The Perfect Stepmother

by King, Karen

  ‘No. My mother.’ As she said the words Lily felt tears come to her eyes, remembering how her mother had looked forward to coming to this salon for her regular treatments. She felt awful using her mum’s memory to lie like this. The end justifies the means, she told herself.

  ‘I’m so sorry. This must be such a difficult time for you.’ Olivia looked genuinely sympathetic. ‘I’m afraid that Maria, the business owner and consultant who specialises in this treatment, doesn’t work Saturdays. But one of the other consultants can answer any questions for you, and if you give me your phone number, Maria will call you on Monday.’

  ‘Thank you. I’m only making enquiries at the moment. I haven’t spoken about it to Mum yet. I thought it would be best to get the information first, then I could discuss it with her properly.’

  ‘That sounds a good idea. Can I offer you a cup of coffee? Sophie will be free in ten minutes if you don’t mind waiting, then she can answer any questions you have.’

  ‘Thank you. I’d love a coffee, milk and one sugar, please. Do you mind if I have a browse around while I wait?’

  ‘Please do. There’s some magazines on the table, and you might want to take one of our brochures too.’ Olivia indicated a pile of leaflets on the side of her desk. Then she stood up. ‘I’ll be back in a few minutes with your coffee.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Lily picked up one of the brochures. There was a photo of the salon on the front and a daisy icon in the top corner. Inside were photos of all the staff, and a list of various beauty treatments. There were no prices listed. Lily guessed that if you had to ask the price, then you couldn’t afford to come here. Maria must have been making a lot of money but although she always dressed very elegantly, none of her clothes were top designer.

  Above the reception desk were framed certificates showing the qualifications of various staff members. Maria was certainly highly qualified. Lily turned from the desk and looked at the framed quotes on the wall, all of them written over a large daisy flower background: ‘Beauty Is the Illumination of Your Soul’; ‘When There’s Life There’s Hope’; ‘Believe You Can and You Will’. There was a basket with free samples, and a glass cabinet with products for sale. The whole colour scheme of white, silver and pale blue gave the feeling of peace and tranquillity. She had to admit it was beautifully done. Was it all Maria’s brainchild?

  ‘Here we are, madam.’ Olivia was back with an elegant china cup of coffee, resting on a matching saucer.

  ‘Thank you.’ Lily took it off her and sat down on the soft leather couch, putting the cup on the silver-framed glass coffee table in front of her.

  ‘Could I just take your name for Sophie, please?’

  Lily hesitated. ‘Chloe,’ she said plumping for the first name that came into her head. ‘Chloe Pearson.’

  ‘We won’t keep you long, Chloe,’ Olivia said.

  Lily nodded and picked up a copy of Vogue, flicking through it to distract her as memories of her mother came flooding back. No wonder Mum had loved going to the salon. It was so peaceful and relaxing. She imagined Ruth lying back on one of the soft white leather couches, being pampered by Maria’s magic fingers. Ruth had suggested a couple of times that Lily should come with her; if only Lily had taken the day off work and done that. If only she’d spent more time with her mother.

  * * *

  ‘Sophie is free now, Chloe. Would you like to go over to her station?’ Olivia called after a few minutes.

  Lily stood up and saw a woman with blonde hair sleeked back into a low bun, smiling and waving to her. She made her way over, trying to think how to frame her questions so that they wouldn’t seem suspicious while extracting the most information she could. She wasn’t even sure what she was looking for. Something about Maria’s background that was a bit shady? This salon didn’t seem like it was owned by anyone shady. It was elegant and upmarket. Was Seb right and she was being overly suspicious of Maria? But then why had someone sent her a letter written in red capitals? A letter that had definitely unnerved Maria, even though she had tried to cover that up.

  Sophie was very pleasant and friendly, talking Lily through the various beauty treatments for cancer patients, and outlining the benefits. ‘There are no costs for any of these treatments, but we can only offer them on Fridays,’ she explained. ‘Maria treats the cancer patients herself and that is the only day she’s free.’

  ‘That’s incredible. I can’t believe that a salon of this calibre offers this treatment for free. It must be very expensive.’

  ‘Maria insists. I believe she lost a dear friend to cancer and it’s a passion of hers to make cancer sufferers feel better about themselves. She treats them for free in memory of her friend.’

  ‘How kind of her. Have you always offered this service?’

  ‘Ever since Maria opened the salon ten years ago, apparently. I’ve only been here a few years and work part-time but Maria is a great boss, very understanding and supportive. The customers love her. She has this special way with everyone and nothing is too much trouble,’ Sophie said.

  ‘She sounds a lovely person and her credentials are very impressive. What did she do before opening the salon?’ Lily asked with a smile.

  ‘I’ve no idea.’ Sophie narrowed her eyes. ‘Why do you ask?’

  Damn, she’d made her suspicious now. Lily shrugged. ‘Just curious. She sounds very dedicated. I’m sure my mother will feel very comfortable here. Are you treating many cancer patients at the moment? Do you have room for one more?’

  ‘You’ll have to discuss that with Maria. If you give me your number I’ll ask her to ring you and discuss it.’

  ‘Thank you, that sounds ideal.’ Lily’s gaze scanned the room, looking, unsuccessfully, for something she could use to bring the conversation to a more personal level. ‘I wanted to enquire about some beauty treatments for myself too.’

  ‘You won’t get any better than here, love,’ the woman sitting in the chair next to them said. Another assistant was giving her a manicure. ‘I’ve been coming for a couple of years now, the girls make me feel like a different woman. And Maria is an angel, all the women she helps. We were all so pleased when she got married the end of last year.’

  ‘I read in the newspaper article that she was recently married. To the husband of a previous client, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, poor Ruth, Maria thought such a lot of her,’ the woman started to say.

  Lily felt tears spring to her eyes at the mention of her mother’s name.

  ‘Are you all right, Chloe?’ Sophie asked, concerned.

  ‘Yes. Sorry. It’s just that my mother has cancer. And I can’t bear to think of her…’ She stood up and grabbed her bag. ‘Thank you for all your help. I must go now but you’ve been very helpful. I’ll be in touch.’

  ‘Chloe…’

  She could hear the concern in Sophie’s voice but she had to get out of here before she burst into tears. She shouldn’t have come. She should have realised that it might upset her. And she was none the wiser. Of course Maria’s staff wouldn’t discuss her private life. What had she been thinking?

  27

  Maria

  ‘Hello, Maria. I see you’ve brought your little helper.’ Kimona beamed at Emma. ‘Did you help with the baking?’

  ‘Yes. I mixed the cake mixture and cut the butterflies’ wings,’ Emma told her. ‘Not real butterflies, of course, the sponge ones for the cakes,’ she added.

  ‘Well, I bet they are delicious.’ Kimona had already laid out her cakes on the table: a large Caribbean coconut cake, Jamaican pineapple upside down cake, spiced rum cake and Jamaican black fruit cake. It was an appetising display. When Maria, with the help of Emma, had placed their cakes on the table too, there was hardly any space left.

  ‘I think this might be our most popular table,’ Carol, the chairwoman of the Women’s Institute, said approvingly. ‘We need a cake for the raffle.’ She studied the display of cakes on the table. ‘I’m stuck between the chocolate fudge cake and the Caribbea
n coconut cake,’ she admitted.

  ‘We could have two raffles,’ Emma piped up.

  ‘Or two prizes,’ Maria suggested. ‘The winner could choose which cake they prefer.’

  Carol nodded. ‘Splendid idea. So can I ask you not to sell these two cakes, please, ladies? We’ll hold the raffle halfway through and then the cakes that are left can be sold whole, or sliced up if that’s easier.’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ Kimona bent a piece of A4 card in half, wrote ‘Raffle prizes’ on the front and stood it in front of the two cakes.

  Carol was right, the cake stall was very busy. Maria suspected some of that was due to Kimona’s larger than life personality as well as the delicious selection of cakes. And the fact that they were placed next to the refreshment stall so people could buy a cup of tea or coffee to go with the cakes.

  ‘Can I have a look around the stalls, please?’ Emma asked after a little while. ‘Daddy gave me some money to spend.’

  ‘Wait until we don’t have so many people around our stall and I’ll come with you,’ Maria told her.

  ‘I can go by myself.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea…’

  ‘Oh, let her go. It’s safe in here. Children have to spread their wings a bit,’ Kimona said.

  Maria hesitated. She was sure that Emma wouldn’t go out of the field, but you couldn’t be too careful – you never knew who was around.

  ‘Please, Mummy. I won’t go off, I promise.’

  ‘Just for a few minutes then. And don’t leave the field, not for anything. You must stay in my sight. Do you promise?’

  Emma curled her little finger and held out her hand. ‘Pinky promise.’

  Maria linked her curled little finger with Emma’s. Then the little girl ran over to the second-hand toy stall.

  ‘It’s lovely how you care so much for her, but you’re a bit overprotective, if you don’t mind me saying so,’ Kimona told her. ‘It’s almost as if you want to wrap her up and keep her away from the world.’

  Which was exactly what she did want to do. Maria bit back the retort that it was none of Kimona’s business. She was only trying to be friendly. And Maria realised that perhaps she was too overprotective of Emma, everyone said so – even Gareth. She couldn’t help it. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Emma.

  She had never forgiven herself for what had happened to Alicia.

  ‘I’ll have two of those chocolate brownies, please.’

  The voice dragged Maria back to the present. ‘Of course.’ She picked up two of the brownies with the tongs, put them in a paper bag then handed them to the woman opposite her. ‘That’s two pounds please.’

  The woman didn’t reach for them right away. Her grey-as-a-winter-day eyes were locked on Maria’s face and a shiver of fear slithered down Maria’s spine. Who was she? Why was she looking at her like that? There was nothing familiar about this woman: tall, short salt-and-pepper hair, thin, maybe late fifties. Maria couldn’t recall ever seeing her before but she was staring at Maria as if she was looking into her soul.

  ‘Is that your little girl?’ the woman asked as she finally handed over the money and took the brownies.

  ‘Yes.’ Maria didn’t add that Emma was her stepdaughter – why should she? It was none of this woman’s business. She didn’t like the way she had asked the question or how she was looking at her.

  ‘Pretty little thing. You should keep a careful eye on her. Children are so precious and you can lose them so suddenly.’ Her words sent another chill down Maria’s spine; it was almost as if she was warning her. The woman gave her a penetrating stare then turned and abruptly walked away.

  ‘Maria, you’re shaking. What’s the matter?’ Kimona touched her arm gently.

  ‘Emma. Where’s Emma?’ Maria looked wildly around the room.

  ‘She’s over there by the tombola, honey. What’s the matter?’

  ‘I’m going to get her.’

  ‘Leave her be, she’s having fun. We can see her from here,’ Kimona reassured her.

  Maria ignored her and went over to the tombola, where Emma was just being handed the prize of a red ball. ‘Come back to the table now, love,’ she said, taking her hand. As they turned around, she saw the woman standing by the plant stall, staring at them. Who was she? What did she know?

  28

  Lily

  Lily was so upset that she went into a nearby café to have a coffee and try to compose herself. She had been stupid not to realise that going to Maria’s salon and pretending to enquire about beauty treatments for a fictional mother who was suffering from cancer would upset her. It had brought it all back. How ill her mum had been. Her beautiful, full-of-life mother reduced to a shell of herself. Despite her suffering, her mum had managed to put a smile on her face most days, to fight valiantly against the cruel disease that had taken over her body, and she had tried her best to live a normal life. And Maria had helped her do that. Maria, with her ‘bag of magic potions and her magic fingers’ as her mum had phrased it, had helped her mum look – and more importantly feel – beautiful. Maria had brought her herbal drinks, special chocolates, scented candles and a variety of little gifts to cheer her up.

  ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I was worried when you went out like that.’

  Lily opened her eyes to see one of the consultants from the salon. Had she followed her out to check that she was okay? She looked at the name badge on the woman’s white top: Amanda.

  ‘It’s very kind of you to come after me, Amanda, but I’m okay, honestly. Seeing the salon… it…’

  ‘Brought back memories of your mother?’ Amanda asked softly. ‘You’re Ruth’s daughter, aren’t you? I recognise you from the wedding photos Maria showed us.’

  Lily stared at the woman, her mind racing. Why the heck hadn’t she thought of that? Of course Maria would have shown her wedding photos to the other women in the salon. Had Olivia and Sophie recognised her too? Were they wondering why she had come along, using a false name, asking questions? Would they tell Maria? What an idiot she’d been.

  ‘Olivia said you were asking about treatment for your mum.’ Amanda was gazing at her sympathetically. ‘Why did you really pop in, love?’

  What could she say? That she was checking on her stepmother? She wracked her brain for an excuse and heard herself saying, ‘I was feeling lost. It’s almost two years since Mum died. I guess I just wanted to reconnect with her. She was cremated, not buried, so there isn’t a grave to go to and, well, she loved the salon.’ The words stumbled out but Amanda seemed to believe her. She was looking at her with warm, compassionate eyes.

  ‘Is that why you chose a day when Maria wasn’t in?’

  Lily nodded slowly. ‘You won’t tell her I came in, will you? It seems weird, I know. It was just an impulse.’

  ‘Of course I won’t.’ Amanda paused. ‘Are you sure that you’re okay? Do you want to come back with me and have another look around? I could show you some of the beauty treatments your mum liked? I don’t mind if you want to talk about her. We all adored Ruth, she was so upbeat.’

  She couldn’t go back in that salon again; she’d made a right fool of herself. She hoped that Amanda would keep her word and not tell Maria. ‘Thank you, but I’d rather go home.’ She stood up. ‘I’m fine, really I am.’

  Amanda stood up too. ‘I’m so sorry again about your mum.’ She hesitated. ‘I guess it was a bit hard when your dad married Maria.’

  Lily forced a bright smile on her face. ‘Unexpected but I’m pleased that he and my little sister are so happy.’

  Suddenly, the letter written in red flashed across her mind. Here was her chance to mention it; maybe Amanda could offer an explanation. ‘It’s fantastic what you all do. I’m sure you’ll soon find a replacement for your client who’s moved away. Maria said it’s a bit of a blow to the business.’

  Amanda looked puzzled. ‘Which client is that?’

  ‘Maria didn’t mention her name. Just that she
put a letter through her door yesterday to let Maria know. I guess she’ll tell you all about it on Monday.’

  ‘How strange.’ Amanda frowned. ‘I didn’t think any of our clients had our home addresses. It’s a company rule. Maria is very strict about that.’

  I thought it didn’t seem right! ‘I must have got mixed up,’ Lily said. ‘My head is all over the place.’

  As she left the café and walked towards her parked car, her mind was racing. Maria was lying. Lily wasn’t being paranoid. She had to find out who had hand-delivered that letter to the house and what Maria was hiding.

  29

  Lily

  ‘You seem a bit edgy,’ Seb said, coming up behind Lily and wrapping his arms around her waist as she stared out into the garden. ‘You’re usually full of beans when we’re having Emma for a sleepover.’

  ‘I’m a little tired, it’s been hectic in the shop this week, but yes I am looking forward to Emma staying over. It’s good that Maria is letting go of her a bit.’

  She wanted to tell him where she had been today, to confess that she was worried that one of the consultants might phone Maria and tell her that Lily had been in asking questions, but she knew he wouldn’t approve. She thought of how sympathetic Amanda had been, promising Lily that she wouldn’t say anything. But one of the other consultants was bound to; they were Maria’s staff, they would be loyal to her. What excuse could she give? She doubted that Maria would swallow the tearful excuse that Lily had given Amanda. What had she been thinking of? She’d made a fool of herself, made things even more awkward between her and Maria.

  You found out that they don’t give home addresses to their clients, though, so Maria was lying about that letter, she reminded herself. Which means that you now know that Maria is definitely hiding something.