“I see,” Mum said. Although her confused expression highlighted the fact that she didn’t. Horror swept across her face. “India didn’t kill it, did she?”
“No.” Sal gasped. “How could you ask that?”
In my mind it was a fair question.
Sal sighed. “If you must know, she saw the death as an opportunity to practice her mourning skills.”
“You’re joking,” I said.
“Worse than that, it would seem she has a talent for it. According to the head, my daughter’s wailing was so realistic the whole class is in tears.”
Picturing the scene, it was my turn to hide my amusement.
“Twenty-odd children, all bawling and howling.” Sal shook her head. “I swear she gets it all from her father.”
Sat there in a replica Princess Diana dress, next to a mother who couldn’t see what was wrong with that, I wasn’t so sure.
“Tess, are you all right giving me a lift?”
Realising India had bought me some time to organise my thoughts, which meant my conversation with Mum could wait, I nodded and rose to my feet. “Just let me get out of this.” I looked down at Mum’s wedding-dress-come-heirloom, determined never to set eyes on it again.
However, as Mum stood up too it was clear she had other ideas. She headed for her wardrobe and pulled out a humongous garment bag. “Hurry up.” She indicated the gown. “I need to pack that up so you can take it with you.”
Chapter 18
Leo reached over and squeezed my hand as we drove down the seemingly endless drive. “I’m looking forward to this.”
“Me too,” I replied, slouched in my seat.
Leo raised an eyebrow, as he glanced my way. “You don’t look like you are. Otis appears more excited.”
I twisted round to see Otis with his head poking out of the rear door window. His jowls flapped about as the wind hit his face and I managed a smile at the sight, before returning my attention to the road in front. Checking out our potential wedding venue should have been a welcome distraction. However, try as I might, I couldn’t get the dilemma of Mum’s Princess Diana heirloom out of my head. “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
I cocked my head, unable to believe he had to ask.
“Ah. The dress.”
I scowled. “It’s not a dress, Leo. It’s a cross between a giant meringue and an embroidered yurt.”
Leo tried not to laugh. “It can’t be that bad.”
“You wanna bet?”
“It’s a great gesture though, don’t you think? Passing something down the generations like that.”
I sighed, wondering why Leo had to be so nice about everything. “I get the sentiment. Why do you think I feel in such a dilemma? But it’s all right for you. You don’t have to wear it.”
“Neither do you,” Leo said.
He might have been right, but that didn’t make turning my mother’s offer down any easier. “You didn’t see Mum’s face when I put it on. You’d have thought we were looking at two different gowns.” I stared out of the window. Taking in the age-old trees surrounding us, our destination seemed to be in the middle of a forest. “I can’t believe the way she’s trying to hijack everything. If you ask me, the woman’s not normal.” I fell silent for a moment. “I bet your mum wouldn’t behave like mine.”
“Patricia’s just being Patricia.”
I stared at the man, unimpressed. Having guilted me into letting Mum get involved in the first place, it was his fault I was in such a mess. “I can’t help thinking there’s more to it.”
“Like what?”
