Due to hitting rush-hour traffic on both the A30 and the M5, Maddy’s journey to Bristol took over three and a half hours. She hadn’t stopped, she’d just kept on driving, intent on getting to her destination, her anxiety keeping her alert and determined. She wouldn’t relax until she got to Bristol. Home.
She arrived at her parent’s house as the sun was setting, although it was obscured behind the Bristol cityscape. She imagined how it would be looking back in Tinners Bay, hovering on the horizon above the ocean, making the sky pink and the water reflecting it. She’d never tire of looking at that view or painting it. The image helped calm her.
Maddy parked her car on the quiet street and looked up at her parent’s Edwardian house with its sash windows. This was not Maddy’s childhood home. Her mother liked to move every now and then, especially once Maddy and her brother had left school. Sandra would get bored and need a new project. Poor Dad. The move to Cornwall for Maddy was stressful. She couldn’t understand why her mother would put herself through so much hassle every couple of years. They’d been in this current house for three years, which had been the longest so far. Maybe her mother had found somewhere to settle at last. The house was in Clifton, not far from Sandra’s gallery, and she liked to walk to work – it kept her fit. The house was a mid-terrace, with five bedrooms – Lord only knew why her mother needed so many bedrooms at her age, Maddy found it hard enough to clean her small, modern semi-detached house. Admittedly, one of those five bedrooms was Sandra’s art studio, something Maddy would love to have in her house. Maybe the low maintenance back garden and the courtyard front garden allowed her mother more time to clean. Although the garden was more her dad’s domain.
Maddy’s sister-in-law, Clare, answered her parents’ door.
‘Hello!’ she said, pulling Maddy into a hug. ‘You made good time then.’ Clare was always enthusiastic, wore her heart on her sleeve. They usually had good fun together, like sisters. Maddy didn’t need the ‘in-law’ bit.
‘Not really, got stuck in rush-hour traffic.’ Maddy dumped her bags on the tessellated tiled floor next to the antique mahogany writing bureau in the hallway and hung up her light denim jacket on the coat hooks above her. Her mother had furnished the house with a mix of modern and antique pieces, in keeping with the era of the house, and it worked. Modern art and classics decorated the walls – her mother had a thing for the human form, especially ballerinas. Some were her own work, some by other artists and some were prints by the likes of Degas. Maybe it explained why Maddy had been forced to attend ballet classes at an early age. She would like to think she had fond memories of ballet, but she didn’t – all she could remember was standing still in a ballerina pose in a pink tutu at the age of seven, and her mother getting cross as she tried to capture her daughter on canvas.
‘You’re here safe, that’s what matters.’
‘Where are the kids?’
‘Both in bed.’ Clare gave a massive grin and two thumbs up. This was probably the reason mum had five bedrooms. It allowed her to have her grandchildren over to stay. ‘Would you like tea or something stronger?’
‘I’d better go and see Mum.’
Clare waggled a finger, like telling off a naughty puppy. ‘No, you’re on strict instructions not to see her tonight. When Dennis said you were travelling up from Cornwall, she said, in her painkiller-drugged state, she didn’t want to see you until the morning – and that was an order!’
‘Wow, she knows how to make me feel wanted.’
‘It’s not that she doesn’t want to see you. Apparently, she got quite choked up, but she fears you’ve travelled so far today already, and will be tired. She’d rather see you tomorrow when she feels better, too.’
‘Is she sure?’
‘Yes, and to be honest, visiting time will soon be up,’ Clare glanced at her watch, ‘so you’ll be making a mad dash to the hospital to only see her for ten minutes. She’s fine, Maddy. She’s broken her leg, and we’ll help Dennis. I think he was shocked, and panicked.’ Clare’s last statement made Maddy feel like there was more to the incident, something they weren’t telling her. Clare helped herself to things in Sandra’s kitchen, knowing her way around it as if it was her own. Maddy watched as she pulled two wine glasses out, and a bottle of rosé from the fridge, the glass frosted with condensation.
‘He does love Mum very much.’
‘It’s beautiful to see. I hope Edward and I are like that twenty years on.’ Clare handed Maddy a much-needed glass of White Zinfandel – the name always baffled Maddy considering it was clearly pink.
‘I’m not sure you want to turn into my mother.’
Clare chuckled. ‘No, silly, I hope Ed and I are as happy as your parents are.’
‘I’m sure you will be.’ This was Maddy’s dream too, but it seemed highly unlikely in her current single state.
‘Anyway, your mum isn’t so bad. She spoils her grandchildren rotten.’ Grabbing the baby monitor from the kitchen counter, Clare said, ‘Come on, let’s move to somewhere more comfortable.’
They made their way up to the first floor and into the lounge – the drawing room as her mother referred to it – which had two Chesterfield reddish-brown studded leather sofas, with their arms rolling out regally, and a matching armchair. Maddy arranged the scatter cushions behind her back, to give her support on the couch. She always thought the couches looked harder than they actually were, and tended to sink.
This light, airy room with cream walls was filled with more ornaments and pictures hanging from the picture rail. A large patterned rug lay between the sofas covering the wood flooring. Maddy admired the original Edwardian fireplace, with its slate hearth and cast iron grate and surround, and the ornately carved mantelpiece, which was something you didn’t get in modern houses anymore. Her own house didn’t even have a chimney – the television had become the focal point instead. This was Maddy’s favourite room at Christmas with the fire lit and a huge, beautifully-decorated Christmas tree. In the warmer months, her mother placed a tall vase of fresh flowers in front of the grate. Currently, a mix of lilies, gerberas and roses in an array of oranges and yellows perfumed the room.
Although it was now getting dark outside, the room had two large sash windows allowing plenty of light into the room and enabling them to have a fantastic view of parts of Clifton. Maddy relaxed, sinking further into her seat. She’d feel happier once she’d seen her mother, but at least she was close at hand to help her family, and find out what happened.
‘Clare, do you know how Mum fell? Where was she?’
‘She’d popped out of the gallery for something, and she fell down the small flight of steps leading up to her shop.’ Clare sipped her wine, sitting opposite Maddy in the armchair, baby monitor placed on the coffee table beside her. Clare hesitated, then continued, ‘She says someone barged past her, or even pushed her, but it was all a blur.’
‘Someone pushed her? A mugger?’ In Clifton. The posh part of Bristol. She knew it wasn’t exempt from crime, but even so …
‘I don’t know; she keeps changing her story, almost as if she’s protecting someone. She doesn’t want the police involved.’
Maddy frowned. She would only get the answers from her mother. She alone knew the actual details of the incident.
Clare and Maddy talked more, changing the subject to Maddy’s niece and nephew.
‘Izzy will be so thrilled to see her favourite aunty,’ Clare said, excitedly.
‘Yes, it feels like it’s been a while since I last saw them. I’ve been so busy with the gallery.’
‘And a new man, I hear.’
‘Um, no …’ Maddy swallowed. ‘That’s ended.’
‘Oh,’ Clare said. ‘I am sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s nothing. Tell me more about Izzy.’ Maddy desperately wanted to change the subject away from Harry.
‘Oh, yes, she’s growing up fast and is at pre-school now. Which allows me more time to spend with Alfie.’ As the two women caught up, the time flew, and before they knew it Maddy’s father and brother arrived.
‘So this is where the party is,’ Dennis said, entering the room, followed by his taller and slimmer son. Edward had been blessed with blond hair, less red than Maddy’s. Clare got up and kissed her husband, while Maddy hugged and kissed her dad.
‘How is she?’ Maddy asked.
‘Battered and bruised, but the doctors assure us it’s nothing to worry about.’ Her father dragged a hand through his thinning grey hair. He looked pale and tired but appeared to be putting on a brave face, hiding his worry.
‘She’ll be back to normal before you know it, Dad.’ Maddy squeezed his upper arm. ‘Maybe make the most of the peace and quiet for now.’ To her relief, her dad chuckled. As they say laugh or cry, and none of them wanted to cry.
After some more small talk, and polishing off a bottle of wine or two between them, Maddy found herself yawning. It always amazed her how driving a long distance could be so tiring. She’d only been sitting down for over three hours.
‘Let’s show you to your room,’ Clare said. Edward carried Maddy’s bags down to her room. She was in the fifth bedroom-slash-study, on the lower ground floor. ‘We thought it made sense to have the room next to the kids and this way you get an en-suite. And the kids can’t wake you up too early.’
There were so many levels to this house. How would her mother cope with the stairs with a leg in plaster? Tomorrow they might have to reorganize the sleeping arrangements because there was no way her mother would make it to the top floor of the house where the master bedroom was situated.
‘We’ll leave you to it. Night, Maddy,’ Clare said, closing the door behind her and Edward as they left.
‘Good night.’
This room had another large patterned rug over the tiled flooring and an original fireplace. There was a desk in the corner and bookshelves in the recesses either side of the chimney breast, filled with books, as well as a large lipstick-red sofa bed. It had already been pulled out and made up for Maddy. Clare must have been busy while she’d been travelling down.
The room, however, did bring back memories. In the interim period between moving out of their rented accommodation, and buying the house in Cornwall, Maddy and Connor had stayed in this room for a couple of months.
She looked back at those times and gave a shudder. She couldn’t imagine Connor being in her life any more. That he was ever in her life felt like a distant dream. Looking back, she could see his faults more clearly and wondered how she’d ever put up with him. He’d been so controlling Maddy was surprised how she’d ever managed to convince him to move to Cornwall. And that he’d let her.
***
Maddy placed the flowers on the cabinet by her mother’s hospital bed and sat in the high-backed chair beside her bed. Her father grabbed a plastic chair from the ward and joined them.
Her mother looked worse than Maddy had imagined. She had bruising down one side of her face, where she’d hit the pavement. Now Maddy understood why the doctors had kept her in to monitor if she had a concussion. Her left leg was in a plaster cast and was elevated. Could she even be comfortable like that?
‘Hi, Mum, I think I’ve seen you look better.’ Maddy smiled and leaned over to kiss her mum’s cheek – the side without the bruising.
Her mother chuckled. ‘Well, there was another time when I went skiing – but you hadn’t been born then.’
‘Is this why I’ve never had a skiing holiday?’ She looked up at her dad, who nodded.
‘Absolutely. I told your Dad I was never going again.’
‘Yes, that was the worst surprise holiday I arranged. Never again.’
They all laughed, but Maddy was trying not to get upset. It could have been much worse.
‘So what happened, Mum?’ She frowned, her expression sobering.
Sandra gently turned her head from side to side on the pillow. ‘I don’t know, darling. One minute I was on the top step, then the next I’d fallen.’
‘Clare said someone pushed you.’
‘Nonsense.’
‘Mum, I can tell you’re not telling me everything.’ She hadn’t looked Maddy in the eye once.
‘Dennis, dear, could you grab me a cup of coffee, please? Maddy, would you like one?’ Sandra looked at her husband earnestly. Maddy knew Sandra wanted to speak to her daughter in private. Even with her bruised face, she could tell.
‘Yes please, white no sugar, and see if the nurses have some biscuits. I should have brought some,’ Maddy said to her father. Once he was out of earshot, she turned to her mother. ‘So?’
‘Okay, I was pushed, but he warned me if I said anything he’d hurt you.’
‘Me?’ Maddy’s eyes widened. She couldn’t hide her shocked expression. ‘I thought it was some mugger. Did you know who did this? Who are you protecting?’
A tear trickled down her mother’s bruised cheek. ‘I’m not sure I want to get him into trouble, it was probably an accident; he sounded desperate.’
‘Who was it?’ But Maddy already feared she knew exactly who it was.
Hesitantly, her mother mumbled something inaudible, and when Maddy continued to stare at her, she said quietly, ‘Connor.’
‘The bastard. I knew it—’
‘Shhh … Keep your voice down.’
Fuelled by anger, Maddy ignored her mother. ‘I had this really horrible feeling. God, maybe Harry was right, maybe he did torch my house.’ Rage bubbled inside of her. When she got out of this hospital and she found Connor … God help him. ‘We should tell the police.’
‘No!’ Sandra tried to sit up but winced. Maddy placed a hand on her arm and eased her back onto the pillow. ‘I don’t want to make trouble.’
‘Mum, he can’t do this. I don’t want him in my life anymore, and he certainly can’t attack my family. Can you identify him? Are you absolutely sure it was him?’
‘Who?’ Dennis reappeared around the curtain, holding two cups of coffee. He placed them on the table at the end of Sandra’s bed. ‘What are you two shouting about? We can hear you down the other end of the ward.’
‘Nothing, Dennis, love,’ Sandra said soothingly.
She wanted to hide this from him. Maddy’s dad was a placid man. He wouldn’t hunt Connor down – would he? Or did Sandra want to keep things simple, and less stressful for Dennis? But even such an easy-going man might not react well to his wife being pushed down some steps and his daughter being threatened. He might be Sandra’s calming influence, but he certainly wasn’t a pushover.
Before Maddy could say anything further, the doctor arrived, pulling the chart up from the end of the bed.
‘We’ll talk about this later, Mum.’