Read Online Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley - Free Book Online
Authors: Trisha Ashley
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Meddyg? Cocktail frock optional,’ she added with one of her sudden grins.
‘I think this dress I’m wearing probably was a cocktail dress once,’ I said, looking down at my gold chiffon layers, ‘only the original owner wouldn’t have worn it with a tapestry waistcoat, striped tights and Birkenstock clogs!’
‘Oh, I thought it was one of those Gudrun Sodastream ones you get from that catalogue.’
‘Sjödén,’ I said, and went to fetch the Meddyg.
Chapter 5: Charlie’s Aunt
My sister Rosina, who died of diphtheria as a toddler, had black curly hair and dark eyes like Father and me, and though she didn’t grow up enough to tell, I expect she’d have been a bit on the short side, too. Tansy now is very much what I was at her age, so clearly the darker Bright genes are reasserting themselves, just like they said in a telly programme I watched, when they were going on about that monk.
No, I don’t mean Rasputin, lovey – he was a Russkie. It was Mendel, and he worked something out about genes by looking at his pet rabbits.
Middlemoss Living Archive
Recordings: Nancy Bright.
There were no parking spaces near Justin’s flat, so I had to leave the Mini round the corner and hope to move it closer when I loaded my things up next day.
Justin seemed pleased to see me, sweeping me off my feet and giving me a big hug and kiss, and then he pretended he hadn’t forgotten it was the anniversary of our engagement when I mentioned it. He said he’d booked a table at our favourite local Greek restaurant already, which I expect he had once he knew I was going to be home that night, because we often went there on a Saturday anyway.
‘And since you’ve had things out with your mother, we can celebrate being rid of one financial burden, too,’ I suggested.
‘Yes … she’s gone a bit quiet since I wrote to her explaining, but I’m sure she’ll realise why I can’t carry on helping her out to such an extent when she’s thought it over,’ he said optimistically. ‘But you mustn’t even hint that you knew about me lending her money, Tansy – promise?’
‘Of course I won’t. Not that I’ll ever get the opportunity anyway,’ I said, because Mummy Dearest always puts the phone down without speaking if I answered it and she never visited the flat when I was there.
In fact, it had been lovely to come back and not find all my belongings in the boxroom! Justin had tidied things away a bit, so no brightly coloured pipe-cleaner monkeys swung from any of the shelves or light fittings, but it was a definite improvement.
This flat had always been his rather than ours, so setting up home together somewhere else would, I thought, be so much better. I could assert my love of colour a bit more and Justin would just have to get used to it.
When I went into the kitchen to make coffee, I thought how little of me there was in this flat even when Justin’s mother hadn’t been here hiding any sign of my existence. Most of my belongings and the majority of my shoe ornament and vintage wedding shoe collections were stored in my bedroom in Sticklepond.
I was dreamily conjuring up a mental picture of a little country cottage in the Home Counties somewhere, roses round the door and maybe a baby buggy in the hall, when the doorbell pealed, breaking my reverie.
I put another cup on the coffee tray in case we had a visitor and took it through into the living room – just in time to hear the unmistakable high-pitched voice of my stepsister Rae exclaiming furiously from the direction of the hall.
‘Justin, you bastard! I’ve only just got your message because I’ve been away – and if you think I’m going to let you shirk your responsibilities and cut my maintenance payments just so you can swan off and marry Tansy, you’ve got another think coming!’
I stopped dead, ice trickling down my spine, and then carefully put the tray on the table.
‘ Quiet !’ hissed Justin urgently. ‘Are you mad, coming round
‘I think this dress I’m wearing probably was a cocktail dress once,’ I said, looking down at my gold chiffon layers, ‘only the original owner wouldn’t have worn it with a tapestry waistcoat, striped tights and Birkenstock clogs!’
‘Oh, I thought it was one of those Gudrun Sodastream ones you get from that catalogue.’
‘Sjödén,’ I said, and went to fetch the Meddyg.
Chapter 5: Charlie’s Aunt
My sister Rosina, who died of diphtheria as a toddler, had black curly hair and dark eyes like Father and me, and though she didn’t grow up enough to tell, I expect she’d have been a bit on the short side, too. Tansy now is very much what I was at her age, so clearly the darker Bright genes are reasserting themselves, just like they said in a telly programme I watched, when they were going on about that monk.
No, I don’t mean Rasputin, lovey – he was a Russkie. It was Mendel, and he worked something out about genes by looking at his pet rabbits.
Middlemoss Living Archive
Recordings: Nancy Bright.
There were no parking spaces near Justin’s flat, so I had to leave the Mini round the corner and hope to move it closer when I loaded my things up next day.
Justin seemed pleased to see me, sweeping me off my feet and giving me a big hug and kiss, and then he pretended he hadn’t forgotten it was the anniversary of our engagement when I mentioned it. He said he’d booked a table at our favourite local Greek restaurant already, which I expect he had once he knew I was going to be home that night, because we often went there on a Saturday anyway.
‘And since you’ve had things out with your mother, we can celebrate being rid of one financial burden, too,’ I suggested.
‘Yes … she’s gone a bit quiet since I wrote to her explaining, but I’m sure she’ll realise why I can’t carry on helping her out to such an extent when she’s thought it over,’ he said optimistically. ‘But you mustn’t even hint that you knew about me lending her money, Tansy – promise?’
‘Of course I won’t. Not that I’ll ever get the opportunity anyway,’ I said, because Mummy Dearest always puts the phone down without speaking if I answered it and she never visited the flat when I was there.
In fact, it had been lovely to come back and not find all my belongings in the boxroom! Justin had tidied things away a bit, so no brightly coloured pipe-cleaner monkeys swung from any of the shelves or light fittings, but it was a definite improvement.
This flat had always been his rather than ours, so setting up home together somewhere else would, I thought, be so much better. I could assert my love of colour a bit more and Justin would just have to get used to it.
When I went into the kitchen to make coffee, I thought how little of me there was in this flat even when Justin’s mother hadn’t been here hiding any sign of my existence. Most of my belongings and the majority of my shoe ornament and vintage wedding shoe collections were stored in my bedroom in Sticklepond.
I was dreamily conjuring up a mental picture of a little country cottage in the Home Counties somewhere, roses round the door and maybe a baby buggy in the hall, when the doorbell pealed, breaking my reverie.
I put another cup on the coffee tray in case we had a visitor and took it through into the living room – just in time to hear the unmistakable high-pitched voice of my stepsister Rae exclaiming furiously from the direction of the hall.
‘Justin, you bastard! I’ve only just got your message because I’ve been away – and if you think I’m going to let you shirk your responsibilities and cut my maintenance payments just so you can swan off and marry Tansy, you’ve got another think coming!’
I stopped dead, ice trickling down my spine, and then carefully put the tray on the table.
‘ Quiet !’ hissed Justin urgently. ‘Are you mad, coming round
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