never got the chance to ask Dad. Mum died three years ago, but it was only recently that I finally went through the last of her papers. When she was dying, she said sorry and told me to visit and lay the ghosts to rest. I had no idea what ghosts she was talking about.’ Belinda rubbed her face distractedly. ‘It was the final box of papers that really made me realise there were things I did not know about. There were certain things missing that should have been there. Like a marriage certificate and divorce papers.’
Anouk nodded and sighed. ‘I went to your father’s wedding, you know.’
‘You did? So they were married, even though I didn’t find a marriage certificate.’ Belinda’s voice died away as Anouk shook her head.
‘Not his wedding to your mother – Jean, wasn’t it?’
Belinda nodded miserably.
‘This was his first marriage. Helena Colbert was a local girl, in fact she’s a distant relation of mine through my father’s family. Younger than me, but we’d see each other at family get-togethers. Enzo and Helena grew up together and from an early age it was understood by everyone that they would end up marrying each other.’ Anouk sighed. ‘They were both so young, still teenagers. It was a beautiful day, Helena looked like a picture-book bride and Enzo couldn’t take his eyes off her. Three months later, Helena was pregnant.’
Belinda caught her breath. Did that mean she had a sibling, or even siblings, somewhere?
‘The two of them were apparently giddy with excitement at the thought of being a family. Sadly, the child was stillborn.’ Anouk paused for a few seconds. ‘And the bubble that ’ad encased their love and their lives burst. Helena went to pieces and then one day she just disappeared. No one heard anything about her for years. Her parents were devastated. Blamed Enzo, of course. They died still not knowing where Helena was.’
‘That must have been very difficult for them,’ Belinda said, trying to get her head around everything Anouk was telling her.
Anouk nodded. ‘Enzo too was beside ’imself. His parents were good to him though and understood when he said he ’ad to get away. It was nearly six years before he came back, with a woman we all assumed was his new wife and you.’
‘Had anyone heard from Helena in the meantime?’ Belinda asked.
‘No. Her parents were dead, there were no brothers or sisters.’
‘Right, so Mum and Dad just settled down in the village near my grandmother and lived happily. I mean I had a lovely childhood, they rarely argued, I assumed my parents were happy together. I also assumed, of course, they were married. My parents were known as Mr and Mrs Belrose. Dad’s named on my birth certificate. So what happened thirty-five years ago that made my mother run away?’
‘Helena came back,’ Anouk said simply. ‘And all hell broke loose because…’ Anouk took a deep breath. ‘She told everyone Enzo was still married to her and she wanted him back. And that was the gist of the scandal: Enzo was living as a married man with a woman who wasn’t his wife. The devout churchgoers around here couldn’t accept that easily.’ Anouk looked at Belinda. ‘What was regarded as a scandal then wouldn’t cause such a furore now. Marriages break up and people move on these days with no stigma attached.’
Belinda stood up. ‘I think I’m ready for that drink now.’ She went into the kitchen and fetched the tray Fern had prepared and carried it out to the conservatory. She poured them both a glass of wine and handed one to Anouk and pushed the plate of sandwiches Fern had left for them towards her.
‘So, Mum thought she’d be the laughing stock of the village – or worse,’ Belinda said, finally able to fill in the blanks. ‘And she ran away taking me with her, leaving Dad with Helena. I thought that Dad had had an affair.’ Belinda smothered a sigh. For years she’d blamed her dad’s affair for being the sole reason behind her mum leaving him and ruining their lives. Learning about Helena made it impossible not to feel a degree of sympathy for both her parents. But being secretly married to someone else was far worse than having an affair. Her dad might have been caught up in the middle but he was still guilty of letting her mum and herself down. Wasn’t he?
Belinda helped herself to a sandwich before glancing at Anouk. ‘That’s half the