don’t worry about that. It’ll do him good to get out his credit card. I just wish he’d spend more on himself.’
They were ready to leave. Evelyn was closing the downstairs windows when Sarah tapped hesitantly at the kitchen door. Rose took one look at her face and knew that something dreadful had happened. ‘Sarah?’ Gently, she led her to a chair at the kitchen table. Evelyn, who had just walked into the room, saw Rose shake her head and left again quietly.
Sarah’s face was white and there were shadows under her eyes. Her whole body trembled and she seemed unable to speak.
She has come to me after all, Rose was thinking, I did not need to find an excuse to talk to her. But when Sarah spoke Rose saw how wrong she had been. This was something far worse than she had imagined.
‘Joe’s dead,’ she said so quietly that Rose could not believe she had heard correctly.
‘Joe?’ Drowned, Rose thought. Another life lost to the sea. What would this do to Etta who had already buried a husband?
Sarah nodded. ‘Someone found him yesterday morning. The police think he was taking drugs. Oh, Rose, it can’t be true, Iknow he wasn’t.’ Tears ran down her face unheeded. Just saying it made it so much more real.
Rose gripped the back of a chair. Not Joe, she thought, just as Etta had done. Not Joe, I don’t believe it. Shock and sorrow gave way to anger. Yesterday evening. Jack Pearce had attended her opening night and not said a word. He knew Etta was her friend. Had Laura and Trevor also known and not told her? Her mouth was dry but there were no words of comfort she could offer because nothing would bring back Sarah’s brother. ‘What on earth made them think that?’ she asked instead.
‘Mum said something about them finding a packet of heroin. He fell. Somewhere not far from here. He slipped down the cliff and broke his neck. Or so they said.’
‘It would have been quick,’ Rose said, hoping this was true. ‘He wouldn’t have felt anything.’ She hated herself for the platitudes which Jack had once told her were all there was to offer in circumstances such as these. She understood him a fraction more in those few seconds. ‘Look, I’ll make us some coffee then we can talk. It helps, you know, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. Oh, is Etta on her own?’
‘Yes. She said she needed some time to herself before my grandparents arrive later today.’
‘Does she know where you are?’
‘Yes. Not that she cares.’ More tears came into her eyes.
Rose frowned, sorry for the girl’s distress and her misreading of the situation. Had Etta inadvertently allowed Sarah to think she would have preferred her younger child to have died? ‘What do you mean, Sarah? She cares about you very much.’
‘Not as much as her married boyfriend.’ She stopped and bit her lip but it was too late, the words had been said.
So that’s it, Rose thought. I knew there was something on Etta’s mind. She decided to ignore it for the moment. She spooned coffee into the filter machine and added water. ‘Let’s wait until the coffee’s ready then we’ll talk. Excuse me, Sarah, I won’t be a minute.’
Rose left the room and found her parents standing side byside in front of the fireplace. They had been looking forward to the trip to Truro, now she would have to disappoint them. But Rose did not know that the shock and misery she felt was clearly visible in her face. Her parents stared at her. ‘Rose? What’s happened?’ Arthur’s eyes narrowed in concern.
‘Mum, Dad, I’m really sorry but I won’t be able to make Truro this morning. Etta’s daughter’s here. Sarah. She came to tell me that her brother’s dead. Oh, heavens, I didn’t mean to cry.’
‘Rose, dear,’ Evelyn said, taking her in her arms. ‘Of course you must cry. Arthur, pour her a drink.’
‘No. No, really, I’m all right,’ she said as she wiped her eyes on her bare forearm. ‘Sarah wants to talk to me. It all sounds a
They were ready to leave. Evelyn was closing the downstairs windows when Sarah tapped hesitantly at the kitchen door. Rose took one look at her face and knew that something dreadful had happened. ‘Sarah?’ Gently, she led her to a chair at the kitchen table. Evelyn, who had just walked into the room, saw Rose shake her head and left again quietly.
Sarah’s face was white and there were shadows under her eyes. Her whole body trembled and she seemed unable to speak.
She has come to me after all, Rose was thinking, I did not need to find an excuse to talk to her. But when Sarah spoke Rose saw how wrong she had been. This was something far worse than she had imagined.
‘Joe’s dead,’ she said so quietly that Rose could not believe she had heard correctly.
‘Joe?’ Drowned, Rose thought. Another life lost to the sea. What would this do to Etta who had already buried a husband?
Sarah nodded. ‘Someone found him yesterday morning. The police think he was taking drugs. Oh, Rose, it can’t be true, Iknow he wasn’t.’ Tears ran down her face unheeded. Just saying it made it so much more real.
Rose gripped the back of a chair. Not Joe, she thought, just as Etta had done. Not Joe, I don’t believe it. Shock and sorrow gave way to anger. Yesterday evening. Jack Pearce had attended her opening night and not said a word. He knew Etta was her friend. Had Laura and Trevor also known and not told her? Her mouth was dry but there were no words of comfort she could offer because nothing would bring back Sarah’s brother. ‘What on earth made them think that?’ she asked instead.
‘Mum said something about them finding a packet of heroin. He fell. Somewhere not far from here. He slipped down the cliff and broke his neck. Or so they said.’
‘It would have been quick,’ Rose said, hoping this was true. ‘He wouldn’t have felt anything.’ She hated herself for the platitudes which Jack had once told her were all there was to offer in circumstances such as these. She understood him a fraction more in those few seconds. ‘Look, I’ll make us some coffee then we can talk. It helps, you know, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. Oh, is Etta on her own?’
‘Yes. She said she needed some time to herself before my grandparents arrive later today.’
‘Does she know where you are?’
‘Yes. Not that she cares.’ More tears came into her eyes.
Rose frowned, sorry for the girl’s distress and her misreading of the situation. Had Etta inadvertently allowed Sarah to think she would have preferred her younger child to have died? ‘What do you mean, Sarah? She cares about you very much.’
‘Not as much as her married boyfriend.’ She stopped and bit her lip but it was too late, the words had been said.
So that’s it, Rose thought. I knew there was something on Etta’s mind. She decided to ignore it for the moment. She spooned coffee into the filter machine and added water. ‘Let’s wait until the coffee’s ready then we’ll talk. Excuse me, Sarah, I won’t be a minute.’
Rose left the room and found her parents standing side byside in front of the fireplace. They had been looking forward to the trip to Truro, now she would have to disappoint them. But Rose did not know that the shock and misery she felt was clearly visible in her face. Her parents stared at her. ‘Rose? What’s happened?’ Arthur’s eyes narrowed in concern.
‘Mum, Dad, I’m really sorry but I won’t be able to make Truro this morning. Etta’s daughter’s here. Sarah. She came to tell me that her brother’s dead. Oh, heavens, I didn’t mean to cry.’
‘Rose, dear,’ Evelyn said, taking her in her arms. ‘Of course you must cry. Arthur, pour her a drink.’
‘No. No, really, I’m all right,’ she said as she wiped her eyes on her bare forearm. ‘Sarah wants to talk to me. It all sounds a
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