the
apple of her parents' eye. Then your sister came along, as an afterthought,
and immediately she was the favourite. And "the pretty one", too.'
She shrugged. 'That can't have been very nice. And not easy for any kid to
handle. So, maybe it's just common or garden jealousy.'
'From Queen of the Castle to the Queen in Snow White ?' Zoe pondered.
'Wel , you could be right, but I have the feeling there's more to it than that.'
'And it won't help that you're the image of your mum at the same age.' Adele
poured more tea into her mug. 'Though they weren't always bad
friends—according to Gran, anyway,' she added thoughtful y. 'There was a
time when they did things together—even went away on holiday. Although
even then your aunt behaved more as if she was her mother than her sister
by al accounts.' She pursed her lips. 'Maybe that's what caused the trouble.'
She paused. 'So what are you going to do? How are you going to manage, if
she's turning you out?'
Zoe grimaced. 'I'm going to have to find a flat—unfurnished.'
'Or even a small house. You'l miss the garden.'
'Yes.' Zoe's lip quivered suddenly. 'Among so many other things.' She forced
herself to smile. 'Maybe Aunt Megan's doing me a favour. I'd just been
thinking that my life could do with a whole new direction. This could be
exactly the impetus I need. I might even move right away from here.'
'Some place where the wicked Queen can't barge in, using her own key,'
Adele agreed. 'Although I'd miss you.'
'Wel , I won't be going immediately.' Zoe wrinkled her nose. 'My contract
stipulates one ful term's notice. But I can be looking—and planning.'
'You don't think some prince on a white horse is going to gal op up and
rescue you?' Adele asked, deadpan.
One already tried, thought Zoe, but he drives a Metro, and always stays
inside the speed limit. And, anyway, I'm not sure who'd be rescuing whom…
'Not in Bishops Cross,' she returned, also straight-faced. 'White horses can't
cope with the one-way traffic system.'
She finished her tea, and put the mug in the sink. 'I'd better arrange to have
my mother's things taken out and stored in the short term,' she mused
aloud. 'Aunt Megan mentioned a skip,' she added with a touch of grimness.
'And I'd put nothing past her.'
'Not after that picture,' said Adele. 'Pity about that. Nice and bright, I always
thought.'
'It's not terminal y damaged—just needs a new frame. I'l take it in with me
tomorrow.'
'It'l be awkward on the bus. And there's a framing shop a couple of doors
from where Jeff works. Why don't I ask him to drop it off for you on his way
to work? Then you can pop round in your lunch break and choose another
frame. Just tie a bit of paper and string round it, and I'l take it with me now.'
'Oh, Adele, that would be kind.'
Adele had always been a good neighbour, Zoe reflected as she hunted for
the string. And, after Aunt Megan, her cheerful practicality was balm to the
spirit.
'She's made a real mess of it,' Adele commented grimly as Zoe went back
into the sitting room. 'Even the backing's torn away.' She tried to smooth it
back into place, and paused. 'Just a minute. There's something down inside
it. Look.' She delved into the back of the picture, and came up with a bulky
and clearly elderly manil a envelope.
She handed it to Zoe who stood, weighing it in her hands, staring down at it
with an odd feeling of unease.
'Wel , aren't you going to open it?' Adele prompted after a moment. She
laughed. 'If it was me, I couldn't wait.'
'Yes,' Zoe said, slowly. 'I—I suppose so. But the fact is, it has been
waiting—for a pretty long time, by the look of it. And, as my mother must
have put it there, I'm wondering why she didn't tel me about it—if she
wanted me to find it, that is.'
Adele shrugged. 'I expect she forgot about it.'
'How could she? It's been hanging there over the mantelpiece ever since
she moved here—a constant reminder.' Zoe shook her head. 'It's
apple of her parents' eye. Then your sister came along, as an afterthought,
and immediately she was the favourite. And "the pretty one", too.'
She shrugged. 'That can't have been very nice. And not easy for any kid to
handle. So, maybe it's just common or garden jealousy.'
'From Queen of the Castle to the Queen in Snow White ?' Zoe pondered.
'Wel , you could be right, but I have the feeling there's more to it than that.'
'And it won't help that you're the image of your mum at the same age.' Adele
poured more tea into her mug. 'Though they weren't always bad
friends—according to Gran, anyway,' she added thoughtful y. 'There was a
time when they did things together—even went away on holiday. Although
even then your aunt behaved more as if she was her mother than her sister
by al accounts.' She pursed her lips. 'Maybe that's what caused the trouble.'
She paused. 'So what are you going to do? How are you going to manage, if
she's turning you out?'
Zoe grimaced. 'I'm going to have to find a flat—unfurnished.'
'Or even a small house. You'l miss the garden.'
'Yes.' Zoe's lip quivered suddenly. 'Among so many other things.' She forced
herself to smile. 'Maybe Aunt Megan's doing me a favour. I'd just been
thinking that my life could do with a whole new direction. This could be
exactly the impetus I need. I might even move right away from here.'
'Some place where the wicked Queen can't barge in, using her own key,'
Adele agreed. 'Although I'd miss you.'
'Wel , I won't be going immediately.' Zoe wrinkled her nose. 'My contract
stipulates one ful term's notice. But I can be looking—and planning.'
'You don't think some prince on a white horse is going to gal op up and
rescue you?' Adele asked, deadpan.
One already tried, thought Zoe, but he drives a Metro, and always stays
inside the speed limit. And, anyway, I'm not sure who'd be rescuing whom…
'Not in Bishops Cross,' she returned, also straight-faced. 'White horses can't
cope with the one-way traffic system.'
She finished her tea, and put the mug in the sink. 'I'd better arrange to have
my mother's things taken out and stored in the short term,' she mused
aloud. 'Aunt Megan mentioned a skip,' she added with a touch of grimness.
'And I'd put nothing past her.'
'Not after that picture,' said Adele. 'Pity about that. Nice and bright, I always
thought.'
'It's not terminal y damaged—just needs a new frame. I'l take it in with me
tomorrow.'
'It'l be awkward on the bus. And there's a framing shop a couple of doors
from where Jeff works. Why don't I ask him to drop it off for you on his way
to work? Then you can pop round in your lunch break and choose another
frame. Just tie a bit of paper and string round it, and I'l take it with me now.'
'Oh, Adele, that would be kind.'
Adele had always been a good neighbour, Zoe reflected as she hunted for
the string. And, after Aunt Megan, her cheerful practicality was balm to the
spirit.
'She's made a real mess of it,' Adele commented grimly as Zoe went back
into the sitting room. 'Even the backing's torn away.' She tried to smooth it
back into place, and paused. 'Just a minute. There's something down inside
it. Look.' She delved into the back of the picture, and came up with a bulky
and clearly elderly manil a envelope.
She handed it to Zoe who stood, weighing it in her hands, staring down at it
with an odd feeling of unease.
'Wel , aren't you going to open it?' Adele prompted after a moment. She
laughed. 'If it was me, I couldn't wait.'
'Yes,' Zoe said, slowly. 'I—I suppose so. But the fact is, it has been
waiting—for a pretty long time, by the look of it. And, as my mother must
have put it there, I'm wondering why she didn't tel me about it—if she
wanted me to find it, that is.'
Adele shrugged. 'I expect she forgot about it.'
'How could she? It's been hanging there over the mantelpiece ever since
she moved here—a constant reminder.' Zoe shook her head. 'It's
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