Lynda's stepdaughters
15 October 2009

Lynda and Robert have rushed off to visit Robert's daughter Coriander and her very new baby Oscar.

Alexandra Lilley
(Coriander Snell)

Although they came to Ambridge as a married couple in 1986, Lynda is Robert's second wife. After the divorce, Robert's daughters Leonie (born 1975) and Coriander (1974) lived with his ex-wife Bobo, who now lives in Spain.

Coriander - often known as Caz - works in human resources, and has been with her partner Justin since 2001. Justin and Robert always have plenty to talk about, as Justin is a computer expert, as Robert once was.

When they were children, there was a strong bond between the two sisters and they used to gang up against Lynda. But over the years Coriander has warmed to her stepmother. She can see that Lynda makes Robert happy and has come to accept their relationship. While Coriander and Justin see Robert and Lynda most Christmases, either in Ambridge or at their home, Leonie is a much less frequent visitor.

Leonie has always been much less sympathetic towards Lynda, and the feeling is mutual. Lynda feels that Leonie is directionless and unable to stick to a long-term relationship. So relations with the elder daughter have always been strained. Indeed, Leonie was the focus of the Snells' biggest-ever falling out.

In April 2001, Leonie asked Robert to lend her the deposit on a flat. Suspecting that the money would never be repaid, Lynda insisted that Leonie should learn to stand on her own two feet. Robert's determination to assist his eldest led to a blazing row and Robert disappeared to stay with "friends in Wales". Distraught Lynda wailed to Joe Grundy that they didn't have any friends in Wales, which rather bemused Joe. As he pointed out, lots of people don't have friends in Wales.

When Robert returned after a few days, he told a cowed Lynda that he was still going to lend Leonie the money. But even though he had decided to give his daughters a higher priority than before, he still had infinite love for Lynda too.

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