lips. She had a small grey Bedlington terrier with her, which repeatedly shook itself.
What Lily found unsettling was the way that the woman was staring at her, unblinking. She turned her head away for a few seconds, but when she looked back the woman was still staring at her.
‘Do you see that woman?’ she asked Heather.
‘What woman?’
‘ That woman – the one in the grey raincoat, with the dog – next to the cake stall.’
‘What about her?’
‘She’s staring at me. She’s been staring at me for the past few minutes.’
Heather pulled a face. ‘Perhaps she knows you.’
‘Well, I certainly don’t know her. And look. She’s still staring at me.’
There was another rumble of thunder, but it was much further away now and the rain was easing off. After a few minutes, Lily and Heather stepped out from under the awning, and soon the aisles between the tents were crowded again. Lily tried to see if the woman in the grey hat and the grey raincoat was still standing at the cake stall, but she had vanished.
Before she picked up Poppy from Elm Trees, Lily parked on a double yellow line in the High Street to buy pork chops and runner beans and a fresh loaf of bread. She went into the off-licence, too, and bought two bottles of Merlot on special offer.
Stephen usually drank Merlot, and she thought that if she showed him that she didn’t disapprove of his drinking, so long as he did it in moderation, he might not feel that she was judging him so much. ‘You’re always judging me. Just because you’re a solicitor’s daughter. Who the hell do you think you are?’
She was waiting at the counter in the off-licence when she turned towards the window to make sure that there were no traffic wardens around. Standing outside the window, peering in at her, was the woman in the grey hat and the grey raincoat, with her Bedlington terrier beside her.
Lily was about to go outside and ask her what she wanted when the assistant took her bottles of Merlot from her and said, ‘Afternoon, madam. Like to put your card in?’
By the time she had paid and stepped out of the off-licence, the woman had gone. She looked up and down the High Street, but there was no sign of her.
She put Poppy and Jamie to bed early that evening and read them a story, Chris Cross in Snappyland , about a boy who kept losing his temper until he was taken away by monsters who could all shout much louder than he could.
‘Mummy,’ said Poppy, as Lily tucked her in. ‘We’re not going to go away, are we?’
‘Of course not, sweetie.’
‘But Daddy is always shouting and makes you cry. I don’t like it when he shouts and makes you cry.’
‘Daddy has a lot of worry at work. Sometimes it makes him cross like Chris Cross in Snappyland. He doesn’t really mean it.’
‘I heard you tell Daddy that you were going to take us away.’
‘Well, that’s because I get cross, too. But I don’t mean it, either.’
‘That lady said you mustn’t take us away.’
‘Lady? What lady?’
‘She was standing outside the playground today and she called me. She said, Poppy. Then she said “your mummy mustn’t leave your daddy”.’
Lily stared at her. ‘What did this lady look like?’
‘She had a grey woolly hat and a grey raincoat and she had a dog that looked like a dirty lamb.’
‘And that was all she said? She didn’t tell you what her name was, or how she knew what your name was?’
Poppy shook her head. ‘The bell went and I had to go inside.’
Stephen still hadn’t come home by ten fifteen. Lily stood in the living room with a glass of Merlot in her hand, almost motionless, looking at herself in the mirror over the mantelpiece as if she were someone that she didn’t recognize. A thirty-five-year-old woman with blonde, short-cropped hair, and two black eyes that were now turning rainbow-coloured, as if she were wearing a pierrette’s mask.
She didn’t know whether to start supper or not. It was so late now that she
What Lily found unsettling was the way that the woman was staring at her, unblinking. She turned her head away for a few seconds, but when she looked back the woman was still staring at her.
‘Do you see that woman?’ she asked Heather.
‘What woman?’
‘ That woman – the one in the grey raincoat, with the dog – next to the cake stall.’
‘What about her?’
‘She’s staring at me. She’s been staring at me for the past few minutes.’
Heather pulled a face. ‘Perhaps she knows you.’
‘Well, I certainly don’t know her. And look. She’s still staring at me.’
There was another rumble of thunder, but it was much further away now and the rain was easing off. After a few minutes, Lily and Heather stepped out from under the awning, and soon the aisles between the tents were crowded again. Lily tried to see if the woman in the grey hat and the grey raincoat was still standing at the cake stall, but she had vanished.
Before she picked up Poppy from Elm Trees, Lily parked on a double yellow line in the High Street to buy pork chops and runner beans and a fresh loaf of bread. She went into the off-licence, too, and bought two bottles of Merlot on special offer.
Stephen usually drank Merlot, and she thought that if she showed him that she didn’t disapprove of his drinking, so long as he did it in moderation, he might not feel that she was judging him so much. ‘You’re always judging me. Just because you’re a solicitor’s daughter. Who the hell do you think you are?’
She was waiting at the counter in the off-licence when she turned towards the window to make sure that there were no traffic wardens around. Standing outside the window, peering in at her, was the woman in the grey hat and the grey raincoat, with her Bedlington terrier beside her.
Lily was about to go outside and ask her what she wanted when the assistant took her bottles of Merlot from her and said, ‘Afternoon, madam. Like to put your card in?’
By the time she had paid and stepped out of the off-licence, the woman had gone. She looked up and down the High Street, but there was no sign of her.
She put Poppy and Jamie to bed early that evening and read them a story, Chris Cross in Snappyland , about a boy who kept losing his temper until he was taken away by monsters who could all shout much louder than he could.
‘Mummy,’ said Poppy, as Lily tucked her in. ‘We’re not going to go away, are we?’
‘Of course not, sweetie.’
‘But Daddy is always shouting and makes you cry. I don’t like it when he shouts and makes you cry.’
‘Daddy has a lot of worry at work. Sometimes it makes him cross like Chris Cross in Snappyland. He doesn’t really mean it.’
‘I heard you tell Daddy that you were going to take us away.’
‘Well, that’s because I get cross, too. But I don’t mean it, either.’
‘That lady said you mustn’t take us away.’
‘Lady? What lady?’
‘She was standing outside the playground today and she called me. She said, Poppy. Then she said “your mummy mustn’t leave your daddy”.’
Lily stared at her. ‘What did this lady look like?’
‘She had a grey woolly hat and a grey raincoat and she had a dog that looked like a dirty lamb.’
‘And that was all she said? She didn’t tell you what her name was, or how she knew what your name was?’
Poppy shook her head. ‘The bell went and I had to go inside.’
Stephen still hadn’t come home by ten fifteen. Lily stood in the living room with a glass of Merlot in her hand, almost motionless, looking at herself in the mirror over the mantelpiece as if she were someone that she didn’t recognize. A thirty-five-year-old woman with blonde, short-cropped hair, and two black eyes that were now turning rainbow-coloured, as if she were wearing a pierrette’s mask.
She didn’t know whether to start supper or not. It was so late now that she
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