Mrs Collins helped me no end with the dresses and I gave Marion hers the day of the party itself (I was afraid she’d wear it if I gave it to her beforehand and she’d be sure to spill something on it or snag it). We both looked beautiful in the end. Of course Marion thought that her dress was too big for her when she saw it and she gave out to me for half an hour solid, saying that I thought her fat and who did I think I was, being a skinny bag of bones that no man would ever marry. I thought of her disgrace and wanted to say that no one would want to marry her either if they knew she was soiled goods but I held my tongue for fear of what she might do.
Mrs Collins came at seven o’clock and bade us enjoy ourselves but to be home by one o’clock at the very latest. I was shocked. Daddy would never have let us stay out so late, but Mrs Collins said that it was New Year’s Eve and what good was it if we didn‘t see in the New Year and have a little dance for ourselves after the clock chimed midnight? Mr Mountford sent a driver for us then – can you believe it? Marion and Lily Flynn being chauffeured to a party on New Year’s Eve! I felt like Audrey Hepburn!
The party was the best time I have ever had in my life, without comparison. There was punch which I didn’t drink, as I think there was wine in it and I didn’t want to break my Confirmation Pledge. There was party food – delicious little pastry cases filled with a sort of mushroom soup – I have never tasted anything like it in my life. And how we danced – it was just young people at the party, Caroline, no Mr and Mrs Mountford at all, although they did pop their heads in at one point to make sure we weren‘t doing anything wrong! The room was decorated with balloons and a banner that said ‘Welcome 1954’ and we danced to records by Eddie Cochrane and Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra – my feet scarcely left the dance floor all night. And then they played a Doris Day song – ‘Secret Love’ – Robert tells me it’s from a film where she’s a cowgirl called Calamity Jane and that he’ll bring me to the pictures in Bickford some time soon – and he danced with me in front of everyone. Marion made a show of herself as usual by trying to butt in and get him to dance with her. Then she disappeared for a while in a temper when Robert wouldn’t dance with her. He wouldn’t let me go find her though and made me finish the dance with him all the way through. It was wonderful!
I save the best till last though, Caroline. Robert drove us home at half past midnight exactly, after we had sung ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and had a final dance to a very funny song about Constantinople. He made Marion sit in the back seat which didn’t suit her at all until he said that movie stars and princesses always sat in the back seat and sure then you couldn’t stop her getting in there at all!
That meant that I could sit in the front seat with him and wasn’t it like a long leather couch – all the one seat, all the way across. Anyway, we were driving through the village when Robert reached out and took my bag off my knee and dropped it on the ground. I had no idea what he was doing and had opened my mouth to give out to him, when he made a face at me to shush, so I did. Sure didn’t he have a plan all along? When we got to Eyrie Farm he pulled up outside and when I bent to pick up my bag he stopped me and made a face that I should go on inside. It was like a spy film, Caroline. Anyway, myself and Marion made to go into the house, and wasn’t Mrs Collins at the front door waiting for us. And then I heard Robert start up the car, and just when I was about to go into the house, he stepped out of the car and shouted at me to come back and waved my bag at me. I did what he wanted and went back to him and whispered what was he doing at all but he bade me shush again and then said, “Lily, you are as beautiful as a real lily and the most beautiful girl at that party tonight and I think I love you and will you marry me?” as quick as that! Sure all I could do was laugh and I went red from my toes to my cheeks. And Robert looked awful hurt and said he was serious and for me to think about it, and then do you know what he did? He kissed me, Caroline. Square on the lips, when Mrs Collins wasn’t looking! And then he got into his motor car and drove away and me looking after him. I was floating on air, Caroline, for he’s handsome and kind and wonderful, as I have got to know in the months since New Year’s Eve.
And yes, we are in love, Robert and I. It is a secret and we have to meet in secret when and where we can, for he cannot be seen to drive here too often and I dare not leave Henry with Marion for too long so I am tied to the house. Mr Mountford has also said that we should try to keep Henry up at the farm because if the villagers saw him then they might put two and two together and realise what our shameful secret is. I don’t know how long it can last between Robert and me, if I am to go home to Dublin any day soon, but he says he would follow me to the ends of the earth so I try not to think about parting and enjoy it while I can. He is wonderful, Caroline, and between him and Henry, my days are happy for the most part.
My one unhappiness, I fear, is my sister. I try to remain charitable and kind to her but sometimes she does things that are cruel beyond belief. Like after New Year’s she seemed to know that I had some new secret to hide and she spent her days taunting me and ridiculing me and pestering to find out what it was. I would never tell her about Robert for she would tell Daddy in an instant and then do her best to break us up and most likely have him for herself, for she has no shame any more.
She couldn’t pass me by but she would pinch me or pull my hair and one day she went wild on me and without a word of warning she slapped my face when Henry was in my arms having his bottle. She set about beating me, Caroline, knocked me to the floor and the little man was screaming and crying in my arms for it was all I could do to hold on to him so he didn’t fall and hurt himself. She called me names, all sorts of awful names, and told me that if I didn’t tell her my secret she would take her son from me – her son, after all this time denying him! – and take him by his feet and smash his skull in against the wall of the outhouse. She was slapping me all this time, and trying to grab Henry, and I lay on him to keep her away which upset him more but what else could I do to keep him safe?
She grew tired then of beating me and walked away while I watched her. Then she picked up the kitchen knife off the table and without a word of warning she slashed her arm with it and said she was going to kill herself and then I’d be sorry for they’d take Henry from me for sure. And I’m sure it was evil of me but I didn’t care. I just took Henry and ran away and put him in his cot and locked the door to keep her away from him. And when I returned, the poor little boy crying his heart out upstairs, she had cut her arm five or six times and there were trails of blood everywhere. I knew the cuts weren’t deep enough to kill her and I went to get a bandage for her. Then nothing would do her but to take her bloody arm and smear it all along the wall of the kitchen. I fear I am living with a madwoman, Caroline. She has these episodes and then she seems to forget about them and goes off and does something else that she fancies like reading a book or eating sweets and I am left to clean up after her. I dare not tell Robert about her madness for I am sure he would leave me and tell his father and that would be the end of us here in Shipton Abbey.
How I wish you could write to me, Caroline! It helps so much to write to you even if I can’t send the letters – I fear I should go mad myself otherwise.
Your ever loving friend,
Lily
Chapter 23
Will had been right – the Breakaway Inn just outside Bickford was completely without character, just four bright clean walls and brand-new furniture and carpets and wood and chrome like every other budget hotel in the world. Martha didn’t think she had ever felt so reassured.
Once settled in – she made a ritual of making up the travel cot, unpacking their clothes and toiletries – she drove to Bickford and she and Ruby mooched around the shops for a while. They even went to a fast food joint for the first time since she could remember. The food was bad and it was completely out of character for her. It felt wonderful.
She passed the police station as she wandered about and thought about doing what she had actually come to B
ickford to do. But why bother? She knew it was the right thing to do, to try to prevent this person breaking into other people’s houses but, much as she told herself that, she couldn’t bring herself to go inside. It would mean having to go back to the house, fill out forms, answer questions – long hours wasted in the police station when she could just go home. Plus, there was the delay between being broken into last night and what she had done until now. Why had she left it so long? Why not ring them immediately she was sure that the intruder was gone? Why hadn’t she gone straight there? The questions could get awkward, she thought. She pushed the stroller on past the building. They were safe now, she reasoned, and that was all that mattered.
Back at the hotel she enjoyed a long bath while Ruby played in her cot and, once she was asleep, Martha lay on the bed in her pyjamas with the TV on low and watched a romantic comedy while enjoying a hot chocolate she ordered from room service.
This was exactly what she needed, she thought. No spooky old house, weird landlord, creaky floors, flying spoons . . . then she blocked the thoughts of the cottage from her mind and read a few pages of her book before dropping off into a deep, blissful sleep.
Chapter 24
July 13th
The following morning Ruby woke early and Martha lifted her into bed beside her where the two of them dozed, heads together, Ruby’s leg entwined around Martha’s right arm. Then Martha was awoken fully by her phone vibrating on the bedside table. It was a text from Will – she groaned when she saw his name at the top of the screen. It brought reality into her temporary wonderland and she realised that soon enough she was going to have to get up and sort out her complicated situation.
“Gtng sm kip. Meet u @ htl @ 1,” the text read.
Martha snuggled back into Ruby. At least she could block it all out for another short while. As she lay there feeling totally relaxed for the first time in ages, she decided to go ahead and book herself in for another night. It wasn’t the Ritz, but one more night would help her to regroup, formulate a plan, move on to the next stage. One thing had become abundantly clear to her and that was that she had no intention of spending any more time at the cottage. As of tomorrow, she was gone back to London. It had beaten her, for sure, exactly what she hadn’t wanted to happen, but she didn’t care. Better be defeated in London than assaulted – or worse – in the creepy countryside.
She booked the room under her own name for that night and she and Ruby enjoyed breakfast in the bustling dining area, overlooking reception. By one she was back there, dressed and made up and feeling a sight better than she had the day before. She could scarcely believe that it was roughly twenty-four hours only since she arrived at the hotel. Will arrived bang on time, carrying a laptop. He paused in reception and caught sight of Martha who had positioned herself so that she could see the entrance doors, Ruby in a high chair beside her. She noticed he had changed his T-shirt but his hair was tousled and another day’s stubble was added to that which already covered his chin.
“Hello, Ruby Dooby Doo!” he said and tickled Ruby’s bare foot.
She gave a beam of delight which surprised Martha. Usually it took the baby a while to fully check out new faces before they were deemed worthy of smiles. Will beamed back.
“You ladies look refreshed,” he said, sitting down opposite Martha.
She noticed his eyes were slightly bloodshot. “You don’t,” she said and immediately wished she hadn’t. It implied she was interested in how Will had got on, and she wasn’t. One more night in the hotel and she was gone forever. She could hire packers, she thought, who could just come and sort out her stuff. She need never even set foot inside Eyrie Farm again.
“Oh, I’m fine. Got a couple of hours sleep this morning and had a change of clothes. I’ll be right as rain after a toasted sandwich and some coffee.” He caught the eye of a waitress who indicated that she’d be with him in a minute. He turned his attention back to Ruby and stuck his tongue out at her. She responded by reaching out a chubby paw to grab at it.
“You’re popular today,” smiled Martha. Will couldn’t be a totally bad guy, she thought, if he was prepared to allow yoghurt-covered hands up to his face.
Will grinned. “She’s cool,” he said, shaking his head from side to side and laughing as Ruby adopted a serious face and did the same.
“Did you sleep okay?” asked Martha. “The spare bed didn’t feel damp or anything, did it?”
“I didn’t sleep in the cottage. Oh, your keys – I locked up everything once I’d tidied the equipment away – here you go.” He handed Martha back her keys.
She took them, surprised. “Where did you sleep then?”
Will nodded at the window and Martha looked out to see the dark blue Volvo parked outside.
“You slept in your car?” she said in disbelief.
Will nodded. “Wouldn’t dream of sleeping in your house without asking. Investigating it is one thing . . . oh, hi, yes, I’d like a toasted cheese and ham, please, and a black coffee.” He gave the waitress a dazzling smile as he placed his order.
Martha took the keys and put them in her handbag which was slung over the back of her chair, bewildered that a man who was willing to drag her around the place by her ankles one day wouldn’t doze on her spare bed without permission the next.
“Aren’t you having anything?” asked Will.
Martha realised that he and the waitress were staring at her. “Just a sparkling mineral water. Thanks.”
Once the waitress had gone, Will went back to playing the head-shaking game with Ruby.
Martha leaned across the table. “You know, I assumed sleeping at the house was part of the deal,” she said awkwardly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Will shrugged. “In any case, it’s sometimes useful to give the ghosts a free gaff and then spy on what they get up to!”
“And did they get up to anything?” she asked.
“You’re very keen to know for a woman who doesn’t believe there’s anything paranormal going on,” he observed.
Martha sat back. He was right. She didn’t want to know. She just wanted to get gone.
“As it happens, no, nothing happened at all, at least while I was in the house,” said Will, playing with a sachet of sugar. “I was up all night monitoring everything, cameras in all the rooms, a couple of controlled experiments, trigger objects, heat sensors – not a thing. Not even high EMF readings which could lead to feelings of unease and paranoia.”
Martha didn’t understand a lot of what he was saying but she realised that she almost felt disappointed. That was rubbish – it was good that he hadn’t found anything. It meant she could get under the radar and leave without a fuss.
“That’s when I was there,” said Will. “I have to go back through the footage and recordings in case something registered when I was out in the car but I’m fairly confident it’s all quiet. Oh – there was one thing. An EVP – do you know what that is?”
Martha shook her head, trying to hide her natural curiosity.
“Electronic Voice Phenomenon,” explained Will. “Basically I use digital recorders to pick up anything that can’t be heard by the human ear. There was one in Ruby’s room but it’s very difficult to make out so I’ve mailed it to a buddy of mine to try to sharpen it up for me.” Will noted Martha’s worried face. “It’s probably nothing,” he said reassuringly and sat back as the waitress returned with his food and set it in front of him.
Will took a large bite of his sandwich and studied Martha’s face as he ate. “You have told me everything, Martha, haven’t you?” he asked.
Martha blinked and busied herself adjusting Ruby’s socks. “Of course,” she said. Part of her thought about telling him what had happened in the kitchen the previous morning. She decided against it. Let’s just let this whole thing go away, she thought. She unclipped a placid Ruby from the high chair and sat her on her knee. She saw Will study the action with interest. “I’m sure I’ve told you everythi
ng about the intruder,” she said. That, at least, was the truth.
“Okay,” Will said quietly.
“Listen, Will, the thing is, I’m actually moving out this week so I’m really not all that bothered with this investigation business. I mean I’m happy to let you put up your cameras and your voice thingies and what not, but the results aren’t really any of my concern. It’s not my house after all.”
Will continued to look at her as he ate his sandwich. “You never mentioned you were moving out before,” he said.
Martha turned Ruby’s sleeves up. “Well, I didn’t think things were going to get so . . . involved,” she said awkwardly. “It’s all gone a bit . . . too far. And it’s really none of my concern.”
“Sue said you were determined to last six months here,” said Will bluntly, finishing off half of the sandwich.
Damn him, thought Martha. Why can’t he just bloody drop it? “Well, I’ve had an unexpected opportunity come up back in London,” she lied.
“That’s good,” said Will.
She could hear disbelief in his voice.
“I suppose then I should get in touch with your landlord about any results,” said Will. “Of course, you believe he was your intruder, don’t you?”
“Oh. On that, it turns out he’s abroad so he couldn’t have let himself in. It’s best to just leave it to the police, I think.”
“What did they say? When you went to them yesterday?”
Martha couldn’t think what to say. “Well, I . . .” she began, running out of words then.
Will was relentless. “Only, if it’s a police matter, then you won’t really be able to leave the area for a while and I assume if you have to stick around you’ll stay at the cottage. And if you’re staying there then it might be worth your while knowing the results of my investigation once I’ve had a chance to go through all the evidence.”
The Dead Summer Page 17