Chapter 40
Sadie
The interior of the house is chilly, the air tainted with lingering, acrid smoke.
When Sadie thinks of how warm and welcoming the place felt on her arrival, mere hours ago, it makes her feel off-balance.
Let alone the discovery that her mother used to live here with Mrs. Shrew, of all people, who apparently tried to burn them in their beds tonight.
Sadie has a thousand questions churning in her mind, and no idea where to start.
She glances at her mother, sensing this isn’t the best time to ask her for more information.
Beth is pale, wide-eyed; she stands just inside the threshold and wraps her arms around herself as her gaze jumps around the dimly lit hall.
The other guests have gone straight through to the drawing room, and Sadie can hear Nazleen and Zach arguing over whether to light a fire in the grate.
A moment later, Nazleen reappears in the hall, closing the drawing room door softly behind her.
“Zach’s lighting a fire,” she says with an artificial brightness. “I’ll make some tea.” Her gaze comes to rest on Beth’s hands, and she frowns. “Are you hurt?”
Beth holds her hands out in front of her and stares at her bleeding knuckles as if they’re not hers. “I was knocking on the windows so hard . . .”
Nazleen’s tone softens. “Go and sit down. I’m sure Joe won’t be long. We’ll be out of here soon.”
Beth doesn’t reply. Nazleen hurries off in the direction of the kitchen, and as soon as she’s gone, Beth turns to Sadie.
“I’ve got to talk to Leonora. I need to know why she did it, why she brought you here. Honestly, Sadie, if I’d had any idea . . .”
“I know, Mum.” Sadie gives Beth’s hand a gentle squeeze, taking care not to hurt her. “Okay, let’s do it. We’ll go and talk to her together.”
But Beth still doesn’t move, and Sadie feels a familiar stir of frustration. This is what she remembers, growing up: this closed, fearful expression on her mum’s face. At the first mention of the past—or any other emotionally difficult topic—Beth would retreat into herself, refuse to engage.
With effort, Sadie keeps her voice gentle. “You can’t run away from things forever, Mum . . .”
“I know.” Beth nods tightly. “You’re right.” But she trudges toward the study as if she’s been summoned there, as if it weren’t her own idea at all.
Beth unlocks the door and walks in. Sadie hangs back in the doorway, watching Beth approach the green-topped desk. Leonora sits on the far side of it, her expression one of haughty contempt.
“What do you want?” Leonora snaps.
Beth’s voice is strained. “Why did you bring my daughter here? I know you blame me for what happened, but to take it out on my daughter . . .”
Sadie frowns. What’s this about blame? What did her mother do here, all those years ago?
“I’ve already told you.” Leonora’s reply is icy. “I didn’t know she was your daughter until just now.”
Beth draws in a shaky breath. “What happened to Markus . . . It wasn’t my fault . . .”
A loud bang in the hall sends Sadie spinning around, heart pounding.
Someone’s knocking at the front door, but it’s too soon to be Joe returning with the police, surely?
She glances back at Beth and Leonora, but they both seem as startled as she is.
Nazleen is still in the kitchen, and the drawing room door is closed, so when the door knocker crashes again, Sadie hurries to answer it.
A woman stands on the top step, her dark hair hanging in front of her shoulders like limp curtains, her face sallow in the yellowish light from the overhead lamps. She stumbles over her words, and Sadie can’t tell whether it’s from cold or from fear.
“Is everyone okay?” the woman says. “I saw fire, from across the fields, and I was worried—” She glances beyond Sadie, into the hall, and her tone softens. “Oh, I see you’re all right . . .”
Bemused, Sadie turns around. Leonora is approaching, her hands outstretched to the woman as if she’s half-angry to see her and half pleading with her to go away.
“Yes, we’re all fine,” Leonora says. “You didn’t need to come. You should go now.”
But the woman is no longer looking at Leonora. Her gaze has moved past her to fix on Sadie’s mother, and her eyes are enormous, her face slack with astonishment.
“Beth?”