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Dec. 9th, 2009 10:58 pmCarlotta almost collides with a first former as she comes out of the common room.
"Careful!" She stops. "Oh, hallo Marigold, why are you over this side of the school?"
"I need to talk to you." her young cousin says, with a degree of urgency. She grabs Carlotta's arm and tugs her outside. "It's about Mary."
"Mary as in Father's lady friend?" Carlotta asks, tilting her head slightly. "She seems all right, makes him happy."
"It's this." Marigold says, handing over a photo. Carlotta looks at the lady in the picture, hugging another man.
"Is this her first husband?"
"No, this is Beatrice's father. I saw it on her locker. She said it was her stepmother who died when she was six."
Carlotta looks at the picture more closely. The man resembles Beatrice of the first form, and the woman looks very much like Mary, about five years younger.
"Mary's a very common name Marigold, maybe it's just someone who happens to look like her. Funny coincidence though."
"No, it's the same last name. I already checked that."
Carlotta sits down, looking at the picture again.
"I agree, it does look like her. But it can't be her, if Beatrice's stepmother is dead." she says sensibly. "Unless... you didn't say anything to her about recognising Mary did you?"
"Um, yes, I did. And she's crying in the toilet."
Carlotta winces. "Tell me which one, and I'll go and talk to her."
Marigold leads her to the first form bathroom, and Carlotta approaches the first former. This is not her forte.
"Beatrice, isn't it?" She sits down next to her. "What's up?"
"I worked it out, but I didn't want anyone to know." the little girl sobs. "Dad told me she'd died, but I noticed he got a letter later on in her handwriting. I steamed it open and... my parents split up."
Carlotta puts her arm around the girl gently.
"I'm sorry." she says. "I promise I won't tell anyone, and neither will Marigold, right Marigold?"
"Of course I won't tell."
"It's not just that." Beatrice says, wiping her eyes. "She was just using him, she took his money and presents and then left when she got the engagement ring."
Carlotta shoots a glance at Marigold. Perhaps this does require some investigation.
She helps calm down the first former, then goes back outside with Marigold.
"Not a word of this to anyone, including your sister." she says. "I need to think."
"Careful!" She stops. "Oh, hallo Marigold, why are you over this side of the school?"
"I need to talk to you." her young cousin says, with a degree of urgency. She grabs Carlotta's arm and tugs her outside. "It's about Mary."
"Mary as in Father's lady friend?" Carlotta asks, tilting her head slightly. "She seems all right, makes him happy."
"It's this." Marigold says, handing over a photo. Carlotta looks at the lady in the picture, hugging another man.
"Is this her first husband?"
"No, this is Beatrice's father. I saw it on her locker. She said it was her stepmother who died when she was six."
Carlotta looks at the picture more closely. The man resembles Beatrice of the first form, and the woman looks very much like Mary, about five years younger.
"Mary's a very common name Marigold, maybe it's just someone who happens to look like her. Funny coincidence though."
"No, it's the same last name. I already checked that."
Carlotta sits down, looking at the picture again.
"I agree, it does look like her. But it can't be her, if Beatrice's stepmother is dead." she says sensibly. "Unless... you didn't say anything to her about recognising Mary did you?"
"Um, yes, I did. And she's crying in the toilet."
Carlotta winces. "Tell me which one, and I'll go and talk to her."
Marigold leads her to the first form bathroom, and Carlotta approaches the first former. This is not her forte.
"Beatrice, isn't it?" She sits down next to her. "What's up?"
"I worked it out, but I didn't want anyone to know." the little girl sobs. "Dad told me she'd died, but I noticed he got a letter later on in her handwriting. I steamed it open and... my parents split up."
Carlotta puts her arm around the girl gently.
"I'm sorry." she says. "I promise I won't tell anyone, and neither will Marigold, right Marigold?"
"Of course I won't tell."
"It's not just that." Beatrice says, wiping her eyes. "She was just using him, she took his money and presents and then left when she got the engagement ring."
Carlotta shoots a glance at Marigold. Perhaps this does require some investigation.
She helps calm down the first former, then goes back outside with Marigold.
"Not a word of this to anyone, including your sister." she says. "I need to think."
