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every day.
Well, mind you tell me what s been going on. I m a
positive hive of seething curiosity.
I will, said Fran, with a tired smile, when I ve
worked it all out myself.
Libby settled her with a large gin and tonic, having
learnt that her friend s favourite tipple was not the
same as her own, brought Sidney in from the garden
and dumped him on her lap.
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You look as if you need him, she said, sitting on
the sofa, and, for once, avoiding the creak.
Thanks, Lib. Fran stroked Sidney, who butted her
other hand and spilled gin and tonic on his nose.
So? What did you want to tell me? Libby lit a
cigarette.
I did stay in the cottage in Nethergate, said Fran.
In fact, my Uncle Frank owned it.
And she recounted her search at the Betjeman flat,
and the discovery of the photographs, the picture and
the china ponies.
So, she concluded, Uncle Frank actually bought
the cottage.
I hate to story-cap, said Libby, stubbing out her
cigarette, but Ben and I found that out, too.
She told Fran of the visit to Jim Butler, and his
recollections of the sale of Coastguard Cottage.
So we worked out that Barbara must be Eleanor s
brother s child, and Charles the sister s son. Would
that be right?
I suppose it must be. I never thought to ask
Charles, but he hasn t said anything about the cottage.
Have you asked him?
No, said Fran, surprised. Although we did talk
about it, didn t we? When I said Charles lived in
Steeple Mount.
He probably wouldn t have known anything about
it, anyway, being a child at the time, said Libby. But
go on. What else?
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I remembered, said Fran, and it was horrible.
Libby was silent when Fran finished. Eventually,
she stood up and took Fran s glass to top it up.
So Uncle Frank and your mum were having an
affair? she said as she sat down again. And you knew
about it?
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Now I ve remembered, I can put things together. I
can only assume that that night at the cottage was so
traumatic I blotted everything out. As soon as I saw the
photographs of Mum and me and Uncle Frank it began
to come back to me, then when I found the ponies, it
was just as though I was reliving it all over again. She
shuddered. I hated it.
Libby nodded. And presumably, they stopped when
Frank got married, then he came down to the cottage
that night and Eleanor followed him?
Fran shrugged. I suppose so. I thought Eleanor was
going to kill my mother.
Libby thought for a moment. So, how did the
whole business of Eleanor and the cottage come
about?
We used to stay there ev ery year, and I think Frank
must have met Eleanor when we were down there,
through her father, who owned the cottage at the time.
But if you were all down there, and he and your
mum were um together, how come he married
Eleanor?
Now that I ve remember ed, there was one year
when we left Uncle Frank down there, and we didn t
see much of him when we got back. I remember
wondering why, but, if I asked Mum, I don t think she
told me anything. They must have had a row.
I wonder why they never married? Your mum and
Uncle Frank?
I wondered that, too. Perhaps they didn t think it
would be right, Frank being my dad s brother.
That s just plain stupid, said Libby, snorting
indignantly.
Things were different th en. Perhaps Mum didn t
want any gossip.
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Well, she didn t go about it in a very sensible way,
did she? Going away on holiday with him every year.
And you said you spent a lot of time together at home.
Oh, yes. It was as though he really was my father.
He was there all the time.
Libby eyed her curiously. I don t suppose he
actually was your father?
Fran s mouth opened in shock. Good Lord! I ve
never even considered it, she said.
I expect it s on your birth certificate.
Yes, and I m sure it says Herbert, said Fran.
Anyway, why on earth would my mother have lied
about that?
If she was married to Herber t, had an affair with
Frank and became pregnant, she would have had a
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