Page 75 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘It’s whatI’vedone, more like. Remember the dress I bought for her to wear to the party? I only went and bought the very same one that used to belong to Darlene.’

‘So? Is that any reason for her to have a paddy? I once went to an event that your dad’s firm held, only to find I was wearing the same dress as the MD’s wife. I’m not sure who was the most embarrassed. These things happen. It’s not the end of the world.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Harriet groaned. ‘It was Darlene’sactualdress. Her mam sold it to me at the boot sale.’

‘Yeah, thanks, Mam,’ Sara said, banging open the kitchen door and crossing her arms sullenly. ‘Everyone’s laughing at me. I hate you. Hi, Granny.’

‘Hello, Sara, bach. Come give your granny a kiss.’ Ginny held her arms out and Sara walked into her grandmother’s embrace.

Ginny held her for a moment, then pulled away and studied her. ‘Do you want to tell me about it?’

‘No.’ Sara hung her head. Harriet noticed that her face was blotchy, and guessed she had been crying again this morning.

‘If you don’t tell me, how can I help?’ Ginny asked, reasonably.

Sara shrugged. ‘I want to live with Dad.’ She shot Harriet a venomous glance from underneath her brows, then resumed staring at the floor.

‘I don’t think you want to do that,’ Ginny said.

‘I do! He wouldn’t have bought me a cast-off.’

Harriet drew in a breath. ‘Is that what Darlene called it?’

Ginny’s eyes widened. ‘Is that such a bad thing?’

Sara gave her an incredulous look. ‘Duh!’

‘Listen up, young lady – Bobby, switch the telly off and come here. He needs to hear this too,’ Ginny said.

‘Mam…’ Harriet warned. She had a horrible feeling she knew what her mother was going to say.

‘I know you want to protect them, but sometimes it’s better to know the truth,’ Ginny told her.

‘I’m not adopted, am I?’ Sara asked.

‘No, silly, you’re not adopted,’ her granny said. ‘Who wants a bacon buttie?’

‘Me! Me!’ Bobby yelled. ‘I had to get my own breakfast.’

Harriet pursed her lips. ‘You often get your own breakfast!’ she pointed out, saying to her mother, ‘He’s perfectly capable of pouring some cereal into a bowl and adding milk.’

‘I wanted toast.’

‘Tough.’ Harriet wasn’t in the mood for this. She watched her mam put a few more slices of bacon under the grill, and sighed. What a shitty weekend this was turning out to be.

Ginny wiped her hands on a towel. ‘Right, I want the pair of you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say.’ She gazed at them solemnly. ‘Your mother isn’t made of money.’ It was said with a kind of flourish and Harriet rolled her eyes.

‘Is that it?’ Sara asked. Bobby simply looked confused.

‘OK, let me explain,’ their grandmother said. ‘Since your dad left, your mam hasn’t found it easy to cope, financially.’

‘What does that mean?’ Sara interrupted.

‘Money has been tight,’ Ginny said. Harriet opened her mouth, but Ginny held up a hand. ‘It’s about time they knew the truth. You can’t keep it hidden from them forever.’

‘Keep what hidden?’ Bobby looked as though he was about to cry.

‘Your dad gives your mam some money to help pay the bills, buy food, and so on, but it’s not enough.’

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