‘There’s an extra mug in the cubby,’ Alex told Will. ‘Flask is by your feet. It’s pretty good coffee. My mother made it.’ She took a now tepid sip from her own cup. It was strong and wet and that was all. She didn’t care much.
‘Not for me,’ Will said. He’d unhitched the shoulder harness from his seatbelt and leaned forward, staring through the window as if he could make the journey go faster. ‘Bloody road works don’t help anything,’ he muttered. ‘These sods’ll still be leaning on the same shovels in the same spots come next Christmas. Lazy bastards.’ His demeanor had flipped.
‘You’re in a nice mood,’ she said, hoping to calm him down. She didn’t fancy the drive to London in the company of an angry man. ‘We’re all tired of the bad weather and inconvenience. Winter gets to be too long, doesn’t it?’
‘A lot of things get to be too long.’ He turned sideways in his seat, facing away from her. ‘You must have had enough of everything in Folly by now. I’m surprised you haven’t already gone back to your art permanently. I thought you’d be gone long ago. You moved on to get away from the village when you went off to school.’
‘And I came back because it’s home and there was nothing tying me anywhere else – not any more.’
His foul temper bothered her. She felt trapped but there was nothing she could do to change his mood until he was ready to relax.
‘Underhill was your home, not Folly,’ he said. ‘You and Lil. That’s where you’re from.’
She thought about what he’d said. ‘Could you top up my coffee, please, Will?’ she said, buying time while she tried to work out what was bothering him.
‘Your wish is my command,’ Will said, and at least he was careful not to slop hot coffee from the flask. ‘You like giving the orders. Fell right into being the boss lady like a pig sliding in shit.’
‘If you don’t want to pour it, I’ll pull off and do it myself. I’m used to being on my own.’
He’d already dealt with the coffee and was tightening down the lid on the flask. ‘Ah, you’re no different from anyone else. You like being a big fish in a little pond.’
She accepted the cup and took a slow, considering sip, screwing up her eyes against the steam. ‘Are you trying to make a point, Will? It’s not like you to say nasty things. Are you trying to goad me, or what?’
He leaned against the back of the seat and crossed his arms. ‘You don’t think much about how other people feel, do you?’
‘Yes, I do,’ she snapped back, tempted to pull over. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to get out in awful weather, with no transportation and the traffic works barriers and signs lining the verge leaving nowhere safe to walk. ‘Tell me what put a bee in your bonnet, Will. You know I care a lot about you and Cathy. One of the reasons I bought the Black Dog was because I knew you’d be great managers, and because I didn’t want you to leave. You love the place.’
‘And you wanted Lil to—’
‘Lily,’ Alex interrupted. ‘My mother goes by Lily and always has.’
‘Lil’s a good barmaid’s name,’ he said, and she felt rather than saw him sneer. ‘And that’s what Cathy and me called her. We gave her a job when no one else was keen to take a young woman with a history like hers.’
‘That’s enough.’ Alex’s cheeks burned. She felt sick to her stomach and shaky. ‘You don’t know my mother’s real history and even if it was what you’re suggesting, who would care? Now or then? She’s good at whatever she decides to do. Anyone with a suitable job would have hired her. Would you like me to find a bus stop for you?’
Breath whistled through his teeth. ‘I’m in a lousy mood, is all. Cathy’s mooning around over the life she should have had. Came from money, y’know.’
‘So I heard. She seems happy to me – at least, most of the time. With everything in the village so upside down I think it’s been hard for her. She’s a quiet person.’
‘You don’t know anything about her, but no matter. You could be right. We’ll turn off before long. We won’t get all this messing about on the back roads.’
He leaned forward again, gripped the dashboard.
Alex glanced toward him. He seemed to be watching for whatever turn off he wanted.
Her mobile rang. She picked it up from between the seats and answered. ‘It’s Tony,’ a wonderfully familiar voice said.
‘Hi Tony.’ She gathered her thoughts for how she could signal that something might be wrong here. ‘I’ve got—’
Will’s right hand clamped her shoulder painfully. He shook his head, pointed to himself and mouthed, I’m not here. His face was red and sweaty.
‘Hi, Tony,’ she said. Her dry mouth made her cough.
‘What’s up?’ he said, quite softly, as if he wondered if she had company.
‘The roads are pretty rotten but I’m taking it slowly. Road works everywhere. Why they don’t try to get this stuff finished before winter, I’ll never know.’
‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’ he said, but there was something forced about it. ‘I wanted to make sure you’re OK, Alex.’
Will passed a forefinger across his throat, indicating for her to get off the phone. To her horror, he pinched the sensitive muscle in the top of her shoulder and she almost hissed in a sharp breath.
‘Yes,’ she said into the phone, completely flat.
Tony fell silent. She heard the sound of an engine and knew he must be in his Land Rover.
‘You shouldn’t drive and talk on the phone,’ Alex said. ‘Sorry, I forgot you have hands-free and I know I ought to get it. But I’ve learned to improvise. If traffic’s heavy I can have both hands on the wheel and talk at the same time.’ It was the closest she could get to telling him what she intended to do.
‘Is someone with you?’
She didn’t answer.
‘OK. Please stay calm, sweetheart. I’ll get you.’
‘Sounds like fun. I’d better concentrate. I’ll see you later.’ It wasn’t easy to keep fear out of her eyes and off her face when she looked at Will, but she managed and tucked the mobile into the door armrest without turning it off. ‘Nice to have someone care about you. It’s been a long time.’
‘You ought to be careful around young Harrison.’ Will laughed, an unpleasant sound. ‘It’s a shame not to control the few things you can do something about.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘There’s more to our vet than most people think. That’s all I’m saying. Not that it matters.’
‘Will, what’s wrong? Whatever it is, I’ll try to help you.’
He narrowed his eyes at her and she felt his hatred. Why would he hate her?
‘You’re nothing,’ he said. ‘Nothing better than me, anyway. Maybe not as good. Think about that. You come from nothing but you managed to get your hands on things that don’t belong to you. I’m going to change that. Take a right here.’
‘Here?’ He’d indicated something no bigger than a lane. ‘What’s it called?’ she asked loudly.
‘Doesn’t matter. Do what I say – it’ll be a shortcut for us.’
‘I don’t think so, Will. It’s going off in the wrong direction.’
‘Do as I say.’
A pine cone hit the windscreen and she swerved, flinching.
‘Concentrate. When we get where we’re going I’ll tell you a story. You’re never going to believe it.’ He laughed and the sound made her sweat.
She started the right turn. ‘Look, there’s a llama farm up here,’ she cried, laughing and coughing at the same time. She cleared her throat and all but screamed, ‘Who has a llama farm? Have you ever been to a llama farm?’ as if it were the funniest thing she’d ever seen.