Chapter 21 #2
‘Yes.’ I allowed myself a small smile at the memory.
‘It was fun.’ I gazed at my reflection, at my friend standing beside me.
‘My sister was more outgoing than me. She liked being the centre of attention. She liked performing for my parents.’ I paused, dizzy with the thrill of reanimating her. ‘She should’ve been the actress.’
Victoria put her head on my shoulder. ‘I would’ve liked a sister, growing up,’ she said, sighing. ‘But I’ve told you that before.’
‘Yes.’
Victoria lifted her head and took a step back. She reached out and touched the strap of the dress. ‘Hmm. Yes, that colour suits you.’ She glanced up and her gaze met mine. Her expression changed and something dangerous glinted in her eyes. Her hand slid down my arm; she left it there, waiting.
‘I should get changed,’ I said, half paralysed by her touch. ‘We’ve left your mum alone too long.’
‘Never mind her.’
‘I’m sorry. She must think I’m so rude. I’ll get changed.’
‘Does this feel nice?’ she asked, stroking my wrist, her voice no louder than a whisper.
I didn’t answer, but I didn’t pull away from her either.
‘You’ve got goosebumps.’ She came closer. ‘How about this?’ Her fingers continued their journey, snaking along my midriff before coming to rest on my hip. She pulled me towards her. I saw the gap in her smile, smelled mint on her breath, coffee, sleep.
She gazed at me. ‘Well?’
I laughed uncertainly.
‘You’re so pretty. You know that, right, Shannon?’
‘Th-thank you,’ I stuttered.
‘We’ll have fun this weekend, yeah?’
‘Yes,’ I whispered, not daring to breathe.
She dropped her hand abruptly. ‘Come on,’ she said, turning her back on me. ‘Mummy’s dying to meet you.’
‘AND NOW, NO ONE ever visits.’
‘That’s not true, Mummy.’
‘It is. You’d much rather gad about in London than come and visit poor old me. You were gone all summer and the one before that.’
‘What do you want me to say? I was in the States. I only get so much holiday. I can’t spend all my spare time out here with you.’
‘Nonsense.’
I sipped my iced tea and glanced up at the glasshouse’s ceiling, at its rigid metal arbours, its thick tropical tree trunks and lush vines straining against the glass.
Victoria sat forward in her chair. ‘You always do this. You always hold me to a higher standard than the boys. When were Lawrence or Rupert last here? Or Henry?’
Victoria’s mum waved her hand. ‘Pssht, that’s different.
They have jobs, they have families. They can’t be expected to drive all the way out here whenever I need them.
But you, you pretend you’re so busy every weekend.
I mean, it’s an acting degree, sweetheart.
It’s not like you’re training to be a heart surgeon.
When I was at RADA, I went home every weekend to visit your grandmother. ’
‘I’m not doing this,’ Victoria sat back; the wicker chair creaked beneath her weight. ‘I’m not going around in circles with you again.’ She shot me a look.
‘The iced tea is delicious, Mrs Parker,’ I interjected.
‘Thank you, dear. And you can just call me Helena.’
‘Well, Helena, it’s delicious. And the whole house, the gardens, they’re beautiful.’
‘Mmm.’ She looked off to one side. Her face took on a glazed expression and she picked up a magazine.
‘Mummy,’ Victoria hissed, ‘you’re being rude.’
Helena let out an exasperated sigh and dropped the magazine on the table. ‘I suppose I can’t even read in my own home now, can I?’
‘Not while we have company you can’t,’ Victoria said, gesturing in my direction.
I shrank down in my seat and fixed my attention on the burbling stone fountain at the structure’s centre.
‘Fine, we’ll chat.’ Helena’s gaze fell on me; she picked up an old Sunday supplement and began fanning herself with it. ‘Oh, darling,’ she said, addressing Victoria. ‘I forgot to mention. That awful girl was here.’
‘Which girl?’
‘Oh, you know, the dumpy one, brown hair, bad skin. Came around here lots. You used to go riding with her sometimes.’
‘Do you mean Cora?’
‘That’s it. When you were on your run this morning, she came to the front door. Apparently, she’d heard from someone that you were back from London. She was desperate to see you.’
Victoria repressed a shudder. ‘And what did you tell her?’
‘I said, “I don’t know what you’ve heard, sweetheart, but Victoria’s in America all summer.”’
‘Good. Thank you, Mummy.’
‘Who’s Cora?’ I asked.
‘Oh, no one,’ Victoria said, with a small wave of her hand.
‘She was Victoria’s little friend, wasn’t she, darling?’ Helena said, sitting forward and warming to the subject. ‘She came from the village. Bit of a farm girl. Followed you around like a puppy until you went off to boarding school, if I remember correctly.’
‘We don’t need to talk about her,’ Victoria murmured, an unexpected redness creeping into her cheeks.
‘She used to hang around the grounds just trying to catch a glimpse of her,’ Helena continued.
‘We should go for a walk later,’ Victoria said, angling herself towards me. ‘There’s a wood not far from here which is gorgeous at this time of year.’