Christmas with the Teashop Girls by Elaine Everest

Author:Elaine Everest
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

10

Mildred looked at Rose’s excited face, thinking about how to put her doubts into words without upsetting the younger woman. Having been an only child herself, she could appreciate how it must feel to suddenly have a half-sibling get in touch; but she had a strong instinct that something wasn’t quite right here. ‘I wonder why your sister has never made contact before.’

‘From what I understand, there was some ill feeling when the General and Mum fell in love – and then I came along. He did have a wife and children, after all, although he lived apart from them. Mum was well provided for; you know that he purchased Sea View so Mum would always have an income?’

Mildred nodded. ‘Very generous of him, under the circumstances. I saw him at a distance a few times when he took his constitutionals, but that was in the days before your mum took in lodgers, so I lived elsewhere. I’d like to have known him. He was an interesting chap, by all accounts.’

‘I wish I’d known he was my dad,’ Rose said, with a distant look in her eyes. ‘We were close, and he did teach me about books and the like – but I was still a young child when he died. And then Mum kept that secret to herself, to protect everyone.’

‘It was a rum do,’ Mildred said, thinking back. Flora and her daughter had not spoken to one another for months after Rose had discovered the secret. ‘And now your half-sister decides to write to you. What do you feel about all of this – that’s if you don’t mind me asking?’

Rose looked at Mildred, her eyes shining brightly. ‘I think it’s wonderful. You can see from her words that she holds no grudges against Mum, and that everything that happened should be placed firmly in the past. It’s jolly good of her to say that, considering she must have missed out on growing up with her dad, don’t you think?’

Mildred nodded. ‘She sounds keen to get to know you. What will you do next?’

‘Well, first I need to sort out the mess here. We are going to be closed for a while, until the Lyons building department can get some men over here to do repairs on the teashop. But I can’t even report to head office until the telephone is fixed. Then I’ll sit down and write to my half-sister and her husband, inviting them to come down here for a visit. She’s been bombed out, so now seems like a good time.’

‘I suppose that’s why there’s only a post office address,’ Mildred said, looking thoughtful, before slapping her leg. ‘Now put that letter somewhere safe, and show me around so I can make a list of the damage. I may just be able to help you out.’ She rubbed her hands together with glee. Mildred loved nothing more than getting her hands dirty on a building project around the house; both Sea View and Captain’s Cottage had benefited from her handiwork.

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