The Hornbeam Tree by Susan Lewis

Author:Susan Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409008705
Publisher: Random House

Chapter Fifteen

MICHELLE WAS READING Laurie’s email as Molly came in the door and plonked her bag on the kitchen table.

‘You’re home early,’ Michelle commented, without looking up.

Molly didn’t respond, merely glanced awkwardly around the kitchen, then looked at Michelle again. ‘Where’s Mum?’ she demanded.

‘She was in the bath, but she might be out by now,’ Michelle answered, still engrossed in the email.

‘So. Did you tell her?’ Molly challenged.

Michelle frowned and after reaching the end of a sentence, finally looked up. ‘You mean about the purse? No. You put it back, didn’t you?’

‘Yeah. Well?’

‘Well, you put it back, so I didn’t see any point in upsetting her.’

Molly turned away, and went to jerk open the fridge door.

Watching, as she filled a glass with juice, Michelle said, ‘What did you want the money for?’

‘That is none of your business.’

‘If you’d come to me, I’d have given you what you need.’

Molly shrugged and started to drink.

Michelle sighed. ‘Look, I’m not going to lecture you on the evils of stealing,’ she said, ‘because I know you’re perfectly aware of them. I’d just like you to promise that if you need anything in future, then rather than raiding your mother’s purse you’ll come to me.’

Molly didn’t answer.

‘Do I have the promise?’ Michelle prompted, sensing that behind the mask Molly was torn between asking for money now, and resisting the idea that Michelle would be around in the future.

‘Whatever,’ Molly responded, and picking up her bag she made to push past.

‘Before you go,’ Michelle said, ‘I’ve had some emails and photographs from the children I was working with in the camp. I was wondering if you’d like to see them.’

Molly turned round, clearly surprised by the suggestion, and even seeming to wonder if Michelle had lost her marbles, because why would she be interested in some kids she’d never even met?

‘I told them about you before I left,’ Michelle said, ‘and they’re saying hello.’

Molly glanced down at the computer.

‘Some of them are about your age,’ Michelle went on. ‘I was thinking, maybe you’d like to correspond with one or two, tell them about your life here in England, and find out a bit more about them.’

‘What would I want to do that for?’ Molly retorted. ‘We don’t even speak the same language.’

‘There are translators in the camp.’

Molly shot another quick look at the open laptop, then giving another of her ‘whatever’ shrugs, said, ‘I don’t have time. I’ve got to revise for a maths test,’ and hitching her bag higher on her shoulder she stomped off up the stairs.

Michelle waited for the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut, followed by the expected thump of music, then went back to the email, vaguely heartened by the flicker of interest Molly hadn’t quite managed to disguise. It would be an irony indeed, she was thinking as she continued to read, if the Afghan children turned out to be a bridge to her niece. More likely though, it would be Robbie’s indomitable good nature that would finally break down his cousin’s barriers and help to seal a relationship.

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