‘Why would she need her own kitchen?’
Aunty Bev folded her arms across her chest and surveyed the room. ‘They’re living separate lives.’
‘What?’
She nodded. ‘He lives in the east wing, and she lives in this wing.’
‘But they’re newlyweds and…’ I thought back to their wedding, the way Frank tenderly kissed her once they were man and wife, the way she gazed at him adoringly outside during the wedding photos and the way they giggled like lovestruck teenagers at their reception.
Aunty Bev shrugged. ‘I don’t get it. If they were living separate lives, why would they go to such lengths to keep it a secret and tell everyone they only live in one part of the house because the other is too expensive.’
‘Maybe living separately works for them?’ I suggested. ‘They live inside this house 24/7 so this is how they stay sane?’
Aunty Bev let out a heavy sigh. ‘That’s another thing I don’t like. Why does he confine them to this house?’
‘He’s not liked in Harp Brook,’ I explained.
We walked back into the living room. I went to study the framed photo containing the front cover of theHellomagazine which featured their wedding.
‘Who the hell is Vanessa?’ Aunty Bev cried out. I whirled around to see Aunty Bev reading from Maddie’s journal. ‘Maddie has written – “Frank and Vanessa” and circled it in red pen. Do you think she suspects them of… having an affair?’
The blood drained from my face and my heart ground to a halt. Was that the secret Layla was referring to? On jellied legs I staggered over to the desk where Aunty Bev was stood. Aunty Bev lifted her gaze up from the journal. ‘Who is Vanessa?’
‘She owns the pub in town. Everyone fears her, and she’s been horrible to Layla. Her son was the guy who made Layla homeless. Layla did say there were rumours about Vanessa and Frank. I thought he’d argued with her or something as she said something about how Frank had made things worse.’
‘I want to read more,’ said Aunty Bev, closing the journal and placing it under her arm. My heartbeat quickened. Instinctively I snatched it back. ‘No, we’ve read enough. I think we should put it back. Those are Maddie’s inner and private thoughts.’
Aunty Bev shrugged and placed the journal back on the desk. ‘I have a feeling we will regret not reading more. Do you know when me and my sisters were younger, I read all their diaries in secret? Did you know Karen thought Robert had a wandering eye at sixteen? Some things never change. Jackie has always liked weird men and Polly had a fling with a woman before she met Kevin.’
I ignored her family gossip. ‘Let’s get out of here. I need a drink.’
Once we’d locked up Aunty Bev placed the keys back where she’d found them, and we went to sit in the kitchen.
‘Frank’s having an affair and he’s bank-rolling my sister,’ groaned Aunty Bev, pouring herself a glass of wine.
‘We don’t know for sure,’ I said, trying to think calmly. ‘We don’t know why she circled their names.’
Aunty Bev continued. ‘I have done some stupid things in my time, but they don’t come close to letting a man like Frank buy me a villa in Tenerife.’
‘What shall we do?’
Aunty Bev shook her head. ‘We need to sleep on it. Maybe the affair is why they are leading separate lives?’
I ran my hands through my hair. ‘She and Frank seemed happy.’
Aunty Bev drained her glass. ‘Appearances can be deceiving.’
It was Ben’s face that flashed up inside my head. Was I being deceived by his outwardly nice-guy appearance?
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Sleep wasn’t my friend. By two in the morning, I was still wide awake and thinking about Maddie, Frank, Vanessa, the secretive side of the house and betraying Layla. My head was full of questions. Were Frank and Maddie living separate lives? Had she caught Frank cheating on her? When I came to bed, I did think about texting Maddie to ask about Frank and Vanessa, but I stopped myself. Aunty Bev and I had assumed the worst. There could be a plausible explanation for why Maddie had circled their names. There had to be another way of bringing this situation out into the open. Aunty Bev and I needed proof.
At the edge of my mind sat my thoughts about Ben which were also trying to attract my attention. Reaching over I grabbed Olivia’s pink notebook. I needed to read her words and feel like she was with me. Flipping over the first page I felt instantly soothed at seeing her swirly handwriting –How I Got Over Losing a Wonderful Friend, by Olivia Lunn.
I opened it to the next chapter I was on. The title made me skip a breath.Don’t Make Stupid Mistakes.
Propping up pillows behind me I started to read.
