Flo came to stand in front of her and clasped Beth’s hands in her own. ‘I’d love nothing more. But I think this conversation calls for a cuppa.’
* * *
An hour later, after heading back to the B&B for a shower, Beth was seated in Flo’s living room with a steaming cup of tea. Flo crossed the room and plucked a framed photo off the shelf, which she handed to Beth before lowering herself into the vacant armchair.
Beth stared down at the image of young Flo laughing with her best friend as they fished, and it suddenly dawned on her why Flo was showing it to her again.
‘Prudence Campbell was your best friend?’ Belatedly, she realised that Flo hadn’t yet mentioned her aunt by name.
Flo nodded. ‘As I mentioned last time, Pru and I were inseparable as youngsters, and nothing much changed once we reached adulthood. I thought it might. She could’ve done anything, gone anywhere, but when the time came for her to make her own way in the world, she bought the house across from mine so we would always be close.’
Beth looked down at the photo and studied her aunt. Prudence was looking at Flo, not the camera, so it was difficult to see her facial features, but her stance was strong, confident, unassuming.
‘She must have valued your friendship very much.’
Flo got a faraway look in her eye but smiled softly. ‘I like to think so.’
‘What was she like?’ Beth sipped her tea.
Tilting her head, Flo considered her answer carefully. ‘Well, she was someone I always felt safe with. Someone who always knew how to cheer me up when I was feeling down.’
Prudence—Pru—sounded like a wonderful friend, but Beth wanted answers and there was only one way to get them. She had to reveal her own connection to the woman.
Putting her tea cup down on the coffee table, she sat forward in her chair, her pulse pounding in her ears. ‘Flo, I … I have to tell you something. Your friend, Pru … she was …’
Flo waited, her brows raised expectantly.
‘Well, recently I learned that Prudence Campbell was my aunt. My great aunt, actually. I didn’t even know she existed and never got the chance to meet her, but she left me the house, and I was wondering … did she ever talk about me?’
Flo was …smiling?
Confused, Beth asked, ‘Why don’t you seem shocked to hear that information?’
Flo’s smile dimmed. ‘Probably because I’m not, dear.’
‘You knew I was her niece?’
‘I did. And to answer your question, yes, Pru often talked about you over the years.’
‘But why didn’t you say anything? If you knew I was her niece—’ Beth held up the framed photo, ‘—then why didn’t you tell me this was her?’
‘Pru didn’t want me to discuss her with you.’ Flo smiled sadly. ‘Not unless you raised the subject yourself.’
A chill stole over Beth. Why would Pru have made such a request? Perhaps Rosie had had a good reason for cutting Prudence Campbell from their lives.
‘She asked you to lie to me? Why?’
Flo shook her head. ‘No, she didn’t ask me to lie, only to omit details of our connection. For a time. She simply asked me to wait until you were ready.’
Beth considered that for a moment, but nothing made sense. ‘I don’t understand. Ready for what?’
Flo tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch. ‘How do I explain this?’
‘Maybe by telling me the truth,’ Beth snapped.
Flo’s eyes met hers. She looked worried at first, but then she got a steely, determined glint in her eye.
‘Beth, if your parents had chosen differently,’ she explained, ‘if they’d decided to stay instead of moving to the city, you very well could have grown up in this town. Sure, a lot of—’
