A Hidden Life by Adèle Geras

we could consider perhaps …’ He paused. ‘The thing is, there’s no way I can contest this will through the courts. I had a long chat with Andrew Reynolds and he says that Mother was perfectly composed and sane when he saw her, and her nurses and the doctor haven’t said a word about any – well, any change in how she normally was. So the thing is, it’s up to you, Justin. To do what I reckon would be the right thing. Have you thought, for instance, about the possibility of selling the property and dividing up the proceeds? If everyone’s honest, neither you nor Nessa actually wants to live in a huge old pile miles away from any of your businesses or work concerns. Isn’t that true?’
    â€˜Well, no, as a matter of fact.’ Justin pushed the hair out of his eyes and leaned back in his chair so that he was balanced on its back legs. Nessa wondered how long Phyl would last before she asked him to stop doing that. During their childhood it had been one of her more predictable exhortations and the ghost of
if you can’t sit properly at the table, then please just leave and go to your room
was practically visible, floating over them all. Nessa caught her stepmother’s eye and wondered if she could see it too. Obviously not, as she looked away at once and went on eating without much enthusiasm.
    â€˜I haven’t thought about dividing it up. Of course not. D’you think I’m mad? I’m going to live there and I’m going to do great things, you see.’ Justin was smiling now. I’m very sorry that Nessa is pissed off and it’s bloody awful that Lou’s been cut out altogether, but hey, that’s none of my doing so I don’t see why I’m the one that’s got to be punished for it.’
    â€˜What about you, Nessa?’ Matt looked at her.
    â€˜What about me? What have I got to do with anything? It seems that Justin’s made up his mind and if he won’t listen to reason then we’re stymied.’
    â€˜I get it.’ Justin’s face was going red. ‘What you think, and what Dad thinks, is reason and what I think is crap. Is that it?’ He never could argue calmly. He always lost it, Nessa thought, mentally patting herself on the back for at least staying cool during an argument.
    â€˜That’s just typical,’ he continued. ‘It’s what you’ve always done, Nessa, our whole life. You just sit there looking superior and as if you don’t care and you do … I know you do. It’s eating you up, the fact that I’ve got the house and you haven’t. And if you ask me,
that’s
not fair. Anyone would think she’d cut you off without a farthing the way you’re carrying on. You always do carry on, though, don’t you? Nothing’s ever good enough.’
    â€˜For heaven’s sake, Justin. You’re acting like a child. In fact, that’s your problem.’ Nessa leaned towards her brother to make her point more forcefully. ‘You’ve never grown up!’
    â€˜Enough of that!’ Phyl spoke for the first time since the beginning of the meal, sounding exactly as she used to long ago when she was settling stupid disputes between the two of them. ‘Both of you are behaving like kids, and you aren’t the ones who are hard done by, either of you. Why isn’t Lou making a fuss? She’s the one with grounds for complaint, I’d have thought.’
    â€˜Sorry, Phyl,’ said Nessa.
    â€˜Yeah, sorry …’ said Justin, and his sister heard him putting a smile into his voice and saw the effort it took to transfer the smile to his face. Still, you had to hand it to him, he was good at pretending. Everyone else, Nessa felt sure, would be thinking sweetness and light had been restored, but she could tell that Justin was still fuming and what’s more, longing to be out of there. Well, welcome to the club,little brother,