True to his word, after making hot drinks, George shrugs on his big padded jacket and pulls on his wellies before leaving to go to the lodge park reception. I lock the door behind him, and while he’s away, I go back twice to check it’s still secure. Then, while the kids watch a bit of television, I sit by the window and wait.
When he returns, he looks relieved.
‘I spoke to the manager, a Mr Romano, and he says the children might have been entirely mistaken,’ he says as he slips off his wellies at the door. ‘He says there are actors in costume all over the park to entertain the kids, pretending to be characters.’
I frown. ‘This was a woman was in a hoodie. Hardly a Disney character!’
‘Well, anyway, I explained the situation, said the children were adamant, and he’s sent an army of security guards to comb the wooded area immediately. He’s also assured me that there’s twenty-four-hour security in the park, including on Christmas Day, and he’s arranging for a nominated officer to hang around our lodge in particular.’
‘That’s good of him,’ I say, relieved. ‘Did you tell him about Opal?’
‘I didn’t go into detail.’ George walks over to the couch and sits down. ‘He didn’t ask. When he saw how concerned I was, he offered the extra support.’
I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest, reassured that George has taken action. I stand up and peer out of the glass sliding doors to the wood beyond. I can’t see any security officers out there, but nonetheless, I feel comforted.
We turn the television off and all have a game of snakes and ladders, and I’m pleased that the children seem relaxed. I think the excitement of Christmas and a visit from Father Christmas is overriding any anxiety over what happened out there.
When they are snuggled up in bed and George and I are alone at last, he mixes two gin and tonics and brings them through to the lounge.
‘Peace at last,’ he says, taking a big gulp of his drink. ‘It’s quite nice here when there are no kids around,’ he quips.
‘You’re so good with them, always making them laugh, like that story of the potty getting stuck on your patient’s head you told them at the trampoline place.’
He gives me a strange look as if I’m simple. ‘Obviously that wasn’t true, Darcy.’
‘What? You said—’
‘I’m know what I said, but that was just for effect!’ He shakes his head. ‘Honestly. What are you like?’
I might be gullible but I believed him! And actually, I’d never lie to the boys like that, even if it was just light-hearted fun.
I try and push my irritation away. I’m being over-sensitive, I’m stupid to have believed his silly story. And anyway, there’s something niggling at me. Something I need to get out of the way, because it feels like the right moment.
Just do it, the voice in my head says.
‘George, I’ve been waiting to tell you something since before we came away.’
‘OK.’ He puts his drink down and looks at me. ‘I’m all ears.’
‘Before you told me about Opal Vardy, I thought the person lurking around in the woods might have something to do with me. Someone who has an axe to grind.’
He pulls down the corners of his mouth, surprised.
‘Go on,’ he says, edging forward a little on his seat.
‘During Joel’s last days in hospital, the nurse let on that there’d been a woman visiting him. Someone called Daniela Frost.’ Just saying her name out loud makes me shiver. ‘I’d never heard of her and Joel had certainly never mentioned her. But after he died, it became apparent that he’d been living a double life.’
‘What?’ He looks genuinely shocked. ‘You mean like one of those men who have two families on the go? I’ve read articles about that before, couldn’t quite believe the wife never smelled a rat!’
I give him a hard look, and he looks a bit sheepish, realising he’s spoken out of turn.
‘Turns out Joel was effectively living half the week with me and half with her. His real family was me and the boys, of course. She didn’t have any children with him, had no right to be with him.’
‘That’s terrible, Darcy,’ he says, his tone softer now. ‘I can’t imagine how you dealt with that.’
I didn’t, I feel like saying. I still haven’t dealt with it. Not really.
Then I explain that Daniela has returned to Nottingham.
‘The news has made me feel… I don’t know, unsafe, I suppose. Like the ground is shifting beneath my feet. I hoped never to set eyes on her again.’
‘Totally understandable, I’d say.’ He thinks for a moment. ‘Neither of you knew about the other? He deceived you both?’
‘She claimed she didn’t know, but I’m sure she’d have done anything to keep him.’ I feel heat rising through my neck and into my face. ‘We had children together; she was nothing more than a distraction for him.’
‘Do you know when he started the affair with her? How long had you two been married?’
I feel sick at the mere thought of it now. ‘There’s still a lot I don’t know, but he wasn’t having an affair; it was far more serious than that. He was living with us both, sharing his life completely. There’s a hell of a difference.’
George nods. ‘I’m sorry,’ he says.
‘I just thought you needed to know,’ I say. ‘It’s important we’re honest with each other.’
‘Agreed,’ he says. ‘And I appreciate it.’
‘Then you won’t mind returning the favour?’
He visibly tenses. ‘In what way?’
‘I want to see a photograph of Opal, George. I want to know what my enemy looks like, if she comes near me or my children.’
‘I’ve told you, she’s not dangerous or—’
‘I know what you’ve told me, but I still want to see a photograph of her.’ I put down my glass with a thud. ‘Right now.’
A shadow passes over his face, but I’m adamant. I’m sick of looking out of the window and feeling vulnerable, seeking out anyone who might be acting suspicious.
He picks up his phone, his jaw set and eyes hooded. I’m forcing him to face something he absolutely wants to ignore, and I know how that feels. But I have to think of my sons’ safety here.
He seems to spend ages scrolling through photos. Finally he turns the screen to face me.
‘There she is. Satisfied?’
The room seems to swirl for a moment and I’m glad to be sitting down. I gasp as I take in the face he’s showing me. Then I sit back and stare into those slightly vacant eyes again, and shiver as the realisation dawns on me. I’ve definitely met Opal Vardy before.
The same shoulder-length brown hair, dark eyes, pale skin… She’s smiling here, looks bright and lively, but there’s no mistaking it’s her.
‘I’ve met this woman, George,’ I whisper. ‘She was at the hospital, outside the urology ward, the day I dropped off your thank-you card.’ He looks aghast. ‘She was acting weird, pacing around and staring at me. When I came out, she asked if I was visiting someone.’
‘Did she threaten you?’
I shake my head. ‘No, but it was all very odd. I felt uncomfortable being alone with her.’
‘You should have told me this before,’ he says grimly. ‘I’ll have a word with the ward manager, Sherry. She’ll keep an eye out in future.’
I’m dumbfounded for a moment, waiting for his outrage, his concern for my safety. But it doesn’t come.
‘This proves we need to go to the police,’ I state simply. ‘She’s obviously obsessed with you.’
The words seem to wobble there, at the end of my tongue. But George doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t say anything at all.
‘It’s gone too far now, you must see that. I’m scared what she might do next.’
‘Look, let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know for certain it was Opal in the woods; it could’ve been Joel’s other—’ He catches himself. ‘Sorry. I’ll speak to the ward manager when I get back to work. She’ll soon stop to anybody hanging around outside.’
‘But we can explain to the police that I’ve seen her at the hospital and that she’s probably here too.’ I glance outside again, get up and draw the curtains. ‘I think you should alert your bosses at the hospital.’
‘I’d need to be sure. This could damage my career… it would never recover.’ He reaches for my hand. ‘I will sort this out, but it’s Christmas Eve and I refuse to ruin it with a visit from the police. The kids would be so alarmed.’
I don’t answer him and I don’t pull my hand away, but I can’t shake the feeling that something about his attitude feels odd. It also stings that he’s so ready to trivialise my assertion that I have seen Opal before.
George is extremely ambitious; he’s in line for a very big promotion and he’s nervous that Opal could cause problems for him at work. That I can accept.
What I can’t accept is that he would willingly put his career before our children’s safety. He’s such a caring, logical guy, but he simply will not acknowledge that Opal could be a risk to them. I shudder when I think what might have happened to Romy out there if Harrison hadn’t thought on his feet and rushed in to alert us.
He needs to get something legal in place, a restraining order or similar.
Despite everything George has told me, the whole situation feels like a jigsaw that has a bunch of key pieces missing right in the middle. It’s making me feel increasingly uncomfortable that I can’t get a handle on the whole picture.
Could there be there something he isn’t telling me?
In the interests of us enjoying our Christmas break, I decide to keep that concern to myself… for now.