The Perfect Stepmother

by King, Karen

  ‘I’m sorry but Seb’s working and I’ve already made plans,’ Lily said.

  ‘Never mind, perhaps you can make a donation to the charity then?’

  ‘Er, yes, of course.’ Lily supressed a sigh. Maria was involved in so many charities and it felt like she was always asking for donations.

  Emma came back, clutching an envelope with red writing on it.

  ‘It’s a letter for you, Mummy,’ she announced, holding it out. ‘I just found it on the mat.’

  ‘It’s a bit late for the post, isn’t it?’ Lily asked. ‘And unusual for someone to use red ink.’

  ‘Thank you, Emma.’ Maria hastily took the letter and slipped it into her apron pocket, her eyes not quite meeting Lily’s as she said, ‘It’s from one of my clients. She always uses red ink, it’s one of her quirks. She’s a lovely lady, very outgoing.’

  ‘Come on, Lil,’ Emma said, grabbing Lily’s hand. Lily followed her sister into the garden wondering why Maria had looked so shaken up over receiving a letter from a client. And why it had been delivered to the house instead of her beauty salon.

  23

  Maria

  Maria waited until Lily and Emma were safely outside, sitting on the swinging chair, drinks in hand, chatting to each other, before she took the envelope out of her pocket. Steadying her shaking hand, she looked at her name, written in blood-red capitals, just like the first one, last Friday. She was dreading opening it but knew that she had to. Better to face things than bury your head in the sand, as Sue had always said. Taking a deep breath, she tore across the top and removed the small piece of folded white paper inside. Opening it up, her heart almost stopped beating as she saw the words written there:

  I KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

  ‘That iced tea is delicious. Do you mind if I have another glass?’

  Lily’s voice behind her almost made Maria drop the note. She crushed it in her fist and spun around. ‘Er… of course.’

  ‘Are you okay? You look as white as a sheet. Is the letter bad news?’

  Maria shoved the screwed-up note back in her pocket and tried to compose herself. ‘It’s just from a client to say that they are moving out of the area so are swapping to another salon.’ She shrugged. ‘I’ll miss her, but it happens.’

  She walked over to the fridge and took out the jug of iced tea, placing it on the worktop. Lily held her empty glass under the ice dispenser then added the iced tea to the crushed ice.

  ‘Will that make a big difference to your turnover?’ she asked.

  Maria steadied her voice before replying. ‘She is a good client, and the money she’s spent has enabled me to help my cancer patients so I’m sad to lose her, but she is relocating miles away so I do understand. Luckily the newspaper article has brought us in a lot more clients so we should be fine.’ How easily the lies dripped from her tongue after all these years of practice and covering up.

  She took a clean glass out of the cupboard and filled it with iced tea, taking a long drink. ‘Why don’t you go back out to Emma? I’ll join you both in a minute. It’s a shame to spend such a lovely day indoors.’

  ‘Okay…’ Lily still looked a bit concerned but she went back out into the garden.

  Maria took another swig of the refreshing drink as she watched Lily walk over to the swinging seat, sit back down by Emma, then say something to her. Emma threw back her head with laughter, and Lily joined in too. They had such a close relationship. What would Lily say if she knew about these letters?

  Maria tried to still her shaking hand as she watched them, her mind on the screwed-up letter in her pocket. She should never have agreed to marry Gareth. He had been so persuasive, and it had been impossibly tempting to swap her lonely, single life for a family and a man who loved her. But she should have realised that it could never work. That her past life would always come back to haunt her. No matter how much she tried to put it behind her, to atone for what she had done, no matter how much she helped people, how many funds she raised for charity, it would always be there. And now someone had found out about her past and was certain to expose her. Who was it and why now? She and Gareth had been married for more than six months. If it was one of their neighbours or his work colleagues, then surely they would have acted earlier?

  It must be someone who read the newspaper article.

  As soon as the thought came into her mind she knew that must be the reason. The article had been published last Thursday morning and the first letter had arrived the following evening. Maybe the person behind the notes had seen the article and recognised Maria; it had been such a clear photo of her face. Her address wasn’t mentioned in the paper though. And as the letters were delivered to the house and not the salon, it must be someone who knew where Maria lived, who maybe lived nearby or at least near enough to drive over and post them through the letterbox. Oh God, why had she agreed to that article?

  What’s done is done, now you have to deal with it. Another of Sue’s sayings. And deal with it she must. She had to find out who was sending these letters before Gareth or Lily found out about them.

  24

  Lily

  ‘She looked really shaken up.’ Lily related Maria’s reaction to Seb that evening as they sat on the sofa eating their takeaway – chicken biryani for Seb and lamb pasanda for her – in front of the TV. Maria’s reaction had bothered her. She’d looked guilty and frightened. ‘She pretended it was a letter from a client, but I’m sure it wasn’t. Her name was written on the envelope in red capitals. I couldn’t see what the letter said but I am sure there was only one line and that was written in red too. I think it was a threat.’

  Seb cheekily dabbed a piece of naan bread in Lily’s pasanda and raised an eyebrow quizzically. ‘Why would anyone be threatening Maria? The woman’s practically a saint.’

  ‘What if she isn’t? I mean we hardly know her, do we? What if it’s all an act? If she’s covering for something?’ Lily knew it sounded far-fetched but she couldn’t help it. She had tried very hard to trust Maria but something about her made Lily’s protective instincts flare.

  Seb frowned. ‘This again? I thought you’d got over this, babe. I know that it hurt when your dad remarried so quickly and that you’re just trying to look after Emma, and that’s only natural with what she’s gone through. But they’ve been married six months now. Maria is a wonderful stepmum to Emma and I’ve never seen your dad look so happy.’

  Lily bit her lip. She knew that Seb thought she was worrying too much but he hadn’t seen Maria’s face and how her hand had shaken when that letter had come. There was no way it was written by a client, not in red capitals like that. Maria was hiding something. She was sure of it.

  Then she remembered that there had been no stamp on the envelope. It had been hand-delivered. ‘Why would a client write a one-line letter and go to the trouble of driving to Maria’s home to push it through the door then go? Surely if they’d come all this way to send Maria a note, they’d knock on the door and speak to her?’ she persisted.

  ‘I don’t know, do I? Does it really matter?’

  Lily glared at him in anger. Why couldn’t Seb see how serious this was? It was as if he was as besotted with Maria as her father was. Honestly, men thought that just because a woman was pretty, she had to be a nice person. ‘It matters because that letter really shook Maria up! She looked frightened!’ she yelled. ‘If someone is threatening her or blackmailing her, then Emma – or Dad – could be in danger too.’

  ‘Why the hell should anyone threaten or blackmail her? All she does is help people. Honestly, Lily, you’re letting your imagination get carried away here.’ Seb rolled his eyes, picked up the remote and turned over to another programme.

  ‘And you can’t bloody well see what’s right in front of your eyes! Maria is hiding something and I’m going to find out what it is.’

  Seb gave an exasperated sigh and ignored her.

  Lily stormed out and stomped up the stairs. Seb could think what he liked, but she was
n’t going to ignore the alarm bells in her head about Maria any longer. Something was wrong, she knew it was. Maria’s reaction hadn’t been a normal one to a note from a client saying they were moving out of the area. That letter had meant trouble. And if Maria was in trouble, it could affect Emma. Lily was determined to look after her little sister, no matter what.

  It was time she dug a little deeper into her stepmother’s background, Lily resolved. She’d tried the internet and found nothing; what she needed was someone who had known Maria for some time and knew something about her past. She had no family or friends she could ask, so the only place left was the salon. It was a start, anyway. She might be clutching at straws but it was the only course of action she could think of. Tomorrow, when Maria was busy at the summer fayre, Lily was going to pay a visit to the salon and see what she could find out about her stepmother’s past. She wouldn’t tell the salon staff who she was; she’d pretend she was a potential client – that way any questions she asked wouldn’t seem suspicious.

  25

  Maria

  Eight days before Emma disappeared

  ‘If I finish in time I’ll come straight over to the fayre,’ Gareth said, sipping his cup of tea.

  ‘That will be nice but don’t worry if you can’t make it,’ Maria told him. She loved weekend mornings when they could have a leisurely breakfast together instead of all rushing around trying to get ready. Especially mornings like this when Emma had thankfully gobbled up her breakfast then settled in front of the TV to watch a cartoon. She loved the little girl as if she were her own, but she enjoyed having time alone with Gareth too.

  Gareth glanced at his watch. ‘Well, I’d better be going. I’ll pop and say goodbye to Emma first. I think she’d sit in front of that TV all day!’

  ‘Not today she won’t. We have a busy day ahead. Emma’s going to help me make some more cakes for the fayre and man the stall this afternoon.’

  ‘You’re so good to her.’ Gareth reached out and placed his hand over Maria’s. ‘I’m really grateful for how you look after Emma, and so proud of all that you do, but be careful that you don’t overdo it. You never seem to stop.’

  ‘I just want to help as much as I can,’ she told him.

  ‘I know. You’re so kind-hearted, you’ll do anything for anyone, but you look a bit tired and anxious. Is there anything bothering you?’

  ‘No, everything is fine. Perfect,’ she lied. ‘I guess I have been doing a lot, but tomorrow we all have the day off. It’ll be good to unwind. I’m sure I’ll feel a lot more relaxed then.’

  ‘I hope so. You work so hard.’ Gareth kissed her. ‘I’ll go and say goodbye to Emma,’ he said, releasing her hand and pushing his chair back to stand up.

  Maria stood up too and cleared the breakfast plates as Gareth went into the lounge. A few minutes later, as she stood at the sink rinsing the plates ready to put in the dishwasher, she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his lips on her neck. She loved Gareth so much but now she was terrified that she was going to lose him, and Emma. That her happy family life was going to be snatched away from her.

  ‘I was thinking…’

  She reached out for the towel hanging by the sink, wiped her hands and turned around to face him, leaning against the sink. His eyes – the same blue as Lily’s – looked thoughtful.

  ‘That sounds ominous.’

  ‘You’re so good with Emma, a natural mother, and I really appreciate that. But she’s my daughter. I was wondering, maybe we should think about having a baby together. Would you like that?’

  She should have told Gareth she couldn’t have children before they got married but hadn’t been able to find the courage. What if he wanted another child? She’d presumed he wouldn’t but had never asked. She had to tell him; she’d already let it slip to Emma. She shook her head slowly. ‘I love Emma as if she was my own. And do we both really want to start again with a new baby? All those sleepless nights and nappies.’

  He looked relieved. ‘To be honest, no. But I would if that was what you wanted.’ He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. ‘If you ever change your mind, let me know.’

  I’ll never change my mind, Maria thought as she rested her head on his shoulder. Even if it was possible for her to have a child – the doctors had been adamant that she couldn’t when she had lost her baby after that awful Easter – how could she bring a child into this world after what happened? How could she be a mother when she had robbed another mother of her child? Looking after Emma was a privilege, a gift to Ruth to whom she owed so much. Emma was her one and only chance of being a mother, and she was enough. She was relieved to find that Gareth didn’t want more children though. ‘Actually…’ she started to say.

  ‘Yuk! Are you two kissing again?’

  Maria pulled away from Gareth and smiled at Emma, still dressed in her pyjamas, wrinkling her nose as she watched them. Maria held out her hand. ‘Want a group hug?’

  Emma grinned and ran over to join them, flinging one arm around Maria’s waist and the other around Gareth’s. Maria held them both closely, cherishing this moment, all thought of confessing to Gareth gone. Why tell him when he didn’t want more children anyway. Emma was hardly likely to mention it, was she?

  When Gareth had gone and Emma had washed and dressed, Maria set to making the cakes for the fayre that afternoon. She knew that she was cutting it fine but had already made a big chocolate fudge cake and a carrot cake the night before when Emma was in bed. She had wanted to save some baking to do with the little girl, knowing how much Emma loved helping her. They made butterfly cakes, madeleines and finally chocolate brownies. Maria watched as Emma cracked the eggs and poured them into the mixture, concentrating as she mixed it in. Licking out the bowl was Emma’s favourite part, and Maria always left a little extra cake mixture in the bottom of the bowl knowing how much Emma enjoyed it.

  When the cakes had cooled down, Maria packed them all into sealed plastic containers, ready to take to the fayre. She was running the stall with Kimona from the hospice, who would be bringing a selection of Caribbean pastries. She liked Kimona, a tall, friendly woman with a big smile, who made everyone feel welcome.

  The baking finished, Maria sent Emma upstairs to change and went to have a quick shower herself. Catching a glance at herself in the mirror, she realised that Gareth was right: she looked exhausted. She had lost a bit of weight, and peering closely at her face in the mirror, she could see she looked a bit drawn and there were dark shadows under her eyes. It was worrying about those horrible letters; they brought everything crashing back, and with them the fear of being exposed, of losing everything once again.

  ‘I’m ready, Mummy!’ Emma called.

  ‘I’ll be five minutes, love,’ she shouted back.

  Emma was looking forward to the fayre but Maria was dreading it – she was so worried that the writer of those horrible notes might be there. Her legs gave way at the thought and she reached for the towel rail to steady herself. She couldn’t bear the possibility that the person who had written those notes could be someone she considered a friend. That someone she knew and trusted had found out about her past. And she had no idea what they would do with that knowledge.

  26

  Lily

  As soon as Seb left for work on Saturday morning Lily got ready to visit Maria’s salon. She’d got her story all worked out. She would tell the receptionist that she’d seen the newspaper article and wanted to enquire about the beauty care treatments available, especially the ones for cancer patients, then once she’d got talking to one of the members of staff she would ask a few discreet questions about the owner.

  She selected her clothes carefully, knowing that Maria’s clientele weren’t short of money and wanting to give the right impression. She’d picked up a pair of designer white linen trousers in a sale and had brought back a gorgeous fake designer bag from their holiday in the Dominican Republic, then completed the look with a red-and-white silk top and red sandals. She swep
t her hair back into a ponytail and donned a pair of Reactolite sunglasses, wanting to change her appearance a little in case she bumped into anyone she knew. Studying her reflection in the mirror, Lily thought she looked classy enough for the receptionist to think that she actually had enough money to afford the treatments. Then she set off for the thirty-minute drive to the upmarket retail centre where her stepmother’s beauty salon was situated.

  Daisy’s looked even classier than it did on the website. The combination of a high-quality dark wooden floor, soft white leather chairs, sky-blue fittings and inspirational quotes in silver frames on the walls gave the impression of both elegance and comfort. Crystal vases of daisies – so realistic she had to touch them to make sure they were artificial – were scattered around the salon, and soft, calm music filled the air, as did the subtle scent of the classy white and sky-blue flickering candles placed on various surfaces. It looked soothing, comforting and very welcoming. There were three consultants, dressed in white trousers and matching blue tops, their hair sleeked back, tending to customers. The woman at the polished dark wood reception desk glanced up from the screen of the computer in front of her and smiled as Lily walked in. ‘Good morning. Can I help you?’

  Lily glanced at her name badge – Olivia – and smiled back. ‘I understand that you offer beauty treatments for cancer patients.’

  A look of sympathy immediately crossed the woman’s face. ‘We do.’ Her tone was softer, and her eyes held compassion as she looked at Lily. ‘Is it… for yourself?’