‘Aunty Bev, let’s discuss what I need to do when Maddie comes back.’
To my annoyance, Aunty Bev went back to her phone. ‘On the set of Baxter’s action film,Danger Ahead,actress Suzie Wood claimed she and Baxter couldn’t keep their hands off each other, which was difficult as her long-time partner at the time was directing the film. The co-stars enjoyed a raunchy two-month affair.’ Aunty Bev let out a heavy sigh. ‘Frank, you dirty dog.’
‘I don’t want to hear any more about my brother-in-law,’ I said, raising my voice slightly. ‘This is not a great situation to be in and to make matters worse, he bought my mother a villa in Tenerife.’
‘Janice has always had a soft spot for Frank,’ said Aunty Bev, making me let out a yelp of frustration. ‘I do hope she kept her hands off…’
‘Aunty Bev,’ I shouted. ‘Please stop this. We need to talk.’
She cast me a worried look and peered over her glasses at me. ‘Are you feeling all right, Rachel? I saw you with that handsome builder earlier. I was thinking of making a pass at him myself, but you beat me to it.’ With a flick of her long curly hair, she put down her phone and took a sip of her wine.
I was losing patience. ‘Okay, let’s get through Christmas and I will speak to Maddie when she returns.’
Aunty Bev nodded. ‘At least the affair between Frank and Vanessa is over as well. Maybe he’s trying to change his ways. I mean, look at your uncle Robert – it can be done.’
‘Uncle Robert had a midlife crisis.’
Aunty Bev shook her head. ‘Rachel, he had a twenty-something crisis, a thirty-something crisis and a forty-something crisis. This is a well-trodden path for your aunty Karen. He does have a thing for hairdressers though. Did I ever tell you the time she came back from a week’s break in Benidorm to find him naked and having his hair cut by a hairdresser (who was also naked) called Heidi?’
I stood up. ‘I’m off to bed. This is all too much.’
Aunty Bev nodded. ‘Pass me the bottle. I’ll finish up and carry on reading about Frank’s early acting career.’
I gave her the bottle which was three-quarters full. Aunty Bev had found the key to Frank’s cellar whilst I was walking the dog and had picked us out a bottle. I had told her that he had left out cheaper bottles in the wine rack, but she’d laughed and said, ‘He’s having an affair, Rachel, it’s time to enjoy ourselves.’
‘What did you think about that guy Josh working at the farm?’
‘Maddie is an angel, she’d never do anything to rock the boat,’ said Aunty Bev. ‘She’d also have your mother to answer to. Knowing Maddie, she’s probably in an unhappy marriage and suffering in silence.’
‘I’m done. See you in the morning.’
‘The reappearance of Josh is interesting though,’ said Aunty Bev. ‘It could be coincidence. On my last cruise I found myself sitting at the bar next to an old ex-boyfriend of mine. It was a shock to turn round and see him smiling at me. Luckily my ninety-year-old millionaire friend had gone to bed early.’
‘Wasn’t the ninety-year-old millionaire friend the one who had paid for your cruise?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, but he knows that I am not exclusive these days. Tell me about Josh?’
‘He and Maddie were close. They went through a lot of stuff together. The one thing that stands out from that time is when she and Josh used to roll around laughing at each other’s jokes.’
‘That’s a sign,’ said Aunty Bev. ‘Oh, before you go. You’ve done a cracking job with Dad. He tells me he has had a fantastic time.’
‘Thanks, Aunty Bev, that means a lot.’
‘He wants Dorothy and her daughter Kay to come for Christmas lunch. Can you add them to the catering list?’
‘What? Has Dorothy – and more importantly her daughter – agreed to this? The last time we saw Kay, she dragged her mother away from Grandpa telling her not to associate herself with the Baxter family.’
Aunty Bev nodded. ‘Janice and Karen will have kittens when they hear his news.’
‘News?’ I felt uncomfortable. Grandpa had news.
‘He proposed to Dorothy over the phone earlier and she said yes.’
‘What?’
Aunty Bev giggled. ‘You were out with Layla, and he was going on about marrying this Dorothy woman, so I let him call her. They’re engaged. Oh God, it was sweet.’
‘Does her daughter know this?’
