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Marionput up her hands in defeat. ‘Look,Ionly know whatI’veseen.Colinis a neighbour three doors down.Gotchatting oneday when he was mowing his front lawn, lovely garden he’s got, works ever so hard in it–’
‘Marion!’
‘Okay.Okay.Toldme he’d started seeing someone calledJan.JanWiscombeand didIknow her.’
Daisypointed a finger. ‘Stay.Right.There.’Joggingacross the shop floor she went into the back room, collected the packet of digestives and sat back down. ‘Spill.Tellme everything.’
Marionshifted uncomfortably. ‘Shouldn’tyou be talking to your mum about all this?Feelslike telling tales in school.’
‘Iwill talk toMumbutIneed to know what you know.’
Marioneyed the biscuits. ‘Ishouldn’t, but what with all the stress you’re putting me under.’Pickingone up she crunched into it with her perfect veneers. ‘Whatdo you want to know?’
‘Fullname.’
‘ColinBryce.’
‘Occupation?’
‘Retired.’
‘Fromwhat?’
‘Ohreally,Daisy!’
‘Fromwhat,Maz?’
Marionwrinkled her nose as far as it could,Botoxpermitting. ‘Somekind of engineering firm,Ithink.Heowned it and has passed it on to his daughter.’Shelooked vague.Mariondidn’t do engineering firms.
‘Sosolvent then?’
Marionbecame more animated. ‘Ohyes,I’dsay very.He’sgot one of the five-beds.They’reenormous.Drivesa very niceBMWtoo.’
‘Whydoes he need such a big house?’
‘HowwouldIknow?Helikes space?Probablyso the grandchildren can stay.He’sgot three he said.Theylive up country in theMidlandssomewhere.’
‘Why’she moved here?’
‘Daisydarling, why does anyone move here?It’sa nice place to live.’
‘Married?Divorced?’
‘Ithink he said his wife had died.’Marionwas visibly wilting under the verbal assault.
‘Oh.’
‘Thatenough gossip for you?Honestly, don’t ever tellJanIwas telling you all this.Shedoesn’t like me much as it is.’
‘Nonsense.Mum’svery fond of you.Youjust rub each other up the wrong way occasionally.’
‘Isthat what it is?’Marionsaid drily, taking another digestive. ‘I’mgoing to have to eat nothing but salad after all these biscuits.’
‘You’veonly had two.’
‘Darling,Ionly have to look at a carb before putting on three inches around the waist.’Pointinga half-eaten biscuit she added, ‘Youjust wait until you get to my age.’
‘I’mnot far off it,’Daisysaid gloomily. ‘Andstill manless.NotthatImind,’ she said hastily.Shufflingsome discarded ribbon boxes around randomly, she added, ‘I’mperfectly content.’
