Sara Foster - Beneath the Shadows

Annabel appeared moments later. ‘Has James gone already?’ she asked in surprise. ‘I heard his car.’

Grace nodded. ‘He said to say goodbye.’

Annabel had softened this morning. She perched on the arm of Grace’s chair. ‘What happened?’

‘He tried to kiss me last night…’

‘Really? I thought he was over all that…’ She leaned back and blew out her breath.

They sat without speaking for a little while, then Annabel sprang up. ‘Jeez, how could I have been so stupid? I’m running through so many things in my head right now, and seeing them differently.’

‘Really?’ Grace asked. ‘Like what?’

‘Well, like yesterday, for one. He followed you outside, a few minutes after you left – and came back in looking really annoyed, saying he’d seen you walking off with Ben.’

Grace felt obliged to explain. ‘I met him when I went out, and he offered to walk with me…’

Annabel said nothing in reply. Grace couldn’t decipher her expression.

‘Bel, are you interested in Ben…?’

Annabel looked at her, amused. ‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘He’s just the most handsome bloke around here to have some fun with. Anyway, he lives in Australia, Grace – I’m all for long-distance romance, but that’s taking it a bit far.’

They were interrupted by a loud crash. James marched into the lounge, leaving the front door wide open, an icy blast of air rushing through the cottage. His face was an angry red.

‘The road is coated in black ice – the bloody car keeps skidding on the damn hill. I can’t even get out of this sodding place…’

‘You’ll never get past the schoolhouse,’ Annabel said. ‘It’s really steep.’

There was a rap on the door, and a moment later Ben poked his head into the lounge room. ‘I heard you having trouble out there, mate,’ he said, looking at James. ‘Can I give you a hand? If you’re able to turn the car around I’ll tow you up this way. It’s not as steep – you can still get onto the motorway, it’s just a bit of a longer way round.’

James muttered a curse, and stormed out again. Ben looked across at the two women in confusion, and then followed James.

Annabel went over to the window, Grace behind her. Soon after the men disappeared, they heard the distant noises of engines, then saw Ben’s Land Rover go past, closely followed by James’s hired Passat, both men staring grimly ahead.

‘Poor James,’ Annabel said, one eyebrow raised, and then collapsed in laughter. Grace joined in, but it felt more like a necessary release than true mirth.

When Annabel sobered, she patted Grace’s arm. ‘Don’t worry, Grace, he’ll be fine – he loves you too much just to disappear out of your life.’

Annabel hadn’t seen his crushed expression last night, Grace thought, but she hoped her sister was right. Then she registered what Annabel had said.

He loves you too much just to disappear out of your life.

Had Adam not loved her enough? Was that it? Should she be trying to come to terms with it and move on, rather than dredging through the past like this?

It would mean letting go of her faith in him. Was she ready to do that? What if one day, against all the odds, he reappeared, and after he explained, she would understand.

But she didn’t really believe it would happen. Such ideas might release her fears for a while, but in the long term she was binding herself to empty promises. Because if she really knew Adam as well as she thought, then the only reason he wouldn’t come back was if he couldn’t.

By the time they walked up to the schoolhouse to see Meredith, the snow had receded to the point where they could crunch through it in their Wellingtons; but now it glittered with crystals, forming patches of slick ice, and it took them twice as long to reach the gravel drive as it had done the last time. Grace was glad they had taken Millie in the pushchair, as it was slightly less precarious than carrying her.

‘Meredith definitely agreed to this?’

‘Relax, Grace, she was fine about it,’ Annabel replied, trudging along next to her.

Before they’d even turned off the road, they could hear children squealing. As they watched, three boys raced into view, padded out in thick coats, hats, scarves and gloves. They stopped their chase for a moment, gaping at Grace and Annabel.

‘Is your grandma here?’ Grace asked, at which the youngest boy came over, took her by the hand, and pulled her along towards the side of the house, leaving Annabel and Millie behind.

‘No!’ Grace said in protest, having to run to keep up, ‘I think she’d rather we knocked.’ But the child just giggled, and then burst through a door into a large kitchen. For a brief moment Grace hoped she might be able to sneak out again, but a couple she had never seen before had abruptly curtailed their conversation and turned to stare.

‘Sorry,’ Grace said, as the boy who had brought her disappeared through another door. ‘I was looking for Meredith.’

‘Ah,’ said the woman, coming forward with her hand outstretched. ‘You must be Annabel. Mum said you were coming. I’m Veronica, her eldest, and this is my husband Steve.’

Veronica was wearing jeans and a jumper, but Steve was in a suit and tie, as though he had just come from work. As he came across to shake Grace’s hand, Meredith’s dog Pippa barged through the inner door. The animal flew across the room, jumping up at Grace and sending her staggering backwards beneath its weight. Grace tried to catch the dog’s paws to steady herself, but she was pushed out of the kitchen door into the garden, landing with a thump on the snow.

Annabel rounded the corner with Millie, as Steve rushed outside and grabbed the dog’s collar. ‘Pippa, come here,’ he ordered, leading her back indoors.

‘Are you all right?’ Veronica asked apologetically, offering Grace a hand up. ‘I’m sorry. Bobby shouldn’t have let her out.’

‘I’m fine,’ Grace said when she was on her feet, dusting herself off. ‘I’m Grace. This is Annabel.’ She looked towards Annabel to find that her sister was almost doubled up laughing, and gave her a pretend scowl. ‘And this is my daughter, Millie.’

Millie was leaning forward in the pushchair, her mouth hanging open as she looked between her mother and the door where the dog had disappeared.

‘Come on in,’ Veronica said. ‘We’ll give Mum a shout. Hasn’t this weather been awful? Mind you, it keeps the kids busy – they’ve been out playing in it all day.’

Once they were inside, Steve indicated an open bottle of wine. ‘Can I get you both a drink?’

‘One of those would be lovely,’ Annabel agreed.

‘Water’s fine for me, thanks,’ Grace said. ‘Did you all have a good Christmas?’

‘Great, great,’ Veronica replied. ‘The snow’s made it difficult to get back to Ockton, so we’ve been staying here. I don’t think Mum was banking on us all being here for so long, but she’s coping very well.’

‘She loves it,’ Steve said. ‘I’ve given her a shout, she’ll be here in a second.’

At that moment, Meredith appeared. As usual, the older woman had composed her expression to one of courteous welcome, and it was impossible to tell if there was genuine feeling behind it.

‘Hello, Meredith,’ Annabel said, but Meredith was looking at Grace.

‘I didn’t know you were coming, Grace.’

Grace was caught off-guard – was she not welcome now? ‘I wanted a word with you.’

The older woman’s eyebrows rose a fraction. ‘Come through to the lounge, then,’ she said.

Grace unbuckled Millie from her pushchair, and followed Annabel through the house. They entered a cosy lounge room where a fire was blazing. Pippa sat by the hearth, and began to get up as they approached, until Meredith commanded, ‘Stay.’ The dog lay back down again and put her head on her paws.