11 The Teashop on the Corner Read Online Free PDF Page B

she had been a good wife to Gram . . .
Graham
, a great support to him. And, best of all, Graham seemed to love her,
really adore her. Once upon a time, Molly had feared he wasn’t capable of love. He had always found it so hard to form attachments. At school he had no real friends, and he’d been a
loner at college. Molly had wanted to believe that it was because he was so very bright, and the super-intelligent sorts often had a problem socially, didn’t they? But deep down, though she
fought against admitting it to herself, she knew it was because Graham Edwin Beardsall was inherently unlikeable.
    Molly heard the tell-tale creak of the third bedroom floor upstairs, the one where she kept her computer and all her paperwork locked away in her desk. She’d lived in the house long enough
to recognise every groan and whisper the wood made. Was Sherry in there and if so what was she doing? She wished Margaret were here. Margaret had the effect of citronella on flies where Sherry was
concerned.
    As if by blessed magic, Margaret’s head poked around the door. ‘Only me, darling. Is the kettle on?’
    ‘It’s always on for you.’ Molly leapt up from her seat to get out a cup for her twin sister. They had been identical in looks until their early teens when Molly lost weight and
Margaret found it and suited it, so it stayed. Molly had remained dainty and thin – too thin, Margaret told her often, and bossed her into clearing her plate whenever they ate together.
Personality-wise, Margaret had always been bossier, bolshier and more confident. Those qualities had propelled her career forwards to the top of the nursing tree, whilst Molly’s gentler, less
ambitious nature had served her well as a doctor’s receptionist in the small local village practice.
    The other way in which they differed was Margaret’s secret
gift.
Although it had been more of a curse to her.
    Margaret wafted the air in front of her nose. ‘What is that smell?’
    It was Sherry’s perfume. Cloying and thick, it welded itself to the insides of nasal passages. The army could have used it as a replacement for CS gas.
    Margaret noted the large, gaudy leopardskin handbag and paired it to the smell pervading the room. There was only one person she knew who might carry around a bag like that. Barnsley’s
answer to Bet Lynch with a thyroid problem.
    ‘Not alone, I see.’
    ‘Sherry’s upstairs.’
    On cue, the toilet flushed and Molly thought she must have been mistaken about the bedroom. Sherry was in the bathroom after all.
    ‘Sounds like a herd of elephants,’ said Margaret, as Sherry’s leaden footsteps began to descend the staircase. ‘I’m presuming the diet hasn’t
worked.’
    Molly held a finger to her lips. ‘Behave,’ she warned.
    ‘Fee fi fo fum . . .’ said Margaret, mischievously, winking at her reproving sister.
    ‘Oh, hello Margaret,’ said Sherry, re-entering the room. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’
    I’ll bet
, thought the twins in mental unison.
    ‘Hello, Sherry,’ smiled Margaret. Molly knew it was her fake smile because she was baring her teeth and she never did that with her genuine smile. ‘How nice to see you again.
How’s the family?’
    ‘Very well, thank you. Gram is working hard as usual and Archie is in his second year at university now.’
    ‘What’s he studying?’
Crab-torturing? Genocide?
    ‘Sociology.’
    Sociopathy more like
, thought Margaret.
    ‘He’s a brain box. Just like his father,’ said Sherry proudly.
    ‘I’ve forgotten what they both look like,’ said Margaret, holding on to that scary smile which looked as if it had been fixed by rigor mortis. ‘I don’t think Graham
had started puberty the last time I saw him.’
And had it been up to me, I’d have drowned the little bugger before he got to it as well.
    ‘Ha ha,’ laughed Sherry. ‘I think our wedding came after puberty. He’s very busy. He wishes he could spend more time with his mother, of course.
C’est la