Needing a distraction, she decided to visit her parents and walked Teazle to their house. It wasn't a long walk across the fields from her flat, but it was long enough for thoughts of the previous night to crowd in. Was it a premonition that she shouldn't trust James? A reminder that she was only good enough to serve the likes of the Altenburys?
Or—and, if she were honest, the question she didn't want to think about—was she losing her mind? How could she explain it without sounding crazy? She didn't believe it could be true, so why would anybody else?
Letting Teazle off her lead, Vicky pushed open the kitchen door of her parents' house to be hit by the smell of baking. Her mouth watered at the aroma of cinnamon and sugar.
"Hello, love. I wasn't expecting you. Could you smell the cake from your house?" Her mum laughed and walked towards Vicky, wrapping her in a hug before holding her at arm's length. "You look tired. Have you been working too hard again? You know Margaret won't appreciate it."
Her mum released her and Vicky took a seat at the dining table. "I just had a bad night's sleep, that's all."
"I was just making a cup of tea, love. Do you want one?"
"Please." Vicky watched her mum bustle around the kitchen. She might have inherited her mum's looks, but she hadn't got her skills in the kitchen. Vicky didn't think she'd baked a cake since her school days.
Her mum sat next to her, placing a steaming cup in front of each of them. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Vicky smiled; she should have known she couldn't keep anything from her mum. Leaning an arm over the back of the chair, she swivelled to face her. "Do you ever hear God?" She couldn't believe she was asking this.
Her mum patted her hand gently. "All the time, dear. It's nothing to be worried about. Certainly not something to lose sleep over. Did you hear him?"
Vicky let out the breath she'd been holding. "I honestly don't know, Mum."
"It doesn't matter if you do or not." Her mum lifted a hand, pointing to the ceiling. "He does. Just try to listen to what he's saying to you, to how he's trying to guide you."
Vicky jumped as the timer on the oven went off. Her mum grabbed a towel and opened the oven door, sliding a cake onto a trivet before she closed the door with her foot. Vicky knew her parents would love for her to "find God." They'd never pushed her about her beliefs, and they rarely spoke about it with her, but she knew they still went to church every Sunday. Did she really believe God had something to do with what happened? Had something to do with her dream? It seemed like a better reason than she was losing her marbles.
Her mum put a slice of carrot cake in front of her, and she decided to move the conversation to an easier topic.
"Wait until it's cooled down before you eat it."
"Yes, Mum," she said, as Teazle's head popped up between them before she laid it on her mum's lap. Vicky shook her head as her mum fed Teazle a few crumbs of cake. "What do you know about the Altenbury's mum?"
Her mum's head whipped up at her question. "Why? What have they been saying?"
Vicky leaned back from the accusation in her mum's voice and held her palms up in defence. "Nothing. Why? What would they have to say?"
Her mum's shoulders dropped and she carried on feeding Teazle. "Nothing, dear. Why would they?"
What the hell? "Mum? I know you and Mrs Altenbury don't get on. I just wondered why?"
"Eat your cake, dear."
"Mum!"
Her mum waved a hand at her. "It's nothing. I just don't like that woman, and for some reason, she has something against our family. I don't know why, and the Lord knows I've tried, but I refuse to give that woman the time of day."
Vicky fingered the little scissor charm on her bracelet so she wouldn't have to look at her mum. "What about her kids?"
"What about them?"
"Do you feel the same way about them?"
Vicky felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at her mum's comforting face.
"I don't know her children,
Or—and, if she were honest, the question she didn't want to think about—was she losing her mind? How could she explain it without sounding crazy? She didn't believe it could be true, so why would anybody else?
Letting Teazle off her lead, Vicky pushed open the kitchen door of her parents' house to be hit by the smell of baking. Her mouth watered at the aroma of cinnamon and sugar.
"Hello, love. I wasn't expecting you. Could you smell the cake from your house?" Her mum laughed and walked towards Vicky, wrapping her in a hug before holding her at arm's length. "You look tired. Have you been working too hard again? You know Margaret won't appreciate it."
Her mum released her and Vicky took a seat at the dining table. "I just had a bad night's sleep, that's all."
"I was just making a cup of tea, love. Do you want one?"
"Please." Vicky watched her mum bustle around the kitchen. She might have inherited her mum's looks, but she hadn't got her skills in the kitchen. Vicky didn't think she'd baked a cake since her school days.
Her mum sat next to her, placing a steaming cup in front of each of them. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Vicky smiled; she should have known she couldn't keep anything from her mum. Leaning an arm over the back of the chair, she swivelled to face her. "Do you ever hear God?" She couldn't believe she was asking this.
Her mum patted her hand gently. "All the time, dear. It's nothing to be worried about. Certainly not something to lose sleep over. Did you hear him?"
Vicky let out the breath she'd been holding. "I honestly don't know, Mum."
"It doesn't matter if you do or not." Her mum lifted a hand, pointing to the ceiling. "He does. Just try to listen to what he's saying to you, to how he's trying to guide you."
Vicky jumped as the timer on the oven went off. Her mum grabbed a towel and opened the oven door, sliding a cake onto a trivet before she closed the door with her foot. Vicky knew her parents would love for her to "find God." They'd never pushed her about her beliefs, and they rarely spoke about it with her, but she knew they still went to church every Sunday. Did she really believe God had something to do with what happened? Had something to do with her dream? It seemed like a better reason than she was losing her marbles.
Her mum put a slice of carrot cake in front of her, and she decided to move the conversation to an easier topic.
"Wait until it's cooled down before you eat it."
"Yes, Mum," she said, as Teazle's head popped up between them before she laid it on her mum's lap. Vicky shook her head as her mum fed Teazle a few crumbs of cake. "What do you know about the Altenbury's mum?"
Her mum's head whipped up at her question. "Why? What have they been saying?"
Vicky leaned back from the accusation in her mum's voice and held her palms up in defence. "Nothing. Why? What would they have to say?"
Her mum's shoulders dropped and she carried on feeding Teazle. "Nothing, dear. Why would they?"
What the hell? "Mum? I know you and Mrs Altenbury don't get on. I just wondered why?"
"Eat your cake, dear."
"Mum!"
Her mum waved a hand at her. "It's nothing. I just don't like that woman, and for some reason, she has something against our family. I don't know why, and the Lord knows I've tried, but I refuse to give that woman the time of day."
Vicky fingered the little scissor charm on her bracelet so she wouldn't have to look at her mum. "What about her kids?"
"What about them?"
"Do you feel the same way about them?"
Vicky felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at her mum's comforting face.
"I don't know her children,
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