Skeletons Read Online Free PDF Page A

Eldest?’
    ‘Both. I’m the only one.’
    Poppy had stopped in her rummaging and looked at her as if that was the strangest concept she had ever heard. ‘God. Grim.’
    Jen, who was used to people telling her she was lucky to have all of her mother’s attention, or not to have to wear hand-me-down clothes or share a bedroom, had screwed up her face in response. ‘It is a bit.’
    ‘Hey, do you want to come to this party?’
    ‘Oh, I don’t –’ Jen had started to say, but Poppy had continued, ‘Shit, no, Jason won’t go. He hates all my friends. Come without him.’
    Jen had laughed. ‘Better not.’
    ‘Well, next time.’
    ‘Great.’
    ‘Or we could meet up in London. I mean, if you’re going to be part of the family we really should get to know each other properly.’
    ‘Bit early for that, I think. I wouldn’t buy a hat yet –’
    ‘Oh no, he’s got to settle down with you. He’s got no choice. I’ve always been terrified he’d marry some girl I didn’t like. Can you imagine what that’d …? Well, no, I don’t suppose you can.
And that lot all love you too, I can tell,’ she’d said, indicating the downstairs.
    And, just like that, Jen had acquired a best friend.
    At some point, when they were sitting around the table after lunch, Poppy had produced a tin full of old photos and proceeded to show Jen every embarrassing haircut Jason had ever had – along with pictures of him in fancy dress, or school plays,
or dressed as a page boy for a cousin’s wedding. To Jen he had looked adorable in every different incarnation, but what had captivated her more, what she could hardly bear to tear her eyes away from, was what was around him. The crowded messy life of a family – happy, smiling, pouting,
sulking, it didn’t matter. They were an entity, a team, a gang.
    And all the while Amelia had beamed, as if all she had ever desired was right there in that room, and Charles had sat at the head of the table smiling, making jokes, making his children laugh, making Jen feel at home. A patriarch completely happy
with his lot.
    By the time she and Jason had left to go home, a few days later, she was in love with them all in different ways.
Even Jessie. She had nearly refused to leave, climbed up on the roof and claimed
squatter’s rights. She’d wanted to stay in that overstuffed, noisy,
alive
house for ever and be a part of their lives. They were everything she had always imagined the perfect family would be. She’d known that, more than anything, she wanted to join this clan. She
had wanted to turn the clock back to her lonely childhood so they could adopt her.
    About a week later, Jason had asked her to move in with him and she hadn’t even hesitated before saying yes. Over the years, they had all become such important allies in her life that on the (very) rare occasions she and Jason had a fight
that lasted into the evening, what kept her awake wasn’t worrying about who would get the house, it was how she would be able to win custody of her in-laws.

6
    Jen lived in a permanent state of feeling bad where her own mother was concerned. Lived with the guilt while steadfastly refusing to do the one thing that would ease it, which would have been to make the trip to see Elaine more often. She knew
that her mum looked forward to their visits like, she imagined, Lindsay Lohan looked forward to the pub opening. She always got a cake in, even though Jen had told her a million times that she was trying to go cold turkey where sugar was concerned. And then Jen would feel she had to eat a
slice, but was resentful at the same time, so she’d end up with all the calories without even any of the enjoyment.
    Elaine would make a list between visits of all the things she wanted to remember to tell her daughter and, every time, Jen would catch herself sneaking a look to see if her mother was getting near to the end and she could make her excuses and
leave.
    She knew she had to be there. She wanted to be there,