The Wife's Revenge by Deirdre Palmer

Author:Deirdre Palmer [Palmer, Deirdre]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: crooked cat/darkstroke books
Published: 2019-10-21T22:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

FRAN

Caitlin was even more keen, if that was possible, to join Tessa’s art club when she found out her friend Maisie was going, too. There’s no stopping this, not that I want to for her sake, and I’ve prepared myself for more interaction with Tessa, although avoiding her altogether is the more attractive option.

‘Do you want to take Caitlin to art club?’ I casually enquire of Hector after breakfast.

He looks up from the paper he’s reading at the kitchen table. ‘Not specially. Why?’

He knows I’m not doing anything particular at this moment. Caitlin appears, dragging an overfull rucksack.

‘Oh, love, don’t take too much, not on the first day. What’ve you got in there, anyway?’

Caitlin drops the rucksack and counts off on her fingers. ‘Drawing pad, painting pad, pencils, crayons, charcoal, acrylic paints, brushes…’

‘Okay. But you have to carry it, right?’

‘Right.’ She smiles.

Kitty appears. ‘I’m off to Sarah’s. See you laters.’

‘I don’t suppose you’re going anywhere near the village hall?’ I ask, clutching at the proverbial straw.

I feel Hector’s puzzled gaze on me. ‘Nowhere near, whatsoever,’ Kitty says. Moments later, the front door bangs shut.

Hazel is upstairs, for once doing homework before the witching hour of six pm on Sunday.

‘Come on, then,’ I say to Caitlin.

‘Have a good time, Picasso,’ Hector says, giving her a kiss.

‘Who is Picasso?’

‘I’ll tell you on the way,’ I say, and we leave.

I don’t know why my stomach’s hitched a ride on a fairground switchback. It’s an art club run by Tessa, yes, but she’ll be busy. No time to spend chatting to me.

On the way, we pass Graylings, Mirabelle Hayward’s house. Could those be chilli plants? I think, as I catch sight of the rampant greenery growing inside the downstairs windows. I’d assumed they were herbs before. Herbs seem to fit with Mirabelle, chilli peppers don’t. But what do I know about her, aside from her dubious mental state?

‘That’s the lady with the cats,’ Caitlin says conversationally.

‘That’s her house, yes.’ I force aside my thoughts about chilli plants, only to see a mind picture of me racing into the school to ‘rescue’ my injured daughter, then one of the dead badger on our step. I can do without my wild imaginings this morning.

‘She was at the window upstairs, looking at us,’ Caitlin says. ‘Perhaps she wanted us to wave.’

I don’t answer, and hurry Caitlin on. We meet Maisie and her mother at the corner, and the two girls go on ahead, Caitlin struggling to keep the rucksack aloft. Afia and I are chatting as we enter the village hall, and at first, I don’t notice Ben. Then I hear his voice, and I’m stupidly wrongfooted. Tessa I was prepared for, but not Ben. He doesn’t normally put in an appearance at any of Tessa’s events – keeps a wide berth, in fact – but this is a bit different, I suppose. He is arranging Formica tables, lifting them with ease and setting them down in a semi-circle.

A woman called Cleo, whom I know vaguely as an Oakheart Academy parent and is apparently the qualified art teacher, comes to greet us.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.