Sara Foster - Beneath the Shadows

Claire greeted her at the door.

‘Did you speak to Ben?’ Grace asked as she manoeuvred Millie’s pushchair inside.

‘Yes. He didn’t agree to show up, but he heard me out and said he’d think about it,’ Claire confided in a whisper. ‘I reminded him that there’s never going to be a perfect time for this. I’ve told Mum he might be coming – she grimaced and has avoided me since, so I’ve no idea what she makes of it. But that’s Mum for you. All my sisters have seen him already, so there won’t be any big reunions. It’s just him and Mum finally being in the same room together. Keep your fingers crossed for us all, won’t you.’

As she led Grace inside, two small boys ran past, the first one trailing a balloon while the smaller one tried gleefully to catch it.

‘Careful!’ Veronica said, appearing in a doorway and glaring at her children. ‘Sorry, guys, they’ve had too much lemonade today. We’re in for a heap of trouble tonight, I think.’

‘Millie’s asleep,’ Grace said, indicating the pushchair, its hood down.

‘Pop her in here then.’ Veronica opened the door to the lounge. ‘The heating’s on, so it’s nice and warm, and I’ve set the monitor up for you.’

Grace peeped inside. The room was softly lit by a small lamp next to the sofa, and she remembered Annabel sitting there, trying to interview Meredith. She looked at the tall witching post next to the fireplace and thought sadly of her sister – how she wished Annabel were here tonight, cracking jokes and being sarcastic.

Grace wheeled Millie’s pushchair over to one corner, checked her daughter was still asleep, then came out and gently closed the door. The dining room door was ajar, light blazing through the gap, and she followed Claire to join the party.

It was the first time she had seen all of Meredith’s daughters together. Veronica was next to Liza on one of the sofas, talking animatedly while pressing her hand against Liza’s protruding belly. Jenny sat opposite, her eyes on her sisters. The husbands were standing by the picture window, its curtains drawn. Dan wore a thick leather jacket, in contrast to Steve’s polo shirt and smart trousers. They looked unlikely friends, and as Grace watched, Dan said something with a chuckle that made Steve look uneasy. In the corner, three young boys were attempting to play Twister. Last of all, Grace spotted Feathery Jack, seated at the table on his own with a sherry glass in his hand.

Claire had gone to find her mother, and Grace looked around wondering who she should talk to. She was already beginning to regret coming, feeling like the spectre in the room that nobody had noticed.

‘Grace?’

She turned to see Meredith, her face stiff with that familiar veneer of politeness.

‘Hello Meredith, thank you for inviting me.’ She handed over a bottle of wine.

‘You’re welcome.’ Meredith took the gift and forced her smile a little wider. ‘There’s food on the side table, please, help yourself.’

Grace went obediently across to the buffet. As she picked up a plate, she surreptitiously looked back to see Meredith surveying the room. Slowly, her children stopped talking.

‘Well, come and eat,’ Meredith said to them, and they began to get up.

‘Ah’ll turn sixty-nine this year,’ a voice piped up behind Grace. She turned to find Feathery Jack hunched in a chair. His eyes were wide, as though he couldn’t quite believe his own words.

Grace wasn’t sure what she should say in reply. He looked far older. Her parents were already in their sixties, but retirement was rejuvenating them – they could easily be mistaken for Jack’s children.

‘Next year, Jack, you’ll be sixty-nine next year. The New Year hasn’t come yet,’ Claire added as she reappeared next to Grace. She didn’t get a response, nor did she seem to expect one.

‘Ah’s last of the old school,’ Jack added gruffly. ‘Rest gone to meet their maker.’

Grace didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, she began to gather food on her plate, then sat down at the large dining table. The others slowly joined her, and Steve took a seat opposite. ‘So, how are you finding living on the moors, Grace?’

‘I like it,’ Grace replied. ‘But I’ve got a lot to do. I wish I had more time to explore the area.’

Dan cut in. ‘No word from that husband of yours, then?’

All other conversation stopped.

‘Dan, leave her be…’ Claire sounded irritated.

‘I was only asking…’

‘Dan was in the police force for a while,’ Liza explained. ‘He had friends working on the investigation…’

Grace could feel her face burning with embarrassment as she met Liza’s eyes. The entreaty in them was clear, and Grace remembered her words as they had talked by the lake. I’m begging you not to get me involved.

Dan glared at his wife. ‘That’s right, Liza. And it’s the strangest case of a missing person that I’ve ever heard of…’

‘That’s as maybe, but I’m sure Grace doesn’t want to talk to us about it,’ Meredith said stonily.

Dan scowled and put his head down.

It seemed Meredith was able to silence her son-in-law easily, even though he was ready to pick a fight with his wife. Grace glanced gratefully at Meredith, but she was concentrating on her meal.

As Grace picked up her knife and fork again, she hoped the conversation was over, but the next voice was female, and obviously directed at her.

‘Don’t you feel scared, living out here alone with your baby? It’s pretty isolated. You must be lonely?’

Grace looked up to see Jenny observing her curiously.

‘Sometimes…’ she admitted. ‘But we’re adjusting…’

‘I don’t think I could live back here now,’ Veronica remarked. ‘No offence,’ she said as Meredith raised her head, ‘I’ve just got too used to having a supermarket on hand 24/7. I don’t know how you did it, Mum – I’m always running in there for something or other.’

‘You just need a better routine,’ Meredith said. ‘You have it too easy nowadays – it makes you lazy.’

‘No it doesn’t,’ Veronica cried. ‘Disorganised, maybe. Lazy, no.’

Meredith smiled thinly and began to help herself to more potato salad.

‘How old is your daughter, Grace?’ Jenny asked.

‘Millie is fifteen months.’ Grace couldn’t help smiling as Millie’s petite little face came into her mind. ‘She’s developing a strong will of her own already – though she hasn’t started walking yet.’ She looked across at Liza. ‘How long till your baby arrives?’

‘Five weeks,’ Liza replied. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘It changes your life, that’s for sure.’ Grace tried to catch Veronica’s eye for backup, and Veronica smiled but didn’t seem willing to comment. Grace fell silent again, feeling as though she had hit on an awkward subject.

She was relieved that everyone’s attention moved next to Claire, who was roundly berated for planning yet another trip abroad, with no sense of, in Dan’s words, ‘long-term responsibility’. Grace had always been a little envious of big families, but as she listened she realised that they could be quite claustrophobic too – particularly if everyone decided to gang up on you and tell you how to live your life. Perhaps that’s what had happened to Ben. She looked at the mantelpiece clock. It was after nine and there was no sign of him. It didn’t seem as though he were coming – which meant that she had a long night ahead of her with the rest of his family.

She had just finished eating when the conversation swung her way again. ‘So, Grace, how are you getting on with the cottage?’ It was Steve, Veronica’s husband, who had spoken.

‘Slowly,’ Grace admitted. ‘But hopefully things will speed up a bit, now all the festivities are out of the way.’