Chapter 19 Elise #2
Jasmine was running towards her with Lulu at her heels, so Elise quickly wiped her face with the backs of her hands. By the time dog and girl reached her, she was more composed.
“Are you my dad’s girlfriend?” Jasmine asked, taking Elise by surprise.
Elise flushed. “No, we just work together. Has something . . . I mean, why did you think that, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Jasmine shrugged. “He looks at you as if he wants to kiss you.”
Elise shook her head. “He doesn’t.” Did he? “I really like your dad, Jasmine. He’s a kind man. And really talented. But—” She’d been about to add that she had a husband but stopped because, although it was technically true—and would be for some time—her relationship with Robbie was at an end.
“He used to look at Mum like that,” Jasmine said. “But now she hates him. Mum says he had lots of other girlfriends, and that’s why they split up.”
Elise frowned. Apart from the fact that this was the opposite of what Sam had told her himself, it seemed such an unnecessarily cruel thing to say to one’s child.
“I don’t know anything about that, Jasmine,” she said. “I haven’t known your dad for very long. Relationships aren’t always straightforward. Look, shall we get on to the shop? I think Lulu needs a drink, and they always keep a water bowl outside for thirsty dogs.”
“Can’t she drink from the stream?”
“She could do if she were a bit bigger, but she only has little legs, and the bank’s a bit steep, isn’t it? It’s not far to the shop.”
Lulu headed straight for the water bowl as soon as they arrived, lapping away noisily as Elise handed Jasmine some money. “Here, can you choose an ice cream for me, please?” she asked. “Anything chocolatey will do.”
Jasmine took the money from her, looking pleased with the responsibility of her mission, and went into the shop.
Alone with a now sated Lulu, Elise moved a few paces into the shade, still thinking about what Jasmine had said about Sam and his girlfriends.
She couldn’t believe it of Sam. He seemed far too nice—too genuine—to be an unfaithful husband.
But, then, she hadn’t had a clue Robbie was being unfaithful, had she?
“You look hot.”
Elise looked round to find Ted Cook—wearing only denim cutoff shorts, his naked chest sporting several tattoos—a few metres away, at the shop entrance.
“Oh, hi. Yes, it is hot today, isn’t it?” she replied, discomforted by the way his gaze was lingering on the thin straps of her vest top. She suspected he hadn’t been talking about the weather being hot, and his cheeky laugh confirmed it.
Jasmine came out of the shop, carrying the ice creams. When she held one out to Elise, Ted asked, “This your daughter? She’s almost as pretty as you.”
It was the wrong thing to say. Before Elise had the chance to put Ted right, Jasmine snapped, “She’s not my mother!” and began to stride away in a temper.
“Jasmine, wait,” Elise called after her. “There’s no pavement here. Keep over to the side where it’s safe.” And she hurried after the girl, not bothering to say goodbye to Ted.
He called after her. “You’ll be seeing me tomorrow, up at Marsh House. Finally got the go-ahead to clear the garden. We’ll be workmates.”
But Elise was far too intent on catching up with Jasmine to respond. Jasmine was running now, having somehow managed to get quite a long way ahead.
“Jasmine, wait!” Elise’s heart was racing with panic, and Lulu was panting at her side, her little legs struggling to keep up. Then, just as Elise was gaining ground on her, Jasmine turned and darted across the road, right in front of a car pulling a caravan.
“Jasmine!” Elise screamed as the car screeched to a terrifying halt.
On the other side of the road, a shaken Jasmine paused for just a second before carrying right on, leaving Elise to deal with the irate motorist.
“Can’t you keep better control of your daughter? I almost killed her!”
Thoroughly shaken up herself, Elise raised a pacifying hand to the driver, saying only, “I’m so sorry.” Then she hurried after Jasmine.
By the time she reached Marsh House, Elise’s heart was pounding. Sam’s van was parked outside, and it was a huge relief to find him waiting for her. “Everything all right? Jasmine just flew past as if the devil was after her.”
Elise’s hands were shaking as she bent to unclip Lulu’s leash. “Jasmine nearly got herself killed running out onto the road. She almost died, Sam. She almost died.”
Sam looked horrified. “Shit. I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
Elise swiped at her eyes with her arm. “Yes. It was a shock, that’s all. You’d better go to her. She’ll be shaken up.”
He nodded. “All right. Back in a minute.”
He left, and Elise went into the dining room to surround herself with Lilias’s marsh paintings, breathing deeply, Jasmine’s close brush with death sending a tidal wave of grief crashing over her as she relived it all once again.
The hospital. Charlie’s final breaths. The agony of knowing she was so absolutely powerless to change the course of events.
Life without Charlie had been so unbearably lonely, and now her split with Robbie was about to sever her strongest remaining link to her boy.
She and Robbie might see each other now and again after they were divorced, she supposed, but at the moment she wasn’t even sure she wanted that.
Clearly she’d never really known him if he could do what he’d done to her.
Sam came to find her after about ten minutes.
Elise looked up. “How is she?”
He sighed. “All right, I think. God only knows I’ve told her enough times to always look carefully both ways before she crosses a road. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
Lulu was on Elise’s lap, and Elise carried on stroking her, not looking up.
“I think Jasmine’s probably hurting, Sam.
About you and Rachel splitting up. And I .
. . well, I know you didn’t know Rachel was going to leave her here with me today, but I can’t .
. . I can’t be responsible for her. I’m just not up to it right now. ”
He sighed. “I know you’re not.”
“It’s . . . it’s not just because of Charlie. It’s . . . me and Robbie have split up. He . . . well, I found out yesterday that . . . he . . . he’s been having an affair.” And she told him briefly about travelling to London to confront Robbie.
“God, I’m so sorry, Elise,” Sam said after she’d finished, his face filled with sympathy. “That’s awful. The very last thing you needed was Rachel turning up expecting you to babysit.”
“Dad?” Jasmine called to him from somewhere in the house, and he glanced towards the door with a sigh.
“Look, I’ll take Jasmine home now, all right? And I’ll tell Rachel not to just turn up here like that again. Will you be all right here on your own?”
Elise smiled sadly. “I’ve got the house for company, haven’t I? The ghosts.” She was only half joking. She had never felt alone in this house.
Sam smiled briefly at that, seeming reluctant to go. But finally, he said, “Take care, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”