An Ordinary Girl
Page 33
Ash looked behind her. Had Arkady done that? Maybe Christmas meant more to Noah’s father than he’d let on.
“Fine. I give in,” Arkady said. “I’ll get up. I expect a drink when I get downstairs.”
“Champagne?” Noah asked.
“Tea.”
Noah whooped and ran back to the door. “Happy Christmas,” he said to Ilya and Ronan, and grabbing Ash’s hand, propelled her down the corridor.
Ash’s pulse raced with excitement. Christmas was something she’d learned not to expect much from even after she’d escaped her parents, but for the past few weeks, since they’d returned from a trip exploring the United States, Noah had been enthusiastic and affectionate, dragging her to the shops, taking her to see a bemused Santa in a mall and being very secretive about his plans.
They’d decorated a tree in his apartment. Ash had moved in and Dalton went to live in Greenwich with Mike, joined by two lovely women who worked at the university. But the enormous tree at Floriton Hall had been decorated by all of them, Ronan and Ilya, Ash and Noah and Arkady. There had been both tears and laughter because some of the decorations had been made by Natalia, and when Ash saw how much Arkady adored them, she’d been unable to speak for a while. They’d eaten mince pies, listened to silly Christmas songs, and Ash’s heart had hurt because she was so happy. Properly happy, not pretending anymore.
The trail of golden coins led to the drawing room. Noah demanded that Ronan and Ilya make tea and then hesitated with his fingers on the door handle.
“Happy Christmas, Ash,” Noah said, and pushed open the door.
One foot inside the room and the air rushed out of Ash’s lungs. The lights twinkled on the tree, and lying beneath were oceans of presents. A fire blazed, and Ash guessed Noah had been down earlier to light it. Five bulging stockings lay on the rug in front of the hearth. Ash had never had a Christmas stocking.
She edged into the room. A half-empty glass of sherry, crumbs from a mince pie and the top of a carrot sat on the coffee table. Noah had insisted a full glass, a mince pie and a carrot were left for Father Christmas and Rudolph. Ash gulped. Noah was making happy memories for her.
Ash pulled him into her arms and kissed him. Warm hands slipped around her throat as he angled her head to kiss her deeper. They surfaced at the sound of Ilya’s cough. But one look at her and Noah lowered his head again, sliding his tongue into her mouth.
“Presents first, breakfast later,” Arkady said, and settled in his chair next to the fire.
“I’d like Ash to open hers first,” Noah said. “Well, some of them.”
He set her down by the tree and sat in front of her. Taking a deep breath, he handed her a parcel labeled One.
The moment Ash opened it she knew what Noah had done. Her eyes filled with tears as she held a doll that could open and close its eyes. She opened parcel after parcel and found roller blades, paint by numbers, a jigsaw. He’d bought her all the things she’d asked for over the years. The others sat and watched without saying anything and Ash guessed he’d told them what he planned.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and kissed him.
“You’re welcome.”
Ronan had painted presents. One of Ilya and Noah standing back to back for Arkady. One of Noah and Ash kissing, and one of Ilya staring straight ahead, looking so dark and dangerous, Ash shivered. Amid a sea of paper, they exclaimed and laughed and groaned, and Ash knew she’d never forget this morning as long as she lived.
As Noah, Ilya and Ronan played a noisy racing game on the TV, a present from Ash, Arkady moved to the couch and beckoned her to join him.
“Happy?” he asked.
“Yes.” Truly, madly, deeply.
“How’s Noah?”
“Getting there. He has some dark moments, but he comes out of them quickly. He’s almost completed the research on the Green Piece sites. His book will be published to coincide with Channel 4’s documentary. He’s really excited about that. Oh did I tell you Martin found Roman artifacts in Dave’s garden? He and Dave have caught the archeology bug. They think they’re going to dig up a Roman villa.”
Arkady smiled. “Has Noah stopped trying to do everything for Dave?”
Ash laughed. “Yes, after Dave threatened to kick the cr—well, it worked.”
“And are you going to appear in this documentary?”
Ash squirmed. “I’d prefer not to.” She still felt uncomfortable her identity as the North’s daughter had been revealed to the British public. Once the press had discovered she’d given money to the victims’ families and that she ran Green Piece, there had been kind articles in most of the daily papers. She worried for a time that people would point to her on the street but no one had. Yesterday’s news.
Arkady took her hand and squeezed her fingers. “No one blames you, Ash. Only you. What you’ve done with your life is an inspiration to us all. Be proud of Green Piece and what you’ve achieved. I know that Noah is proud of you. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect partner for my son.”
The bickering of Noah and Ilya grew more strident as the race neared its conclusion.
“Get out of my way,” Ilya snapped.
“Woohoo,” Noah yelled. “Hey, that was mine.”
“Mine,” Ilya retorted.
“Although I’m not sure you were wise to buy them that game,” Arkady said. “They’re both desperate to win.”
There was a loud groan from Noah as he spun off. Another from Ilya as he followed. Ash bent her head to Arkady’s ear. “Neither of them have a chance. Ronan is brilliant at this and so am I. That’s why I bought it.”
Noah tossed down the controller and flopped back on the couch next to her. “That was a fluke, Ronan,” he muttered. “Ilya distracted me.”
“Want to play with me?” Ash asked. “Loser washes the dishes?”
Noah’s eyes lit up. “How can I say no to a beautiful, fantastic, incredible woman?”
Ash raised her eyebrows.
Noah sighed and tugged her to her feet. “Fine, Miss Ordinary Girl, game on.”
They sat in front of the TV and Noah put his arm around her. “You like your presents?”
“Loved them.”
The best had been the one he didn’t buy. Ash looked around and saw Ronan tussling with Ilya on the couch. Arkady had his head buried in a book she’d bought him about the moon, but he looked up as if he sensed her gaze and smiled.
A family.
“Concentrate,” Noah said. “Though it won’t make a difference. I’m going to whoop your ass.”
The smile on Ash’s face came straight from her heart.
Afterword
I based An Ordinary Girl on the story of Fred and Rosemary West, notorious British serial killers. I wondered about the children of murderers and thought how hard their lives must be. So Ash came into being.
In 1994 Fred and Rosemary West were charged with murdering twelve young girls and women, two their own children, over a sixteen-year period. The victims were stripped, abused, sexually tortured and killed before being dismembered and buried under the house and garden in Gloucester, UK. There could be many more victims.
Fred and Rosemary claimed their parents were abusive. As a couple, they fed off each other’s vices, but it’s not understood why they gained so much pleasure from their acts. Female serial killers are rare. Fortunately. Fred West confessed and killed himself before trial, but his wife is still in prison for life. She never confessed.
The five youngest West children were taken into the care of the local authority in 1992 after their father was accused of sexual assault. Three older children were abused and left emotionally damaged by their experiences.
The Wests’ house was demolished and made into a garden and pathway. Every brick was crushed and all timber burned to deter souvenir hunters.
About the Author
Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them
even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm), she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying, plugged-in male—her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
Barbara welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think
We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at Comments@EllorasCave.com.
Also by Barbara Elsborg
Anna in the Middle
Doing the Right Thing
Finding the Right One
Kiss a Falling Star
Lucy in the Sky
Perfect Timing
Power of Love
Saying Yes
Something About Polly
Snow Play
Strangers
Susie’s Choice
The Bad Widow
The Small Print
Print books by Barbara Elsborg
Anna in the Middle
Perfect Timing
Something about Polly
Strangers
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