Haven't They Grown(86)

The idea of me telling Kevin Cater anything nearly makes me laugh. ‘What would you have called Emily if she’d been a boy?’

I’m expecting an ‘I don’t know’, but Flora says, ‘I wouldn’t have let that happen. I knew I needed to have a girl next. I paid for an early blood test. Luckily, it was her. It was Emily. I know what you’re going to ask me next.’

‘Please make it so that I don’t have to,’ I say, shivering despite the heat.

‘I’d do it if I could,’ Flora says so quietly it’s almost a whisper. ‘Another Georgina. Lewis won’t, though. After Emily, he … he said it wasn’t good for me; it was twisted. He said he wouldn’t let it happen again, and he hasn’t.’

Another Georgina.

She’s staring out towards the sea with the trace of a smile on her lips.

‘Flora, you have to listen to me.’ I reach over and squeeze her hand. ‘You need help. Professional help, to deal with all this trauma properly. I’ll help you. If you don’t like Kevin or love him, you can leave him.’

‘He loves me, though. And the children. They’re his in every way that matters. He’s the one they call Daddy.’

‘Does he treat them well?’ I’m not sure I intended to say this out loud, but I have and it’s too late. Might as well press on. ‘Is he kind to them? Is Yanina?’

Flora’s expression is guarded. It wasn’t before I asked the question. ‘Stop it, Beth. You can’t keep doing this. I’ve told you everything. You need to leave me alone.’

‘Flora, please. Look at me. Kevin doesn’t treat Thomas and Emily very well, does he? Are you sure he doesn’t know they’re Lewis’s children and not his?’

She stands up, dusting the sand off her clothes. ‘I’m going. Don’t follow me. That wouldn’t be fair. I’ve tried to be as fair to you as I can, and now you need to stop. Go back home. You’ve got a family of your own, haven’t you?’

‘Flora!’ I call after her as she walks away. I could chase her, but what good would it do?

I stay where I am, watching as she gets smaller and smaller. A man in a baseball cap leans down into my view and asks me if I want to rent a lounger instead of sitting on the sand. I tell him I don’t. By the time he’s moved aside, I can’t see Flora any more.





23


I run all the way back to my hotel room, flop down on one of the beds with my phone and ring the landline at home. I count the seconds. Someone picks up at the exact moment I’m starting to worry about why no one’s answering. It’s Dom. ‘Is everything okay?’ he asks. ‘What’s happening?’

You’ve got a family of your own, haven’t you? Flora’s words have been ringing in my head since she said them, wrapped in the fear that I’m somehow risking the people I love most by taking too much of an interest in another family. I know that’s not true, but it didn’t stop me wanting to check.

‘Everything’s fine,’ I tell Dom. ‘I just wanted to hear your voices.’

‘I’m afraid I’ve only got one.’

‘What?’

‘Voice.’

I smile.

‘I’ll do my impression of Chandler from Friends if you ask me nicely.’

‘Please don’t. It’s terrible.’

‘Fair enough. What’s happening there, Beth?’

‘I’ve spoken to Lewis and Flora,’ I tell him. ‘They’ve told me a story, and for all I know it’s true, but … it’s not the story.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘I think Kevin Cater and Yanina are harming the children at Newnham House. That’s what Lewis and Flora are scared I’ll find out. I don’t know why they want to protect two mistreaters of children – their children – but I think they do.’ This was the conclusion I came to, running back from the beach. ‘There’s a whole other long story about Georgina, but …’ I don’t have the energy to explain it all now, and I know Dom won’t mind if I don’t. ‘Can I speak to the kids?’

‘They’re both out.’

‘Where?’

‘Zannah’s at Murad’s, and Ben’s with Lauren at the cinema. Reluctantly. He’d have preferred to stay at home and play Fortnite, he said.’

‘Then he needs to convey that message to her, not you.’

‘That’s what I told him. Oh – that woman rang for you.’

‘Who?’

‘Lou Munday, from the school. She rang about ten minutes ago.’

‘The landline?’

‘Obviously. She doesn’t have my mobile number, does she? I told her she might get you on yours.’

‘I’d better go, then. She might be trying to ring me now.’

‘Hang on. I want to hear about—’

‘I’ll call you back later. Love you. Look after the kids. I’ll take care and be safe, I promise.’

Once I’ve pressed the red button to end the call, I inspect my phone. There’s no evidence of Lou having tried to ring me while I was talking to Dom. Luckily, I have her number stored. I take a bottle of Diet Coke from the minibar in my room, open it and go and sit out on the balcony.