Unveiled

‘Kitchen,’ I tell him, pushing him down the hallway. ‘He was going to make tea.’ Just as I utter the information, a loud crash rings out and travels down the corridor towards us. I jump, Miller curses, and William pushes his way past us before I can send the instructions to my legs to move. Miller takes off after him, as do I, every fear amplifying.

I fall into the kitchen, colliding with Miller’s back, before putting myself in front of him. Gazing around the open space, I see nothing, only William staring blankly at the floor. My eyes are rooted on him, watching for any further facial expressions or reactions, my mind not prepared to confront what has his attention.

‘Drat!’ Nan’s polite curse creeps past the wall of fear and has my eyes slowly travelling to the floor, where she’s on her hands and knees with a dustpan and brush, sweeping up scattered sugar and a broken dish.

‘Give it to me!’ A pair of hands appear from nowhere, wrestling with her fingers. ‘I told you, you silly old woman. I’m in charge!’ Gregory snatches the pan from Nan’s hand and turns exasperated eyes onto William. ‘All right, geezer?’

‘Fine,’ William replies, looking back and forth between Nan and Gregory. ‘What’s going on?’

‘She –’ Gregory points the dustpan’s brush at Nan, and she knocks it away – ‘won’t do as she’s told. Get her up, will you?’

‘For the love of God!’ Nan cries, slapping her palms on her lap. ‘Put me back in that prison they call a hospital because you lot are driving me crackers!’

My body feels like it’s turned to mush from the overwhelming sense of relief. I cast my eyes to Gregory. He’s giving William a look. A serious look. ‘You should get her settled.’

William snaps into action, scooting down to collect Nan. ‘Come on, Josephine.’

I feel a bit useless as I watch him help Nan from the floor. I’m relieved, confused, worried. It’s like he was never here. I didn’t imagine that call, and I definitely didn’t imagine Nan’s chirpy tone in the background. If it wasn’t for the telling look that Gregory just chucked at William, I would be questioning my sanity. But I caught that look. He was here. But he just left? Gregory looks shaken, so why the hell doesn’t Nan look like she’s been terrorised?

I flinch when I feel a soft warmth brushing up my arm, and look down to see Miller’s perfect hand cupping my bare elbow. It’s only now I wonder where the telling signs of internal fireworks have gone. It’s been too long since I’ve felt them. They’ve been drowned out by too much fretfulness. ‘Maybe you should,’ Miller says, bringing me back into the kitchen where Nan is now on her feet with William’s arm around her shoulder.

I cough the lump from my throat and take over for William, leading Nan away, while I’m sure Gregory will be filling William and Miller in on the events that have recently transpired. As we enter the room and settle on the sofa, I notice the TV on mute. It spikes a clear mental image of her sitting on the couch with the control in her hand, listening when Gregory answered the door to Charlie.

‘Nan, was someone else here with you a little bit ago?’ I set about tucking blankets in around her, refusing to meet her eyes.

‘You must think I’m as daft as a brush.’

‘Why’s that?’ I curse myself for inviting her to tell me exactly why. I’m the daft one here. No one else.

‘I might be old, darling girl, but I’m not stupid. All of you think I’m stupid.’

I rest on the edge of the couch and fiddle with my diamond, looking down at it as I do. ‘We don’t think you’re stupid, Nan.’

‘You must.’

I look out the corner of my eye and see her joined hands resting in her lap. I don’t insult her further by arguing with her. I don’t know what she thinks she knows, but I can guarantee the truth is a whole lot worse.

‘Those three men in there are talking about my guest. Probably figuring out a way to get rid of him.’ She pauses and I know she’s waiting for me to face her. But I don’t. I can’t. Just that little titbit of her conclusion has stunned me and I know she’s not done yet. I don’t need her to see my wide eyes. I’ll only be confirming her thoughts. ‘Because he’s threatened you.’

I gulp and close my eyes, my ring spinning around and around on my finger.

‘Charlie is his name, nasty son of a bitch,’ she says.

I turn to Nan, horrified. ‘What did he do to you?’

‘Nothing.’ She reaches forward and takes my hand, squeezing some reassurance into me. Strangely, it works. ‘You know me, Olivia. Ain’t anyone who can play the sweet old ignorant lady like me.’ She smiles a little, drawing one from me. It’s ridiculous that we’re smiling, given the awful situation we’re in. ‘Daft as a brush, me.’

I’m staggered by her coolness. She’s bang on the money with her assumptions, and I don’t know whether to be thankful or horrified. Yes, there are a few gaps – gaps I’m not about to fill in – but she has the basic outline. She doesn’t need to know any more than that. I don’t want to do something so stupid as to elaborate on her dotted conclusion, so I remain quiet, contemplating where I go from here.

‘I know so much more than I’d like you to believe, my darling girl. I’ve worked so hard to keep you from the dirt of London, and I’m so very sorry that I’ve failed.’

My brow creases as she works soothing circles into the top of my hand. ‘You know about that world?’