Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Frank and Maddie’s country home was set amid the rolling Surrey Hills and tucked neatly behind the picturesque village of Harp Brook. As we drove through, we admired the quaint red-brick cottages, the two snug country pubs, old church and the handful of shops on the high street.
Frank and Maddie lived in the biggest property in Harp Brook; a Grade II listed, red-brick, eight-bedroom manor house with a vast garden, a quadruple garage, stables, a gravel driveway, and iron gates.
Once Grandpa and I had passed through the gates, the beautiful old manor house came into view. Set against a backdrop of swirling snowflakes it was like an illustration from one of the winter fairy-tale picture books we had as kids. It made me gasp in awe. Grandpa muttered under his breath about Frank having far too much money.
Maddie was in the doorway waving at us and holding an excited Humphrey. As my car got nearer the spaniel escaped from Maddie’s arms and raced towards my tyres, barking his head off. Slamming on the brakes to avoid running over Humphrey, I let out a yelp of frustration.
‘That dog is out of control,’ moaned Grandpa, as Humphrey jumped up at his car window. Humphrey’s ears were way too big for his head and his pink tongue hung to one side as he cast us his best deranged dog look.
‘Maddie told me he was calming down,’ I groaned, turning off the engine.
Grandpa chuckled. ‘She can’t say no to that silly dog.’
Maddie squealed at Grandpa before throwing her arms around his neck. ‘Grandpa – it’s so lovely to see you.’
‘Hello, Maddie,’ he cried, giving her a kiss. ‘Your Christmas dog sitters have arrived.’ Humphrey barked and started to run in circles around them.
‘How’s married life?’ Grandpa asked.
‘Busy,’ she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. ‘Come inside, as it’s cold out here and the snow is coming down.’
‘Is Frank about?’ Grandpa asked.
She pointed back towards their huge wooden front door, which was encased within an impressive stone arch. ‘He’s talking to the cleaner.’
Opening the boot of my car I was about to haul out our suitcases when Maddie raised her hand. ‘Frank’s driver will bring those in, Rachel. Leave them in your car for now.’
Normally I would have brought the cases myself, but Grandpa and I had both packed far too much and they needed a stronger pair of arms.
Maddie led the way through the front door and into the reception hall. Humphrey followed in a mad pursuit and nearly tripped up Grandpa.
As the reception hall opened, we were greeted with a vast curved staircase, made from solid oak, leading the way upstairs. To our right on the ground floor was the east wing, and three closed doors. One led to the large sitting room, which I recalled, from previous visits, was the room with the giant open fireplace, the high ceiling, teak flooring, and French doors opening out onto a sun terrace. One door was for the cloakroom and the other led to the annex.
To our left was a set of closed doors which led to the west wing. Maddie pointed to them. ‘These will remain locked, and I have asked the cleaner to keep hold of the keys. Promise me you won’t go in there.’
Both Grandpa and I nodded obediently.
We headed to the rear of the house and the large old kitchen. My bladder was about to burst, but loud voices drifting along the wood-panelled corridor as we approached distracted me.
‘Please don’t let me go, Mr Baxter,’ begged a young female voice. ‘I’m sorry that it happened again but I have nowhere else to put him.’
‘Layla, I’m sorry, I have told you several times and it keeps happening. This is not acceptable,’ Frank barked in his New York boardroom voice. His tone made me flinch and even Grandpa cast me an alarmed look. Maddie rushed ahead and clapped her hands. ‘Frank, my grandfather and sister are here.’
As Grandpa and I entered the kitchen, Frank grunted in our direction. He was not one for warm welcomes.
Maddie and Frank were an interesting couple to look at. She was blonde, youthful, and ethereal looking with an enviable slim figure and porcelain white skin. Frank was twelve years older with grey hair, fashionable boxy black square glasses, a broad frame and tanned, leathery skin – a result of spending too much time in the sun on film sets during his acting career.
Frank’s colourful past as an actor was not something our family ever mentioned. Well, they probably did in secret without Mum knowing. When Maddie first told me about Frank, I googled him and gasped at the old press stories of his wild lifestyle on and off the film set. Olivia and I spent many an evening going down Frank Baxter rabbit holes on Reddit and reading about Frank Baxter, the handsome young actor with a penchant for Hollywood poolside parties, drugs, affairs, and an array of scantily clad women. Maddie made it clear Frank was a changed man. He was now a successful CEO of a flourishing media empire and didn’t want his chequered past to interfere with his business vision.
‘Can you keep me on until after Christmas?’ A young woman was stood in front of Frank, her hands clasped. ‘Please don’t get rid of me this close to Christmas.’ They were both stood at the back of the kitchen, by the construction sheet covering the work site of the new extension.
I had always thought their old kitchen was impressive. Multiple Velux ceiling windows flooded the space with light, handmade cream wooden cupboards lined the walls, and a large kitchen island with two sinks and a marble worktop presided in the middle. In the corner were two cream Aga ovens. Frank liked everything to be new and perfect.
The sound of a young child grizzling filled the air and Humphrey began to bark. Everyone switched their attention across the kitchen to the curly-haired toddler who was chewing on his fingers and standing up inside in a travel cot.
‘I have made it clear,’ snapped Frank, ‘that child is not to be brought along while you are cleaning this house. The quality of your cleaning is also questionable and at times I wonder what I am paying you to do.’
The young woman hung her head.
‘I could find someone far cheaper and better at cleaning than you, Layla.’ His voice had a hard edge to it.
Irritation bubbled inside of me. There was no need to talk to her in that way and certainly not in front of us all. Grandpa glanced at me, and I could tell he felt the same way.
Maddie went to Frank and whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said pacified him as he let out a sigh. ‘Layla, you can clean until the first of January. I will make sure my wife’s family inform me if they catch you cleaning my house and looking after your child at the same time.’
An awkward silence descended upon the kitchen. Maddie smiled brightly at her husband. ‘Frank, come and say hello to Rachel and Grandpa.’
He nodded at us. ‘Hello, Rachel and Eric. Sorry, I need to go sort out the builder. He’s meeting me out the front. I’ll be back shortly.’
Frank strode away leaving Maddie, Layla, Grandpa, and me in the kitchen.
Layla spoke to Maddie. ‘Thank you for letting me stay on as your cleaner, I appreciate it.’
Maddie smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him on holiday. You do a great job, Layla, I don’t want you to go.’
‘It’s a temporary blip with Zac,’ said Layla, pointing to her son in his travel cot. ‘I promise. It’s not been easy for us lately.’
My bladder was going crazy. I desperately needed the loo. ‘Maddie, can I use your toilet?’
She nodded. ‘Use the cloakroom off the hallway.’
Humphrey raced after me as I sprinted down the corridor. After closing the toilet door on Humphrey I locked it and had one of the most satisfying wees of my life.
As I sat on the loo, Frank was shouting again. ‘Your other clients might accept your shoddy work, but I won’t. You need to think about who you’re working for and how damaging a complaint from me will be. I will think twice about using your firm again.’
A male voice replied, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way. The plasterer I hired hasn’t done the best job, so I am going to sort that. I’ll do my best to rectify the situation next week.’
‘Make sure it’s finished for when I return,’ Frank snapped. His footsteps drifted away. An uncomfortable feeling passed over me as I washed my hands.
On the previous occasions Frank and I had met he had either been engrossed on his laptop or talking on his phone. At their wedding, he barely spoke to me, but I’d assumed that was because it was his big day and the wedding planners had not followed his strict instructions.
After drying my hands, I groaned at my dishevelled reflection in the mirror. My long brown hair was greasy and lifeless. It had been tied in a messy bun at the top of my head earlier this morning but during the journey it had escaped and now hung over my shoulders. My skin was paler than ever and the old navy-blue sweatshirt I wore had a few stains. Why had I arrived at Maddie’s posh house in such a state? This was the sort of place you dressed up before visiting.
Frank’s voice drifted under the door. He’d returned and it sounded like he was talking to someone on a phone. ‘You’re my lawyer. Deal with it.’
I was not warming to my new brother-in-law. The sooner he left for his holiday, the better. As I came out of the cloakroom, I felt that same knotted feeling in my tummy and a little inner voice whispered, Who has Maddie married?