‘I wish you’d confided in me before now,’ I said when Mum had finished speaking. ‘So, you both struggled alone. Mum, that’s awful.’ I hated to think of two girls younger than me looking for a way to cope with such a frightening situation.
Dee was ashen; she stared at me for so long it was unnerving. I wished she would say something.
‘So, Sera,’ she said finally. ‘Yet again you come out on top of things.’
I frowned. ‘How do you work that out? I’ve had problems, too..’
‘I meant about our father.’
Not this again. ‘We’re both his children, Dee.’
‘Yes, but you’re the result of a romantic, if not a little sleazy, fling. I’m the product of rape. Brilliant, not something to boast about to the grandchildren, isn’t it?’
‘Stop it!’ Mum shouted. ‘How dare you? Your mother loved you regardless of how she became pregnant. In fact,’ she said, looking like she wanted to slap Dee, ‘she probably over-compensated you for what happened.’
‘Rubbish.’ Dee slammed her palm down on the table making the plates we’d used earlier rattle. ‘Every time she looked at my face she must have seen the man who raped her.’
‘That’s not Mum’s fault,’ Leo said. ‘She always favoured you over me, and you know it.’
I pictured Dee’s room with the pretty decorations and little touches making it so much better than any of her friends’. ‘They’re right, Dee,’ I said. ‘Whatever you choose to believe, Hazel did adore you and was always trying to show you in small ways.’ I wasn’t sure why I was trying to be so nice to her. I decided to try a different approach. ‘Surely the point we should both remember is that our mums could have chosen to get rid of us.’
I gave Mum a sideways glance. I was saying this for her benefit as much as Dee’s. ‘I’m sure it would have been much easier for them to make new lives for themselves if they hadn’t had babies to consider.’ She didn’t argue, so I added, ‘Hazel managed to give you a magical childhood, at least up to that summer when it all changed. Maybe you should focus on that aspect of your life rather than the negatives that happened since.’
We stared at each other. Sisters; enemies.
‘Maybe,’ she said, her tone almost threatening. ‘But you have no idea what happened after that night, do you?’
No, I didn’t. ‘I know about your ex, but no, not about anything else.’ I didn’t bother to remind her that my life hadn’t been so perfect either, but this wasn’t a competition to see who had dealt with the most misery. ‘Look, do what you want, but don’t bring your nastiness to this house.’
‘Or you’ll what?’ Leo said, standing slowly until he reached his full six feet plus. He loomed over the table. I went to retaliate, but was too drained to care what he might do to me if I did stand up to him. Before I uttered a word, the doorbell rang.
Leo looked at his watch. ‘Who the hell is that, it’s nearly nine o’clock?’
Making the most of his distraction, I leapt up and ran past him up the steps, into the back door and through the hallway, with him thundering after me. ‘Leave that fucking door closed,’ he bellowed.
My heart raced. I reached out, grabbing the doorknob with one hand and the key with the other, turning both simultaneously, pulling the door back. ‘Henri,’ I almost wept with relief.
His eyes widened to see me as I almost catapulted myself into him. He wrapped his arms protectively around me. I looked over my shoulder at the furious man bearing down on him. ‘It’s okay, Sera. I’m here,’ he whispered, like a soothing kiss. He turned with me, so that he was between me and Leo. ‘So, you bully women?’
Leo stood inches in front of Henri, glaring at him, his breathing heavy, as if more in temper than an exerted effort to catch me. ‘Get out of this house, this has nothing to do with you.’
‘No. This I will not do, unless Sera or her mother instructs it of me.’
Leo laughed, hands on his hips, head thrown back. ‘Seriously? You think you can tell me what to do? You’re a pathetic excuse for a man.’ He pushed Henri’s damaged right shoulder, hard. ‘You’re only half a man, look at you.’
My instincts told me that to defend Henri would be the worst thing I could do, so I said nothing.
Henri tensed. ‘This half-man, as you say, will knock you down if you push me one more time.’ Henri reached back with one hand and found mine, giving it a brief squeeze to assure me everything was fine. I didn’t know how much of this was bravado; I’d seen Henri struggle to run some days, but he was fit, and working on that farm must have gone some way to building his strength back up since his accident.
Mum came out to the hallway, closely followed by Dee. ‘Henri,’ she said, relief filling her voice. ‘I want you to take Sera and Katie to your farm for the night, while I sort things out with Dee and Leo. I’m afraid there’s been a few misunderstandings.’
‘She’s not going anywhere,’ Leo said. ‘Sera, get back into this house.’
My blood coursed rapidly through my veins, not with fright, but with fury. ‘Shut up, Leo. I don’t know who you think you are, but in my house, you’re nobody. Take your sister and that poor unfortunate little girl. Better still, leave Ashley behind. I don’t mind keeping her here, but you two need to leave tonight. Go and sort through your issues somewhere else.’
‘Or you’ll do what, exactly?’ He sneered at me and I couldn’t help likening myself to Mum and how she must have been fooled into believing she was in love with Vinnie all those years ago. I’d been stupid enough to think that something of the shy little boy Leo had once been remained in this tall, handsome man. But thankfully I didn’t even like Leo, despite what I’d fooled myself into believing when he’d first arrived at my home.
‘The chances of them finding any body at the estate now are almost nil, I should imagine. The entire area has been built on for years. I’ll call the police without hesitation,’ I said. He went to say something, but I held my hand up to stop him. ‘No, don’t think you can threaten Mum with anything, she’ll deny it.’
‘She’s right, you know,’ Mum said, looking relieved.
Bolstered by him wavering, I added, ‘You, on the other hand, have a confession to make to Henri.’
‘Me?’ Henri looked at me, surprise registering on his face that I might be referring to his father’s disappearance.
I nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. ‘Yes, we know what happened to your father.’
I addressed Leo again. ‘Jack’s body can be identified through forensics, if it hasn’t been already. He was killed at your family home and missing from the date you two and Hazel vanished. I think there’s too much evidence against you to even think you can get away with this.’
‘You mean you won’t inform the police of our involvement if we leave now?’ Dee asked, coming to stand next to her brother.
I patted Henri’s shoulder. ‘That’s up to you,’ I said. ‘You have every right to call them, if you choose.’
He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me forward to stand by his side. ‘I will decide when I have listened to what they tell me about my father’s death.’
‘Fair enough,’ Dee said, defeat in her voice. ‘You deserve to know the truth. I only wish we’d been honest years ago.’
I realised I’d been right. She had been haunted by what she’d done that night.
‘Me, too,’ Henri said. I could only imagine how much of his life had been taken up looking for and wondering where his father could be. All that frustration and confusion would never have happened if these two had told the truth about Jack’s death earlier.
I looked at Dee. ‘I’d have loved for us to become close again, but I can’t see that happening any time now. Go with Leo. Leave Ashley here with me, at least until you’ve sorted out a new life somewhere.’ She opened her mouth to argue. ‘I promise I’ll take care of her for you,’ I said. ‘I’m her auntie, after all.’
‘You want me to leave her here?’
‘Why not?’ I said. ‘She’ll be perfectly safe. You can come and get her any time. You and Leo need to sort things out quietly, you can’t do that with a child accompanying you.’
She didn’t look convinced. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and spotted Katie and Ashley holding hands at the top of the stairs, both with muzzled bed hair and eyes puffy from sleep.
‘Mummy, why is everyone cross?’ Katie asked.
‘It’s nothing. Go back to bed, sweetie, I’ll come and tuck you in soon.’
‘Ashley’s scared,’ she said.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Dee stepped forward to the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the two sleepy little girls, so like her and me when we were small.
‘Ashley, would you like to stay with Auntie Sera while Mummy finds us a new home?’
I felt a pang in my heart at her use of the words ‘Auntie Sera’ and waited for the little girl to reply. She looked terrified, then nodded slowly.
‘Okay, then. You go off to bed with Katie and I’ll come up and see you in a bit.’
I took hold of Henri’s hand and led him forward, past Leo, now quiet and deflated, and through to the kitchen. It was soothing to feel his calloused hand in mine and I gave it an appreciative squeeze. I heard them follow us into the room and motioned for Henri to sit. Mum sat down next to him. I noticed they were on the side closest to the door, so Leo and Dee had no choice but to walk around the table to get past us if they wanted to leave.
‘Right, you two have the chance to put your case to Henri.’ I let go of his hand as he sat down and stood behind him, both my hands resting on his broad shoulders. I studied my childhood friends for a while, a part of me feeling pity for what they’d gone through. ‘I’ll go and check on the children and leave you four to chat.’
I hurried up to the girls’ bedrooms, checking on Ashley first. ‘You okay?’ I asked, stroking her cheek. She nodded. ‘Katie is going to love having you to stay with her.’
She smiled. It was the first time I recalled seeing her so relaxed and childlike. ‘It’ll be fine,’ I soothed. ‘You mustn’t worry about anything.’
She didn’t take her eyes off my face while I straightened her pillows. ‘Then will my mummy come for me?’ For the first time she said enough for me to pick up on her French accent.
I nodded. ‘She will, as soon as she and Uncle Leo have found you a new home.’
Her smile faltered. ‘No, my real mummy.’