by Sarah Picson
Chapter 30
Robert caught himself staring out of the window again. Swinging back round to face the desk in his study, he sat up straight and tried to prevent his thoughts from straying.
He peered at the safety document he was drawing up for the Websters Project; long, wordy sentences stretching on and on across the page. He only managed a few more minutes before his eyes were drawn to the tinsel glittering under the warm glow of his study lights, that Abi and Moira had draped over his bookshelf. He allowed himself a small grin as he made eye contact with a large, fluffy snowman that Abi had planted on the corner of his desk.
Robert’s fingers drummed on his desk and then abandoning the safety document entirely, he checked the traffic conditions in the area.
He’d planned a surprise for Abi on her last day of term and was whisking her off to Ambleton as soon as she got in from school; a work colleague had mentioned the Christmas market that was held there each year and he knew Abi would enjoy it, he’d even booked a restaurant for dinner afterwards.
There had been a time when Robert would have entertained the idea of inviting Ellie to join them, but that was never going to happen now. Ellie was getting married and wanted nothing more to do with him. That didn’t stop him staring at the backs of petite women with blonde hair when he was out, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He’d also been going to White Willow Lake more often in the hope he might bump into her. He was sure his bruised heart would heal eventually, but he wished it would hurry up.
Robert heard the click of the front door and bounded to his feet.
‘What are you doing here?’ Abi asked, as she saw him stride out of his study.
‘Surprise! I’ve been working from home. How would you like to go to the Christmas market in Ambleton?’
Abi’s expression barely altered.
‘Sure, Dad,’ she said, with a shrug of her shoulders.
Robert frowned; he’d expected his daughter to jump at the idea. On closer inspection, she seemed paler than usual.
‘We can go another day, if you’re tired,’ he suggested.
‘I want to go, it’s just…’ she paused. ‘Something really weird happened today.’
Robert folded his arms.
‘Oh, yes?’
‘It was Miss Saunders.’
Robert’s stomach flipped over.
‘Is she okay?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know. She caught me after school in the corridor and told me she was leaving.’
‘Leaving the school?’
‘Yes, and not just the school, but Thistleby. She’s moving away.’
‘What?’
‘She seemed sad when she told me, I actually thought she might cry,’ Abi said.
Dominic’s angry face flashed before Robert’s eyes.
‘Did she seem hurt?’
‘No,’ said Abi, shaking her head.
‘And she seemed sad?’ Robert asked.
‘Yes, Dad. I said that.’
‘Right, sorry,’
He forced himself to calm down; this wasn’t his problem to solve. He felt his daughter’s eyes studying him.
‘Do you want to get changed before we go?’ he asked.
‘Okay,’ Abi said, hesitating for a second, before clattering upstairs to her room.
Robert paced the hallway. It was strange that Ellie would be leaving Thistleby, he knew how much she loved living here. He stopped in his tracks. He might never see her again. The thought of it left him short of breath. As he heard Abi come down the stairs, he forced himself to grab his coat from the hook. Ellie was engaged, he reminded himself, yet again. It wasn’t any of his business.
Robert and Abi settled themselves in the car, the engine turning over as they waited for the heating to kick in. Robert stared blindly out of the windscreen at the fresh flurry of snow being released from the slate-grey sky.
‘Dad?’ Abi said.
He jumped at the sound of her voice.
‘Yes?’
‘You should go to her.’
‘Pardon?’
‘Talk to her before she leaves. It might be your last chance.’
Robert met his daughter’s eyes and a rush of pure love overwhelmed him. The weekend they’d spent together at the coast for her birthday had been wonderful. He had started to get to know her all over again during long walks along the cliffs, with the wind whipping their hair round their faces and over steaming cups of tea huddled in small cafés.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked.
Abi put a hand on his arm and nodded.
‘Yes, Dad. Just go, you’ll regret it if you don’t.’
‘What would I do without you?’ he said, leaning over and pulling her into a hug.
She squeaked and giggled in his arms.
‘Stop it!’
‘I love you, Flopsy Bell,’ he whispered.
‘Dad!’ she cried, wriggling out of his grip. ‘Just go will you!’
‘What about the Christmas market?’
‘We can go tomorrow,’ Abi said, jumping out of the car.
Robert thrust the car into gear and sped out of the driveway, not before catching a glimpse of his daughter waving to him in the rear-view mirror. He would try the school first.
~
It was quiet when Robert pulled into the school grounds. There were only a couple of cars dotted about and with a rising sense of panic, he realised he couldn’t see Ellie’s red car anywhere. He bounded up the steps to the reception, just as the door opened and a dark-haired woman came out of the building.
‘Hi,’ he called.
‘Hi,’ she replied, stopping in her tracks.
‘You’re Ellie’s friend, aren’t you?’
Her lips curled into a small smile.
‘Yes. I’m Jenny.’
‘I’m —’
‘Robert,’ she finished his sentence, a twinkle in her eye.
‘Is Ellie here?’
Her face dropped, the twinkle dissolving as she shook her head.
‘She’s gone.’
Robert’s heart pumped faster.
‘Abi told me she’s leaving Thistleby. Is it true?’
‘Yes,’ Jenny said, with a sigh. ‘Ellie gave her notice in a month ago, it was her last day today. She’s going back to live with her parents for a while.’
Robert lurched back as if he’d been punched in the gut.
‘But Ellie loves living here, she loves her job. I don’t understand why she’s leaving,’ Robert said.
‘A lot has happened lately; she’s been feeling overwhelmed,’ Jenny explained. ‘She wanted a fresh start.’
‘And I’ve lost a valuable asset to my school,’ a cool voice said behind them.
Neither of them had heard the door open, but Robert recognised the headteacher approaching them with purpose.
‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ Jenny muttered, under her breath.
‘Mr Finch, is there anything I can help you with?’ Ted asked.
‘No, thank you. I’m looking for Miss Saunders,’ Robert replied.
The headteacher’s sharp, steely gaze could have cut a hole through Robert.
‘She is no longer Abi’s teacher, Mr Finch, and in light of recent events, I don’t think you should be meeting any teacher at Thistleby High outside of school hours,’ he said, his eyes sliding over to Jenny.
‘What recent events?’ Robert asked.
Ted raised an unforgiving eyebrow.
‘It would do you well to consider the magnitude of your actions, Mr Finch. Miss Saunders was the best in the department and it is a sad loss to my team. I’ll struggle to replace her.’
‘Will someone tell me what’s going on here?’ Robert said, his voice rising.
‘Ted, I need a minute with Mr Finch, do you mind?’ Jenny said.
‘Make sure that’s all it is.’
He curled his thin lip briefly before marching back into the building. Robert could see him scrutinizing them through the window as he made his way along the
corridor.
‘Has something happened?’ Robert asked.
‘You happened.’
‘What do you mean?’
Jenny gave a little tut and Robert could see the white coil of her breath in the crisp air as she spoke.
‘You’re currently on Ted’s blacklist, after you and Ellie were seen on your cinema date, doing whatever naughty things you were doing to one another!’ she said.
Robert jerked his head back.
‘What the hell are you talking about? What’s that got to do with him?’
‘It was reported to him and unfortunately, Ted does not approve of parent teacher, after-school activities, if you know what I mean? Stuffy old fool.’
Robert felt a wave of freezing confusion splash over him as he had a sudden flashback of their embrace.
‘Someone saw us that night and reported Ellie?’ Robert muttered, trying to make sense of the situation.
‘Turns out someone was watching you,’ Jenny said, in a low voice, which caused a shiver to dance down Robert’s spine. ‘Ellie found out that Dominic had followed her that night. He called the school, pretending to be an angry, concerned parent and reported Ellie for misconduct.’
‘That bastard!’ Robert cried, clenching his fists.
‘You’re not wrong,’ Jenny said, with a grim smile. ‘Anyway, it’s okay, the whole thing didn’t go any further than a verbal warning for Ellie, not that Ted didn’t try and make it harder for her!’
Robert’s heart grew heavy at the thought of Ellie having to go through that alone and then a thought suddenly struck him.
‘Why would Dominic put Ellie through that? They’re getting married!’
Jenny tilted her head to one side and gave him a funny look.
‘No, they’re not.’
Robert blinked hard; he didn’t think he could have heard her properly.
‘But they’re engaged.’
‘They were, once, but Ellie ended things between them. She hasn’t been happy with Dominic for a while and then when she found out he might be cheating on her, it was just the thing she needed to see him for who he really was and finish it.’
Robert took a step back, his hand gripping the cold metal railing of the stairs.
‘When did she break it off with him?’
‘The day she got back from the week at her mum and dad’s. I remember because that’s when she moved into my place.’
Robert took a sharp intake of breath.
‘Ellie’s been living with you all this time?’
‘Yes.’
‘And they didn’t get back together?’
‘No! He’s an idiot! Why would you think that?’ Jenny asked.
‘When Ellie cancelled her tuition with Abi, I went to her house to talk to her and I spoke to —’
‘Dominic!’ Jenny finished his sentence, her hands flying to her hips. ‘What did he say to you?’
‘That they’d been having problems but they were still together. That they were getting married.’
Robert pounded his fist against the metal railing, barely registering the pain that spasmed up his arm as anger simmered within him. Dominic had fed him a lie and he’d believed it. His heart dived in despair at all the time he’d lost and now it might be too late to put things right with Ellie.
And then a small flare of hope kindled within him. Ellie hadn’t chosen Dominic. She wasn’t engaged.
‘Dominic’s got a nerve!’ Jenny cried. ‘I did wonder why you never tried to contact Ellie after she cancelled the tuition. I mean it was obvious the two of you were good together, but if you thought Ellie was marrying Dominic and Ellie thought she’d just been a meaningless bit of fun for you on the side, well, what a mess!’
‘Ellie was never just a meaningless bit of fun!’ Robert croaked.
Jenny crossed her arms and arched an accusatory eyebrow at him.
‘After the phone call she overheard, where you professed your love for your wife, what was she supposed to think?’
‘There were things I should have told her earlier, I know, but it’s complicated,’ Robert mumbled, guilt’s familiar presence threatening to smother his chest.
‘Really? I think it’s quite simple: you either have a wife or you don’t? And cheaters aren’t high on Ellie’s list of favourite people right now!’
Jenny’s words made him flinch, but he didn’t have time to explain or argue with her. He had no more time left to waste.
‘Do you think Ellie has left Thistleby already?’ Robert asked. Jenny pouted, her lips remaining stubbornly shut. ‘Jenny, please!’
She tutted, but her expression softened a little.
‘Maybe. Although she mentioned she might collect the rest of her things from the cottage before leaving and she also said she had a special place she wanted to visit, to say a proper goodbye to Thistleby.’
Robert turned and bolted down the stairs.
‘What are you doing?’ Jenny called.
‘Something I should have done a while ago,’ he shouted back.
~
Fifteen minutes later, Robert pulled up outside the cottage with the blue front door and pounded his knuckles against it. It swung open almost immediately.
‘What the hell do you want?’ Dominic bellowed, leering out like a gargoyle.
Robert stood his ground.
‘Is she here?’ he asked, as calmly as he could.
‘I told you to keep away.’
‘I need to talk to her. Ellie?’ Robert called, over Dominic’s shoulder.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Dominic said, jutting his chin out.
Robert heard a faint voice from within the house. He moved forwards, but Dominic’s arms shot out and shoved him in the chest. Robert grunted and staggered back.
‘Ellie?’ Robert shouted.
He heard the voice again; a woman’s voice. This time he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He charged, knocking into Dominic with his shoulder to get inside the cottage.
‘Ellie?’ Robert called.
A woman stood at the top of the stairs. Robert squinted up at the figure, his eyes widening as he noticed her hands clasping the unmistakable bulge of her stomach.
‘She’s not here,’ the woman said, one hand gliding regally down the banister, as if she owned it.
Robert’s collar was grabbed from behind and suddenly he was hurtling towards the wall. With a crash, his forehead found the corner of a framed photograph of Dominic and Ellie smiling down at him. It dropped to the floor with a tinkling of broken glass. Robert dabbed his fingers at his temple; they were stained with blood.
‘Get out of my house,’ Dominic roared in his ear.
Robert thrust his elbow back hard and turning, saw that he’d caught the side of Dominic’s face. Dominic reeled back, clutching his cheek, foul obscenities streaming from his mouth. Robert shouted at the woman.
‘Where is Ellie?’
‘Keep your mouth shut, Scarlette!’ Dominic cried.
‘How should I know?’ she said, her features as rigid as stone.
Robert sensed movement behind him, followed by a sharp pain jolting up the back of his shin where Dominic had kicked him. He stumbled, his shoes crackling over the broken glass beneath him. Swinging around, Robert faced Dominic; the air between them like a dense, dark raincloud, spitting with malice.
Robert’s breathing became heavy, as cold rage gripped him at the thought of the poisonous lie this man had told him last time he was here.
Dominic lunged, but Robert sprung out of his way, darting into the living room with Dominic close behind. With a spurt of energy, Robert threw a punch, which landed with a crack on Dominic’s chin.
‘That’s for Ellie,’ Robert panted, as Dominic dropped to the sofa, clutching his jaw.
‘You’ve made a big mistake, Finch,’ Dominic hissed through his teeth, as he tried to get to his feet.
But Robert had heard enough. He stalked out of the house, the knuckles on his fist throbbing in time w
ith his pumping heart. He was running out of time. He still didn’t know where Ellie was. Was it too late?
Jenny’s words pierced his thoughts: she said she had a special place she wanted to visit to say a proper goodbye to Thistleby. There was only one place that could be, he was sure of it. It was the only place left to look. Robert broke into a run.
Chapter 31
The evening was wrapped in a thick cloak of darkness. A fleck of snow spiralled out of the sky and came to rest on the end of Ellie’s nose. A shiver rippled through her and she sank her neck further down into her scarf, enjoying the softness of it climbing up her chin. She flexed her hands in her pockets, trying to keep the cold from creeping up her fingers, yet despite the chill, she couldn’t break away from the view before her. It held her in a trance.
With a steady curtain of silvery snow tumbling down, it was even more magical than usual. Tiny street lights flickered on one by one in the distance. Long beams of car headlights poured along narrow lanes. Endless fields stretched into the distance, buried under white, patchwork blankets of snow.
As Ellie stood by the bench at White Willow Lake, she brushed her fingers over Juliette’s cold plaque. Over the years, this had been a place of solitude for her when she’d needed it; a place of reflection, where life had slowed down and stopped turning quite so fast. She wondered if the last time Juliette had come up here, she had known it would be her final visit.
A rustling noise in the darkness caused Ellie to twist around sharply, her breath catching in her throat. It had come from the path. She strained her eyes, but all she could see were the dense shadows of the tree trunks hiding in the gloom. It was probably an animal, maybe a fox, she told herself, as she turned back to the view.
Another rustle, closer this time, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Ellie shrank back and wound her arms tightly around herself.
‘Ellie? I wasn’t sure if I’d find you before you left.’
A tall figure emerged from the path and Ellie drank in the sight of him. She shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the cold.
‘Abi told you?’
‘Yes. I went to the school to try and find you and bumped into your friend, Jenny,’ Robert said. ‘And then I went to your home and saw Dominic.’