Preston. If Cook and Lorna return to their work, I shall busy myself upstairs and Marianne will bring the twins down to spend half an hour with you as arranged. Marianne can then see you out. Good day to you.’
Somehow she made a dignified exit.
Cook said, ‘Come along, Lorna, we’ve work to do.’ She hesitated, unsure of the protocol, and finally said, ‘It’s been nice meeting you, Mr Preston.’
Lorna said, ‘Yes – and I hope you find your sister.’
They left the room with a reluctant Lorna waggling her fingers by way of ‘goodbye’.
Left alone with the visitor Marianne said, ‘I’m afraid she’s rather prickly, Mrs Matlowe. It’s just her way, I suppose.’ Then she wondered why she was apologizing on behalf of her employer. ‘I’ll bring the children down.’
Five minutes later Emmie and Edie came shyly into the room where Preston, with outstretched arms, was waiting to greet them.
Marianne gave them a little push. ‘This is Uncle Richard, children. Give him a nice hug and say hello.’
Edie moved forward and was hugged but Emmie hung back.
Their uncle pretended not to mind. He straightened up then sat on the sofa so that he no longer towered over them.
Emmie said, ‘Did you know our mother?’
‘Of course I did. She was my big sister. I was her little brother. She wrote to me and told me all about her lovely new babies – that was you and Edie.’
Edie retreated a little, frowning.
Emmie said, ‘Grandmother says that our mother wasn’t a very nice lady and she ran away and left us behind.’
Taken aback by her directness, his smile faltered. ‘Well now, your grandmother only knew her for a short time but I knew her for sixteen years and that’s a very long time. So I got to know Leonora and she was very nice. She loved you both very much. She wrote nice things about you in her letters.’
Edie took a step nearer to her uncle. ‘Our father went to look for her when she ran away but he couldn’t find her and then he died.’
‘In a car accident,’ Emmie added.
It seemed to Marianne that they both sounded wary and somehow resentful and her heart went out to them as well as to their uncle. She said, ‘I’m afraid they are a little prejudiced but it’s understandable, in the circumstances.’
He nodded. ‘It’s only natural. Orphaned at such a young age – I think they are coping very well, don’t you?’
‘I do. They are very resilient.’
Emmie said, ‘But we aren’t orphans now, are we, because we have an uncle.’
‘Uncle Richard,’ said Edie.
He smiled at them. ‘How would you like to go on a big ship and sail to America with me and see your other grandmother? Would that be fun?’
The twins conferred in whispers for a few moments.
Emmie said, ‘Would Marianne come with us?’
‘Because we like Marianne.’
‘Ah! Well, that depends.’ He glanced at her for help.
Thinking quickly, Marianne said, ‘We’ll have to ask Grandmother, won’t we?’
‘Then maybe we’ll do that. But not yet. We’ll get to know each other first.’
‘You could stay here,’ Emmie suggested. ‘You could stay in the spare bedroom next to Neil’s room.’
‘Neil’s room?’ Startled, he glanced again at Marianne.
‘It used to be his bedroom,’ she explained, ‘and now it’s unused.’
Emmie said, ‘Oh, but Grandmother uses it when she wants to talk to our father. He doesn’t answer but she does talk to him. I’ve heard her.’
They stared at Emmie but Edie said, ‘Emmie listens at the door. It doesn’t matter and it isn’t really sneaky, is it, Marianne?’
The two adults exchanged smiles. Marianne said, ‘It is a bit sneaky but I don’t think your father would mind.’ But Mrs Matlowe would , she thought, wondering nervously what else the children had discovered.
Richard Preston decided to change the subject. ‘I thought we might go to the zoo tomorrow, twins. Would you like that?’
Emmie shook her head. ‘Grandmother doesn’t like us to be
Somehow she made a dignified exit.
Cook said, ‘Come along, Lorna, we’ve work to do.’ She hesitated, unsure of the protocol, and finally said, ‘It’s been nice meeting you, Mr Preston.’
Lorna said, ‘Yes – and I hope you find your sister.’
They left the room with a reluctant Lorna waggling her fingers by way of ‘goodbye’.
Left alone with the visitor Marianne said, ‘I’m afraid she’s rather prickly, Mrs Matlowe. It’s just her way, I suppose.’ Then she wondered why she was apologizing on behalf of her employer. ‘I’ll bring the children down.’
Five minutes later Emmie and Edie came shyly into the room where Preston, with outstretched arms, was waiting to greet them.
Marianne gave them a little push. ‘This is Uncle Richard, children. Give him a nice hug and say hello.’
Edie moved forward and was hugged but Emmie hung back.
Their uncle pretended not to mind. He straightened up then sat on the sofa so that he no longer towered over them.
Emmie said, ‘Did you know our mother?’
‘Of course I did. She was my big sister. I was her little brother. She wrote to me and told me all about her lovely new babies – that was you and Edie.’
Edie retreated a little, frowning.
Emmie said, ‘Grandmother says that our mother wasn’t a very nice lady and she ran away and left us behind.’
Taken aback by her directness, his smile faltered. ‘Well now, your grandmother only knew her for a short time but I knew her for sixteen years and that’s a very long time. So I got to know Leonora and she was very nice. She loved you both very much. She wrote nice things about you in her letters.’
Edie took a step nearer to her uncle. ‘Our father went to look for her when she ran away but he couldn’t find her and then he died.’
‘In a car accident,’ Emmie added.
It seemed to Marianne that they both sounded wary and somehow resentful and her heart went out to them as well as to their uncle. She said, ‘I’m afraid they are a little prejudiced but it’s understandable, in the circumstances.’
He nodded. ‘It’s only natural. Orphaned at such a young age – I think they are coping very well, don’t you?’
‘I do. They are very resilient.’
Emmie said, ‘But we aren’t orphans now, are we, because we have an uncle.’
‘Uncle Richard,’ said Edie.
He smiled at them. ‘How would you like to go on a big ship and sail to America with me and see your other grandmother? Would that be fun?’
The twins conferred in whispers for a few moments.
Emmie said, ‘Would Marianne come with us?’
‘Because we like Marianne.’
‘Ah! Well, that depends.’ He glanced at her for help.
Thinking quickly, Marianne said, ‘We’ll have to ask Grandmother, won’t we?’
‘Then maybe we’ll do that. But not yet. We’ll get to know each other first.’
‘You could stay here,’ Emmie suggested. ‘You could stay in the spare bedroom next to Neil’s room.’
‘Neil’s room?’ Startled, he glanced again at Marianne.
‘It used to be his bedroom,’ she explained, ‘and now it’s unused.’
Emmie said, ‘Oh, but Grandmother uses it when she wants to talk to our father. He doesn’t answer but she does talk to him. I’ve heard her.’
They stared at Emmie but Edie said, ‘Emmie listens at the door. It doesn’t matter and it isn’t really sneaky, is it, Marianne?’
The two adults exchanged smiles. Marianne said, ‘It is a bit sneaky but I don’t think your father would mind.’ But Mrs Matlowe would , she thought, wondering nervously what else the children had discovered.
Richard Preston decided to change the subject. ‘I thought we might go to the zoo tomorrow, twins. Would you like that?’
Emmie shook her head. ‘Grandmother doesn’t like us to be
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