In the lavish world of 1970s high society, Madeline, once a poor relation, captivates the attention of a politician's son. Their story takes a sharp turn when Madeleine, now pregnant and abandoned, concocts a husband, Bill Shakespeare, to shield her...
"Until her fiancé's death." I nodded my understanding.
"Yeah... Now she's one of the b-b-best psychiatrists out there. Her name is on a-a-a lot of studies and stuff. She's b-b-brilliant, but it hasn't gone to-to-to her head. You'll like her. She's m-m-my favourite aunt."
Simon was right. It was impossible not to like his aunt Bex. The first to arrive, she greeted Aunt Odette with a flourish.
"Bottom, I've missed you!"
I sniggered, I couldn't help it. "Did she just call your mum, Bottom?" I whispered to Simon."
"Yup." He grinned.
Aunt Odette heard our exchange, but she too was smiling. "I was so relieved to go from Higginbotham to Peacock, but Bex refuses to let it go. Bottom is what my friends called me at school."
"You went to the same school?" I asked intrigued.
"Mm-hm." Bex nodded enthusiastically. "'Twas I who introduced her to my big brother. I knew they were made for each other." She paused. "You must be Maddie. I can call you Maddie, can't I?
"Of course, Miss Peacock."
"No, no, that will never do. You must call me Bex!"
"All right, Bex."
"Wonderful! Ah, here's my handsome nephew." She kissed Simon on both cheeks, the way I'd seen my father's European friends greet one another. "But where is my gorgeous niece?" she asked, raising an elegant white gloved hand to her chin.
Uncle Stirling cleared his throat. "Edith was told to stay in her room until I came to escort her to dinner."
"Ah! I see... Will you allow me, Stirling?" Bex winked at her brother.
Uncle Stirling smiled. "By all means, Bex."
"I looked up and noticed Edith watching us from her bedroom window. I shivered. Simon noticed and took hold of my hand.
"D-d-don't worry. It'll be a-a-all right."
"I hope so," I replied, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding."
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Author's Notes:
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Bex was a strong compound analgesic which was popular in Australia for much of the 20th century. It came in the form of APC tablets or powder, containing 42% aspirin and 42% phenacetin plus caffeine.
Bex became known as the "housewife's helper", and was promoted as a quick fix for everything from a headache to depression. Sadly, the ingredients were addictive, and the large doses of phenacetin ingested by habitual users were responsible for widespread kidney disease. Bex was also linked to kidney cancer. The phenacetin was removed from Bex in 1975. Today this combination of ingredients is no longer sold over the counter in Australia.
The expression "to take a Bex", became part of the Australian vernacular. It was used in a pejorative sense to indicate to an over-eager person that they should take a more relaxed attitude to a situation, in the same way people might say "take a chill pill," today.
Re: Aunt Bex's fiancé:Australia played a significant role in the Korean War (1950-1953) as part of the United Nations forces sent to support South Korea against the communist North Korean invasion. Australia's involvement began in 1950, and it continued until the armistice was signed in 1953. The Australian government, under Prime Minister Robert Menzies, committed both military personnel and resources to the conflict.
