Fen
CHAPTER ONE
When I walk into the Little Duck Pond Café, easingmyself through the door in an awkward semi-sideways manoeuvre, everyone turnsand smiles at me.
It’s something I’ve noticed and loved, being pregnant.
Women, especially, tip their heads to the side, perhapsrecalling their own fond memories of that special time in their lives when theysee me approaching in my marquee-style deep pink summer dress with my pudgyankles and ridiculously glossy dark hair. I know the bountiful hair thing won’tlast. It’ll probably be falling out in handfuls once our ‘double trouble twins’arrive, but for now, I’m just enjoying the boost to my oestrogen and androgen!(I’ve read every single pregnancy book there is. And armed with all the information,I’ve decided I’m definitely having a water birth at home.)
‘Hey there, Mama, how are little Fred and Wilma today?’Madison wipes down a table with a final flourish.
I laugh, stroking my bump. ‘They were Twinkie and Ding Dongyesterday. Or was it Shrek and Fiona?’
Maddy grins. ‘Just trying to help. Let’s face it, you’regetting perilously close to your due date so you should have decided on names bynow.’
I sigh, genuinely perplexed. ‘Rob keeps pushing for Ameliaand Josh, but I really don’t know...’
‘He won’t be the only one pushing in a few week’s time,’ shepoints out.
I give a horrified little shriek. ‘Don’t.’
‘You’ll know what they’re called when you meet them, Fen,’says Bertha, who’s sitting nearby drinking coffee with Krystle. ‘That’s whathappened with us. We couldn’t decide on a name but as soon as we clapped eyeson the little cherub, we knew he was a Ben.’
‘Just don’t go calling the twins after your favourite soap characterlike Mum did.’ Krystle groans. ‘The stick Carrie and I have to put up with!’
‘Krystle Carrington.Dynasty.’ I grin at her. ‘Okay,good advice. And anyway, if we’re talking favourite characters in soaps, Idoubt if Rob would be too thrilled with the names Roy and Cropper.’
Everyone laughs and Krystle asks, ‘How long have you got togo?’
‘Less than two weeks now.’ Just saying it out loud stirs upa maelstrom of nerves and excitement inside.
‘And things are going smoothly?’
I smile sheepishly as I lower myself with a sigh into a seatat the next table. (I can’t risk a seat at the same table because I’m liable tosend their coffee cups and chocolate muffins flying with my awkward bulk.) ‘Assmoothly as they can, I suppose, with two tiny beings playing football in myabdomen. They were unbelievably active this morning. Mind you, I’d just eaten achocolate pastry, so maybe I’m about to bring a couple of miniature chocoholicsinto the world.’
We carry on chatting, moving on to the subject of Krystle’splans for the future. Her twin, Carrie, won the lottery and insisted on sharingthe money with her, and Krystle’s moved to the country and embarked on a coursein interior design, something she always dreamed of doing.
‘So will you be staying at Rose Quartz Cottage?’ I ask her,‘After your year’s rental comes to an end?’
‘Not sure. I really love it there, though. And I was eventhinking I might see if the owners would like to sell it.’
‘Ooh, you didn’t tell me that,’ says Bertha. ‘A homeowner,eh?’
Ellie comes over at that moment, placing a cappuccino infront of me. ‘Speaking of nice places to live, I heard that Sycamore Housemight be getting a facelift at long last,’ she says. ‘Someone saw acontractor’s van parked on the driveway the other day. Now,thatwouldbe an investment and a half for you, Krystle.’
Bertha grimaces. ‘Wouldn’t touch that place with a bargepole.It’s miles from anywhere, it’s been empty for years and the garden’s a jungle.Goodness knows what that house is like inside.’
‘It could be amazing once it’s had a facelift, though.’ Ismile up at Ellie and take a sip of my coffee. ‘Thanks for this.’
She lays a hand on my shoulder. ‘No problem, love. ThoughtI’d save you the walk to the counter.’
‘Thewaddle, you mean.’ I sigh, trying to get comfyin my seat and hoping my anti-perspirant is doing a good job. Getting from A toB isn’t the breeze it used to be! ‘Honestly, I feel like a giant pink beachballright now. If I fall over, can someone just roll me home, please?’
‘Or call out the fire service to raise you to your feet?’Maddy grins.
Everyone chuckles and Krystle says, ‘So what’s the storywith Sycamore House, anyway? Isn’t it supposed to be haunted?’
Bertha nods. ‘Oh, there’s plenty of rumours going around.And not just about ghosts, either. The owner of the place was said to have diedin mysterious circumstances. And no one really knows what happened to his wife andtheir two children. There’s a rumour that she couldn’t cope after her husbanddied, so she left, and their kids had to go into care.’
