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Authors: Sophie Kinsella
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tone.
“That’s right!” exclaims Mum in her theatrical voice again. “There was a woman just passing by on the street. A stranger. That must have been it, love.”
“Right. Of course.”
I try to smile, but inside I feel a bit sick. Are Mum and Dad
lying
to me?
“Well . . . you go off to your lunch party!” I say. “Have a great time!”
As the front door slams I feel like bursting into tears. I was
so
looking forward to today. But now I almost wish we’d never come back. No one seems particularly excited to see us. My rare, exotic treasure isn’t exotic
or
rare. And why are Mum and Dad being so weird?
“Do you want another cup of coffee?” asks Luke.
“No, thanks.” I scuff my foot on the kitchen floor.
“Are you OK, Becky?”
“No,” I admit in a small voice. “Not really. Coming home isn’t like I thought it would be.”
“Come here.” Luke holds out his arms and I nestle into his chest. “What were you expecting? That they would drop everything and throw a party?”
“No! Of course not!” I look up and meet Luke’s eye. “Well . . . maybe. Kind of. We’ve been away all this time and it’s like . . . we just popped out to the shops!”
“It was always going to be a gamble, surprising everyone,” he says reasonably. “They weren’t expecting us for another two months. It’s no wonder they’re a bit thrown.”
“I know. But it’s not just that.” I take a deep breath. “Luke—do you think Mum and Dad are . . . hiding something?”
“Yes,” says Luke.
“Yes?”
I’m gobsmacked. I was expecting him to say, “Becky, you’re imagining things,” like he usually does.
“There’s certainly something going on.” Luke pauses. “And I think I know what it might be.”
“What?” I stare at him, agog.
“That woman who was with them. The one they wouldn’t tell us about? I reckon she’s an estate agent. I think they’re considering moving.”
“Moving?” I echo in dismay. “Why would they do that? This is a lovely house! It’s perfect!”
“It is a bit big for them now that you’ve gone. . . .”
“But why on earth wouldn’t they tell me?” My voice rises in distress. “I’m their daughter! I’m their only child! They should confide in me!”
“Maybe they thought you might get upset.” Luke suggests.
“I wouldn’t get upset!” I exclaim indignantly.
Abruptly I realize I
am
upset.
“Well, OK, maybe I would. But still, I can’t believe they’d keep it a secret!”
I break away from Luke’s arms and walk over to the window. I can’t bear the idea of Mum and Dad selling this place. My eyes sweep over the garden in sudden nostalgia. They
can’t
leave this garden. They just
can’t
. This is where I learned to walk. This is where Luke and I got
married
.
Suddenly my attention is caught by the sight of Tom Webster in the garden next door. He’s dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that says MY WIFE LEFT ME AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT and is struggling to carry the hugest plank of wood I’ve ever seen.
Blimey. He looks quite ferocious.
“It may not be that,” Luke is saying behind me. “I may be wrong.”
“You’re not wrong.” I turn round miserably. “It has to be that. What else could it be?”
“Well . . . don’t think about it. Come on. It’s the christening tomorrow. You’ll see Suze!”
“Yes.” I feel my spirits rise. “That’s true.”
Luke’s right. Maybe today hasn’t gone quite according to plan—but tomorrow will be fantastic. I’ll be reunited with Suze again, my best, most closest friend in the whole entire world. I just can’t
wait
.
Five
THE TWINS’ CHRISTENING is being held at Suze’s parents’ house in Hampshire, because they’ve been living there while the east wing of Tarquin’s Scottish castle is being rebuilt. They would have used his house in Pembrokeshire, but at the moment it’s being lived in by some distant cousins. And his house in Sussex is being used as a
“That’s right!” exclaims Mum in her theatrical voice again. “There was a woman just passing by on the street. A stranger. That must have been it, love.”
“Right. Of course.”
I try to smile, but inside I feel a bit sick. Are Mum and Dad
lying
to me?
“Well . . . you go off to your lunch party!” I say. “Have a great time!”
As the front door slams I feel like bursting into tears. I was
so
looking forward to today. But now I almost wish we’d never come back. No one seems particularly excited to see us. My rare, exotic treasure isn’t exotic
or
rare. And why are Mum and Dad being so weird?
“Do you want another cup of coffee?” asks Luke.
“No, thanks.” I scuff my foot on the kitchen floor.
“Are you OK, Becky?”
“No,” I admit in a small voice. “Not really. Coming home isn’t like I thought it would be.”
“Come here.” Luke holds out his arms and I nestle into his chest. “What were you expecting? That they would drop everything and throw a party?”
“No! Of course not!” I look up and meet Luke’s eye. “Well . . . maybe. Kind of. We’ve been away all this time and it’s like . . . we just popped out to the shops!”
“It was always going to be a gamble, surprising everyone,” he says reasonably. “They weren’t expecting us for another two months. It’s no wonder they’re a bit thrown.”
“I know. But it’s not just that.” I take a deep breath. “Luke—do you think Mum and Dad are . . . hiding something?”
“Yes,” says Luke.
“Yes?”
I’m gobsmacked. I was expecting him to say, “Becky, you’re imagining things,” like he usually does.
“There’s certainly something going on.” Luke pauses. “And I think I know what it might be.”
“What?” I stare at him, agog.
“That woman who was with them. The one they wouldn’t tell us about? I reckon she’s an estate agent. I think they’re considering moving.”
“Moving?” I echo in dismay. “Why would they do that? This is a lovely house! It’s perfect!”
“It is a bit big for them now that you’ve gone. . . .”
“But why on earth wouldn’t they tell me?” My voice rises in distress. “I’m their daughter! I’m their only child! They should confide in me!”
“Maybe they thought you might get upset.” Luke suggests.
“I wouldn’t get upset!” I exclaim indignantly.
Abruptly I realize I
am
upset.
“Well, OK, maybe I would. But still, I can’t believe they’d keep it a secret!”
I break away from Luke’s arms and walk over to the window. I can’t bear the idea of Mum and Dad selling this place. My eyes sweep over the garden in sudden nostalgia. They
can’t
leave this garden. They just
can’t
. This is where I learned to walk. This is where Luke and I got
married
.
Suddenly my attention is caught by the sight of Tom Webster in the garden next door. He’s dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that says MY WIFE LEFT ME AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT and is struggling to carry the hugest plank of wood I’ve ever seen.
Blimey. He looks quite ferocious.
“It may not be that,” Luke is saying behind me. “I may be wrong.”
“You’re not wrong.” I turn round miserably. “It has to be that. What else could it be?”
“Well . . . don’t think about it. Come on. It’s the christening tomorrow. You’ll see Suze!”
“Yes.” I feel my spirits rise. “That’s true.”
Luke’s right. Maybe today hasn’t gone quite according to plan—but tomorrow will be fantastic. I’ll be reunited with Suze again, my best, most closest friend in the whole entire world. I just can’t
wait
.
Five
THE TWINS’ CHRISTENING is being held at Suze’s parents’ house in Hampshire, because they’ve been living there while the east wing of Tarquin’s Scottish castle is being rebuilt. They would have used his house in Pembrokeshire, but at the moment it’s being lived in by some distant cousins. And his house in Sussex is being used as a
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