s hardly fair on the poor girl. I think you should have protected her more.”Jonquil couldn’t step back: she’d fall in the pond. Her father looked embarrassed and unhappy – and David was just plain angry: she could see him reining it in. Again. Why did her mother have to do this to them all?
“Ah yes,” David said to Cynthia. “But then, if we protect her from the consequences of her actions in this case, she might well go on to think that she can do more deceitful and underhand things, later on in life. Covering up lies isn’t a good idea.”There was an edge to his voice that Jonquil didn’t understand.
“And what about Charlie? Is it fair to have the whole town thinking she’s useless at painting, when actually she’s pretty good? Well? Is that fair?”
And Cynthia fell strangely silent.
“Well, it depends on how you look at it,” she said eventually. Jonquil couldn’t believe her ears – but her dad stepped hastily into the breach.“Did you say you had something to tell us? We do know your new address.”
He smiled fondly at his daughter, and she smiled back at him.
“Yes. I’m pregnant. You’re going to be a grandfather again.” And she watched his uncomplicated happiness at her news spread across his face.
“Pregnant again? At your age?” Cynthia’s reaction was totally unthought and unplanned, and Jonquil had suddenly had enough.
“Yes. At my age. The same age you were when you had me. Thirty-five. What is the matter with you? You don’t want Daisy to get what she richly deserves. You want Charlie to suffer for something she didn’t deserve at all. You can’t be pleased about our baby. You lied to us about the money you gave Daisy. Do you know what, I can’t trust you for anything, can I? Well, Daisy is forbidden to come and see you, since you are obviously such a bad influence on her. I’m sorry Dad – and I’ll meet you anywhere you like – but I’m not coming here any more either.”David and Jack just stood there, stunned. But not surprised…
Charlie could hardly believe that all this space was hers! She even had a spare bed – Hanako had already slept over. The old night nursery had been split up to make a bedroom for her, one for Daisy and a bathroom. Just for Charlie! Daisy got the old one that was already on that floor. And her cries of “Why does Charlie get the best and biggest?” had been dealt with very firmly. And finally.
“My bathroom is bigger than my bedroom was! Look!” And Hanako had had to agree that it was an impressive bathroom.“You have to keep both rooms clean,” her dad had said. “With a new baby on the way – and a much bigger house – there’s no way Jonnie can do it. In fact, you’re going to have to help a lot more – but I’ll pay you for the help.” That had seemed fair enough to Charlie!
She went to have a quick look at her new painting before she started her homework. Her dad had got hold of one of the competition judges and explained what had happened, and asked her to have a look at Charlie’s art work and tell Charlie what she thought of it. It wouldn’t alter the results of the competition, he knew, but Charlie would appreciate the feedback.Not only had the judge agreed, but she’d asked the other two for their opinion as well – and the general consensus was that it was well worth Charlie carrying on painting. She did show real promise.
“It’s all about change,” Charlie thought, looking at her painting and out at a new view. “And how we let the changes change us. New house, new brother or sister in four and a half month’s time, new neighbours to get to know. I’m going to let these changes change me for the better!”
