‘What do you mean something has changed in the house?’
She leant in close to him. ‘The atmosphere, can you not feel it?’
He shook his head. Agnes felt a wave of anger wash over her. This was no good. He didn’t see or feel anything wrong. She could. It felt to her as if the house had come alive, as if it were some giant, slumbering beast that had slowly woken up after a very long time. If she strained her ears she was convinced she could hear its heartbeat, very faint, but it was there: a steady thud, thud, thud, which seemed to reverberate throughout the entire house.
‘Today has been a very long one. We’ve all had a huge shock. What happened to Mary? Well I have no idea, God rest her soul. I’m sure he’s taken her into his arms and she’s at peace now. I think perhaps you should take yourself to bed and get some rest, Agnes. I’m here. I’ll sleep in the lounge. Don’t worry, I’ll listen out and if you need anything then shout and I’ll be there.’
‘Yes, Father, thank you.’
She pushed her brandy away. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach made it churn at the thought of drinking any more of the sweet liquid. As she stood she saw Mary’s reflection staring back at her from the kitchen window. Her head hung limply to one side and her arm was missing. Blood was dripping from her mouth and the front of her nightdress was covered in the bright red liquid.
The room began to swim and Agnes heard the sound of a chair being scraped back against the parquet floor. A strong pair of arms caught hold of her before she fell to the ground; Patrick scooped her up and carried her upstairs to her bedroom as if she were no heavier than a feather. He laid her on the bed and stepped back.
‘Agnes, should I phone for the doctor?’
‘No, thank you; I think you’re right, Patrick. I’m very tired and I haven’t eaten much today. I’m sure I’ll feel better in the morning.’
She watched him leave, closing the door behind him. As soon as her legs felt strong enough to carry her weight she would lock it, then drag her heavy chest of drawers across to put in front of it. What good that would do was beyond her, but it would make her feel better. A voice whispered in her ear: It didn’t help poor Mary, did it? She’s still here, stuck in this house with nowhere to go. Agnes could no longer keep her eyes open and she closed them, sinking down into a deep sleep. So deep that she didn’t make it off the bed to lock her door.
Kate watched Ethan and Jack drive away in Ethan’s battered Corsa. Ollie was still working upstairs and she was so glad. She had been unsettled all day. It had felt as if someone was watching her and she’d kept turning around every few minutes to be greeted by empty space. As she’d crossed the hall she saw a dark shadow at the top of the stairs. Fear had filled her mind and she opened her mouth to scream, but it had disappeared leaving her questioning herself.
She had no idea what was going on. She was blaming Joe and his talk of all things spooky. Going back into the kitchen, she filled a pan with water and put it on the hob to boil. She would make some pasta that was quick and easy. After chopping bacon, garlic, chillies and tomatoes she began to sauté them ready to add to the cooked pasta. Pour over an M & S shop-bought pasta sauce and bake a garlic baguette and hey presto she would look like a gourmet cook. She wouldn’t have to admit to anyone she’d cheated. She took the bottle of Pinot Grigio from the fridge and poured herself a small glass. As she took a sip she felt it begin to work its magic. Her whole body started to relax. Ollie walked in and sniffed the air.
‘Something smells very nice.’
Kate laughed. ‘It’s just some pasta and garlic bread. Would you like some? I mean it’s the least I can offer after crushing your pie at lunchtime.’
He chuckled. ‘It still tasted pretty good though. I don’t want to put you out, Kate. Have you got enough?’
She turned around so he couldn’t see her cheeks flare red. ‘I most definitely have enough for the both of us, but do you need to get home?’
She wanted to ask if Mrs Nealee would have already cooked his tea and be waiting for him to go home, but she didn’t. He was old enough to decide where he wanted to eat and who with. Maybe they weren’t getting on after all.
He shook his head. ‘No, not much to go home to really; not now I’m on my own and besides I will only dream about eating some of your pasta and garlic bread when I get there. So you might as well feed me and put me out of my misery.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that you and your wife had split up.’
He smiled at her with such sadness in his eyes it made her heart ache for him.
‘I think it would be easier to accept if Ellen had left me for someone else; only she didn’t leave because she wanted to. She passed away last December.’
The shock almost rendered Kate speechless. She’d had no idea. So consumed in her own grief and crappy life, she hadn’t read the newspapers or kept in touch with anyone.
‘I’m so, so sorry to hear that, Ollie. I had no idea.’
‘Don’t be daft; you weren’t to know. It’s not something I’m comfortable talking about openly. It still hurts too much, but I guess you know how that feels – losing Amy. You two were very close, weren’t you?’
She nodded. Her eyes misting up, she turned away as he sat down on one of the chairs and watched as she cooked. ‘Would you like a glass of wine to go with it?’
‘You know I think I would. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meal cooked for me by a beautiful woman, or a glass of wine.’
He winked at her and she wondered if he was flirting with her. Or was she so obsessed with him that she was taking every single word and twisting it to fit what she wanted it to? She took out another glass and poured him one. Passing it over to him, her fingers brushed his. She jolted back her hand. It felt as if she’d got an electric shock. It must have been static. It was like a small charge of lightning rushing through her veins.
The food was ready so she plated it up and served it, slicing the garlic bread and placing it in the middle of the table. She sat opposite him so she could watch his chiselled, tanned, good-looking face. He was so attractive and she would very much like to get to know him better. He was grieving though, and it was obvious he was still hurting. There was no way she would make the first move. If he wanted her as much as she wanted him then it was down to him. When he was ready, she’d be here. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to go. In the meantime, it was nice just to have a friend to lean on again.
He began to talk about how much better the house looked and what needed doing. Before long they were chatting, eating and drinking. He was funny. He made her laugh a lot and she felt so much better with him here. She wondered if he would stay the night. Ollie finished his pasta, mopping up the sauce with the last piece of garlic bread.
‘That was wonderful; thank you, Kate.’
‘You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do. I can’t believe how hard you’ve been working on this place. It really looks so much better. I like that it’s lighter now. It was so dark before. Even though we’ve kept as much of the oak panelling and woodwork as possible, I think the white and pale grey really lighten it up.’
‘Yes, you have good taste. It’s so much easier when the client knows exactly what it is they want the finished project to look like. Well it is for me; it makes my job easier anyway.’ He finished his wine and stood up. ‘I suppose I better get going. I need a soak in a hot bath. My bones are aching a lot more than they did twenty years