When we got back to Aunt Thecla’s house, Dad was there with Grace. Aunt Thecla had hardly spoken to me on our way home, and when I’d asked her what Mrs Mayhew had meant by her comment about Dad she told me I’d have to ask him.
‘Good news,’ Dad greeted us with a smile. ‘We’ve found a great little house to rent a couple of streets away from here and we can move in immediately.’ He showed me a photo on his phone. ‘Since it’s unfurnished, we can get all our stuff out of storage as well.’
‘Where’s Bella?’ Grace asked.
‘Gone off in a strop,’ Aunt Thecla said. ‘Why don’t you and the girls go out and look for her, Paul? No need to rush back. Frankly, I could do with a breather from all of you.’
Once we were outside I waited for Dad to stop complaining about how cringingly honest our aunt has always been before telling him some of what had happened in the shop. ‘She really embarrassed us, Dad. I don’t blame Bella for walking out.’
‘She’s not picking up,’ Dad grunted as he tried to call Bella.’
‘Dad … Mrs Mayhew said you were a rebel,’ I said. ‘How come?’
There was a pause as he put his phone away. Dad looked a bit put out. ‘Valerie always was a stirrer.’
‘So it’s true then! But what did you do?’
He seemed to be avoiding my gaze as he said, ‘Perhaps she meant I rebelled against my father … I also got into a bit of trouble with our next-door neighbour. It was his son Michael who was engaged to your aunt.’
‘Really?’ I was so interested in that piece of news that I was totally distracted from the story about Dad. ‘So what happened? Why didn’t they get married?’
‘Michael’s parents didn’t approve and I think they put a lot of pressure on him to break it off.’
‘Why didn’t they approve?’ I asked curiously.
‘Michael was supposed to be studying for his A levels. They had high hopes that he’d get into Oxford or Cambridge, and they thought his romance with Thecla would be a distraction.’
‘Poor Aunt Thecla! She must have been really upset.’ My mind was working overtime putting two and two together. ‘Is that the reason she’s never married, do you think? Because she never got over losing Michael?’
‘Oh … well … I don’t know –’
‘Look, Daddy! There’s Bella!’ Grace suddenly exclaimed, tugging his arm.
Sure enough, my older sister was walking towards us carrying a large shopping bag.
‘BELLA!’ Dad immediately turned his full attention her way. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Jeez, Dad, chill a minute!’ Bella responded, scowling at him under her long eyelashes. She’d put mascara on, I noticed. Lipstick too. ‘I just went for a walk.’
‘Rather dressed up for a walk, aren’t you?’ Dad growled.
She shrugged. ‘Didn’t know who I might meet.’
‘Who did you meet?’ he asked suspiciously.
Bella didn’t bat an eyelid as she answered, ‘Well, one person was the lady who works in the post office. She was very chatty … asked if Aunt Thecla had heard the news about someone called Michael Godwin. He’s moving back to the village apparently, into his father’s old house.’
‘Michael’s back?’ Dad let out a little gasp.
I instantly knew that it must be the same Michael. ‘Oh wow!’ I blurted.
‘Why wow? Who is he?’ Bella asked impatiently.
‘Aunt Thecla used to be engaged to him,’ I told her. ‘He lived next door to Dad and her when they were children.’
Bella frowned. ‘How come you know all this and I don’t?’
Before I could answer Dad said sarcastically, ‘Maybe because she actually hangs out with her family from time to time, Bella.’
When he asked her where else she’d been, she shrugged. ‘Nowhere in particular. I just needed a break from Aunt Thecla and her gossipy pal. They really embarrassed us in that shop, didn’t they, Libby?’
I nodded my agreement, suddenly feeling a strong yearning to be back on the same side as Bella – her and me against the grown-ups – the way life used to be when we were younger.
‘It was really humiliating, Dad!’ I said. ‘They were going on about underwear and stuff in these really loud voices. It was horrible!’
Dad winced. ‘All right. Enough. I believe you.’ He took hold of Grace’s hand. ‘Come on, Gracie. I’ll take you to the swings before we go and meet Mummy from work.’
As Bella and I watched them go she grunted, ‘Anyway, Aunt Thecla’s the one who needs advice about bras. Have you seen that thing she’s got drying on the clothes line today?’
And we both burst out laughing.