The Other Bill Shakespeare

13. Odette - In the Lounge Room, Christmas Eve 1968

Bringing Madeline into our home has been both wonderful and terrible. Wonderful, because the way she acts, and speaks, is so like India, that I can't help but smile. Terrible, because it's a constant reminder of my mistake. 

I chose the wrong sister. It took me a long time to accept that truth. India and Guiliano are gone, so I can't make it right. I still haven't forgiven myself. I don't think I ever will.

Of course, I knew that Madeline would find out eventually. I just...didn't think it would be so soon.

Bex fetched the girls. Madeline had regained much of her colour, and was looking considerably better. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Edith was still very attentive towards her.

"I'm so sorry, Aunt Odette," Madeline  said as she sat down.

"What are you apologising for? What happened isn't your fault, Maddie!" Edith exclaimed.

"But, I embarrassed you all at dinner," Madeline replied meekly.

Bex was immediately riled. "Nonsense. If anyone should be embarrassed, it's Elizabeth Sturrock. What ghastly behaviour!"

"Have I been...like that?" Edith asked.

"Yep." Simon answered, before anyone else could.

"Oh man, I...I didn't realise."

"We kn-know." Simon said.

Madeline rounded on him. "Simon, stop it! Edith is really trying,"

"Yep, very t-t-trying." Simon rolled his eyes..

"Simon, don't! Didi needs your support right now, not your ridicule. She's acknowledged her faults and wants to work on fixing them. I think that's a very brave thing to do." Madeline reached for Edith's hand. "Thank you for looking after me tonight, Didi. I really appreciate it."

Madeline's declaration brought tears to my eyes. "Oh Madeline, you are so like your mother."

I'd been trying to be strong, yet here I was, crying again. Poor Madeline was confused by my tears.

"Is...that a bad thing?" she asked.

"No, no, it's a wonderful thing!" I smiled.

"Then, why are you crying, Mum?" Edith asked.

"I'm about to tell you, Edith. That's why I gathered you all here." I took a deep breath, determined to begin, but the words wouldn't come. I closed my eyes and took another breath. "Forgive me, this isn't easy for me. I...I don't know where to start."

"Start at the beginning, Love," Stirling said.

"Do you know how your parents met, Maddie?" Bex asked.

"Only the basics," Madeline replied. "Mum was gone by the time I'd started school, and dad didn't like talking about the past, so I wouldn't mind hearing the story from you, Aunt Odette, that is...if you don't mind."

I nodded and cleared my throat. "All us girls went to the secretarial college in town. We had to catch a bus and then a train to get there. The train departed ten minutes after the bus arrived, but it took at least five minutes to walk from the bus stop to the station, so you couldn't dawdle. India knew this, and yet she'd often dillydally at the bookstore near the bus stop. She'd barely make it.

"One day, her skirt caught in the train door as she was hurrying aboard and it was torn. It wasn't a discreet tear either. Luckily, she was wearing a cardigan as it was a cool day, and she was able to maintain some degree of modesty by tying the arms around her waist. However she couldn't go to college like that.