Jade screwed up her face, trying to remember. ‘I don’t think I thought about it. I’m sorry if that felt like a judgement, or dismissive,’ she added belatedly.
Rosalie lifted one eyebrow. ‘But not sorry for invading my privacy by using my phone and calling Dad without checking how he’d feel?’
‘Um, those too.’ Jade nodded. Then, truthfully, ‘Not particularly sorry if I upset him. I owe him nothing.’
Rosalie dropped down beside Jade. ‘So you expect to be cut some slack?’
Gloomily, Jade propped her head on her hand. ‘That would be a novelty. Dealing with whatever comes my way is more my thing.’
Rosalie sighed, her face relaxing into its usual friendly lines. ‘OK. You work like a horse. And we were a huge, unwelcome shock. And you miss Gran.’
Jade’s throat tightened. ‘Yeah. Even though shetoldme not to.’
Rosalie switched back to English. ‘Do you want to know what she told me in her letter?’
Instantly, Jade sat up. ‘I knew she left a letter for Erin. I didn’t ask you after you made such a point of saying you and Joey didn’t like people nosing into your business.’
‘I’ll fetch it.’ Rosalie rose.
In a minute she returned, Erin in tow, though Jade hadn’t known she was even in the apartment. Probably she’d overheard angry voices and kept out of the way. ‘Erin wants to share her letter too.’ Evidently, Rosalie was back to her usual cheerful self.
Erin’s eyes were watchful, though her lips smiled.
Jade swallowed. ‘Then I’ll share mine.’ On oddly wobbly legs, she crossed the tiled passage and retrieved the folded letter from her bedside drawer. Back in thesalotto, she found Rosalie waiting on the sofa and Erin on a chair.
‘How about Erin reading them aloud?’ said Rosalie. ‘She has the most Scottish voice. I know you’re from the opposite coast of Scotland,’ she continued, when Erin began to demur, ‘but you sound more Scottish than Jade.’
Now focused on hearing what Gran had said to the others, Jade passed her letter over and Erin read it out. Her voice tightened overMy dearest, dearest Jadeanddon’t grieve, my darling. I had a long and mostly happy life. It grew stony when she reachedI think that he literally can’t bear responsibility...a suffocating box...no way out.
She did wobble when she came to the part about herself though.All I know about the child is that she’s called Erin Ferguson and she’s about three years younger than you.
When she reachedDonna died when Rosalie was four, Rosalie choked back a sob. ‘Mum was only twenty-four herself.’ Her sniffles turned into a gasp when Erin read the part about Gran considering taking Rosalie to bring up alongside Jade, and she stared at Jade with wide, astonished eyes.
Erin’s mouth wobbled into a smile when she reached Mairead declaring taxa damned shame. Finally, she came to the end –I’m grieved that I’ll never meet Erin and Rosalie, but I hope that perhaps a little of my huge love for you will somehow filter through to them– and finished with a giant sniff.
Jade grabbed a box of tissues from the window ledge and handed them round.
‘I wish I’d known her,’ said Rosalie, who was still sniffling, while Erin wiped her eyes and nodded vigorously. Jade had to fetch three glasses of water before they moved on to the next letter.
‘Right.’ Erin sounded as if she were energising a lagging meeting. ‘This is what Gran wrote to me.
‘Dear Erin,
‘This letter is about wishes and hope.
‘I’m sure the communication from my solicitor, Mary Smith, has been a shock. I understand from Joey, my son and your father, that there’s no contact between you. I’ve had only sporadic and superficial contact with him myself since he left Como when he was eighteen, but my love for him has never dimmed. I wished very hard to meet you, but Joey said he’d cut ties if I tried to find you. Isn’t he odd? I’ve always said he must be a fairy child. If he IS, then it’s a shame more of my wishes don’t come true.
‘You’ll know from Mary that of my three granddaughters I know only Jade Beretta, who I have cared for since she was a baby and love like a daughter.’ Jade gulped.
Erin continued. ‘She’s three years older than you. Rosalie Beretta is six years younger. As you’ve never met, you might think there’s no bond at all, but I named the pensione Three Sisters in honour of you all. Jade might think it unfair that I’ve ensured Mary Smith knows you and Rosalie exist so you can inherit. She’s worked at Pensione Three Sisters beside me, and it’s her home, so I hope you’ll understand if she’s disappointed at having to share – but that’s what I’m wishing for. If you’re reading this letter, then Jade’s now alone. To be alone when you have two sisters seems an awful waste. My last wish – and I’m wishing SUPER-hard – is that you three sisters will somehow learn to love each other.
‘At the very least, please travel to Como and meet your sisters with an open mind and open heart.
‘It could be life-changing for you all.
‘Your loving grandmother,
‘Mairead Campbell xx
