by Anna Jacobs
Strange, how an evil deed had left her with a sunny-natured daughter whom she loved to distraction.
She didn’t understand why Dee seemed to treat everyone, herself included, so scornfully when she had such a nice father and a comfortable home. Janey had met others around that age who were similar. Glass half empty types? Or just teenage rebels? She hoped her little daughter wouldn’t grow up with such scorn for older people and the world generally because there was so much to enjoy in life.
She yawned and decided to go up and read in bed. Winifred, with whom she shared this house, was still watching an old movie, waxing sentimental over it, and mopping away occasional tears at particularly emotional bits. Well, at nearly eighty-six, her dear adopted aunt didn’t seem to need a lot of sleep and she well deserved her little pleasures.
After checking that Millie was all right in the next room, Janey got into bed, picked up her book, stared at the cover then put it down again. She felt sleepy and since she had to get up early in the morning to go to college, which meant taking Millie to the crèche first, this story would have to wait till next time to reveal more secrets to her.
In the morning, when she went down to the kitchen, Janey was surprised to see a large dog outside in their back garden, a golden Labrador busy sniffing its way round. Now, where had that come from? She always closed and locked the side gate. She definitely hadn’t seen this lovely creature before.
The mystery was quickly solved when Luke from next door poked his head over the fence and called the dog. But although it wagged its tail at the sound of his voice, it continued exploring, nose to the ground.
Feeling amused, Janey went out to see if she could help.
Luke brightened at the sight of her. ‘Sorry about my four-legged visitor trespassing. I’ll buy a new panel and block that hole in the fence as soon as the shops are open. Helly won’t hurt you. She’s a friendly creature – too friendly at times.’
‘Did you get her from the dog pound?’
‘No, I have two guests and she belongs to them. Um, do you want me to come round and grab her or can you guide her back to the hole and I’ll pull her through?’
Janey went up to the dog cautiously, to be greeted by furious wagging and a lick on the hand, so she caught hold of the collar and set off towards the fence. Helly seemed happy to walk along beside her and Luke had no trouble guiding her through the hole – and he too was licked enthusiastically as he bent down.
‘Thanks, Janey. I’ll put the wheelbarrow upside down across the hole till I can mend it. Come on, Helly. You shouldn’t go visiting till you’re invited.’
When Janey went back inside, she went across to Millie, who was sitting in her high chair busy covering her face with porridge. If that child continued to grow so quickly she’d soon outgrow the chair and need a booster seat on a normal chair. She was toddling about all over the house now, given half a chance, and they’d had to buy two stair gates to keep her safe.
By the time Winifred came into the kitchen from what had once been the servants’ quarters nearby, Janey had washed Millie’s face, put on their outer clothes and was ready to leave. She kissed the papery cheek of the woman she now called ‘aunt’, told her about the dog next door and left.
Another day’s lectures and tutorials lay ahead, with Millie being well cared for in the college crèche. Janey was enjoying her studies, and if her exam results were as good this year as last year’s had been, she thought she’d have a good chance of getting a place at university. Though how she’d manage that in practical terms, she wasn’t sure, because they were too far away from any university here in Sexton Bassett for her to commute.
And even if they had a crèche at the university, she wouldn’t be able to afford to rent somewhere, nor was she willing to leave Winifred on her own. Her aunt was very fit for a woman of her age, and fiercely independent, but even she agreed that she ought not to live on her own again.
If necessary, Janey would have to do her studying through the Open University and get a job. And though that would be second best, Millie’s and her aunt’s needs had to come first. Two years ago, she’d not have expected to have any chance at all of furthering her education – or known about her real father, who’d been living in Australia and come to England with his other daughter to find her when he discovered her existence.
She started the car her birth father had bought her and left for college. Her life was so much easier with her own transport. He was a clever man, and fun, and a great grandfather.
She sighed happily. You never knew what was round the corner in this life. But the changes of the past year had all been good ones. She was so lucky.
At Number 1 Peppercorn Street, Angus Denning was woken early by his phone buzzing. He got up, talking quietly, and tiptoed out, trying not to wake his wife. Nell had been working hard lately, because the woman managing the café in the small artists’ colony they’d set up at the lower end of their grounds had had a heart attack and would not be coming back.
The former manager, Ginger, was helping Nell out, but both women had other calls on their time. Dennings, his ancient family home, took a lot of looking after and Nell had grown to love it almost as much as he did. Hopefully they would soon find a suitable café manager among those who’d applied for the job. But the interviews weren’t till early the following week.
He chatted quietly to the person on the phone about a possible job for himself, not sure whether to be pleased or sorry about this. They always needed money to maintain the old house that had been in his family for several generations and as a troubleshooter for major IT programs, he could earn some rather useful chunks of cash. But he’d been intending to help Nell today, had been looking forward to them spending time together.
When she got up, he told her about the job offer. ‘I’m sorry, love. We’ll have to postpone our plans, I’m afraid. The money’s too good to turn down.’
‘Of course you must take the job, Angus. Ginger and I are coping.’
‘Then I’ll accept. It’s an intriguing problem, I must admit, and shouldn’t be happening. I shall enjoy sorting it out.’
She watched him leave. He’d be absent in spirit until he’d finished this job, she knew. He had amazing powers of concentration. Maybe that was why he was so successful.
It looked like rain outside, so she took a walk through the historic parts of the small stately home, the parts they charged people to look round. The beautiful rooms and their furnishings always made her feel good. It was a privilege to live here, a privilege to be able to contribute to the preservation of a historical treasure – and a joy to be married to Angus, after a disastrous first marriage.
She went upstairs and looked across towards the rear gardens of the houses at the top end of Peppercorn Street. Although Dennings was nominally Number 1, that was really as a postal convenience, she always thought, because it still stood in its own grounds, not quite on the street, surrounded by suburbia, a jewel in Wiltshire’s historical crown with a garden that was heritage listed in its own right as well as the house.
To her surprise, she saw a dog jumping up as if trying to see what was on the other side of the back fence of Number 5. Had Winifred acquired a dog? She hadn’t said anything about it when Nell collected the last lot of cakes Winifred had baked for the café.
The man who’d bought Number 4 Peppercorn Street a few months ago came out of the basement area and strode across to the fence, gesticulating at the animal. She could see his mouth moving but couldn’t hear what he was saying. At a guess he was calling the dog home. It must belong to him.
She smiled as she watched it ignore him till Janey came out and grabbed it by the collar. She had a soft spot for Labradors. Most of them had such lovely natures.
She hadn’t had much to do with the newest resident in the top end of the street, though she’d been briefly introduced to him. But she would no doubt get to know him better when the finer weather came. He had a teenage daughter, too, who seemed to wear
only black when she wasn’t in school uniform. It’d be nice to have some young people around again – even dressed in perpetual mourning.
When she had time to socialise again, she’d invite the newcomers to tea. But first she’d have to find a new manager for the café.
Chapter Five
Luke took Helly back inside the house, trying to scold her, only it was hard to scold such a friendly animal, who made you laugh by panting loudly and wagging at you whenever you spoke to her.
He looked up as he heard a sound from the visitors’ bedroom and hurriedly shut the dog in the kitchen before running up the stairs. If that was Claire waking up properly, she would wonder where she was and probably be upset not to recognise her surroundings.
Dee peered out of her bedroom as he reached the landing and he beckoned to her, guessing that her presence would make their guest feel safer.
Next thing he knew Helly came bounding up the stairs to join them. How had she got here? Surely he’d shut the kitchen door? He’d have to check the catch. Before he could stop her, the dog had slipped past his outstretched arm and disappeared into the bedroom where her owner was.
When Claire woke up she felt much more alert. She looked round, frowning as she found herself in a strange room where a lamp was shining beside the bed even though it was now daylight. She tried to sit up, but the room spun round her so she let her head fall back onto the pillow, such a lovely soft pillow. Lovely sheets against her cheeks, too. Quality always showed.
Where was Gabby? In sudden panic she turned her head from side to side, letting out a long breath of relief when she saw her daughter to her right, lying in another single bed, sprawled out like a starfish as always when she was fast asleep.
As she tried to figure out what was going on, Claire remembered the accident. Then things got a bit vague. Someone had come into the bedroom during the night and asked her questions.
Before she could make sense of it all, there was a sound from the door and Helly padded in, coming to stand by her bed, nearly wagging the clock radio off the bedside table.
She grabbed it and said, ‘Sit!’ before she dared let go of the clock again.
The dog looked at her reproachfully, as if this wasn’t fair.
‘Sit, Helly!’
With a sigh Helly obeyed her.
Claire sat up again, this time slowly, and found that if she didn’t make any sudden moves, the room didn’t spin round her.
‘You seem to be properly awake this time, Claire.’
She froze and stared across towards the door. ‘Who are you?’
‘Luke Morgan. We were in an accident together.’
‘Oh, yes. I remember you. Where am I now, though? I was in hospital last time I—’ She shook her head, relieved that he’d stayed where he was, near the door. But she still felt nervous.
‘You’re in my house. You agreed to come here, but you didn’t wake up last night after we left the hospital. And this is my daughter. You were asleep when she helped me bring your things into the house.’
A teenage girl stepped out from behind him, smiling tentatively. ‘Hi. I’m Dee. How are you feeling today?’
Relief ran through Claire and she immediately felt safer. ‘I’m much better, I think, just a bit confused as to how I got here. But I, um, need to use a bathroom before we talk any more.’
He stepped back and gestured to the right. ‘There’s one next to this room, which you and your daughter can use while you’re here. We put out some towels and toiletries for you. Would you like a cup of tea?’
‘Yes please.’
He stepped towards the stairs. ‘Give me a call when you’ve finished and I’ll bring you one up. Or just come down to the kitchen if you prefer.’
She checked that Gabby was still asleep, then turned to go next door, but moved too quickly and staggered, so had to let Dee steady her.
The bathroom was very old-fashioned but had all the necessary amenities. She locked the door before using them and afterwards stood frowning at her reflection in the mirror, thinking how awful the bruise on her forehead looked.
Why had he brought her and Gabby here? Were they safe? Of course they were. His daughter was here.
She felt too unsteady to clamber in and out of the bath to have a shower, so made do with a quick wash. She couldn’t resist using the hand cream, which smelt faintly of flowers.
When she went back towards the bedroom she had to steady herself with one hand on the wall and her right shoulder hurt when she moved it.
What had they told her at the hospital? Oh yes – she’d dislocated her shoulder in the accident and they’d put it back in place. Perhaps Luke would have some aspirin or something for the pain.
She could see that Gabby was still fast asleep, looking peaceful and rosy.
Dee came back as she prepared to let go of the door frame and walk across to the bed. ‘Shall I help you across the room?’
‘I’ll be all right if I take it slowly, but thanks anyway.’
‘I just want to say: it must feel strange to find yourself here, but don’t worry. You’ll be quite safe. Dad’s all right. For a man.’ Then she left the room.
He might be all right, but why had he brought her and her daughter to his home? That really worried Claire. She was a complete stranger and the accident hadn’t been his fault, so he had nothing to feel guilty about. Surely no one could be so altruistic?
He must have brought her straight here from the hospital. She’d have woken up if they’d gone to her home first. Which meant her computer was still in that horrible little bungalow. She’d be lucky to find it still there when she went back.
He appeared in the doorway, holding a mug from which steam rose. ‘Dee said you’d finished in the bathroom, so I thought you might like that cup of tea now.’
As he put it down beside her bed, she blurted out, ‘I need to get back home quickly. Would you be able to give us a lift if I wake Gabby up?’
‘Why? Is something wrong?’
‘My computer’s there. It could be stolen. It’s the only way I have of earning a living at the moment.’ She daren’t get a job openly, too much chance of her ex finding them through it. If she could just keep out of Martin’s way for a while, surely he’d give up trying to interfere in their lives? Or rather, interfere in Gabby’s upbringing. He had such old-fashioned views about children and couldn’t even talk to Gabby without lecturing her.
‘No need to worry, Claire. I brought your computer here last night, brought all your things, actually, because I didn’t trust that flimsy front door of yours to deter anyone. Gabby packed your clothes as well as her own.’
It was a moment or two before Claire could put any words together, she was so surprised by this. ‘And I didn’t wake up while this was going on?’
‘No. You were in the front seat of the car. I kept an eye on you. When we were loading your things, you stirred and murmured something a couple of times, but you didn’t really wake up, not even when I carried you up here. I think whatever they gave you for the pain had made you dopey on top of recovering from the anaesthetic.’
‘Oh.’ She reached up to rub her forehead, forgetting the bruise and winced. So did he.
‘I’m so sorry about the accident. I couldn’t stop the car in time.’
‘My fault. I was panicking, thinking I’d lose Helly if I didn’t catch her. She’d been shut up in the house for too long and needed a run. But one of the lads who hang around the building sites after the tradesmen have left started throwing stones at her and she took off running.’
‘Well, you don’t need to panic any longer.’ He gestured to Helly. ‘She seems happy enough here, and she’s been out into the garden this morning, so you can just concentrate on resting and getting better.’ He held out the mug. ‘I hope you like English breakfast tea.’
‘Thank you. I like any sort of tea.’ She cradled the mug in her hands then took a cautious sip. It wasn’t too hot, so she drank a couple of mouthfuls, then glanced at he
r daughter, who was still fast asleep.
‘They sleep like logs at that age, don’t they?’ he said. ‘My daughter was the same.’
‘Yes, they do. Um, do you have any painkillers?’
He snapped his fingers. ‘How stupid of me! They gave me some at the hospital and I forgot to bring them up.’
‘I don’t want such strong ones. How about a couple of aspirins?’
‘Can do. You’re probably right not to take something strong unless you absolutely have to. I won’t be a tick.’
When he returned, she took the pills from him and swallowed them, before lying back on the pillow, feeling tiredness roll across her like waves on a shore. She held out the empty mug, afraid of dropping it, and he took it from her.
Helly took up her position on the floor between the beds again.
Claire snuggled down and said thank you, literally unable to keep her eyes open any longer.
That nice girl had been right about one thing. She did feel safe here.
Luke went back upstairs half an hour later to check on Claire, but she and the child were sleeping soundly, with the dog still lying between their two beds.
He went back downstairs and read the morning paper for a while before getting his breakfast. He preferred real newspapers to reading them online and enjoyed a leisurely start to his day.
As he was finishing his meal, he heard slow footsteps on the stairs and hurried out into the hall in time to see Claire making her way carefully down the last few steps, holding on with her left hand and keeping her right arm against her chest. It must still be painful to use. Perhaps she should wear the sling they’d given her?
When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she let go of the bannisters then immediately grabbed them again. She must still be a bit dizzy.
