In a Dark, Dark Wood(31)

After all, Clare had only been trying to be a good friend.

‘No.’

‘Flo—’

‘You’re not leaving.’

Melanie stood for a moment in the middle of the kitchen, as if trying to think of something to say. At last she gave a snort of disbelieving laughter.

‘And yet apparently … I am.’ She slung her bag on her shoulder and tried to push past Flo towards the door.

‘No!’ Flo shouted. There was an edge of hysteria to her voice. ‘I won’t let you ruin it!’

‘Flo, stop being such a basket case!’ Melanie snapped back. ‘I know – I know this is important to you, but look at yourself! Clare doesn’t give a flying f*ck whether I’m here or not. You’ve got this picture in your head of how things should be and you can’t force people to go along with it. Get a grip!’

‘You—’ Flo stabbed with her finger at Melanie ‘—you are a bad friend. And a bad person.’

‘I’m not a bad friend,’ Melanie sounded very tired all of a sudden. ‘I’m just a parent. My life doesn’t revolve around Clare bloody Cavendish. Now please, get out of my way.’

She pushed past Flo’s outstretched arms towards the hallway, and looked up.

‘Clare! You’re up.’

‘What’s going on?’

Clare was coming down the stairs in a crumpled linen wrap. The sun was shining down from the window behind her head, illuminating her hair like a halo.

‘I heard shouting. What’s going on?’ she repeated.

‘I’m going.’ Melanie walked a few steps up, gave her a brisk kiss, and then hitched her bag further up her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry – I shouldn’t have come. I wasn’t ready to leave Ben, and the situation with the phone is just making it worse—’

‘What situation with the phone?’

‘The landline’s down,’ Melanie said. ‘But it’s not that. Not really. I’m just … I want to be back home. I shouldn’t have come. You don’t mind, do you?’

‘Of course not.’ Clare yawned and brushed hair out of her eyes. ‘Don’t be silly. If you’re miserable then go. I’ll see you at the wedding anyway.’

‘Yeah.’ Melanie gave a nod. Then she leaned forwards, with a quick glance over her shoulder at Flo, and said in a low voice, ‘Look, Clare, help her to get a grip, yeah? It’s not … it’s not healthy. For anyone.’

And then she opened the door, slammed it behind her, and the last we heard was the grate of her car tyres as she bumped down the rutted driveway to the lane.

Flo began to cry, heavily and snottily. For a moment I stood, wondering what I should – could – do. Then Clare came down the rest of the stairs, yawning, took Flo’s arm, and led her into the kitchen. I heard the bubble of the kettle beneath Flo’s gulping, retching tears, and Clare’s soothing voice.

‘You saved my life,’ Flo gasped between sobs. ‘How am I supposed to forget that?’

‘Honey,’ I heard Clare say. There was a kind of loving exasperation in her voice. ‘How many times—’

I retreated upstairs, backwards, keeping my steps light and silent, and then at the landing I turned and fled. I knew I was being a coward, but I couldn’t help it.

The door to the bedroom I shared with Nina was closed, and I was just about to turn the handle and barge in, when I heard Nina’s voice from inside, filled with an uncharacteristic yearning softness.

‘… miss you too. God, I wish I were home with you. Are you in bed?’ Long pause. ‘You’re breaking up. Yeah, the reception’s awful, I tried to phone you last night but there was nothing. I’ve only got half a bar now.’ Another pause. ‘No, just some bloke called Tom. He’s OK. Oh sweetheart, Jess, I love you—’

I coughed. I didn’t want to burst in on the middle of her conversation. Nina doesn’t let her guard down often and when she does, she doesn’t like it to be seen. I know that from experience.

‘… wish I were snuggled up with you. I’m missing you so much. It’s the back of beyond up here – nothing but trees and hills. I’m half-tempted to leave but I don’t think Nora—’

I coughed again, louder, and rattled the handle, and she broke off and called, ‘Hello?’

I opened the door and she grinned.

‘Oh, Nora’s just come in. We’re sharing a room. What? It’s breaking up again.’ Pause. ‘Ha – don’t worry, definitely not! Yeah, I’ll tell her. OK, I’d better go. I can hardly hear you. I love you too. Bye. Love you.’ She hung up and smiled up at me from the pile of pillows. ‘Jess says hi.’

‘Oh, glad you got through to her. Is she all right?’ I love Jess. She is small and round and comfortable with a smile that lights up a room and no snark about her at all – the exact opposite of Nina in fact. They’re the perfect couple.

‘Yeah, she’s fine. Missing me. Natch.’ Nina stretched until her joints popped, and then sighed. ‘God, I wish she was here. Or I wasn’t. One of the two.’

‘Well, there’s a vacancy. We’re one down.’

‘What?’

‘Melanie, she’s gone. The landline’s down and it was the last straw.’