The Perfect Stepmother

by King, Karen

  The salon looked impressive. She read the ‘About’ section and learnt Daisy’s Beauty Care offered a variety of beauty treatments: pedicures; massages; facials; skin, hair and nail consultation; haircare, eyelash and eyebrow tinting. The website stated that one day a week those treatments were offered free to cancer patients and Maria often visited patients in their homes too, all free of charge – as she had with Lily’s mum. It mentioned, as Maria had said, that she’d started up the salon ten years ago, and the ethos of the salon was to help all women feel better about themselves, to lift their spirits, by pampering them. There were a lot of positive testimonials, and a link to a write-up in a local paper from a few years ago about Maria and her assistants. It gave details of Maria’s qualifications – which were impressive – but no personal details, and the only photo was of the salon.

  There was also a Facebook page for the salon, with more pictures, where people could ask questions about the treatments and book appointments, but no more information about Maria. She didn’t seem to be on any other social media – no obvious Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts.

  There was nothing about her beyond ten years ago when the salon was opened. Nothing to say what she’d been doing then, nothing personal about where she was born or educated. Not everyone lived their life online, she knew that, but it was frustrating not to be able to find out more about Maria.

  ‘Found anything interesting?’ Seb peered over her shoulder at the screen. ‘Is that her salon? It looks very upmarket.’

  Lily sighed. ‘Nothing new. The only online presence she has is her salon. There’s lots of testimonials on there from people she’s treated and the women she’s given free beauty treatments to, also some links to charity events she’s taken part in. She sounds almost too perfect.’

  Seb squeezed her shoulder. ‘I know you’re worried, babe, and I get it. I really do. But it seems like Maria is one of those people who just wants to help others. And that’s a good thing, right?’

  ‘I guess so.’ Lily closed down the search and logged off the computer. She hoped that Seb was right and that she was worrying about nothing, but something about Maria didn’t ring true. Her parents were dead, she had no siblings, there was no information about anything before the last ten years, and she was reluctant to answer questions about herself. It was almost as if Maria had erased her whole past.

  12

  Maria

  November – Seven months before Emma disappeared

  ‘Only two weeks now until your wedding. Are you feeling nervous?’ Amanda asked as they all tidied up the salon at the end of another busy day.

  ‘A bit,’ Maria admitted. ‘And excited too.’

  ‘I can’t believe you’re having such a quiet affair. I know you haven’t got any immediate family, but you could invite your friends. Or at least us! This is your first wedding, for goodness’ sake. Don’t you want to shout it from the rooftops and wear a gorgeous white dress, be a princess for the day?’

  Maria knew that Amanda was really miffed at not being invited to her wedding, but Maria wanted to get married with as little fuss as possible, to not attract any unwelcome attention and definitely not to shout it from the rooftops. As far as she was concerned the fewer people who knew about the wedding until she and Gareth were man and wife, the better. She knew that Lily had already objected, but Gareth had put that down to her grief for her mother and concerns about Emma. But what if his friends and colleagues thought he was rushing it too? They might try to talk him out of it. She couldn’t bear to lose him. Her life had been so empty for years, even though she had tried hard to fill it with helping out her various causes. Now, waiting for her was a future she never thought she would have and every day she was terrified that something would come along and ruin it.

  ‘It’s what we both want. A quiet family affair. I don’t want any fuss, and as Gareth and Ruth had a big church wedding, he’s happy to have a low-key wedding this time.’ Maria replaced the top on a jar of face cream and put it away in the drawer. ‘Lily and Seb are going to be our witnesses, and Emma my flower girl. It will be perfect.’

  ‘We don’t all like to be the centre of attention, you know?’ Candice said, sticking up for Maria. ‘Lots of couples just want a quiet ceremony; it’s more romantic.’

  ‘Well, when I get married, I’m wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress and arriving at the church in a horse-drawn carriage!’ Amanda said. She looked at Maria. ‘Surely you’re going to have a hen do?’

  Maria hesitated. She knew that these women, who were staff but also friends, were pleased for her and wanted to join in the celebrations, but she shuddered at the thought of a drunken hen do. She always tried to avoid drinking – it loosened the tongue, made you careless. ‘It’s very sweet of you, but I’d prefer not to. Gareth and I are already living together and the wedding is really just a formality,’ she told them. ‘I want to spend the evening before my wedding in my own home, with my husband-to-be.’

  ‘I guess that’s kind of romantic,’ Sophie said.

  Amanda pouted. ‘Well, can we at least have a drink together when the salon closes one of the nights before you get married? We don’t have to be out all evening, just an hour or two?’

  ‘Oh yes, come on, Maria. One drink to toast your status as a soon-to-be-married lady,’ Olivia agreed.

  They all looked so eager that Maria didn’t want to disappoint them. Besides, it would be nice to celebrate her good fortune with the only friends she had. To celebrate that the life she had thought she would never have was finally becoming hers. She could hardly believe it herself. A handsome husband and a gorgeous little stepdaughter. It was a dream come true. One glass of wine with these women who had become her friends wouldn’t hurt.

  ‘That would be nice,’ she agreed. ‘How about next Thursday?’ They were getting married the following Friday so it seemed a good choice. ‘But only for an hour, okay? I want to get home in time to put Emma to bed.’

  The other women all agreed.

  * * *

  Gareth looked pleased when she mentioned it to him later that evening. ‘I feel a bit mean that we’re having such a small wedding; after all this is the first time for you. Are you sure you’re happy with the arrangements?’ he asked.

  ‘Perfectly happy,’ she told him. ‘And I definitely don’t want a hen party. The girls are desperate to celebrate with me though, so I thought a drink after work would be the best option. We’ll only be an hour or so.’

  ‘That sounds a good idea.’ Gareth wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead. ‘I’m so glad that I met you, Maria, and that you agreed to marry me. You’ve brought such a lot of happiness to my life, and to Emma’s. She’s so much calmer now you’re here. You are so good with her. A natural mother.’

  ‘I babysat a lot when I was younger,’ she told him. A memory flashed across her mind but she pushed it away. She wasn’t going to think about the past. It was over.

  ‘I wonder what you were like as a teenager,’ Gareth said, smiling at her. ‘Lily was rather rebellious and I’ve got a feeling Emma will be too, but you, you seem like you were one of the sensible ones who studied for their exams, worked towards their future, eyes fixed firmly on the goal you wanted. Is that why you never got married?’

  This was the first time Gareth had ever asked her why she hadn’t married, she realised in panic. Had Lily been filling his head with her suspicions?

  ‘Partly. And partly because I’ve never met anyone I wanted to marry before.’ She hugged him tight. That bit was true anyway. Gareth was the first person she had ever felt she could trust, be herself with. Her new self. Her old self had died many years ago and was going to remain dead.

  People say that if you love someone, you should be truthful with them, tell them everything. She didn’t agree. Gareth didn’t need to know about her past; it was who she was now that mattered.

  13

  Lily

  ‘I can’t believe that my dad is getting married in a
week’s time,’ Lily said, frowning. ‘If anyone had told me when Mum died that Dad would remarry so soon, I’d have scoffed at the idea.’

  Jenni looked over from the display of notebooks she was arranging. ‘I know it’s a bit soon but I suppose you can’t blame him for wanting a bit of happiness, especially how things apparently were with him and your mum.’

  Lily had told her co-worker all about her mum’s affair. She’d been so shocked she’d had to talk to someone other than Seb about it. It maddened her how dismissive he was of her concerns and she felt like she needed advice from someone who was removed from the situation.

  Lily was tired of everyone saying the same thing. Was she the only one who could see how mad this was? ‘But it’s too rushed. Too low-key, as if Maria doesn’t want anyone to know. And we hardly know anything about her.’

  ‘What, apart from the fact that she’s a successful businesswoman with a kind heart who treats cancer patients for free and does a lot for charity, you mean?’ Jenni picked up a lilac notebook with butterflies on the cover and stood it up on the top of the pile, stepping back to see the effect. ‘I wouldn’t mind that notebook myself.’ Jenni couldn’t resist buying pretty notebooks and pens and already had quite a collection.

  ‘You could open a shop with your hoard,’ Lily told her. ‘I think I’ll take that rainbow one for Emma and one of those rainbow furry pens. I’m going around to look after her for a couple of hours after work this evening. Maria is having a drink with the women from her salon, a sort of hen night, and Dad has a meeting with a client.’ Lily was pleased to have the chance to spend a few hours alone with Emma before the wedding. It would give her the opportunity to make sure that her little sister was happy about the plans.

  * * *

  When Lily gave Emma the rainbow notebook and pen later she was delighted. ‘Thank you!’ she squealed as she opened it up. Then she picked up the pen and painstakingly wrote her name inside the front cover.

  ‘You can draw pictures about things you do in it. It can be a sort of diary,’ Lily told her.

  ‘I can write about Daddy’s wedding.’ Emma beamed. ‘We went shopping for my dress last Saturday. It’s really pretty. I’m going to be holding a basket of flowers too, it’s a very special job,’ she told Lily.

  ‘You’re going to look gorgeous,’ Lily told her. ‘Are you excited about the wedding?’

  Emma nodded, her eyes sparkling. ‘I like having a new mummy that isn’t ill all the time. I was sad about my other mummy because she couldn’t play with me very often.’

  Her words shook Lily. She hadn’t realised that her mother’s illness had impacted Emma so much. Lily and Gareth, and Seb too, had tried hard to shield her from it as much as they could, but Emma had only been three when Ruth had been diagnosed with cancer, so of course all she could remember of her mother was that she was ill and then she died.

  ‘Do you like Maria now?’ Emma asked, looking up thoughtfully at Lily.

  The question took her by surprise. ‘Of course I like Maria,’ she replied quickly.

  ‘She doesn’t think you do. I heard her tell Daddy that she was sad that you didn’t like her.’

  God, were her feelings that obvious? She must have come across as so petty. She took a deep breath. ‘Did she? And what did Daddy say?’

  ‘He said to give you time because you were still missing Mummy.’

  Maybe her father and Seb were right: all these resentful feelings she had towards Maria were because she was still grieving for her mother. Emma had barely known her but Lily had had twenty-three years with her mother before she had taken ill.

  ‘I am still sad about Mummy dying, but I’m glad that Maria has come along and made you and Daddy happy,’ she told her. And she meant it too. She had to accept this marriage, for all their sakes. Her father and Emma had suffered enough; they deserved this chance of happiness.

  * * *

  When Maria came home a couple of hours later, her cheeks were flushed and eyes sparkling. Lily had never seen her look so animated. ‘Did you have a good time?’ she asked. She and Emma were cuddled up on the sofa, watching a film.

  ‘It was lovely. The girls had a whip around and gave us a hundred-pound voucher to spend and they gave me some cards too.’ Maria put down the bag she was carrying and took out some cards and three wedding horseshoes. She looked happy, Lily realised. She really did love Gareth. It was time that Lily accepted that and made Maria welcome. Lily got up out of her seat and went over to look at them. There was a black cat, a chimney sweep, and a horseshoe all dangling on silky white ribbons. ‘They’re gorgeous. We’ve got you one too. I’ll give it to you on the day,’ she said. She actually hadn’t got one yet, but she was determined to get one tomorrow. A really pretty one.

  ‘Have you?’ Maria looked touched. ‘That’s very kind of you.’ She hesitated. ‘Do you have to rush off? I thought maybe we could have a glass of wine. I don’t normally drink alcohol but the girls persuaded me to have a glass with them. After all, this is a special occasion, isn’t it? There’s a bottle of wine in the fridge, if you fancy it.’

  That was a surprise. Maria had never asked her to have a glass of wine with her before. Well, why not? It would give them both a chance to bond a little, seeing as Maria would soon be her stepmother. ‘I’d love to,’ Lily said with a smile. ‘Shall I get it?’

  ‘Yes, please, while I get out of this coat and boots.’ Maria sat down on the chair to pull her boots off and Lily went into the kitchen. She opened the fridge door and grabbed the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

  When she returned to the lounge with two glasses of wine, Maria was sitting on the sofa beside Emma, looking very relaxed with her legs curled up under her and one arm around the little girl.

  Lily handed her one of the glasses of wine and sat down in the space next to her. ‘Emma tells me that you’ve chosen her dress.’

  ‘Yes, and mine too. Would you like to see them?’

  ‘I’d love to,’ Lily replied.

  Maria put her glass of wine down and went upstairs, returning a few minutes later with an elegant emerald-green long-sleeved dress that matched the colour of her eyes, a white stole to go with it, a gorgeous red velvet bridesmaid’s dress trimmed with white fur for Emma, and a white fur shoulder cape to go over it.

  ‘What do you think?’ she asked. ‘Gareth is wearing a suit with a white shirt and an emerald-green tie. We thought it would be nice to have some Christmassy colours.’

  ‘They’re beautiful.’ Lily leant forward to admire the dresses. ‘You’re both going to look absolutely stunning.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Maria draped the dresses over the back of the chair then sat back down beside Lily. ‘I know that you’re a bit unsure about the wedding, Lily, but I do love your father and Emma, I promise. Their happiness is very important to me.’ Her eyes met Lily’s earnestly.

  She looked so sincere that Lily felt guilty. Perhaps I’ve judged her wrong, she thought. Some people do fall in love and marry quickly. And Mum is gone. It wasn’t fair of her to expect her dad to keep mourning her, especially with what had happened between them, or for Emma to grow up without a mother figure.

  ‘I’m sure you do,’ Lily said thoughtfully. ‘Look, it’s not that I don’t like you, it’s just that my dad and Emma have gone through a lot. We all have. I’m very protective towards them.’

  ‘That’s only natural. You love them. As do I.’ Maria reached out and touched Lily’s hand. ‘You are always welcome in our house; no one is shutting you out.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Lily smiled at her and raised her glass. ‘To you and Dad.’

  Maria’s face broke into a wide smile. ‘To us all,’ she said and chinked her glass with Lily’s.

  14

  Lily

  The wedding day

  Her dad was getting married today. While Lily had got her relationship with Maria to a friendlier place, deep down she still felt that her father was rushing into getting married, maybe because he had felt unloved for suc
h a long time. She had lain awake sometimes, thinking about what he had told her about her mother having an affair. She had so many questions but didn’t want to talk to her dad about it again; it didn’t seem right to bring it up. She wondered if he had resented having to stay and care for her mum, and if her mum had resented that too. There had been no obvious signs of animosity between them though, and her dad had been devastated when her mum had died. She guessed he must have forgiven her. He’d told Lily he still loved her, hadn’t he? Had Mum loved him? A sob caught in her throat as she thought of how much her mother had suffered, and how she missed her. If only she could talk to her mum one last time, ask for her side of the story. Mum’s gone, she told herself. And she would want Dad and Emma to be happy. Lily knew she would. Today would be hard but she could put a smile on her face and get through it.

  ‘Still fretting?’ Seb put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘A bit,’ she admitted. ‘I hope Dad’s doing the right thing.’

  ‘If he isn’t, what’s the worst that can happen? They’ll get a divorce and we’ll be around to pick up the pieces.’

  ‘There’s Emma to consider too.’

  ‘She adores Maria, and Maria adores her.’ Seb squeezed her shoulder. ‘Everything will be okay, you’ll see.’

  Lily nodded and stood up, smoothing down the skirt of her red suit. She’d chosen it to go with the red dress Emma was wearing, leaving Maria and her dad to wear emerald green. She’d consulted Maria about her choice of colour and her future stepmother had been delighted.