Chapter Three

Venetia knocked on the door of her house: 18 Wessex Avenue and a girl who looked 17 or 18 answered the door.

"Hi Stacey this is Charlie"

"Hi Charlie, I'm Eustacia" she blushed I was 15 so I was probably in the middle of the two girls.

"Stacey's my sister she's seventeen, I'm twelve, Lucretia is twenty two, Paton is seven tomorrow, and Grizelda is twenty seven and married with a kid." Venetia took a breath "I helped Grizelda get a husband but he left her…" somehow this all felt familiar but I didn't recognize it at all.

A little kid ran in_ Paton I assumed.

"Hi!" he was bright and bubbly "I'm Paton what's your name?"

"Charlie"

"Charlie what"

"Edwards"

"Cool!" Paton ran off.

"Sorry about that" said a woman's voice. I jumped and looked up to see a beautiful blonde woman who looked very unlike her children who all had black hair. "He's exited about his birthday I'm Solange Yewbeam. Are you a friend of my daughters'?"

"Well we just met a few minutes ago…" I hoped she didn't kick me out of the house.

"Well I'm going to the greengrocers to get Paton some ice cream for tomorrow" She leaned into the room she had come from

"Grizelda, Lucretia come here!" she called

Two women who were identical other than a small height difference_ and the taller one held a baby

"I'm going to get Paton's ice cream you two are in charge_ Venetia and Eustacia have a friend over and Paton is over exited so make sure you keep an eye on them I'll be back soon" and with that the woman grabbed her keys and coat then left the house.

"Hi I'm Charlie… I'll guess you're Lucretia" I pointed to the slightly shorter one "and you're Grizelda" I pointed to the taller one.

"Yes" said Grizelda "and this is Lyell"

Something about the name Lyell stirred my interests but I couldn't understand why.

"Why can't your dad watch you?" I asked

"He's at work" said Eustacia still blushing

"Tomorrow is my birthday party will you came?" I whirled around and saw Paton Yewbeam grinning at me.

"Uh… sure" I hardly knew the kid but I wanted to sped time with his sisters_ well Venetia and Eustacia at least.

"Charlie lives in the woods!" announced Venetia. Yeah I had told her on the way here.

"AWESOME!" I was really starting to like this Paton kid.

"It's irresponsible" muttered Lucretia "why don't you just live with your parents?"

"They're dead" I responded

"Oh…" Lucretia looked sorry she had said anything "sorry…"

"S'okay" I somehow didn't care

"If mum let's you, you can sleep in Stacey and my's room"

"My's isn't a word Venetia" said Grizelda

"Now it is: I made it"

"Yeah" agreed Eustacia "Yeah it's now a word and yeah if mum says it's okay I would love to share with Charlie…" she blushed again.

"I'm home!" came a male voice and Paton ran off

"Daddy!" a man came in holding Paton with one arm and a briefcase with the other. Soon it was just Paton.

"Hello, who's your boyfriend?" he winked at Eustacia who blushed and murmured

"He's not my boyfriend and his name's Charlie Edwards" the man put down Paton and held out his hand

"Hello Charlie, I'm James Yewbeam" he smiled broadly.

Solange walked in smiling and holding a paper sack.

"You're home early" she commented and the two kissed after she set down the ice cream bag which Paton had started looking in

"Guys I'm in the room" he whined when he glanced up.

The younger girls giggled and the older ones rolled their eyes Charlie smiled a small smile. He felt like he belonged with these Yewbeam people somehow. As if they were his close relations that he'd never had.

Oh no… of course they seem like relations they're his aunts and uncles of different levels_ and grandmother and father for the gods' sake!