‘You have spoken to your father…Thank you’ Harriet turns from the piano as Kester comes into the room.

‘Thank you?’ He looks puzzled.

‘For suggesting in no uncertain terms that I might be interested in hearing from him’

Kester grins ‘I did mention it in passing’

‘More strongly worded than a mention, perhaps?’ She arches one eyebrow.

‘Maybe' he admits with a guilty smile 'He did ring you, then?’

‘He did’ Harriet replies as she rises from the piano stool. ‘Silly man. He became rather… overemotional’ She tucks her hand under Kester’s proffered elbow as they walk into the hall.

Kester closes his hand over hers and walks slowly, aware of some stiffness in Harriet’s step. ‘He was quite defensive with me at first. Thought I’d only rung him to bawl him out. Had one heck of a game trying to track him down anyway. I’m sure he was avoiding me. Don’t know who it was I was speaking to but I told her it was an emergency and if she didn’t put him on, there’d be hell to pay. Had her in tears’ he admits ruefully.

‘Kester!’ Harriet admonishes, looking up at him. ‘The poor girl, it would hardly have been her fault if your father had given instructions not to put calls through’

‘He wouldn’t answer his mobile…’ Kester excuses ‘and he would’ve known it was me. I was extremely cranky by that stage. I’ll ring and apologise…if I can remember her name..’

Harriet squeezes his arm. ‘He was most relieved to know that we were not totally against the idea of him becoming a father again’ she smiles.

‘I think it was more that his….friend….wouldn’t be castigated by all and sundry. I really think he means to stand by her’ Kester releases her hand as they reach her chair, frowning slightly as she carefully eases herself  into it.

‘And not as young as I was led to believe by your mother either!’ Harriet sucks her teeth in a gesture of annoyance. ‘Always was one to exaggerate the truth. I had imagined someone barely out of school!’

‘A little older than I am, I think’

‘So I believe. Did he tell you that he had moved out of the family home?’

‘He did’ Kester nods as he sits down. ‘He wouldn’t tell me just where he is living now… presumably with his girlfriend….and presumably so that they don’t have mother on the doorstep ranting and raving. Not that it will stay secret for long’ He grimaces.

‘No…I don’t suppose it will, the paparazzi being as it is. I think we must prepare ourselves for a bumpy ride, darling. Your mother will be milking this for all it is worth!’

‘Without a doubt…but at least Dad knows they have our support…whatever they decide to do’

‘Oh…I don’t think there’s any question that she will keep the baby…but whether or not she will manage to keep your father is another thing entirely’ Harriet sighs.

Tawny House, Manor Road

Chapter Eight

Hill House, Boundary Road

‘Is this supposed to be teaching me a lesson or something?’ Leonie sneers, helping herself to a can of cola from the fridge and setting it on the worktop.

Marilyn continues with the ironing, carefully refolding a sheet and positioning it on the ironing board. The steam hisses as she presses it into a neat rectangle.

‘You think I care you’re not talking to me?’ Leonie opens the cupboard and takes out a glass.

Marilyn lifts a pillowcase from the ironing basket and runs the iron around the lace edging before straightening it on the board.

‘Well, I just think you’re being stupid!’

Marilyn grits her teeth and carries on ironing, putting a shirt of Leonie’s to one side as she sifts through the clean washing.

‘That supposed to annoy me too is it? How juvenile can you get!’ Leonie says, her lip curling.

Marilyn slams the iron down, making Leonie jump and causing the can to rattle against the glass. ‘The reason I’m not talking to you, young lady is that I can’t trust myself to speak to you! You behaved atrociously at Kester’s little party and I am ashamed of you. Not just ashamed, absolutely APPALLED! You hear me?’

‘Should think half the village did!’ Leonie sneers again. She flinches as Marilyn raises her hand.

‘God help me, I could slap you!’ Marilyn shakes with temper. ‘Get out of my sight!’

‘I’m not a kid to be told what to do!’

‘Then bloody well stop behaving like one! You really showed Andy up. He was even more disgusted with you than I am. He won’t be taking you anywhere with him again, I can tell you that for nothing and poor Beth was absolutely mortified!’

‘Oh? And what gives her the right to stick her nose in?’

With one hand fisted on her hip, Marilyn jabs a finger at her. ‘Because she saw the consequences of your little pantomime! They ALL did’ She glares, her chest rising and falling with angry breaths. ‘Did you stop to think for one second how cruel you were being? No, you damned well didn’t did you? And I doubt you’ve given it another thought since. That poor girl was humiliated just because you couldn’t keep your spiteful mouth shut. What a wicked little witch you are! I am embarrassed and ashamed to own you’. Shaking her head and throwing her hands in the air in disgust, Marilyn turns away.

‘So you keep saying’ Leonie says scornfully, coolly sipping cola from the glass.

Marilyn turns back, her face tight with the effort of controlling her temper.  ‘Did you really think poking fun at Helen would somehow make Kester think twice about going out with her? How wrong you were missy! Kester’s not that shallow. And I shouldn’t think any of them will speak to you now, not after that’

Leonie shrugs. ‘And that’s supposed to bother me?’

‘It should do, young lady! You owe that poor girl an apology for what you’ve put her through and an apology to the others for the way you behaved!’

‘For what I put her through?’ Leonie’s eyes widen with self-righteous indignation and she sets her glass down with tight precision. ‘I’M not the one who’s been self harming. I’m not the nutter!’

Marilyn closes her eyes and draws a deep calming breath through her nose. ‘You’ve got no idea have you? No idea at all! You think she did that to HERSELF? God give me strength!’ she groans, turning away to pick up the ironing basket and take it to the utility room, ending the conversation.

‘Oh, yeah, so how’s she end up like that then?’ Leonie asks, folding her arms.

‘She was attacked for crying out loud!’ Marilyn drops the basket on top of the washing machine and steps back into the kitchen.

‘Yeah…right… that’s what she told everybody’

‘Just go, Leonie. I really can’t bring myself to talk to you any more’ Marilyn unplugs the iron, the beginnings of a headache pulling her eyebrows together in a deep frown.

‘Beth’s such a sucker for a sob story’ Leonie continues acidly ‘she’d believe anything and now she’s got you believing it. What did Helen do, get her in the kitchen to tell her how upset she was and make that up to get her on side?’

‘On side?’ Marilyn sighs wearily. ‘You mean like kids in a playground? No, Leonie’ she says flatly ‘you alienated everybody all by yourself. Helen didn’t need to get anyone on side. They were already there’

She lays the ironing she has finished over one arm and walks to the door. She turns to the scowling Leonie. ‘I’ll have you know that after Andy got back, Helen went into that room and faced them all. She explained everything. She HAD to! You left her no choice’

She pauses for a moment until she has Leonie’s full attention ‘Kester knew nothing about those scars’ she says in a quiet, matter-of-fact voice ‘ but he does now and for your information, it doesn’t make one jot of difference to him at all, quite the reverse, in fact. Beth said it was lovely to watch them together afterwards. They are closer now than ever and Helen has shown herself for the gutsy woman she is. I’ve got nothing but admiration for the girl’

She opens the door and looks back to make one final point. ‘Nothing will come between her and Kester now. Your little ploy backfired, spectacularly backfired and it damned well serves you right!’ With a grim tight-lipped smile, Marilyn lets the door close behind her.