The Island

by Mary Grand

  Despite the positive words, their mother looked puzzled, and Juliet understood why. It seemed Cassie was making some kind of statement with her change of appearance, like a teenager trying out a new, more rebellious look.

  Before she could ask any more, Anwen arrived. Unlike Cassie, she was dressed more conservatively than usual, in black trousers and a polo shirt, more business-like.

  ‘I parked over in the field. Is that okay?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Cassie.

  ‘Thanks so much for this,’ Juliet said. ‘It feels very posh having our own chef in to cook for us.’

  ‘You’re welcome. I like cooking like this, it’s better than churning out pie and chips in a pub,’ said Anwen. Her voice was a surprisingly soft lilting Welsh.

  ‘How are you finding life on the island? You’ve been over since Mira and Rhys’s wedding, haven’t you?’ Juliet asked her.

  ‘Yes. It’s taking some getting used to. I miss the gigs and nightlife on the mainland, but it’s cool being close to the sea. I have been getting some fantastic fish from Ventnor, the lobster is amazing, and the farms over here are really great for supplying meat and fresh produce. I can see why food is taking off here.’

  ‘Do you have a flat?’

  ‘Yeah, in Newport; it’s handy.’ A phone pinged in Anwen’s bag. She took out a very basic mobile and read the text. She quickly replied and then gave Juliet a quick smile. ‘Right, I’d better get on.’

  Anwen put her chef’s apron on and very efficiently set to work. Her mother, Juliet noticed, seemed slightly at a loss without her usual role in the kitchen.

  Rhys and Mira, accompanied by Lola, arrived at seven. Mira brought a small overnight case and wore the usual denim skirt, this time with a blouse, and to Juliet’s surprise, a thick cardigan.

  ‘You must be baking,’ said Juliet.

  Mira shrugged but pulled the cardigan even more tightly around herself.

  ‘Are you feeling okay?’ Juliet signed.

  Mira replied with a quick smile and then said, ‘Sorry we’re late. Rhys had yet more visits to make, Maddie up at the vineyard and then others, and then sorting out cover for the various rotas in the churches – it’s a nightmare in August.’

  ‘And what about you? Will you be going away anywhere?’

  ‘We’ve not booked anything; we don’t need a break,’ said Rhys. He put his arm around Mira, but she closed her eyes in a grimace and gently pulled away.

  Cassie came into the hall. ‘I’ve made cocktails,’ she proclaimed.

  They followed her through to the kitchen, where Anwen was hard at work, her back to them, and they went out into the garden.

  Outside, Rhys stayed very close to Mira. Juliet watched her sister, sipping her drink nervously, small sips like a bird, and wondered again what was wrong.

  Her mum handed around sophisticated snacks that Anwen had made in advance. They were like fairy-sized portions of proper meals – a tiny bit of black pudding with bacon and eggs, and beef and Yorkshire pudding. They all tasted wonderful.

  Rosalind joined them all, in a clinging strappy gold dress. Her blonde hair highlighted; her face professionally made up. Everyone seemed taken aback. They were used to Rosalind’s sophisticated looks, but tonight there was a kind of red-carpet glamour, totally foreign to them and way beyond what would normally be worn at a family meal. Juliet decided it wasn’t only Cassie making a statement this evening; she thought maybe Rosalind was making the point that she was not a child, not the baby any more.

  ‘Are you staying? You look too glam for us,’ asked Juliet.

  Rosalind laughed in a slightly self-conscious way. ‘Someone had to make an effort.’

  Juliet took another of the gorgeous canapés, felt the breeze on her face and started to relax. Her mother was right, they needed a family evening together.

  Rosalind spilt off from them soon after and headed down to the bottom of the garden. Juliet noticed Rhys finally leave Mira’s side and walk quickly away to join Rosalind.

  Mira put her drink down and signed to Juliet, ‘Have you been busy?’

  Juliet blinked; the question seemed very formal.

  ‘Um, yes, I’ve finished one piece of work and I’m pleased with it.’

  ‘Great. You mentioned about this friend Alistair in Edinburgh, do you think you will go up there then?’

  ‘Maybe, but I don’t want to rush anything. I think Mum needs an eye kept on her.’

  ‘I’m here and Rosalind is for the time being.’

  ‘But Rosalind wants to travel, and you said Rhys wanted to move.’

  ‘I don’t know what we’ll be doing now,’ Mira said and picked up her glass, this time taking a long drink.

  Juliet could see her fingers trembling and she reached out, grabbed Mira’s arm. ‘Mira, are you okay?’

  ‘Aah,’ Mira exclaimed, her face flinching in pain as she pulled her arm away.

  ‘What’s wrong? Has something happened to your arm?’

  Mira put down her glass, rubbed her arm gently. ‘No, nothing.’ Mira glanced down the garden. ‘Things look a bit heated over there.’

  Juliet looked over. Rhys was wagging a finger and Rosalind was glaring at him. Juliet was about to go and intervene when Rosalind left Rhys and strode towards her and Mira.

  ‘What on earth is wrong?’ Juliet asked, seeing the fire in Rosalind’s eyes.

  Rosalind signed and spoke angrily to Mira. ‘I know he’s your husband, but Rhys is a sanctimonious prick.’

  ‘Rosalind, stop it, you can’t say that,’ interrupted Juliet.

  ‘But he is. I don’t know how you can bear him, Mira. He wants to destroy my life; I won’t let him.’

  Juliet couldn’t imagine what Rhys had said but could see Rosalind was very upset. However, she was aware of her mother frowning in their direction.

  ‘Shush, calm down. We’ll talk about it later, but try and forget for now, Mum needs this evening to go well,’ Juliet said.

  ‘He needs to butt out of my life. I swear if he doesn’t, I’ll kill him,’ Rosalind said.

  Juliet was shocked at how angry Rosalind sounded, but before she had a chance to delve deeper into the issue, their mother called them all to the table.

  Rosalind appeared to take a deep breath and put on a fixed smile. Relieved, Juliet went to sit opposite Mira at the end. Lola, who hadn’t left Mira’s side, now lay down and rested her head on Mira’s feet.

  Rhys sat between Mira and Juliet at the head of the table. He sat very still, stern, fiddled with the stem of his wine glass with one hand, drummed his fingers with the other. Rosalind sat on the other side of Juliet, Cassie opposite, with their mother at the head of the other end.

  Juliet knew that Mira could get left out of large group chats, although at least with family everyone would sign and remember to cue Mira into a change of conversation. The bulk of the conversation was led by Rosalind, peppered with questions from her mother and Juliet. Rosalind spoke loudly, with a forced cheerfulness which Juliet guessed was partly in defiance of Rhys, but Rosalind loved being the centre of attention, and this was her night.

  The meal started with a light fish mousse followed by the duck. Anwen and their mother had worked so hard, and Juliet felt sorry that the mood was so forced. She tried to help jolly things along, took some photos, related some anecdotes.

  In the distance, the sun was making its final dramatic farewell, spreading orange and yellow streaks across the sky. Juliet watched; like autumn leaves there was a very narrow window to catch the colours of a sunset at their very brightest and best. There it was, the final burst of colour. Usually, Juliet felt exhilarated by the sight, but tonight the atmosphere was heavy and as she saw dark clouds replace the light across the sky; she felt that now all there was ahead of them was a gathering darkness.

  A hard laugh made her refocus on the table; Cassie was drinking far more than usual. Occasionally, she would throw her head back in a rather self-conscious way. What really surprised Juliet, however, w
as seeing Cassie push back her seat and light a cigarette. She had always been obsessively anti-smoking, avoiding smoky places. Juliet saw her mother glance nervously at Cassie, obviously also stunned by her behaviour. Cassie was clearly avoiding eye contact, and Juliet knew neither of them dared confront her. Juliet, however, was even more certain that something was going on with her eldest sister.

  When they reached chocolates at the end of the meal, her mother invited Anwen to sit with them. Anwen, apparently unaware of the strained atmosphere, sat back, looking happy and relaxed, and poured herself a large glass of wine.

  ‘I’d like to thank Anwen for this exceptional meal,’ said Juliet’s mother.

  ‘Hear, hear,’ shouted Cassie, raising her glass.

  Tentatively, the others raised their glasses too.

  ‘To the best chef on the island,’ Cassie continued, her words slurred, ‘and my future business partner.’

  An uneasy hush fell over the table.

  ‘Cassie not now,’ Anwen said.

  But Juliet’s mother picked up on it immediately. ‘What do you mean, business partner?’

  Cassie flapped a hand in Anwen’s direction. ‘We might as well tell them all, I’m so tired of keeping everything a bloody secret. Anwen and I are setting up a restaurant here on the island.’

  ‘A restaurant?’ said Juliet, stunned.

  ‘Yup. It’s very early days but this is the next stage in my life, and it’s very, very exciting.’

  Juliet’s mother’s voice shook as she said, ‘But what about your music? What about orchestra? I don’t understand.’

  Her words seemed to sober Cassie up slightly. ‘We don’t have all the details worked out yet… and, well, orchestra is something we need to discuss.’ She glanced nervously at her mother. ‘But let’s celebrate fresh starts, shall we.’

  Cassie raised her glass, but this time no one else joined in.

  Rhys coughed loudly. ‘Anwen, have you told Cassie everything she needs to know about her future business partner? I assume you are both putting a lot of money into this venture, you should both know what you are getting into.’

  Anwen groaned. ‘For God’s sake, Rhys.’

  ‘Cassie has a right to know and so does her family.’

  Anwen scowled. ‘This is nothing to do with you, keep the hell out of my life.’

  ‘You should be honest, that is all.’ Rhys looked around the table.

  Mira sat with her hands tightly clasped together in front of her, her mouth pinched, alert, clearly taking in everyone’s reactions, not wanting to miss anything that was said.

  Rhys coughed, took his glasses off and rubbed them. ‘You all know your father told me things in the hospital and that I have been struggling with them ever since. Well, after a lot of thought and prayer, I have decided that I shall share with you what your father told me. In fact, I have no choice now, this all coming out very soon.’

  ‘Hang on,’ blurted out Cassie. ‘At the funeral you said you didn’t know how these things were going to affect people, and anyway, you promised Dad you’d keep the things he said to yourself.’

  ‘I know, but I can’t do that now; I promise you I don’t take this decision lightly.’

  ‘You can’t say anything,’ said their mother, panic in her voice. ‘I forbid it. As a vicar, I would have expected you to show a great deal more discretion than this.’

  ‘Don’t expect any kindness from him,’ spat Rosalind. ‘He thinks he is God Almighty, that he can threaten and control people, it’s pathetic.’

  Rhys shook his head. ‘You’re wrong. I would love to bury all this, forget. But my calling is to lead people into the light, not leave them stranded in the darkness.’ He put his head in his hands. ‘I haven’t slept for days, I have prayed and agonised over what I should do.’

  Juliet’s heart was racing, her mouth dry in anticipation. Was she finally going to discover what her father had said?

  However, before Rhys could continue, Mira reached out, touched his arm, and signed, ‘Are you sure this is the right time for this? This is meant to be a celebration for Rosalind.’

  Rhys looked at her, his eyes filled with tears. ‘I know, and I am not going to say anything more tonight.’

  Juliet clenched her fists in frustration. ‘If you have decided to tell us, why not get on with it?’

  Ignoring Juliet, he looked directly at her mother. ‘Helena, I am going to give you this evening to talk to your family. You know what you need to tell them. I know you will find it hard, but you need to do this.’ He glanced around the table. ‘In fact, you all have things you need to share. I know it’s not the way in this family, but you really need to start talking to each other.’ Rhys stood up. ‘You must be brave, have courage. You must speak tonight.’

  Cassie leapt to her feet. ‘You can’t go around giving ultimatums like this, and you have no right to break your word to my father.’

  ‘I told you, it’s out of my hands now. Either you speak this evening, or I will share everything I know tomorrow. I will go to the church now, pray for you all.’ He kissed Mira lightly on the head and said, ‘I will sleep at the vicarage, so I don’t disturb you when I return.’

  As he walked away, the silence was broken by the sound of a phone – Anwen’s. She quickly took her iPhone out of her pocket, glanced at the screen, got up and made her way to the bottom of her garden, standing with her back to them.

  They sat in silence, no one sure what to do next. Anwen’s call was short and she soon returned. ‘I’m sorry, I have to leave,’ she said with a trembling voice and hurried into the house. Cassie ran after her.

  ‘I think I’ll clear up and then we can all have a drink, maybe a cold one would be better than more coffee this evening. You can all go and watch TV or something,’ her mother said.

  Juliet was shocked at the instant recovery of her mother; it was as if nothing had happened. She had a sudden and vivid flashback to a time when she’d once made a sponge that had cracked badly down the centre. Her mother had spread thick icing over the cake, saying, ‘There we are, Juliet, no one will ever know.’

  ‘Stop, Mum. Rhys asked us to talk to each other, I think he’s right. You know things we should be told, we’re not children,’ Juliet demanded.

  ‘Rhys doesn’t dictate how we deal with things. We are a family, we decide, and I’m telling you, we don’t need to talk about this now,’ her mother replied and there was challenge in her eyes as she slowly looked around the table.

  Rosalind stood up without saying a word and went into the house. Mira followed, but a few steps behind her. Juliet groaned; her mother had won. She wanted to scream with frustration, but instead, she ran out of the garden after Rhys.

  She could see him walking up the road, lit up by tight beams of light from the new streetlamps. It was too quiet, with trees looming silently, silhouetted against a cloudy black sky. There were tiny pinprick stars, the moon a slither of light.

  Juliet ran after him and grabbed his arm. ‘Rhys, you have to give Mum time. She’s not going to have some great heart-to-heart with us this evening.’

  ‘Then I shall take charge tomorrow. I have to do this, Juliet.’

  Juliet bit her lip. ‘I’m scared. What did Dad tell you?’

  ‘We’ll talk tomorrow,’ he said, and she knew he would not say any more to her that night.

  Juliet stepped back, the darkness seemed to press in on her, she felt it suffocating her.

  ‘You feel it too, don’t you,’ said Rhys, ‘you can feel evil. It’s close to us tonight.’

  ‘Don’t say that,’ Juliet pleaded.

  ‘Denying it won’t make it disappear. You have to be brave, Juliet.’

  ‘Dad said that, he told me to look after everyone, but I’m not strong. I’m scared.’

  He put his head to one side. ‘Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared; it means you act despite the fear inside you. And if you are going to look after them all you will need to be brave. There are darker things th
an you imagine here.’ He looked up the road leading to the church. ‘Usually, I enjoy walking through the village in the evening. Not tonight. I know I have put myself in danger. I shall go to my church. Maybe there I will find peace. Take care, Juliet, and, if anything should happen to me, take care of Mira for me. I do love her.’ With that, he walked away.

  Stunned and still confused, Juliet turned and went back down the road.

  As she was opening the gate, Anwen was coming out. She had changed into a black dress.

  ‘Is my brother still there?’ she said, not looking at Juliet but up the road. ‘Oh yes, I can see him; I’m going to sort this out.’ Pushing past Juliet, she marched off towards Rhys.

  Juliet went into the garden where she saw her mother was still outside, clearing the table.

  ‘Have you been speaking to Rhys?’ her mother asked.

  ‘Yes.’ She paused. ‘I’m so sorry the evening has been ruined, but we ought to talk, Mum.’

  ‘I think enough has been said for one evening. Now, there’s not much clearing up for me to do; Anwen is a very neat worker. Everyone has gone in to watch TV or rest.’

  ‘How can they all rest? What about Rhys—’

  ‘Enough, Juliet. Everything just needs to be left alone. I will talk to Rhys; explain why.’

  ‘If you think he’s not going to tell us, you’re wrong.’

  Her mother shook her head and spoke quietly but with a hardness Juliet had never heard before. ‘Trust me, whatever happens, he won’t be saying anything else on the subject.’ Her mother looked down at the table. ‘Leave this to me, Juliet, I shall see to everything.’

  9

  At that moment, Juliet’s phone alerted her to a text – it was from Gabriel.

  Are you still able to meet up?

  Juliet looked up at her mother. ‘Do you want me to help?’

  ‘Not at all. If that is someone wanting to meet up, you can go.’

  Juliet answered the text.

  I’m free now, any good?

  * * *

  Perfect, I’m out cycling, see you at the car park in ten minutes.