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Back What I Never Told you
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Dawn Goodwin
  3. WHAT I NEVER TOLD YOU
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Dedication
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. Acknowledgements
  55. About the Author
  56. An Invitation from the Publisher

Yeah, it’s a hardship for you alright. So much worse than the bungalow you were living in when your dad was married to Francesca.

Helen took a moment to find the words she should say rather than what she wanted to say. “I didn’t realise you felt that way.” She sat on the edge of the bed. Lydia scuttled further away. “Let’s be honest, Lydia, it’s not that much of a change. You are still in the same village you grew up in and going to the same school. You just happen to have moved into a bigger house with a few extra family members, that’s all. I thought you liked it here – with Mills especially? You two get along, don’t you?”

She shrugged, her face a picture of sadness.

“What is this really about?”

Lydia didn’t answer, just picked at a thread on her duvet cover.

Helen sighed. “Ok, I’ll tell you a bit about myself – but there’s not much to tell other than what you see. I grew up in this village, went to the same school as you, then moved away for a bit after school, had Mills, moved back and opened my shop where I met your dad. Nothing else to tell.”

“So how come when I have to do a project on family, I can’t add any details about your side because you haven’t shared any of them?”

“I wasn’t exactly close to my parents – and they’ve been dead for some time now. I have no siblings, it’s just me and Mills. There’s nothing else to tell. No secret past or anything like that.”

“Do you have any photos? Of what you looked like at school?”

Helen could feel her teeth pulling at the skin on the inside of her cheek, gnawing away.

“Um, I think I might somewhere. I could have a look.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

“What else is going on, Lydia?”

She looked like she was going to say something else, the moment hanging in the air like a comma, but then mumbled, “Nothing, I just feel like I should know more about you, that’s all.”

“Ok.” Helen stood up, hesitated, then said, “You know, you can talk to me about anything. I am here for you.”

Lydia ignored her.

Helen headed up to the attic room. The wooden stairs creaked and groaned as she dragged them down into place, the familiar smells of paper, stuffy air and dust welcoming her as she ascended into the darkness at the top of the house.