by Agatha Frost
“Can you drive me to the station?” Barker asked as he checked his watch. “If we drive fast, I could catch the train in seven minutes.”
“Jessie is already waiting outside,” Julia said, holding the door open for him. “Let’s go. We’ll get you there.”
Barker was in such a rush he didn’t ask why Jessie was outside. He grabbed his hastily packed overnight bag and ran for the door, motioning for Julia to hurry. She dumped some cat biscuits in Mowgli’s bowl, grabbed her bag and keys, and ran after him.
“Barker needs a lift to the station,” Julia said, her eyes wide, hoping Jessie would pick up what she was dropping. “He’s going to London for the night, for meetings.”
“What?” Jessie replied, her face scrunching. “Oh. Gotcha. Yeah, sure. Get in.”
Barker jumped into the backseat, and they sped towards the train station. Jessie took a shortcut Julia hadn’t known about and had them at Peridale’s single-platform station in mere minutes.
“I’ll be back tomorrow evening,” Barker said, kissing Julia one last time. “Stay out of trouble, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too,” Julia called after him. “Good luck!”
She waited until he ran into the ticket office to jump back into the car.
“So?” Jessie said, pushing down her handbrake and easing the car into first gear. “Shall we go and get into trouble?”
Within minutes, they were on the street Leon had told them about, standing outside the only ivy-covered house on the street.
“He thinks he’s being funny,” Jessie said, double-checking the written address with the street sign. “No one lives there!”
“Maybe he left?” Julia suggested. “Maybe Dale did rob the place, and he’s sailed off into the sunset with his money?”
“Look at the place!” Jessie shot her hand across Julia’s side of the car and pointed at the house. “It’s obviously been empty for years. One of those windows is even smashed. Your new friend Leon has sent us on a wild goose chase.”
“He’s not my friend,” Julia said. “I only met the man once, but my dad said he’s a good guy and he seems to trust him.”
“Oh, because your father is the best judge of character right now,” Jessie said as she set off back down the road. “Looks like we’ve reached a dead end.”
“What now?”
“We go back to yours and order a pizza,” Jessie said, flashing Julia a quick smile. “Since Barker is away, we can have that sleepover you’ve been begging me to do since the second I moved out. We can even watch Breakfast and Tiffany’s for the one-hundredth time.”
Julia wanted nothing more. Spending the rest of the night chasing after a gardener wouldn’t glue the cracked lives of those around her back together. Not taking up Jessie’s offer, on the other hand, would smother her with regret.
“Sounds perfect.”
12
Like she had on the night of the storm, Julia awoke to see the clock saying 5am. This time, the weather was as calm as could be. She sat up and slapped her hand on the alarm clock, not realising she had been awoken by her phone.
Julia sat up in bed and looked around before finding her phone on the floor next to the table, still plugged into its charger. She yanked it out and lifted the phone to her ear before looking at the screen.
“Julia?” she recognised her father’s voice even through a deep whisper. “Did I wake you?”
“It’s 5am,” Julia said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “So, yes. What’s wrong?”
Her dad inhaled deeply and held his breath for so long Julia checked to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected.
“Katie’s father died during the night,” he said, his voice cracking. “Vincent died. Can you come to the manor?”
Instantly, Julia was wide awake, blinking into the dark.
“I’ll be right there.”
“Thank you.”
“Dad, I’m sorry.”
Julia ended the call and dressed in comfortable clothes. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and crammed her feet into her well-worn running shoes. She crept out of her bedroom, remembering Jessie in the guest bedroom. She popped her head in, but Jessie was half hanging out of the bed, fast asleep like she had never left.
Soon, Julia was driving through Peridale, her mind racing as complete autopilot guided her through the deserted dark streets of the small village. She wasn’t even sure if she fully woke up until her car came to a stop outside the manor, lit up as could be.
Julia parked the car at an angle and burst inside the manor without knocking. She followed the sound of tears to the giant sitting room, which looked even more like a doll’s house now they only had a couple of white plastic chairs in the middle. Hilary was on one, sobbing into her nightie. Brian was on the other, hands clamped tightly as he stared blankly at the floor. The image that greeted her was the complete opposite of the one she had seen before the robbery.
“Dad?” Julia said softly as she crept in.
“You’re here!” Brian stood up and rushed over to give her a hug. “Sorry for waking you. I didn’t know who else to call. I wasn’t sure I could go through all of this alone.”
“What happened?” Julia asked as she pulled up a chair from the stack next to the door.
“Stroke,” Hilary said, her wiry hair hanging over her aged face. “It was one too many. He gave up. At least the man died not knowing what happened to his precious manor.”
“Hilary…” Brian sighed.
“It’s true.” Hilary lifted her head and sniffed hard. “You got what you wanted. You’re the man of the manor now. I hope you know what to do with it.”
With the help of her cane, Hilary levered to her feet. Julia leaned in to help, but Hilary held up a hand to stop her. Julia returned to her seat and watched as the former housekeeper hobbled out of the room, each step looking pained.
“She’s upset,” Julia said before her father could comment. “She worked for Vincent for many years. She’s just lost the one person she really had in this world, that’s all that is.”
“No.” Brian shook his head before looking around the empty manor. “Look what I did to this place.”
“Did you rob it?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then this isn’t all your fault.” Julia rested her hand on his shoulder. “Gran told me you can’t carry a burden that isn’t fully yours, and she’s right. Was this ship sinking before you lived here?”
Brian nodded without giving it a second’s thought.
“You gave them a parachute,” Julia continued. “You’ve kept them gliding to the ground for this long, making things work, but you don’t have to do that anymore. Look around you. It’s a manor you can’t afford to fill, and the one reason to stay, sad as it is, has just died.”
“It’s not even that we can’t fill it,” Brian said with a tight smile. “Right now, I can barely afford to have the lights on. Nobody ever talks about the bills on places this big, but the electricity bill alone is more than we would pay in a month’s rent.”
“So, cut this place loose,” Julia said, clutching his hand. “We both know those stolen antiques aren’t just going to fall back into your lap.”
“I know,” he exhaled. “You’re right. You’re always right. If we didn’t have this place hanging like an albatross around our necks, we could live comfortably off what I earn at the shop. If Katie got something part time, it would feel like we had just as much money, just without a house like this. But it’s not my decision to make, is it? As of tonight, this manor is now Katie’s, and I don’t know if she will ever be able to look at me again.”
“Don’t give up hope,” Julia reassured him.
The front door opened and closed softly, silencing them both. They turned around and watched as Katie walked slowly into the doorframe. Her peroxide hair had been pulled back into a messy bun, and her face was bright red and puffy.
Brain jumped up, and Katie waited in the doorframe, her eyes firmly on her husband. Ther
e was a silent second of what looked like a stand-off from an old western movie. Even though it felt like it dragged out for a lifetime, when Brian made the first move, they ran at each other, crashing together into a hug.
“I’ve got you,” Brian said as Katie clung to him, sobbing wildly. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay.”
Julia cried with them until they were ready to sit down on the chairs. When they did, Julia patted down her pockets, glad to find a small packet of tissues. She passed them out, causing a little laughter amongst the sadness.
“Thanks,” Katie said as she wiped her swollen eyes. “They’re much softer than the ones at the hospital.” She inhaled deeply before shakily exhaling. “I was there with him, right until the end. I told him it was okay to go, and that I wasn’t going to leave him. Right there at the end, I know he knew I was there.”
Julia struggled to hold back her tears, not wanting to set Katie off again, but as quickly as she quickly dabbed, they kept falling. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, all dabbing and sniffing in the wake of Katie’s words.
“I’m so sorry,” Brian said, reaching out and grabbing Katie’s hands. “I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for ever lying to you. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I see—”
“Oh, Brian.” Katie rested her palms against his cheeks. “None of that matters. I’ve lost my brother and my father. This house is just a memory box now. We have each other and our baby. You’re my family now.” She turned to Julia. “And you, and Sue and the babies, and Jessie, and even Dot. You’re all my family.” She looked at the ornately painted ceiling above them. “It’s okay. I’m ready to let this all go. After all, I am a South woman now.”
“You are.” Julia reached out and grabbed Katie’s hands. “We South women are tough, and we stick together. We pick each other up when we fall over. We’re all here for you, both of you. You’re going to come out of this stronger and wiser.”
“You are your mother’s daughter,” Brian said, pulling Julia in to kiss her on the head. “And you are definitely Dot’s granddaughter. I wish I could take credit for how you turned out, but I can’t. I’m lucky to have someone like you.”
“And Vinnie is lucky to have a big sister like you,” Katie added. “And even though I’ll never be your stepmother, I’m so glad you’re my friend.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Julia said.
“You’re here.” Katie stood and pulled Julia into a hug before kissing her on the forehead. “You care. That’s all that matters. I’m going to have a bath. I need to get the smell of the hospital off me.”
When Katie left, Julia turned to her father.
“You’re going to be okay,” she assured him like he had assured Katie. “I mean it; anything you want, I’ll do what I can. I have a spare bedroom you can stay in if you need to. It’s not very big, but you can share the double bed, and there’s space for Vinnie’s cot.”
“Thank you, Julia.” Brian stood up and stretched out. “I’d barely slept when Katie called me to tell me what happened. I’m going to wait for her upstairs if that’s okay. Sorry for dragging you out here so late.”
“Don’t apologise,” Julia insisted. “I was glad to be here for you.”
“I suppose this wraps up what happened with the burglary,” Brian said as they walked towards the entrance hall. “We’re never going to find out what happened, so we might as well just move on.”
Julia gave a throaty noise of agreement, but her mind jumped to the empty ivy-covered house Leon had sent them to in search of the elusive gardener.
“Just out of curiosity,” Julia began when they reached the front door, “I don’t suppose you know where your former gardener lives?”
“Last I heard, he was still living in Hookthorn Cottage. It’s East of Peridale Farm, up by where you live.” He thought for a moment. “If you get on the Riverswick bypass near the farm, take the second right, and that should get you there.”
“Thank you,” Julia said, wondering why Leon had sent them to a completely different house in the opposite direction. “I’ll talk to him. You never know.”
Julia left the manor and drove back to her cottage as the sun began to rise. She looked into the guest bedroom again, but Jessie hadn’t moved an inch. Ruling out going back to bed, Julia rolled up her sleeves and pulled out her baking equipment.
Having forgotten all about the nine raspberry cheesecakes left in the fridge at the café, Julia’s early morning baking resulted in her also having a full carrot cake to sell. Luckily for Julia, news of Vincent’s death whizzed around the village the moment the sun was high enough in the sky for the café to open.
By the end of the lunchtime rush, Julia only had one slice of carrot cake and four cheesecakes to sell, no doubt thanks to Jessie’s ‘BOGOF! Buy One Get One Free on ALL cakes TODAY ONLY’ specials chalkboard in front of the café.
Whenever a well-known local died, the café always filled with people wanting to share their personal stories. It didn’t matter if the person was well-liked or not; in fact, Julia was sure the less popular deceased villagers always resulted in more people wanting to add their experiences to the pot. With Vincent being such a divisive character around Peridale, Julia’s café had standing room only by 1pm.
“I can’t say any of us are surprised,” Dot said from her table in the middle of the café, where she had been holding court for the past hour. “It’s the best thing for him. None of us wants to end up like that.”
An awkward silence of agreement followed as people slurped their teas; the eldest of them looked like they understood Dot’s words all too well.
“He once ran over my toe,” Amy Clark announced from her position leaning against the wall. “Drove right past me in that flash sports car he had and didn’t even stop to see if I was okay!”
“I worked for him for a little while,” Shilpa Patil added, causing all heads to turn to her. “This was when I was a lot younger, years before the post office. He wanted a new cook, but he fired me after three days because he said my food was ‘too ethnic.’”
“I sensed this would happen last night,” Evelyn Wood chimed in, clinking the crystals in her hands together. “The tarot cards never lie.”
“Except for when they get it completely wrong,” Jessie said under her breath. “Who wants a refill?”
A couple of hands raised, so Jessie got to work replacing empty cups, having memorised all the regulars’ orders.
“I wonder if Katie is going to try and turn the manor into a spa again,” Amy asked. “I did like the idea of having a swimming pool that close to the village.”
“She’ll probably paint the whole thing bright pink,” Dot said through pursed lips. “Like Barbie’s Dreamhouse.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad,” Evelyn exclaimed, looking down at her bright pink kaftan. “I’ve always said this village sorely needed more colour.”
“And we have you for that,” Dot replied. “You’re all the colour we need, believe me.”
There was a murmur of agreement, but Evelyn didn’t seem to notice. She simply added another lump of sugar to her tea and twiddled with her crystals.
“How is Katie, Julia?” Shilpa asked, causing everyone to turn to the counter. “Have you seen her?”
Julia took a moment to think how she could tactfully reveal just enough information to keep them from pushing her for more. After all, nobody outside the family knew about the money troubles. She understood how her café worked. People came in when they wanted to chat, and in return for them handing over their money for her cakes, Julia would sprinkle in a few facts if she was directly involved in the current round of gossip.
“She’s holding it together,” Julia said carefully and slowly. “She’s glad to have her family around her. We’re going to take care of them and make sure they get through this. Isn’t that right, Gran?”
“Hmmm?” Dot pushed her curls up at the back. “Oh, yes. I suppose we will. Doesn’t mean I liked the man thoug
h! I’m old enough to remember him in his youth!”
The conversation looped around in so many circles over the next few hours, Julia completely tuned out of the details. She could only feign so much interest in the same stories being told in the same ways by the same people – all because they were far too eager to have some involvement in big village changes. By 5:30pm, Julia was more than ready to close the café door.
“There’s only one big slice of cheesecake left,” Jessie said as she opened the till drawer. “And by the looks of it, record takings for a Wednesday.”
Julia walked around the counter and pulled the last of the raspberry cheesecake out of the display case. She cut it into down the middle and placed it on two plates.
“Here,” she said, putting it in front of Jessie on the counter as she walked around to the other side. “We deserve it.”
“What happened to your diet?” Jessie asked as she spooned off the end of the cheesecake.
“I’m pregnant now,” Julia said with a shrug. “I’m going to get all fat again anyway, so a little cake here and there isn’t going to hurt.”
“Well, it’s worth cheating for.” Jessie closed as her eyes as she chewed the cheesecake. “This is delicious. I take it back, I prefer this over the vanilla. You’ve perfected it. This is the one that needs to go on the menu.”
“Then it goes on the menu,” Julia said with a firm nod. “Your opinion is the only one that matters.”
“What are you doing tonight until Barker gets home?”
“I think I’ll just get an early night,” Julia said, unsure if it was a lie. “After the morning I had, I think I deserve it.”
Jessie yawned. “I think I’ll do the same.”
And with that, they packed up the café and went their separate ways. Julia drove home, not knowing how she intended to spend the evening – or at least, the next thirty minutes of it. Barker would be home in a couple of hours, hopefully with good news about his book, which gave Julia some free time to check out Hookthorn Cottage, speak to the gardener, and complete the list her father had given her.
