* * *
Her cousin stood beside the French doors looking out at the view, sipping at her coffee.
Anna detoured to the kitchen to pour herself a fresh coffee and came to stand next to her.
Becs handed Anna her mug and wriggled out of her coat. ‘I didn’t realise it would be so cold here.’
‘It’s winter in Central Europe, what did you expect?’
‘Go you on being a welcoming host.’ Becs draped her coat over one of the dining chairs. ‘Nice place.’ She took in Anna’s little improvements. ‘Very nice. I detect the Anna touch.’ She felt the tablecloth Anna had bought in Mikulov. ‘This is pretty and the furniture is all very stylish.’
‘Amazing what you can find in a skip.’
‘No! Really?’
‘Yes, we renovated it all.’
Becs raised her eyebrows. ‘How did you get such a flair for decorating, given we grew up in the House of Magnolia?’
Anna laughed at that, relaxing a little. ‘Thank you. So come on then, spit it out, what are you doing here?’ Like Anna needed to ask.
‘Don’t suppose I can convince you I fancied a weekend away?’ she asked with a wry smile.
Her honesty made Anna smile, too. ‘No, cuz, you couldn’t. Deliver your lecture, get it over with, and then you can enjoy a weekend away.’
‘Look at you being all assertive.’ Becs gave her an approving nod and a wider smile this time. ‘It’s good to see you,’ she said, taking a seat at the table. ‘You look well.’ There was a pause before she said more emphatically, ‘Really well. You look different. I like the hair.’ She kept studying Anna’s face as if trying to identify the changes.
‘Thank you.’ Anna came to sit down with her, deciding that it would be easier to rip the plaster off and get on with the inevitable. ‘You didn’t think to let me know you were coming. What if I hadn’t been here?’
Becs’s expression suggested that the possibility was highly unlikely, which was kind of insulting but also accurate about the old Anna. Old Anna. The thought flashed in her head as bright and bold as a lighthouse beam. Old Anna didn’t go for weekends atchataswith new friends. Old Anna didn’tmakenew friends, certainly not easily. Old Anna didn’t have longer hair, wear dresses or remodel furniture. Old Anna kept herself to herself and behaved the way the family expected her to.
‘The other weekend I was out all Saturday, mushroom picking.’
‘Rather you than me.’
‘I promise you it was really fun. But we’re getting away from the elephant on the table right in front of us.’
Becs’s mouth twisted. ‘If you’d known I was coming, you’d have made an excuse. Been unavailable. You’ve not exactly been responding to any communication of late. The family felt drastic action was required.’
‘And you drew the short straw?’ Anna’s mirthless laugh brought a blush to Becs’s cheeks.
‘Everyone thought I would––’
‘You were bullied into it,’ said Anna, with sudden insight. She could picture exactly what would have happened.
‘I wasn’t bullied into it. They knew I was worried about you.’ Rebecca’s annoyed glare told Anna all she needed to know. Becs was no pushover, so they must have really been relentless.
‘Well, you can stop worrying.’
‘Can I?’ Her face softened. ‘What’s going on, Anna? This isn’t like you.’
Leo, his hair still damp, walked into the room.
‘Anyone want a late breakfast? Brunch really?’ he asked. ‘Toast? Eggs?’
Becs looked… Anna reevaluated. No, it wasn’t annoyance on her face, it was more a touch of peevishness, as if she was a little put out. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to my cousin in private.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t mind at all and I’m happy to go, but it’s not up to you. Do you want me to leave, Anna, love?’
