‘And has Christopher been to see Imogen? Harriet enquires sternly ‘She is his daughter as well, you know’

Lynn fixes the arm of Cerys’s doll back in its socket and tucks it under the blanket of the small pram. She strokes Cerys’s head and returns her smile before looking at her mother-in-law. ‘I am well aware of that, Harriet’ she says as Cerys runs the length of the sitting room and the pram collides with a bookcase.

‘Do be careful! Is that child never still? A few lessons in how to behave in other people’s houses is called for in my opinion’

‘This isn’t ‘other people’s houses’ Lynn’s cheeks flame angrily ‘this is her Grandmother’s house...and for your information, she was very still and well behaved while being cooped up in the car for hours getting here to see you!’  She stands up and calls Cerys to her side ‘Come on, poppet. Time to go’

Cerys walks back to her with exaggerated slowness, dragging the pram behind her and looking puzzled and confused. ‘Why?’

‘We’ll go to the swings instead, shall we? And maybe....’ she stoops to her daughter’s level and tries to cover her annoyance with a smile ‘Maybe we can go and see Helen!’ she says with excessive enthusiasm ‘Yes?’

‘Go and see Alfie!’ Cerys beams and dances the wheels of the pram from side to side.

‘There is no need....’

‘No?’ Lynn blinks disagreement and sends Cerys into the hall to get her shoes. ‘I’m sorry Harriet but you’ve obviously got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and I’m not about to sit here and pretend I’m enjoying the visit when I’m not. You’ve done nothing but criticise me, my husband and your granddaughter and it doesn’t make for a very nice time at all. I would rather go now than end up having an almighty row and saying things I might not mean.’ She sits on the sofa and lifts Cerys onto her lap to put her shoes on. ‘We can come again another time when Christopher’s home and he can answer all your criticisms for himself’ She stands Cerys down and picks up her handbag, ready to leave.

‘You’re not staying for lunch?’ Harriet asks querulously, without a hint of apology in her expression as she carefully folds her hands in her lap. ‘I was merely commenting on situations as I see them. I have to say I find your attitude rather bewildering.’

‘And I find yours rather hard to take today. Say goodbye, Cerys’

Cerys waves from the doorway. ‘Bye bye, Grandma.’ She and her pram disappear from view.

Lynn bends to kiss Harriet’s unyielding cheek and follows Cerys into the hall.

Tawny House, Manor Road

Chapter Forty-one

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

‘Hello?..........Hello Graham, it’s Auntie Jessie'.........................'Oh, quite well,  thank you'............................'Plodding on, you know’ .......................'You were? Ooooh, great minds think alike, eh?’ she gives a little titter.................... ‘Now, that would be nice....thank you. Got to make the most of it if the sun’s decided to put in an appearance, haven’t we? And I don’t seem to have seen you for ages so that would be really lovely ’............................................. ’Oh, you know George, he’ll eat anything'...........................................'No, I wasn’t taking the you know what out of your cooking, now then. Not that I’d call throwing a few bits and bobs on a barbecue, cooking’ she says, tongue in cheek. ‘.................Oh wonderful, that would be even better, you know how cussed he gets if he can’t have something to swill it down with. Are you sure you’ve got room? We wouldn’t be putting you out or anything?'.................................................. 'Then I’ll say yes and thank you very much'..................................'No, he does as he’s told and he won’t mind anyway if there’s food in the offing'................................................................... ‘What? Oh, yes. Gawd, I’d forget me ‘ead if it weren’t screwed on. Where was I?  Oh, I know...Don’t laugh but I’m having a go at our family tree'.....................................'Not very far at all and it’s all a bit bitty at the moment, I haven’t got myself very organised yet but I will. Someone was telling me I can get something or other to put on the computer that..’ .............................’Of course I’ve got a computer’ she tries to sound blasé when he interrupts ‘No idea, I’d have to go and get the book and read it off the front...but it’s black and about the size of our little telly in the bedroom .....And it’s in colour.’ she says proudly ‘.................................'Are they? Well, there you go, shows how much I know about these things doesn’t it, but I’m having a lot of fun finding out what it all does and I’ve even had some lessons up the library'........................................... 'Really enjoying it, yes. I wish I’d had one years ago'.......................... 'Anyway....why I rang....It’s about the family’s history...our family. I was wondering if you’d come across your Mum’s birth certificate when you were clearing out the house? I’ve found all your aunties and uncles but I can’t find your Mum'.......................................................'Oh...Oh well, never mind, it’s not that important. It was just a thought. One of the others didn’t pick it up by any chance, did they?’.........................................’You couldn’t, no......................’ her expression becomes more disappointed as she listens to his reply ‘....so they took the wedding certificate instead, did they? I didn’t know they did that. Just for a little minute, I thought you might have had to take her birth certificate. Not to worry. So we’ll see you at the weekend, then'.........................'Oh, I bet! I keep saying to George I ought to start throwing things out so there’s not so much for whoever gets the doing of it here but someone might like what I was throwing away’ she sighs ‘I could get rid of the rubbish, I suppose’ she says vaguely ‘It’s amazing how much you collect over the years’.................................................... ‘What papers?’......................................’ Really?’ she brightens immediately ‘Fancy her keeping things like that. I wouldn’t know how much mine cost. Your Uncle Tom dealt with that sort of thing and I haven’t got a clue about this one either.'................................ 'Nathan paid for it, mostly’................................................................................................'Oh,I remember that tin box! Brown...sort of oval shape with a latch on the lid. Your grandfather kept his treasures in it. I suppose Uncle Frank had those, he was the eldest son but I can’t remember what happened to them for sure. I don’t even remember Audrey getting the tin’........................................................... ‘Oh, don’t go to any bother’.........................’Well, yes I would but if it’s in the loft and your loft is anything like mine, it’ll take a month of Sundays to find it’...................................’I’ll leave it to you. If you get time, that would be nice but if you don’t, don’t worry about it, I can look through it another day’ .........................’Alright then, Graham. We’ll see you Saturday. Did you want me to bring anything?’................................’Let me think now....green tomato....spicy apple from last year, I’m sure there’s a jar of that left...or one of my specials with everything in it?’........................’Crikey Moses! How many people have you got coming?’.............................She laughs, pleased. ‘A jar of each it is, then...and I’ve got some Damson wine if you’re interested........................................................Will do....Okay...bye for now. Thanks for ringing’...............’Oh, I did, didn’t I?’ she puts her hand over her mouth and giggles ‘I get dafter by the minute. See you Saturday....................Bye bye..............I will......Ta ta ’