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‘Thank God, you came!’ she cried, squashing Annabelle to her, before releasing her and doing the same to each reluctant child.
Annabelle caught her breath and staggered back as Beverley turned her attention to the children. Her aunt was plump and solid, and her hug had been enthusiastic and welcoming.
‘She’s started already,’ Beverley said ominously, after raining kisses on Jake and Izzie’s cheeks. Jake grimaced and scrubbed at his face with the hem of his Spiderman T-shirt. Izzie simply looked shell-shocked.
‘Who has started what already?’ Annabelle asked, bewildered.
Beverley ushered them inside. ‘Kate’s mother, Helen.’ She shuddered. ‘Tea? What would you like, kids? We’ve got pop or squash?’
‘Squash?’ Jake looked confused.
‘Cordial,’ Annabelle translated.
Her aunt led them deeper into the house, and Annabelle glanced around with interest. The impressive outside was counterbalanced by an equally impressive inside. White, light and extremely modern, the short hall had a staircase opposite the front door, curling around as it climbed upwards, with huge windows to the side which allowed light to flood in. To the right was a corridor with doors leading off, and another staircase descended into the depths.
‘All the bedrooms, apart from one, are on this floor,’ Beverley said, noticing her curiosity. ‘Those stairs lead to the basement where there’s a gym, and a TV room, and whatnot. The main living area is on the next floor.’ She leaned in closer and said, ‘It’s stunning. Wait until you see the view. I could sit and stare at it all day.’
Beverley made her way up the stairs and Annabelle let out a gasp when she emerged into an open-plan living and kitchen area that was very nearly the size of the footprint of the house. The huge windows that she’d seen from the drive were actually bi-fold doors, and they led directly onto a large terrace.
The kitchen was huge, blending seamlessly into a dining area which held a long table with ten slim high-backed chairs. There was a living space with a massive L-shaped sofa plus several other comfy-looking armchairs, but what really stole her breath and made her gasp was the view. It was, as Aunt Beverley said, stunning.
Annabelle could hardly bring herself to tear her gaze away.
‘Kate and Brett have got the third floor to themselves,’ Beverley said. ‘It’s not as big as this, but it’s got a lovely master bedroom, a study, a seating area that gets the last of the setting sun, and a walk-in wardrobe, although I can’t imagine anyone owning so many clothes that they’d need a walk-in wardrobe.’
‘It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much for inviting us,’ Annabelle said.
‘I wish I could take the credit, but it was Kate’s idea. Right, let me make those drinks.’
Annabelle watched her aunt potter in the kitchen, and she had a moment of coffee-machine envy when she saw the gleaming machine sitting on one of the countertops. That was one of the many things she missed – decent coffee – and as soon as she got herself a job and started earning some money, she vowed to treat herself to one.
‘Kids, why don’t you go and explore,’ Beverley suggested after they’d gulped down their drinks. ‘Let your mum and me have a quick chat, then you can help bring your bags in and I’ll show you which rooms are yours.’ She turned to Annabelle. ‘I’ve had to shift people around a bit because we didn’t know you were coming until last night. I’ve put you and Izzie together in one of the twin-bedded rooms and Jake is in with Sam – they’ve got bunk beds.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t want to put you to any bother, especially Kate, since she was kind enough to invite us.’
Beverley replied cheerfully, ‘There’s room for everyone, and you’re not putting Kate out at all. As I said, Kate and Brett have the master so they’re on the top floor out of the way, although Brett’s mother played her face when she thought no one was looking because it is the best bedroom in the house. A leopard doesn’t change its spots,’ she added cryptically.
‘Where is everyone?’ Annabelle asked.
‘Brett and his mother are on the golf course.’ Beverley pulled a face. ‘He manages a course near Pershore, so this is like a busman’s holiday for him. Apparently, the number one golf course in Wales is just over there.’ She pointed in the general direction of the road Annabelle had driven in on. ‘Kate and Ellis are at the stables fetching Portia, who has gone riding. Golf and riding!’ Beverley snorted. ‘They might as well have stayed at home. Only my Ron is doing seaside stuff.’ Her voice filled with pride as she added, ‘He’s taken Sam and Pepe to the beach. He’s marvellous with the boy.’
‘Sam must be thrilled to have a grandfather figure in his life,’ Annabelle said. What with Uncle Vern, Beverley’s husband, having died a while back, and Brett’s mother also being a widow, it must be nice for Sam and the girls to have an older man in their lives. She remembered her own grandad vividly, his penchant for wearing flat caps, his love of board games, the fossil hunting they’d used to do on Brighton’s pebbly beach – they’d never found any but it hadn’t stopped them trying.
Annabelle envisioned a kind of Captain Birdseye bloke, with white hair and a grizzly beard, skin weather-beaten after living on the street for such a long time. Briefly she wondered what his story was. She was about to ask, when the front door banged open and the sounds of voices and a dog barking excitedly floated up to them.
‘I’d better put the kettle on. Ron will be parched,’ Beverley said, getting another mug out of the cupboard and popping a tea bag into it. She saw Annabelle watching her as she filled the mug with boiling water. ‘You ought to see Helen’s face when she realised the house didn’t have a teapot. She wittered on about it for a whole five minutes, grizzling that it couldn’t be advertised as being “superbly appointed” when it didn’t have a teapot.’
Oh, dear, Annabelle thought. It appeared Beverley wasn’t too keen on Brett’s mother, and she guessed the feeling might be mutual. It was going to make for an interesting dynamic if Beverley and Helen didn’t get on.
Jake and Izzie burst into the room, their faces alight.
‘There’s a games room, and gym, and a TV room!’ Jake cried. ‘And a hot tub.’
‘And a little black dog,’ Izzie added, and Annabelle guessed that her daughter was referring to Aunt Beverley’s poodle.
Annabelle was just saying that she didn’t think the dog came with the house, when the dog in question trotted into the room and made a beeline for his mistress, who scooped him up and rained kisses down on his curly little head, as the creature’s pom-pom of a tail wagged furiously.
‘Did my precious boy have a good time with his Uncle Ron?’ Beverley cooed, as though she was talking to a baby.
‘He did,’ a deep masculine voice said, and Annabelle looked towards the door to see a rather handsome man in his mid-to-late forties stride into the room.
‘Hi, I’m Annabelle,’ she said, smiling.
The man’s gravelly chuckle gave her goosebumps and, as he came closer, holding out his hand, she noticed he had very nice eyes, and a frisson of interest rippled through her.
‘So I gathered,’ he said. ‘I’m Ron.’
As he grasped her hand in his, two things flashed into her mind. The first was surprise at the immediate attraction she felt, and the second was that Ron was considerably younger than she’d expected and far more good-looking.
