“Of course, dear. I’m your grandmother.” She made it sound as if it was part of the job description rather than a lifestyle choice.
Jamie leaned forward, intrigued. “So when I told you I had something to announce, what did you think it was?”
“I wasn’t sure, but imagining the various options made for a very entertaining few days so thank you for that. I was relieved it was a wedding, and not something like an incurable disease or a sudden desire to emigrate to a far-off country, although the fact that you wanted a party to celebrate did offer up a few clues. And it’s good that Rosie and Declan have sorted out whatever their problem was.”
“That’s enough, Mum,” Jenny said quickly, removing the mince pie tin before Jamie could consume the lot. “You have to let the children lead their own lives and not interfere.”
Her mother tilted her head. “Says the woman who made sure Becky and Will shared a room last night.”
Jenny felt heat creep slowly up her neck. “That’s because they said they were together. I was being hospitable.”
“Of course you were. And so was I when I stopped to listen outside the bedroom. I needed to check they didn’t need anything. But I decided they seemed to have everything they needed.”
Jamie shook his head, thoroughly entertained. “You’re appalling, Granny.”
“I want my family to be happy,” his grandmother said. “What’s appalling about that? And when Becky joins us for breakfast, I’m confident she’ll have a big smile on her face. All’s well that ends well, as the saying goes.”
Jenny made a mental note to be more discreet around her mother because if Becky figured out that everyone had been speculating, all was definitely not going to end well.
Chapter24
Rosie
Rosie was lying in bed thinking that if it weren’t for the distance she felt from her sister this Christmas might just turn out to be the best ever, when her phone lit up with a message from Becky.
I need you! Meet me outside!
Surprise was followed by relief and she slid out of bed, careful not to wake Declan. Her relationship with her sister was the one black cloud hovering over her happiness. For their whole lives their thoughts had been synchronized, not in a weird, mythicalwe’re twins and can read each other’s mindsway but in awe know each other completelyway. And then suddenly that wasn’t the case anymore and there were things Becky didn’t know about her and things she didn’t know about Becky. She’d watched helplessly as they’d drifted apart for reasons she didn’t understand, then tried not to be hurt when it turned out that Becky was seeing Will and hadn’t told her. But now Becky was reaching out to her. Messaging her spontaneously. Finally!
She dressed quickly in her warmest clothes, tiptoeing around the room so she didn’t wake Declan, who was still asleep (which was hardly surprising given that they’d managed less than four hours of sleep the night before).
She closed the bedroom door carefully behind her and headed downstairs.
She heard Jamie’s voice coming from the kitchen and was surprised he was awake so early after such a late night. He was obviously talking to their mother.
Not wanting to announce her presence, Rosie pulled on her coat and boots and ventured outside.
The cold air hit her in the face, waking her up.
Becky was pacing, her strides creating rows of footprints in the new snow that had fallen overnight. A look of relief crossed her face when she saw her sister.
“Thank goodness. I was afraid you’d be asleep or something.”
“What’s wrong?” Rosie wrapped her scarf around her neck. “Has something happened?”
“Yes, something has happened and I have no idea what to do.” Becky stopped pacing and thrust her hands into her pockets. “What iswrongwith me?”
Rosie waited, shivering, but Becky was staring across the snow to the beach.
“I—er—I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You have to give me more. Do you have a temperature? A sore throat?”
Becky shook her head. “I’m not ill. Why would you think I was ill?”
“Because you said—” Rosie shook her head. “Never mind. Why don’t you tell me what has happened?” And she wished then that human beings weren’t so complicated because if she’d understood that something was wrong earlier then maybe she could somehow have stopped it happening and protected her sister. Because that was what they did, wasn’t it? They lookedout for each other. When she was young, she’d felt sorry for all her friends who hadn’t been put on earth with a twin sister. “Becky?”
Becky gave her a desperate look. “I slept with Will.” The words rushed out of her and Rosie stared at her, confused by what her response was supposed to be to that not entirely unexpected revelation.
“Okay.” She chose her words carefully, searching her sister’s face for clues. “Well, given that you’re together, I assume that’s not the first time. So why—”
