‘He should have known better,’ she said angrily. ‘He betrayed his faith. No wonder God took him early. I am just so pleased it wasn’t my vicar. I mean, the duplicity of it all! The sheer hypocrisy! How could he preach the word of the Good Lord with a clear conscience and have done such a thing? It beggars belief. I am very upset.’
‘I shouldn’t have told you.’ Star’s voice wobbled.
‘No, no, you did the right thing. I just need time to absorb it. Mind you, I bet your mother was flaunting herself in front of him and in that red suede miniskirt she used to wear. You could practically see her knickers,’ Florrie snapped.
Star’s ‘she wasn’t actually’ fell on her deaf ears.
‘The basic fundamentals of our dear Lord’s Prayer,’ Florrie went on. ‘Luke chapter eleven, verse four: “Lead us not into temptation.”’
‘Hear me out, please, Auntie. It’s a very sad tale, if truth be told.’
‘I don’t know if I’m more cross at him or her to be honest,’ Florrie ranted on.
‘Auntie!Please – just listen for a second. The Reverend Nesbitt – my father – wrote me a letter, to be given to me by his solicitor when he died. He wrote that it happened like this: Mum went to the church to find solace after Granny Lilian died.’
‘She did?’ Flo’s voice softened.
‘She had lost her way. Like I imagine you did too. The reverend wrote especially to explain all of this, to state his side and ultimately ask for forgiveness, I believe. He told me she had been frightened and felt so alone. He met her over a period of years, Auntie. As a friend. They were the same age, they would chat in the church and he made her feel safe. And say whatever you will, and I know it wasn’t right on his part, but Estelle had no faith or allegiance to anyone but herself. They fell in love.’
Florence Sibley was listening with her full attention now.
‘They made love – once,’ Star continued quietly, ‘and created me. When Matthew chose God, not me or Mum, it did break Estelle’s heart. But for many years he had given her peace and solace, and then when I was born I hope that she found happiness from having his child. Now that he’s dead, I pray that she will let him go and allow herself to grow. This revelation has taught me that life isn’t perfect. Love isn’t perfect.’
‘And we are all human.’ Flo sniffed, her Christian spirit of charity and kindness restored. ‘Poor Estelle,’ she murmured, ‘and poor you, Steren.’
‘I actually feel blessed that I was created from a loving place and I can hold that knowledge forever now.’
Florrie nodded. ‘And I have it on good authority that Matthew Nesbitt was a lovely man. He did so much for the community, and it makes sense now that he did an awful lot for single mothers especially.’ The old woman managed a little laugh.
Florence Sibley heaved herself upright, kissed the crown of her great-niece’s golden head then, before going through to the kitchen to put the kettle on again, she asked, ‘Are you burying all of this with him? Not going to take it further?’
‘No, we’ve decided to leave things be. We see no point in stirring up anything within his family. And Mum kept his secret right to the end.’ Star reached out a hand to her great-aunt. ‘I think you need to sit down again. You see, I’ve got something else to tell you.’
‘What is it? Oh dear, I’m not sure I can take many more surprises.’ Florence Sibley sat herself down, uttering a silent prayer to be able to cope with whatever this new shock turned out to be.
‘It appears that the Reverend Matthew Nesbitt is also Kara’s father. Before Mum, he er … spent time with Doryty Moon.’
‘What!’Florence screeched, which made Boris join in from his perch. ‘Oh my goodness – if the Pope knew!’ She went on grimly, ‘Somehow his story doesn’t seem so beautiful and romantic now. Kara, that poor girl … she loved her grandfather so much and adores her dad – and to have that snatched away from her is terrible. And how awful for that dear man, Joe Moon.’ Florrie sniffed. ‘I never did like that wife of his – Doryty Moon always thought she was too good for Hartmouth. Did the dirty on Joe, passing Kara off as his own, as well as deserting him later on. It’s a wicked world, Star love.’
‘I know. But evidently it was also a one-off with Doryty. A single moment of temptation. However, when she found she was pregnant she was more hard-faced than Mum, who’d really loved him and he her. Doryty made sure she fleeced him for maintenance on the quiet.’
‘She was a right tart, that one. Would drop her drawers for anyone, I reckon.’
‘Auntie!’
‘Well, it’s true.’ Florrie pursed her lips. ‘But the reverend should have known better in both instances.’
‘Yes, he should, but he didn’t. We are where we are, and nothing can be changed.’
Flo managed a smile. She got up from her chair again with difficulty, releasing a succession of little sounds. ‘Oops, windipops, it’s not easy being my age.’ While Star suppressed her laughter the old lady went on, ‘Well, you’re from good stock, my girl, and at least we know that now. But I would not love you less whoever your real father was, and let’s face it: with Estelle we knew he would never have been an accountant.’
‘I love you, Auntie Flo.’
‘Till death us do part, my dear child. Till death us do part.’
