“Yeah, good. I thought you might be Faye, actually, as she’s due back anytime. Have you seen Mum lately?”
“Yesterday, and before you ask, she’s okay. As scatty as ever and spends too much time reading The Daily Mail for her own good, but I suppose it’s harmless enough if she doesn’t believe all the crap they print.”
We both laughed. Mum was scatty, known to devour the paper on a daily basis, and often regaled us with some of the pithier stories from its pages.
It seemed Evie was in a good mood that evening. She and I got on okay, despite her being a few years older. We rarely met socially apart from at Mum’s or on the odd occasion at Angela’s, our younger sister. Evie was a part-time nurse at our local general hospital, and I always considered her to be a trifle bossy. It couldn’t have been easy being a nursing sister and the eldest of four girls. Evie’s phone call reminded me of Martyn’s accusations just before I threw him out, and I felt my cheeks glow in embarrassment. He had no right to say such things, especially without foundation. Evie and her husband had divorced long ago, and I certainly hadn’t been the catalyst.
“So what’s up? Where are you?” I asked. Mum obviously wasn’t the reason she was calling, or she would have already said so.
“At home. I wondered if you fancied getting together this Saturday. I know it’s short notice, but we haven’t seen each other for ages.”
“True. Ah, I’m in a race this Saturday. In the morning at eleven. What did you have in mind?”
“That’s okay. Where are you running? I could come and watch the start, take a walk and then meet you after you finish, if you like.”
“Windsor, actually. The race starts and finishes in Windsor Great Park.”
There was a pause, and I thought I caught a whisper from Evie, as if she was speaking to someone else in the room. She came back to me a few seconds later.
“That’s nice. I love Windsor Park. How about we meet after the finish then and go for a picnic lunch. I’ll organise everything. If I remember, you’ll be famished and will need to take in a load of calories straight after.”
We agreed, and Evie said she would sort out a restaurant for later that evening. I suggested we meet in the car park near the race finish at one thirty if I didn’t see her before then.
“There’ll be loads of people, and we might miss each other otherwise,” I explained.
***
Saturday was cool and crisp. There was a more definite autumnal nip in the air but no hint of rain. Perfect conditions in which to run a race.
At the line-up, I recognised other runners I had raced against on other occasions; some I had beaten, others were more experienced and faster than me. It didn’t matter—I wasn’t there to win. I just wanted to be as fit as I could be, be in control of my life and better my last time.
I wondered if Evie had arrived in time to watch the start. I doubted it, as my elder sister disliked most forms of exercise. I retied my shoelaces, adjusted my sweat band, checked I still had my entrance number pinned to my vest and ensured I had enough water in my camel-pack to avoid stopping at the feed stations. I stopped myself going to the loo for the fifth time…knowing the reason was only nerves.
As I glanced at the crowd lining the start line, I caught a glimpse of a tall dark-haired man before he turned away and disappeared into the mass of people assembled for the start—just a glimpse. No, it couldn’t be. My mind was playing tricks. Why would he be here?
Within seconds, I forgot my uncomfortable feeling, the gun fired, and we were off.
***
One hour seventeen minutes! I managed a personal best, and I considered it pretty good for someone who had taken up long-distance running later in life. A minute later, elated and clutching my medal in my hand, I congratulated everyone else around me. My legs felt good if a trifle wobbly. I was a little tired but nothing a good hot soak and some gentle exercise later wouldn’t put right.
There was no sign of Evie, although I had a good hard search in the crowds lining the road where the runners were coming home in dribs and drabs. I grabbed a bottle of water from the refreshment stand and made my way to the car park. I had taken a change of clothes with me and after finding the ladies’ facilities, I rinsed my face and hands before changing out of my running gear and into a fresh pair of jeans, shirt and sweater.
A smear of lippy, a quick brush of my short blonde hair, and I was ready to meet Evie. Years ago, when she and I were still kids, we were a lot closer. But I suppose we each had a different outlook on life, and we had drifted apart since then.
Evie was the eldest of us four girls; then it was me, then Angela, who was married, and finally Darcy, the baby of the family bringing up the rear. Mum had us three years apart, except for Darcy. She was a complete surprise to everyone, especially Mum. She was now sixteen years old, twenty-one years younger than me.
Sadly, Dad passed away eight years earlier, and Mum still hadn’t really got over his death. Losing a husband to a sudden heart attack must have been hard, and bringing up young Darcy by herself couldn’t have helped. I loved my youngest sister despite her being a regular little baggage at times. Looking back, I recalled I was exactly the same at her age, and I didn’t envy Mum one bit. Darcy was bright, headstrong and rebellious and probably missed a father’s strong governing hand.
Dad left Mum pretty well off. Apart from the family sweet-factory business, of which he had made her a major shareholder, he made certain he was well insured. On his death, she qualified for a good pension as his spouse. We three older girls didn’t worry that she should want for anything; but Dad’s passing left her lonely, and we tried hard to help fill that gap.
Apart from using the dividends Mum received from the company shares, she wasn’t particularly interested in the factory and left the running to Angela. It was strange, really. Out of four daughters, none of us was involved in the business except Angela; it was she who possessed the business acumen. Perhaps if our parents had raised sons it might have been different.
I dumped my kit bag in my car and started walking back towards the race finish; I hadn’t gone more than a few yards when I spied Evie walking towards me. Even from a distance I could tell there was something different about her. As we drew nearer, I realised what it was. She looked slimmer.
Evie had always been what you might call chubby, and her roundness had spilled over into her teens. Since then, she had a permanent battle on her hands until, after trying every diet on the planet, she eventually gave in. She admitted to being a size sixteen or eighteen with wide hips and full fleshy breasts. The slim-line dresses in a size twelve or fourteen would always evade her.
That day though, it appeared she might have found a diet which suited her. Up close, I stopped and smiled as I noticed the other changes. Her hair was naturally almost the same colour as mine—a little darker—and she generally wore it long, invariably with an Alice band or up in a bun for work.
She must have been to the hairdresser, as it looked blonder, and I was quite shocked to see that it had been cut and styled.
“Wow! Evie, your hair! I can’t remember the last time you had it done. And am I imagining it, or have you lost weight too? You look fantastic!”
She touched her hair with one hand and gave me a self-conscious grin. “I know. It was about time. I thought forty was a bit old for really long hair, and since I’ve had it done, I realised what a pain it’s been all this time. So now, I just wash it, blow dry and flick up the ends. Easy-peasy, and as for the weight, I’ve been following a great diet. I’ve lost nearly half a stone in just over two weeks.”
Evie had lovely bone structure, and with the weight loss she looked pretty stunning. My gaze travelled from her bright head down to her toes. She had splashed out on some new togs too: dark-grey pixie boots peeped out beneath a pair of expensive-looking dark-blue linen trousers. She was wearing a pale-grey silk shirt and a sapphire-blue woollen jacket.
“Honestly, you do look good. But be careful with the die
ting. Crash diets don’t usually work.” I wasn’t lying, and as I took the new Evie look in, I noticed something else. Her eyes sparkled, and she had a definite spring in her step. I wondered what caused it. Perhaps she had been given a pay rise or even a change of employment; her new clothes were definitely not bought from one of the cheap stores in town.
“So where have you decided to go for our picnic? I’m pretty hungry now. Guess what? I completed the race in my best ever time.”
“Well done you. Mum said you were aiming to beat your last time. Actually, I thought as it’s such a lovely day we’d have the picnic here in the park, and then, once it gets chilly, finish off with a cream tea on the Thames somewhere.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The Saville Gardens were nearby, and we walked the short distance skirting round the lake. Evie was definitely keyed up about something as she chatted happily about Mum and our sisters. I cast a quick glance at her as I took hold of one of the two picnic cool bags to carry. Yes, definitely. Sparkle was the right word to describe my sister that day. I knew I couldn’t hurry Evie, though—she would tell me in her own good time.
We chose our spot with care: a small picnic table, vacant and sheltered by a copse of trees.
Evie had brought quite a spread, and we started on slices of smoked salmon filled with creamed horseradish and prawns hors d‘oeuvres, accompanied by a crisp white wine. I gaped at what she had put together for what I thought was to be a simple picnic. My scatter-brained sister was renowned for being idle and would normally have packed a few sandwiches and crisps and been done with it. This was a rare treat. I alternated sipping the Australian Riesling with a glass of water, as I needed to rehydrate after the race.
After the salmon, she produced some delicious cold chicken with a rice salad, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“So, you’ve said Mum and Darcy are okay, but what about you? You seem…different. Apart from all this,” I waved a hand over the food, “which is a delightful surprise and your new appearance, have you just been given a massive pay rise or something?”
She glanced away with a tiny smile, dimples appearing in her cheeks and pointed to a squirrel scampering down from a nearby tree. “Cute. Um, I’m fine, but I do have something to tell you. It might shock you at first.”
I flicked my gaze from the squirrel, which had ventured near enough to pinch a few crumbs, back to Evie. “Oh? Don’t tell me you’ve been offered a full sister post on your ward?”
She laughed. “Silly, they don’t want a part-timer in charge. Nor would I want to be. I’m happy with my position as it is. No, I’ve got a new boyfriend.”
“That’s great. What does he do? Does he live near you?”
“Fairly near. And the amazing thing is he’s a nurse, too.”
At that moment the sun went in behind a dark cloud, and I shivered as if someone had walked over my grave.
Chapter 3
My next first thought was why her, why Evie? And then I realised that if I had spoken out loud, she would have taken it the wrong way. But the coincidence was curious. Or was it? Was I drawing my own conclusions before I knew the facts? Everyone said how small the world had become, what with social media and flights to far-flung corners of the world, etcetera. No, perhaps it wasn’t that curious, as both were single and of a similar age. All the same, I did wonder if she had engineered that day for some reason. Evie could be devious at times—a throwback to when she was a child. I recalled taking the blame for quite a few of her foolhardy escapades.
No, be serious. My thoughts were running away from me. There must be hundreds of male nurses working nearby.
“Really?”
“Moya, you might find this a bit strange, uncomfortable even.”
I forced my eyes to meet hers, knowing I was right. Oh ye gods, spare us. “Uncomfortable? Why would I? I’m pleased you’ve met someone.”
“Of course you are, as I would be if you met someone you really cared about. Only, the thing is…you know him.”
I expressed surprise. Opening my eyes wide and raising my eyebrows, I could have won an Oscar for the effort. “I do?”
She licked her bottom lip. “Well, to be accurate, you went out with him. It’s Martyn.”
“Martyn,” I repeated to gain time.
“Yes.” She nodded, and the rest of her words came out in a gabble. “Martyn Cousins. I know what you’re thinking…how odd this all is. But it just happened. We’ve been seeing each other for about three weeks now. The thing is he wants us all to meet later today. He says that he’s sure you won’t mind and that it’ll be a good thing for us to meet up.”
“Mmm, but he and I parted and not on very good terms,” I said.
“I know all about it.”
This time, my eyes truly were as big as saucers. “You do?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes, but I know you’ll understand. You’ve had lots of boyfriends. I’m sure it was upsetting at the time when Martyn split up with you, but you’ve always got over it before. He said you were angry and said some nasty things, which he was sure you didn’t mean. It was just a bit of a shock for you, but he’s forgotten and forgiven you.”
I was speechless. She hurried on.
“Anyway, please for my sake. I want us all to be friends. One big happy family.”
I took in a huge lungful of air. “Honestly, Evie, I really don’t care about him. I never did. What I mean is, you’re welcome to him.”
She sat back and gazed at me with a slight frown. “Are you sure? You look a bit fierce.”
I shook my head and managed a smile, although it might have come out a bit sickly looking. “No really, I’m okay with it.”
“If you really are, then great. You see, Martyn thought you might still be a bit miffed, and he wanted today to be nice.”
“Today?” He knew about today.
“Yes,” She glanced at her watch before pouring some more wine into my glass. “He’s joining us.”
I knew my mouth dropped open as I gawked at her, and I must have looked a complete idiot when, seconds later, Martyn strolled casually into view on the path not more than twenty feet away from where we were sitting.
He raised a hand in greeting, and bent down to kiss Evie on the lips before saying anything. She gave a surprised squeak, turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. After what seemed an interminable length of time, they drew apart reluctantly, and she murmured something. Martyn smiled, nodded and looked across at me. His beam widened until it stretched across his face, and then, raising his arms, he walked round the picnic bench to my side.
“Moya,” he said. And before I had time to leap up from the wooden bench, he pressed his hands down upon my shoulders and smiled into my eyes. Evie would never have known the pressure which pinned me onto the seat.
“Hello, Moya.”
Without another word his mouth hovered near mine, and I realised with horror that he was about to kiss me. I managed to turn my head at the last moment, and his lips grazed against my cheek.
“It’s so good to see you again. You’re looking well. I’m presuming Evie has told you our good news?” He smiled gently at Evie, and she blushed in response.
“About you and her? Yes, of course she has, but you—”
“And you understand? Evie and I, well it just happened.”
“Yes, yes, I’ve already said so, haven’t I, Evie?” I heard Evie catch her breath, and I threw her a desperate look, which was entirely wasted, as she frowned at my reply. I wondered if I sounded as brusque to them as I did to myself. Damn!
“Look, it really is okay with me.” I smiled and looked from her back to Martyn.
“I know it’s awkward, but I know how big-hearted you are usually.”
“No, it’s not awkward, and I’m pleased for you both.”
I swear Martyn’s eyes misted over, and he covered Evie’s hand with his own. “See, honeybun. I said she’d be kind. Moya’s so like your mum. Big-hearted and generous. She never b
ears a grudge.”
“Mum? What’s she got to do with this?” I knew Mum was scatty and charitable, but the thought of Martyn wheedling his way into her good books irritated me.
“Nothing, Moya. All Martyn means is, Mum invited us over for a meal a few days ago. She wanted to meet him, and they got on like a house on fire. Darcy was there, too, and even she seemed to like Martyn. You know how picky Darcy is.” As she spoke, she handed Martyn a plate and piled it with smoked-salmon canapés and a portion of chicken.
“Yeah, underneath all that black eye-liner and heavy jewellery, there’s a nice kid lurking inside.” Martyn hugged Evie to him with a grin.
I could imagine the four of them sitting round the dinner table exchanging banter and maybe discussing me. I froze suddenly. Evie said Martyn had forgotten our row and forgiven me. What the hell had he really said? The great euphoric feeling I had earlier that day, after my race, dissipated completely. The bastard had turned everything round.
“Actually, you’ve got it all wrong, Evie, our parting—”
“Don’t spoil a nice day, Moya. Look, Evie is being nice and understanding. Don’t let’s talk about what happened. It’s not important. Chill out and have another glass of wine.” He upended the bottle into my glass.
“I don’t want any more,” I grumbled in protest, glaring at him when he placed a warning hand on my wrist.
“Moya,” said Evie, leaning towards me with a begging look upon her face. “Martyn didn’t do anything or say anything wrong. He just told Mum what he thought was necessary. She had to know about you and Martyn sometime—you know, before he and I met.”
I stared at her face, which was full of concern for me. Her pretty eyes pleaded with me to accept and behave. I didn’t have the heart to tell her what a creepy little shit he was. I would never forgive him for stealing into my flat and going through my personal laptop files. Had he searched through my drawers and cupboards too? No, I couldn’t explain it all to Evie. Not then, not that day. Maybe when we two sisters were on our own, I could tell her the truth.
A feeling of lassitude settled like a damp mist over me.
Behind A Twisted Smile (Dark Minds Book 2) Page 2
