by Abbie Frost
And then, with a click, the light came back on. Hannah swallowed. She glanced around, her neck tingling with unease. She was alone, nothing had changed.
She hurried back to her room.
The next day, Hannah woke to early morning light filtering across the room. She groaned and rolled over, opened one eye and looked at her phone on the floor. Nine o’clock. Why was the room still so dim?
Pulling the curtains wide, she looked out into a wall of white. Thick mist smothered everything, even covering the bare little rose garden below. There was no way she could navigate that rutted track in this fog, so her plan to visit the village would have to wait.
When she got downstairs, Liam, Rosa, and Chloe were in the kitchen, the remnants of a full English breakfast on the table in front of them. Chloe’s plate looked untouched, her eyes red and swollen.
‘Chloe, eat up,’ Rosa said. ‘You need a good breakfast.’ And Chloe bowed her head and shovelled a few baked beans into her mouth.
Liam gave Hannah an easy smile. ‘Morning there, sleep well?’ His eyes flickered over her.
Her face burned as she looked away. ‘Not really.’ This was the moment when someone should explain why Chloe had been crying, but the only sound was the scraping of a fork against a plate.
‘Stop playing with your food.’ Rosa’s voice was loud. ‘What on earth is wrong with you this morning?’
Chloe looked like she was on the verge of tears. Liam reached for a piece of toast and began buttering it. ‘Try this with some scrambled egg.’
As Hannah was pouring herself tea, Mo came in. He met her eyes with a warm smile and she felt her heart beat a little faster. A feeling inside that she didn’t deserve to experience again.
‘Guess what … I’ve found something.’ Mo nodded towards the door. ‘Come and have a look.’
Holding her warm mug she followed him to the opposite side of the hall, through a set of double doors, and into a beautiful high-ceilinged room. A large fire roared away in the grand fireplace in a corner.
‘I found a stack of logs out the back. Got the fire going first thing.’
‘Amazing. It’s so warm in here.’ The grey cat was curled up on a fireside armchair and Hannah, not wanting to disturb it, settled into one of the others.
Mo took a poker from a fancy metal stand and moved a log in the grate with a flourish. ‘I’ve never lit a proper fire before, but I’m getting the hang of it now.’ He used his phone to snap a picture. ‘I’m pretty sure this is an Adam fireplace – a nice one, too.’ Hannah couldn’t help smiling. Mo paused to frown at his phone. ‘Still can’t get a signal.’
Hannah dug out her iPhone and glanced at the screen. There wasn’t even wifi any more. No way was she going to walk all the way to the village without Google Maps, even if this fog cleared. They needed to find the router.
Mo wiped his hands on his trousers and flopped into the sofa. ‘Shame about the weather. Could be a good excuse to explore the rest of the house, though. What do you reckon?’
‘Yeah, I’d like that.’
Liam appeared at the door. He rubbed his hands together in what she was beginning to recognize was a habitual gesture. ‘A fire! Terrific, just what we need.’ He crouched by the fireplace and held his palms up to the flames. ‘Makes me almost glad of the fog.’
They all looked towards the wide French windows and to the white wall of mist that pressed against the glass. Hannah turned back to Mo. ‘How’s your dad this morning?’
‘Complaining as usual.’ Mo smiled. ‘He’s having a lie-in. Didn’t sleep well again.’ Someone else who’d been kept awake by the crying, Hannah guessed. Mo went on, ‘He’s pretty annoyed that we’re gonna have to stay another day.’
Liam threw another log on the fire. ‘If it clears up, I thought I’d go into the village and buy some wine for anyone who wants it. Can’t have a dry holiday now, can we? I don’t drink when I’m at work, too busy you know, so I like to indulge a little when I’m away.’ He grinned up at Hannah. ‘Maybe we could find some board games and have a few drinks together later on.’
Mo poked at the fire again, his back turned to them. As much as Hannah couldn’t stand Liam, she needed to get to the shop. ‘If you’re going, I need to get a packet of fags for Lucy. Reckon you could give me a lift?’
‘No, no, don’t worry about it. You stay and enjoy yourself.’ Liam turned back to the fire. ‘I’ll get cigarettes, plenty of wine and whatever spirits they have in the shop.’
Hannah tried to protest, but he was adamant. She thanked him and felt her stomach rumble, reminding her she hadn’t eaten breakfast.
Back in the kitchen Rosa stood at the sink, washing up, and Chloe sat at the table, still scowling at her plate. She’d probably been told to stay here until her food was finished. Hannah took a plate from the cupboard and made herself a couple of pieces of toast. Pulled up a chair next to Chloe and whispered, ‘Can I help you with that?’
Chloe gave a tiny smile, a glance at her mother, and then nodded. Hannah scraped most of Chloe’s food onto her own plate and started to eat. ‘You look pretty tired. Did you have trouble sleeping, like me and Sandeep?’
The girl nodded.
‘We all slept like logs,’ Rosa said, turning from the sink.
They all fell silent and Hannah continued to eat. What had really happened last night? And why didn’t Rosa want to talk about it?
She was clearing away their plates when Mo appeared at the door. ‘Who’s up for a tour?’ He smiled at Chloe. ‘I’m hoping for a secret passage.’
‘Come on, let’s go explore,’ Hannah said as she shepherded Chloe through the door.
Rosa turned from the sink, a tea cloth in her hand. ‘Be careful.’
‘It’s all right. I’ll keep an eye on her.’ Hannah held Rosa’s gaze for a moment, then they all filed out into the hall.
In the drawing room, Lucy sat curled in the leather armchair beside the fireplace, an open book on her lap. Her tiny shorts, fluffy socks and huge sweatshirt only made her look more beautiful. When she noticed them at the door, she put down her book and gave them a tired smile.
‘Nice fire, Mo. I’ll be snuggled up in here until this weather improves.’ A yawn. ‘I’m shattered. Need a duvet day, I think.’ She stretched out a slender leg, revealing an intricate tattoo on the side of her thigh. Mo seemed to be finding it hard to speak.
Chloe was also staring and, when she spoke, it was in a quiet voice that made her sound younger than her years. ‘We’re going to look around the house, if you want to come too?’
Lucy smiled and put down her book. ‘You know, I might just do that. An explore would be fun.’ She stood up and stretched. ‘Give me a minute to get changed.’
‘We’ll meet you outside your room,’ Mo said. ‘Might as well start upstairs.’
When Lucy left the room, Mo, Chloe, and Hannah lapsed into silence, watching the fire crackling in the grate. Then the door banged open and Rosa burst in, making them jump.
‘For God’s sake, there you all are. Couldn’t you hear me calling?’ She didn’t wait for a response, but stood framed in the doorway, pointing out the window at the fog. ‘I tried to stop him, but Liam is insisting on going to the village. It’s madness. Completely stupid. He’ll get himself killed. Can someone please try and talk some sense into him?’
Mo stepped forward. ‘I can try, but I doubt he’ll listen. Maybe we should see if Dad’s awake. He’d be able to do it.’ He noticed Hannah and Rosa exchange looks. ‘He doesn’t talk about it, but my dad was a copper for thirty years.’ A smile. ‘Knows how to talk someone round.’
There was a pause and Hannah tried to imagine Sandeep as a policeman. He certainly knew the difference between right and wrong.
Rosa too looked doubtful, but eventually she sighed. ‘OK, but please be quick.’ Chloe and Mo followed her from the room.
Hannah picked up the book Lucy had left on the chair. Wild Swimming: The Best Hidden Dips in Ireland. She imagined Lucy hiking th
rough the wilderness in her Doc Martens, tackling lakes and rivers, no doubt emerging from the water looking as gorgeous as ever.
Just the thought of swimming was enough to make Hannah squirm. She couldn’t swim and had no desire to learn. Ben had tried several times to bring her along to the pool or tempt her into the water at the beach. She bit the inside of her mouth and forced thoughts of Ben from her mind.
The fire flickered as a gust of cold air blew into the room from the hallway, and Hannah heard Mo running down the stairs. She poked her head out and saw Rosa standing at the open front door, pecking away at her phone with Chloe at her side.
Mo reached the bottom of the stairs and ran a hand through his hair. He looked suddenly older. ‘Sorry, Rosa. I can’t get him up. He’s still not feeling well – it’s his cough.’
‘Too late.’ Rosa didn’t even bother to look up from the screen. ‘The selfish bastard wouldn’t listen.’ There was a surprising bitterness in her voice, as if the trip to the village was a personal attack. Chloe stood very still, her hands clenched. After a moment, Rosa caught Hannah’s eye and sighed. ‘I’m just worried about him. He can be incredibly stubborn.’
‘I’m sure he’ll be all right. It looks like it’s clearing up out there,’ Hannah said, her eyes on Chloe who – despite her obvious anxiety and embarrassment – hadn’t shown even a flicker of surprise at her mother’s outburst. The cracks were starting to show in Rosa’s perfect family, and Hannah couldn’t help but think that she might deserve it.
Rosa closed the front door with a slam and stomped back into the kitchen. ‘I’m going to try Liam again. The signal’s terrible, but it sometimes works in here.’
There was a moment of silence, then Mo pointed up the stairs. ‘Come on, Chloe, race you to the top.’ She was staring after her mother, a deep frown on her face.
‘OK, I’ll be the starter.’ Hannah stood at the bottom of the stairs, one arm raised.
Mo took up a runner’s pose beside her. With a final look towards the kitchen, Chloe joined him with a small smile.
Hannah shouted, ‘On your marks, get set, go.’ She dropped her arm and Mo ran halfway up the stairs, his long legs covering two steps at a time.
Before the top he slammed to a stop and sprawled face first on the steps, clutching his side and panting. ‘Oh no. My side, my side. I’ve got a stitch.’
Chloe thundered past him, laughing and whooping, and almost collided with Lucy on the landing.
When Mo had limped his way up and reached them, Chloe slapped his arm. ‘You cheated. It wasn’t fair. You let me win.’
Lucy laid her palm on Mo’s side and frowned. ‘Nope, that’s genuine. A nasty stitch.’
As their laughter reached Hannah down in the hallway below them, she suddenly felt very alone. Her mind drifted back to the playground, when she had watched from a distance as everyone else had fun together.
She was about to turn back to the drawing room, when Chloe shouted down from above. ‘Come on, Hannah.’ And when she ran up to join them, Chloe grabbed her hand and pulled her along with her.
It didn’t take long to explore the top floor. Their five occupied rooms made up the west wing: Hannah’s number one at the far end of the corridor, Sandeep next to her, then Mo. Lucy’s room, and the family room, were near the top of the stairs.
The east wing had five doors, then a narrow one right at the end: another storage room, the twin of the one next to Hannah’s room, she guessed. A matching window overlooked the front of the house from this side too. When they got to it, Chloe stood for a moment looking down, her fingers pressed to the glass.
All the large rooms had brass door numbers and keypads. Hannah pointed out the beautifully carved wooden rails and cornices, the two ceiling roses in the corridors, each with a sparkling crystal chandelier, and talked about their design.
Mo headed towards the stairs. ‘There must be a cellar down here somewhere.’
‘I’m not sure I can face looking at any more chandeliers,’ said Lucy with a glance at Chloe. ‘Anyone up for trying to find a board game downstairs?’
But Chloe stopped and stared across the hall, through one of the tall windows, her expression dark. ‘It’s Dad.’
Hannah moved to her side and saw Liam trudging up the gravel drive out of the mist, a scowl on his face, no shopping bags in his hands. He couldn’t have been to the village and back already. Hannah bit back her disappointment.
The front door opened and he came in, pushing off the hood of his anorak and shaking rain across the floor. Chloe ran downstairs to him and he bent to give her a hug and a stiff smile.
He shook his head. ‘Sorry, no luck. I made it about halfway. Slow going, I can tell you, bloody treacherous. I met a local idiot on the path, too, and guess what: the village shop is closed for the week because of some stupid annual holiday.’
With Chloe clinging to his arm he went into the kitchen. Hannah felt herself lean against the wall for support.
Mo let out a sigh. ‘Well, that’s that then.’ He turned to Hannah and then his face changed. He frowned and stepped towards her. ‘Are you all right?’
Lucy touched her shoulder and Hannah tried to smile. Her legs felt weak and her brow prickled with sweat, but she was going to be all right. There would be a pub in the village that would sell her a bottle of wine tomorrow.
‘I’m fine, just a bit tired.’ She brushed them away with a weak smile. ‘Didn’t sleep well last night, probably all the excitement. I’ll just go for a lie-down.’ Mo and Lucy watched her as she walked carefully back up the stairs, her trembling hands stuffed into her pockets.
In her room, she sat on the bed and told herself to be calm. It was nothing to worry about, just the stress of everything she’d been going through, the fallout from her disturbed sleep. A nice vodka and Coke would help to steady her nerves.
Her mouth felt dry as she looked around the room. The glass sat on the bedside table, where she’d left it, and so did the Coke. But the vodka had gone.
She looked in the bathroom, on all the surfaces. Checked under the bed, shook out the duvet and threw it on the floor. Dug under the mattress, opened her bag and rifled through her clothes.
Then she slumped on the bed and a horrible thought began to creep its way into her mind. Confused memories of last night came back, that awful dream and her reaching for the bottle in the dark moments between waking and sleep. Could she have drunk the whole thing? If she couldn’t remember finishing a whole bloody bottle in one day and disposing of the evidence, there was something seriously wrong.
She began to pace back and forth across the room. But there had been some left, she was sure of it. And if she was right there was only one possible explanation. Time seemed to slow as she stared at her bed. Looked towards the door.
Someone had been in her room.
Chapter Seven
She glared at the clothes and bedding strewn all around her. Someone, some creep, must have been in here, tampering with her things. Her skin crawled. She checked her bag again, but everything seemed to be there: purse, credit cards, keys. Were Mo and Lucy taking the piss? She wouldn’t even put it past Liam. He looked the sort to enjoy practical jokes, and he obviously liked a drink.
Or maybe someone was so uptight that they couldn’t bear to have alcohol anywhere near them. But how had they known it was here? And how had they known her key code?
Only Preserve the Past knew that. The website had mentioned a cleaner who came just once a week, but they weren’t due for another four days. Henry wasn’t around, so Hannah was the only one with a record of her booking.
She thought back over the past few hours.
There seemed to be only one short period when someone could have got in. She had wedged her door open and gone to see why Chloe was crying. That ruled out the family and Lucy, because she had listened outside their doors. Even Mo was unlikely, so that left Sandeep.
His room was close to hers and he had been acting strangely, hadn’t talked much over di
nner. Maybe he didn’t approve of alcohol.
But he was just a harmless old guy who didn’t seem all that steady on his feet. She would have heard him shuffling down the corridor, too. Unless.
In the bathroom she splashed her face with water. Stared at the mirror and thought about what was on the other side of her wall. She wouldn’t have heard Sandeep if he had hidden in the little storage room, waiting in the dark for his chance.
She crept out into the empty corridor and stared at the keypad beside the mysterious door. Think, think. What was the code? But when she slapped the door in frustration, she felt the latch open and the door give way. She pushed harder and fell inside, the door shutting behind her.
The room was gloomy, just the sort of place where someone could hide. If this door had been on the latch last night, it would have been easy to wait in here and slip into her room.
She could make out a desk and on it a small lamp. When she hit the switch, the bulb cast just enough light to illuminate dusty surfaces and spider webs. She was in some kind of office, one that hadn’t been used in a very long time. A few rotten floorboards had fallen through, leaving splintered holes. There was no way Henry Laughton did his paperwork in here.
The desk was clear of everything but dust. Hannah brushed off the chair, sat down cautiously in case it gave way, and opened one of the drawers. A pile of small hardback books in various dark colours: red, blue, black. Picking one up she read the first few pages and then did the same to the next one. She counted ten diaries altogether, ranging from twenty to ten years ago. These must belong to the previous owners: the Fallons. She remembered Mo talking animatedly about them over dinner, about stuff he’d seen on Preserve the Past website. The family had died out some years ago, their house falling into disrepair, then the Trust had taken over.
It seemed wrong to look, but she carried on flicking through the pages. There were no scandalous confessions, just occasional initials and times on various pages, for what were obviously appointments. O.H. 3pm, Doc L. 9am, etc. There wasn’t even a name in the front or any phone numbers and addresses. On one page she spotted a star beside a word in capitals: MADDIE. Checking the other books, she saw it appeared in them all. Someone’s birthday perhaps.
