Chapter 17
‘I don’t know why she thinks she can just live with you at home indefinitely. I mean, what are her plans?’
Bridie had opened the front door and was about to announce she was home when she heard her sister’s voice coming from the kitchen.
Her dad’s car wasn’t in the driveway, so he’d obviously gone out.
She’d known her sister would come over at some point to continue planning the so-called surprise retirement party.
They clearly hadn’t expected her back so soon.
But she wondered why she was surprised that the conversation had turned to her again.
‘She’s only been here one night, sweetheart. She needs time.’
‘But where will she get a job, now she’s burned her bridges after that embarrassing outburst on stage?’
‘Embarrassing outburst on stage? Whatever do you mean, dear?’
Bridie had told her parents that she split up with Julian, and the reason.
She’d told them Julian, the famous producer, was the reason she’d lost her job, and all the other potential jobs she might have had lined up.
That wasn’t a lie. She’d just left out the one detail that her sister was about to tell her mum.
‘I saw it on social media, Mum. I guess she didn’t tell you.’
Bridie’s heart sank.
‘Here, let me show you …’
Bridie’s face suddenly flushed at the thought. She slammed the front door shut, shouted, ‘I’m back!’ and rushed into the kitchen just as her sister was getting out her mobile phone.
‘Ah, there you are.’ Bridie’s mum turned to her. ‘I was getting worried. You were gone a long time.’
Bridie felt like a child as it was without her sister standing there behind her mum, arms folded, shaking her head in undisguised contempt at her situation. She said, ‘When were you going to tell me you’d decided to return home, Bridie? If Mum hadn’t told me …’
I wasn’t, thought Bridie. She said, ‘I knew you’d find out soon enough.’
‘Well, yeah, with it splashed all over social media what happened.’
The thing Bridie didn’t understand was how Kate had got wind of it on social media.
It wasn’t as though her sister had any time to be scrolling aimlessly online.
In between her commute, during which Bridie was aware she worked on a laptop, and her long hours at the office, Bridie knew she liked to spend as much of her free time as she could either with her children or sleeping.
As if she was mind-reading, Kate said, ‘I was spending the morning with Layla. We had a lady over to do our nails when she showed me what she’d seen on social media.’
Bridie’s face flushed even more. She had a special relationship with her niece, because of their shared love of the theatre – and Layla looked up to her auntie, who had made a success of her stage career.
Layla aspired to be like her. Not anymore, though.
Bridie realised with a start what impact this might have on her impressionable fifteen-year-old niece.
‘I’ve written to the drama teacher, Oliver, to let him know that he can offer her place in the drama club to someone else.’
Oh, no! Bridie thought. She stared at her sister as she continued her rant.
‘And I’ve told Andy that he is not to sign any more permission slips without checking with me first, nor is he to talk to you about our daughter and her future.’
‘Layla doesn’t want to go to the drama club anymore because of me?’
‘That is none of your concern.’
‘None of my concern?’ Bridie blurted. ‘I’m her auntie.’
‘I wish you weren’t. You’re not a good role model. And until you buck up your ideas, I don’t want you to have any contact with Layla.’
‘What? You can’t do that.’
‘I can, and I have. I’ve told Layla she’s not to see you. I don’t want her anywhere near you, putting ideas into her head about a life on stage.’
‘For your information,’ said Bridie, ‘I did not put those ideas into her head. They got there all on their own. She came to me.’
‘But you encouraged her.’
‘I encouraged her to be true to herself.’
‘She’s fifteen. How can she know what she wants from life at that age?’
‘I did.’
‘Yeah,’ scoffed Kate. ‘And look where that’s got you – jobless and homeless!’
‘For your information, I am not jobless or homeless.’
‘Oh, yeah? Got another theatre production lined up, have we?’
Bridie looked at the floor.
‘Thought not. And of course you’re not homeless, you’re back living with Mum and Dad. You couldn’t have timed that better, could you? When Dad’s just retired, and Mum and Dad want to spend some time together.’
‘I have got a job, and I have got a place to go to,’ Bridie threw back.
‘Yeah, I’ll bet,’ she scoffed. ‘Going to live with Grandad?’
‘Girls,’ interrupted their mother, ‘let’s not raise our voices and have an argument.’
‘Why not?’ Bridie said, turning to her mother. ‘She started it.’
‘I did not, Bridie. You’re the one whose life is a mess. I’m merely doing damage limitation.’
‘You’re talking about Layla.’
‘Oh, yes.’
And with that, Kate got out her phone and played the whole sorry, excruciatingly embarrassing fight on stage, which was now all over social media for everyone to see, including her niece and the rest of her family.
She was sure her sister would enjoy immensely showing her brother and sister-in-law, and her grandad – not that she ever visited him – and her dad, who was the one person who had always believed in her, up until now.
Bridie slunk out of the room and heard whining coming from the conservatory. She opened the door. Barney must have heard the raised voices in the kitchen and been frightened.
‘Oh, sweetheart.’ She knelt down and the pup dived into her arms licking her face and wagging his tail furiously as though she’d been gone an age – which to a little pup she reckoned it must have been. As she got up, he ran out of the door. ‘Barney!’
She heard the sound of paws thudding up the open-tread wooden stairs. ‘Oh, no.’ He’d remembered his adventure upstairs just that morning.
Bridie slipped past the kitchen. She winced when she heard the unmistakable sound of the show she’d been starring in, and the band coming to a halt, the audience and stage in hushed silence, and the sound of her own voice ringing out, ‘You cow!’ reverberating around a packed theatre audience as she launched herself at the young woman who had stolen her fiancé.
Of course, the young woman hadn’t stolen anything.
Julian had willingly had an affair, prepared to swap Bridie for a younger model.
Bridie could feel the tears in her eyes again as she rushed upstairs after the puppy.
When she walked into the bedroom, there he was on her bed, wagging his tail, waiting for her.
‘Oh, Barney. You shouldn’t be here.’ She looked at the pup.
‘You know what? Neither should I.’ She got her suitcase out of the wardrobe.
Stupidly, she’d already unpacked. She packed her case, threw in her teenage diaries, and felt like taking Barney too.
But he wasn’t her dog, and besides, Barney couldn’t live in a flat.
And Hannah had only invited her to stay – not a puppy too.
‘I’m afraid you can’t come with me,’ said Bridie. She knew Barney was listening. He sat up and cocked his head to one side. She zipped up her case, and stood it by the door, returning to the bed to give Barney a fuss. ‘This is your home, Barney, but it isn’t mine.’
As if she needed reminding of that fact, she heard her mum call upstairs, ‘Bridie, have you got the puppy up there with you? Dogs aren’t allowed upstairs. It’s a house rule. I hope he’s not on your bed!’
Bridie rolled her eyes and gently picked him up off the bed. Barney whined. He was just getting comfortable.
‘Come on, you heard her. You’re not allowed upstairs.’ She carried him downstairs. Her mum was standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands on hips, waiting.
Bridie heaved a sigh and handed him over.
‘Sorry.’ She walked back upstairs and looked at her suitcase.
If she left now, she’d catch Hannah before she locked up the shop.
Bridie didn’t have any shop keys yet. She’ll be surprised to see me back so soon, thought Bridie. Then again, perhaps she wouldn’t be.
Bridie reappeared with her suitcase and started down the stairs. Her mum had just returned the puppy to his crate. She was just walking back in the kitchen when she must have spotted Bridie on her way down. ‘Where are you going? I don’t think there will be many trains on a Sunday back to London.’
‘I’m going to stay with a friend in Aldeburgh.’
‘Oliver?’
Bridie rolled her eyes at her mum.
Unfortunately, Kate overheard. ‘Do you mean Oliver from the school?’ She turned to look at her sister. ‘Wow – you don’t waste any time.’
Bridie glared at her sister. ‘What do you mean?’
‘What do you think I mean?’
‘It would be wonderful if Bridie settled down with someone nice who lived locally.’
Bridie turned her glare on her mum. ‘You are not helping.’
‘Did you go to The Two Magpies Café?’
‘Yes, I did, Mum. And before you ask – yes, I met Oliver. You knew he’d be there. But I am not staying with him. In fact, I’ve got my own flat as well as a job.’
Her mum looked at her, impressed. Her sister looked at her as though she didn’t believe her. ‘Where?’
‘It’s in Cobblers Yard. A flat above a shop where I will be working.
The owner runs a wedding business and is setting up a bridal shop next door, so I’ll be working in her wedding business too very soon.
’ Bridie pursed her lips. She didn’t know why she’d said that.
It could turn out to be the case, but even if it did, she had no intention of staying in Suffolk that long – this was just a temporary stopgap while things blew over in London.
Hopefully soon she could go back to working on the London stage.
She looked at her sister and realised why she’d talked up her new job.
Kate, in her high-powered career in the City, looked down on her work on the stage.
And now she was a shop assistant, her sister must be enjoying her downfall immensely.
For the first time ever, Bridie wondered why Kate had to be like this.
Hannah came to mind. She was a young woman Bridie didn’t even know, but she’d offered her help, support, and friendship. Her older sister, who could have offered her all those things, wanting to protect her little sister, would do no such thing.
Bridie had always felt like she was the disappointment in the family, but for the first time she looked at her big sister and thought, you’re the disappointment. When I need you most, you’re not here for me, and never will be.
Bridie turned on her heel and walked out of the door, wondering what sort of sister she would be if either of her siblings needed help. With their good jobs and stable relationships, she couldn’t ever imagine they’d need anything from her by way of support.
Upstairs, Bridie finished packing. She looked at her watch. If she left now, hopefully Hannah would still be at the shop.