I don’t know why but there was something about Dad’s story that made me want to take action. I wanted to do what I knew was right instead of always listening to Bella.
So I decided to go and talk to Sam.
I waited for Dad and Grace to leave, then I set off to find Sam at the garage. I deliberately didn’t text him to say I was coming because I didn’t want him texting Bella to find out why. I knew she would try and stop me from speaking to him if she could.
Before I left I went up to my bedroom to brush my hair, and while I was there I spotted Bella’s make-up bag on her bed. A bit of mascara and eyeliner might make me look older, which might make Sam take me more seriously, I thought. I briefly considered using Bella’s eyelash curlers as well but decided against it. I’d tried them before and pinched my eyelid painfully in the process, plus I really didn’t want to risk making my eyelashes look too clumpy.
I don’t often wear make-up and I was quite pleased with the result.
I arrived at the village garage to find Sam on the forecourt helping a stoutish grey-haired man, who I presumed was the owner.
‘Hi, Sam,’ I greeted him.
He looked up, clearly surprised to see me. ‘Hi, Libby. Is everything OK?’
‘Yes. But listen, I need to speak to you really urgently about something. Have you got a minute?’
Sam looked a bit worried as he asked his boss if it was OK to take a quick break.
‘Take your tea break now, if you like. You can bring me back a brew from the caff. Tell them I’ll pay at lunchtime.’
‘Sure, Bill.’ Sam turned back to me. ‘Come on then.’
As he led me to the greasy spoon across the road I couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t every day I got taken out to a café by a cute older boy. I sat down at a table – away from the window in case anyone we knew happened to pass by – while Sam went over to the counter to buy himself a drink. I couldn’t help wondering if any of the other people in the café actually thought he was my boyfriend.
‘You need building up,’ I told him as he came over to the table. He was quite a lot thinner than usual, despite the food my sister had been stealing for him.
He grinned. ‘You sound like Bella.’
‘Well, it’s true.’ I started to worry then about whether I was doing the right thing asking him to return the £50 out of his wages. I didn’t want to leave him without enough money for food.
‘Your mum must be really worried about you,’ I said, stalling for time.
‘I’ve texted her. She knows I’m OK. Now what’s this about?’
‘Well … Bella doesn’t want me to tell you this but …’ I blurted out how she had taken Aunt Thecla’s money to give to him, and how Grace had been accused of stealing it. And how we really needed to put the money back as soon as possible.
I have to admit that I hadn’t expected him to look so mortified when I told him about the stolen money. And I certainly hadn’t expected him to get so angry with Bella. ‘She never told me that money was your aunt’s!’
‘She was only doing it to help you,’ I said.
‘I don’t want that sort of help!’ He reached inside his jeans pocket and took out a battered wallet. ‘Here.’ He took out two twenty-pound notes and gave them to me. ‘I’ll borrow the rest from Bill. He’ll be paying me again tomorrow anyhow.’ His cheeks were flushed and even the tips of his ears had gone pink. Clearly this was a really big deal for him.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked nervously as he started texting.
‘Telling Bella to meet me here later.’
‘Sam, she didn’t mean –’ I began, but before I could finish he was standing up, leaving his drink on the table and making an angry exit.
I followed him out. ‘Sam!’ I called, running to catch him up, but he ignored me as he strode across the road to the garage.
His boss was inside the workshop, eating a banana. ‘So where’s my tea?’ he asked.
‘Oh … sorry … I’ll go back and get it … but, Bill … I owe Libby here some money. Would it be OK if I got ten pound from my wages today?’
Bill sighed. ‘Wait here.’
‘Sorry,’ I whispered to Sam as we waited in silence for Bill to return.
‘It’s not your fault,’ he grunted.
Bill came back and handed him two ten-pound notes, shaking his head as Sam tried to give one of them back. ‘You’ll need some cash for yourself. Now get back to work. I’ll fetch my own tea.’
I hurried home wondering when I would get the chance to plant the fifty pounds back in our aunt’s kitchen. I would have to be careful not to make it too obvious. If she found the money just after I’d visited she would know who had put it there.
I checked my watch, trying to work out when Bella and Mum would be back from their shopping trip to Castle Westbury. They’d gone by bus and intended to go somewhere for lunch so I guessed they would be a while. Dad and Grace were hopefully still cycling.
I wondered if Bella had seen Sam’s message yet and whether she’d texted him back. I was really dreading her reaction when she found out what I’d done.
I got home to find Tansy waiting outside our front door, holding her phone. When she saw me she swiftly put it away. ‘There you are! I was just going to send you a text. I’ve got some really BIG news! You’re never going to believe this but … my dad has just gone out for lunch with your aunt!’
‘What?’
‘Dad says they’re meeting up purely as friends, but then he always says that whenever he asks someone out on a date.’
‘A date? Are you serious?’
‘Absolutely. You know, I think my mum’s right. I think Dad is still carrying a torch for your aunt!’
I gaped at her, unable to think of anything to say. Was it possible that after all these years Aunt Thecla might actually find love? Clearly she had before. But that was so long ago and she was so much younger and prettier and so much … well … so much less like the person she was today.
Tansy just grinned. ‘He didn’t deny it when I asked him, you know.’
‘Why? What did he say?’
‘That I’m as bad as Mum for jumping to conclusions! But he didn’t say it wasn’t a date!’
I grinned. Then an idea occurred to me. ‘Do you know where they’re having lunch?’
‘The pub at the far end of the village. Why? Do you think we should go and spy on them?’
‘Of course not! There’s something I need to do while my aunt’s out of the way, that’s all.’
‘What is it? Maybe I can help!’
I told her I needed to sneak into my aunt’s house but I didn’t say why.
‘I’ll come with you,’ she offered. ‘You’ll need someone to keep watch in case she comes back early. She might do if she has a row with my dad!’
That seemed like a reasonable possibility but it wasn’t the main reason I agreed to let Tansy come. I’d suddenly remembered the painting in Aunt Thecla’s art room that I really wanted to show her.