actually.’
Veronica gave him an evil look, and repeated. ‘Where is Alice, our daughter?’
I stood there for a moment with my mouth open. I couldn’t think of anything to say. It didn’t matter anyway. I was too shocked to speak. Iopenedmy mouth and closed it again. No sound came out, not even the usual babble that pops out when I’m nervous.
Veronica continued. ‘And if you’re trying to think of a silly little lie - don’t bother. You would only be wasting your time. We know she’s here. Get her. Now.’
Her nasty tone convinced me that this wasn’t a time for pretending not to understand what she meant.
‘OK,’ I whispered, and I went to my room. Veronica followed me.
Alice was sitting on the bed, pale-faced. Obviously she’d heard her mother’s voice. Veronica’s icy tones would cut easily through any walls. And when her mum spoke like that, Alice probably figured that hiding under my bed wasn’t going to be much use.
She spoke weakly. ‘Hi, Mum.’
Her mother didn’t answer. She caught Alice rather roughly by the arm, and led her towardsthe front door. I followed, not quite sure what to do or say. As we arrived in the hallway, Mum appeared at the top of the stairs with an armful of dirty sheets. ‘Who was at the door, Meg?’ she began to say, before she spotted the four of us in the hall. She took a few steps towards us, and then she did something that really, really, annoyed me. She dropped the sheets on the stairs, and began to smooth her hair. I really, really, hated that. (Even though I’d often heard her mocking Alice’s mum behind her back for all the time she spent on her appearance, Mum always seemed ill-at-ease, and almost shy in her presence. As if secretly she felt bad for not being as glamorous as her.)
And anyway, smoothing her hair was a total waste of time. Mum still looked like she’d been dragged backwards through a bush.
Then she embarrassed me further, by completely misunderstanding the scene.
‘Veronica, Peter, how nice to see you. Hello,Alice dear, have you come back for another few days? How nice. Megan has been missing you. Now, won’t you all come in and have something to drink? We have some very nice herbal teas. They have no caffeine you know.’
Veronica looked at Mum as if she were a complete, raving lunatic.
‘No, thank you, Sheila. This isn’t a social call, you know. These two girls have been very, very deceitful.’
Mum looked at me. ‘What exactly is happening here?’ she asked.
I thought it wiser not to answer that question. Anyway, Veronica seemed happy to speak for me. She looked at Mum. ‘I take it from your reaction that you didn’t know Alice was here?’
Mum shook her head, and Veronica continued. ‘Well, then it’s even worse than I thought. She must have been hiding.’
Mum looked puzzled. She was normally quite smart, but on this occasion, she was very slow tounderstand what was going on. She spoke to Alice. ‘Hiding? But….’
Veronica interrupted. ‘She was supposed to be in Dublin with me, but instead she was here, hiding.’
Mum still looked confused. Then she nodded and gave a small smile as if she understood. Of course she didn’t. ‘Oh, I see, Alice. You were hiding next door, while your dad was at work. I suppose that was a bit bold. Your mother must have been worried sick.’
Veronica’s face began to go a very strange pink colour, a bit like my strawberry shower gel. Only without the sparkly bits.
‘No, Sheila. She wasn’t hiding in her house. She was hiding in yours. It might be news to you that my daughter has spent the last few days hiding under your roof. Though how you couldn’t have noticed, is quite beyond me’
Mum scratched her head vigorously. Great, as well as bad hair, now Veronica probably thoughtMum had headlice too.
Mum looked at me. ‘Is this true, Megan?’
I nodded.
Mum scratched her head again. Veronica took a small step away from her.
Mum spoke. ‘But why? You could have had
Veronica gave him an evil look, and repeated. ‘Where is Alice, our daughter?’
I stood there for a moment with my mouth open. I couldn’t think of anything to say. It didn’t matter anyway. I was too shocked to speak. Iopenedmy mouth and closed it again. No sound came out, not even the usual babble that pops out when I’m nervous.
Veronica continued. ‘And if you’re trying to think of a silly little lie - don’t bother. You would only be wasting your time. We know she’s here. Get her. Now.’
Her nasty tone convinced me that this wasn’t a time for pretending not to understand what she meant.
‘OK,’ I whispered, and I went to my room. Veronica followed me.
Alice was sitting on the bed, pale-faced. Obviously she’d heard her mother’s voice. Veronica’s icy tones would cut easily through any walls. And when her mum spoke like that, Alice probably figured that hiding under my bed wasn’t going to be much use.
She spoke weakly. ‘Hi, Mum.’
Her mother didn’t answer. She caught Alice rather roughly by the arm, and led her towardsthe front door. I followed, not quite sure what to do or say. As we arrived in the hallway, Mum appeared at the top of the stairs with an armful of dirty sheets. ‘Who was at the door, Meg?’ she began to say, before she spotted the four of us in the hall. She took a few steps towards us, and then she did something that really, really, annoyed me. She dropped the sheets on the stairs, and began to smooth her hair. I really, really, hated that. (Even though I’d often heard her mocking Alice’s mum behind her back for all the time she spent on her appearance, Mum always seemed ill-at-ease, and almost shy in her presence. As if secretly she felt bad for not being as glamorous as her.)
And anyway, smoothing her hair was a total waste of time. Mum still looked like she’d been dragged backwards through a bush.
Then she embarrassed me further, by completely misunderstanding the scene.
‘Veronica, Peter, how nice to see you. Hello,Alice dear, have you come back for another few days? How nice. Megan has been missing you. Now, won’t you all come in and have something to drink? We have some very nice herbal teas. They have no caffeine you know.’
Veronica looked at Mum as if she were a complete, raving lunatic.
‘No, thank you, Sheila. This isn’t a social call, you know. These two girls have been very, very deceitful.’
Mum looked at me. ‘What exactly is happening here?’ she asked.
I thought it wiser not to answer that question. Anyway, Veronica seemed happy to speak for me. She looked at Mum. ‘I take it from your reaction that you didn’t know Alice was here?’
Mum shook her head, and Veronica continued. ‘Well, then it’s even worse than I thought. She must have been hiding.’
Mum looked puzzled. She was normally quite smart, but on this occasion, she was very slow tounderstand what was going on. She spoke to Alice. ‘Hiding? But….’
Veronica interrupted. ‘She was supposed to be in Dublin with me, but instead she was here, hiding.’
Mum still looked confused. Then she nodded and gave a small smile as if she understood. Of course she didn’t. ‘Oh, I see, Alice. You were hiding next door, while your dad was at work. I suppose that was a bit bold. Your mother must have been worried sick.’
Veronica’s face began to go a very strange pink colour, a bit like my strawberry shower gel. Only without the sparkly bits.
‘No, Sheila. She wasn’t hiding in her house. She was hiding in yours. It might be news to you that my daughter has spent the last few days hiding under your roof. Though how you couldn’t have noticed, is quite beyond me’
Mum scratched her head vigorously. Great, as well as bad hair, now Veronica probably thoughtMum had headlice too.
Mum looked at me. ‘Is this true, Megan?’
I nodded.
Mum scratched her head again. Veronica took a small step away from her.
Mum spoke. ‘But why? You could have had
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