Since her marriage she had lost the girl she used to be, the one who rode her bike at breakneck speed down the hills near home. She had swum in open lakes, canoed in white water rapids, enjoyed rock climbing and had camped on her own in the hills. She hadn’t been afraid. The fear had begun the first time George had raised his hand to her and increased with each blow and every new betrayal.
A fizz of confidence bubbled through her and she found herself grinning as she turned to watch the solid figure join her on the landing.
“Okay, bedrooms. Pick one. There should be some basics in the bathroom and some food in the kitchen. How about if we make a bite and then we can talk about what comes next. How would that be?”
“Yeah. I don’t mind which room.” As she spoke Pauline pushed open the doors, there were three rooms equipped with beds, wardrobes and dressers. All were fairly basic but clean and the beds were all made up ready to be used. “I’ll take this one, it has twin beds. I think you might be more comfortable in the double, you’re bigger than I am.”
“That’s kind. Thanks. I have to say it’ll be nice to have a decent bed to sleep in for once.”
“Right. This one has an en suite bathroom. Oh yes, and there are toothbrushes soap and stuff. Crikey, there’s even a dressing gown! Is this what my tax money pays for?”
“Uh, I guess so. I’d never thought about it… but yeah, I suppose.”
“I’d love to have a shower. Do you think the water’s hot?”
In answer he pushed past her to turn on the washbasin tap. After a few seconds steam began to rise from the white porcelain.
“Brilliant. I’ll have a shower and then see what I can cook us to eat. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, great. In the meantime I’ll pop out into the back garden. There’s a shed out there and though I know you think it’s all a great laugh I do need to check it out.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that it all seemed to be so very dramatic. It’s not the world I live in, not really.”
“Well, maybe I was going just a bit over the top. I was trying to impress you. The least you could have done was fainted.”
With a grin he turned and she heard his feet thunder down the stairs and then the rattle of locks being drawn back.
The rush of water from the shower head drowned out any other sound as she stepped under the hot torrent and felt the tension melt from her muscles.
Chapter 40
There were sachets of shampoo and conditioner, tiny single use bottles of body balm and a small tube of toothpaste.
As she rubbed herself with the surprisingly fluffy towels Pauline mused anew at the strange events that had brought her to this moment. The bath robe was cheap and thin but it was clean and still in the manufacturer's bag. She tore away the polythene and then wrapped in the warm softness she made her way back into the bedroom.
Using the hair dryer provided, with the aid of a brush from her handbag she was able to give her short hair some body, though wished she had thought to push her own toiletries into a bag to bring as they left the farmhouse.
Was it less than a day ago since the tense drive, the poor dead hedgehog?
In the drawer she was amazed to find some cheap knickers, still in the packet and a T shirt which she could use for sleeping.
In spite of it all, the shower, the time to herself and the normality of standing in the simple tiled space had done much to raise her spirits. As she made for the stairs a smile lifted her lips and brightened her eyes.
This felt incongruously like a stolen holiday. It was a small adventure. Though the way here had been nasty and frightening, with Pete to look after her and his promise that it would be over soon she felt optimistic. She would be ready to cross the Channel on schedule or at the very most a few days late.
She liked him and would put herself in his hands. He was so different from all the other men she had ever met. Rough and slightly scary but with kindness deep in his eyes and she sensed a gentleness about him at odds with the tough exterior. She hadn’t been alone with many men apart from George; he hadn’t allowed it and she felt like a giddy girl now, alone with a strange and dangerous male. It was exciting.
She was looking forward to making him a meal. It would be fun to root around in the kitchen cupboards and the fridge to find what they might have been provided with. She supposed eggs; there were always eggs. The holiday cottage welcome pack had eggs, cheese and milk. How long ago that seemed now with all the horror that had come since the first magic night by the coast.
“Pete?” She made her way through to the kitchen and then back down the hallway into the lounge. “Pete?”
He must be still outside checking the shed.
She pulled open kitchen cupboards. They were simply equipped, again like a holiday place. It was all so temporary and here and there scuffs on the walls and scratches on the paintwork witnessed the passing of other tenants, mysteries; as she supposed their brief stay would be to whoever came here next. Unseen, but with a little of their spirit left behind in the fabric of the place.
There were indeed eggs in the fridge and bacon, a pack of ham and some salad. If he liked omelettes then maybe... She gave a tiny snort of laughter. Again her life was reduced to a film or a television drama; the ubiquitous omelette. There was no wine, she was disappointed. To complete the set there should be cheap wine or at least a quarter bottle of whisky.
“Pete?” She had pushed open the back door. How long did it take to check on a shed?
It was at the end of the garden, beneath a brick wall. A small flagged path dissected the neat lawn. There were no flower borders but a couple of shrubs broke up the monotony of the little space. “Pete?”
The little quiver of fear was so small at first that she called it hunger. “Pete, are you there?”
Perhaps she shouldn’t be out here calling in the open. She didn’t want him to be angry with her and this probably wasn’t sensible. She stepped back inside and pulled the door closed. Crossing to the window she peered out into the garden. There was no sign of him.
In the lounge she stood behind the heavy drapes to squint out through old fashioned net curtains to where the car sat at the curb. He wasn’t there. Her throat had dried and the quiver of nerves shuddered through her gut.
As her feet thudded on the carpeted stairs she remembered his grin as she had pushed past him such a short while ago, “Come out, come out,” she had said. Had they? Had they come out while she was in the shower?
On the landing she paused to listen; perhaps he was in the master bathroom. There was no sound of running water and then the click of a handle turning echoed through the house.
She ran into her chosen room at the back and stared out. Now at the end of the grassed and paved garden she could see the shed clearly. She could see the door as it swung on shining metal hinges. She could see Pete, and she could see the man beside him and the glint of dark metal in his hand and she heard the fall of feet on the stairs.
Chapter 41
She glanced around. The wardrobe door stood open. Should she climb inside? It was empty and the very thought was ridiculous. The curtains were short offering no chance of concealment. The room was so simple and sparse that there was nowhere to hide.
The stairs creaked and she scurried back to glance through the window. Pete was at the end of the little path. He and the man with him were staring at the house. Pete shook his head, he lifted his hands and gestured. There was tension in every line of his body.