Authors: Helen Phifer
The Lake House (36 page)
There was no party tonight like there had been every other year that she could remember. The staff had all been given the night off and Martha’s mother had taken to her room earlier, crying and sobbing. Her father had promised he would play a game of snakes and ladders with her, which would be nice, but he was obviously torn between comforting his wife and his daughter. Such a harsh life lesson on divided loyalties was another thing that no child should ever have to learn.
She had gone downstairs to listen at the cellar door because she could hear the muffled voices of her parents as they argued. She felt guilty because they were no doubt arguing about her. For a heart-stopping moment she thought she heard a scraping sound coming from the cellar below, but then the back door slammed shut, making her jump away from the door to see a windswept Davey come inside.
‘Good evening, miss, what are you doing down here all on your own?’
‘I was just…I was just listening.’
Davey nodded. ‘I see. And what were you listening for?’
‘I don’t really know. My brother, I suppose. You know what day it is, don’t you?’
‘I do indeed. That’s why I came back to see if you were all right. I could never forget what day it is, young Martha.’
She nodded her head. ‘Good. I’m glad you won’t forget and I’m glad that you came back. It’s so sad and lonely here now.’
‘I know. This isn’t the same house, is it?’
‘Davey, did you see it? I heard Father say that he sent you down into the tunnels to look for Joe and you were terrified. Was that because you saw the monster man?’
He knelt down so he was at eye level with her. ‘I’m not going to lie to you, Miss Martha, because you’re far too clever for that. I didn’t see it as I’m seeing you, but I saw something that was big and scary. It scared me so much I thought I was going to pee in my pants and I haven’t done that since I was…well, since I was younger than you.’
‘I saw it too. I saw it on the lawn one day as it was getting dusky. It was by the water’s edge and it was staring up at this house. I was scared, but I couldn’t look away from it. It had long pointed teeth and big black claws instead of fingers. I don’t want it to come and gobble me up like it did Joe.’
‘I don’t know what it is, Martha, but it’s not like you or me. It lives in the sewers that run along this side of the lake and somewhere down there it must have a place to live and sleep, because I haven’t heard sight or sound of it for months now, and trust me, I’ve been listening for it just like you have.’
‘Davey, do you think that it’s gone to sleep? Father’s friend said it probably has.’
‘I do. I think that you can sleep a bit easier now, miss. I was talking to some of the men in the…well, it doesn’t matter where it was, but they said that the last time someone went missing around here was that man who fell off his boat last summer. So I think that maybe it sleeps for an awful long time, just like those bears that hibernate in the big forests in America. So if it’s hibernating that means it’s forgetting all about coming round and sniffing in that cellar.’
‘I hope so. Thank you for telling me, Davey.’
‘Let’s just hope that neither you nor I are still here when it wakes up.’
Martha nodded her head. She didn’t think she would be here when it woke up, and if she was she would buy a gun and shoot it herself.
‘Davey, does my father know any of this?’
‘I’ve told him what I’ve told you, but I don’t know if he was listening to me the way you have. Those friends who came to visit told him a lot of things about it as well. That was why we painted those funny symbols around the house to protect us all. One day, Miss Martha, you might have to explain it all to him again, but for now he is in a world of hurt and pain. I know he tries his best, so you keep on being patient.’
‘I will, thank you.’
‘Now come on, miss, let’s go and play a game of snakes and ladders. I bet you can beat me with your eyes shut.’
Martha began to giggle. She tried to picture herself wearing a blindfold, playing a game, and that made her giggle even more. Just then her father appeared at the top of the stairs. He smiled to hear his daughter laughing.
‘You’re just in time, sir. Miss Martha was going to show me how to lose at snakes and ladders.’
‘That would be the two of us then, Davey, because she always manages to beat me as well.’ He ran down the rest of the stairs and scooped her up into his strong, safe arms and Martha let out a sigh. A look passed between the two men. They shared a terrible burden – of knowing that a monster lived in the sewers – and it was a secret that would bond them to each other until one or both of them died.
Will had been in surgery for four hours and they had removed his spleen and repaired his ruptured kidney. He’d had blood transfusions and was on strong painkillers, which made him do nothing but sleep. He’d woken up a couple of times to see Annie at his bedside. She was sporting a black eye, just for a change, and had butterfly stitches on the side of her head, but she was alive.
He’d thought he was going to die when Megan had buried that knife in his side. Will had never known pain like it, but a young girl’s voice had kept whispering in his ear that he had to stay and fight it. She had such a sweet voice. He remembered at one point asking her what she was called, and she told him Sophie. When Annie’s voice had taken over, telling him to stay with them, he had known that everything was going to be fine, give or take a hospital stay. He’d been so relieved to feel her stroking his head and talking to him, it had made him more determined that he wasn’t going to die at the hands of Megan and Henry. He opened his eyes and Annie was curled up on the reclining chair next to him reading a magazine. ‘Hey, beautiful, what are you reading?’
She jumped off the chair, throwing the magazine to one side, and bent to kiss his dried lips. ‘A baby magazine. It’s all that was left in the waiting room.’
He laughed. The door opened and in walked the doctor who had treated Will when he was first rushed in, and then Annie once Will had been stabilised.
‘I’ve got your blood results back, Annie. I don’t know if you want to discuss them now or somewhere private.’
Annie’s face paled and Will found himself crossing his fingers that it wasn’t anything bad, not after everything else.
‘You can tell me now. There’s nothing that we don’t share with each other.’
Will reached out for her hand and clasped her fingers tightly.
‘Well, I’m pleased to tell you that I know the reason you are having so many problems with your stomach and feeling off.’
He paused and she nodded. ‘I’m relieved to say that it’s nothing serious. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Congratulations, Annie. You’re pregnant.’
Annie stood up, then had to sit back down on Will’s bed again. She took one look at Will, who had the biggest smile on his face she’d ever seen, and she began to laugh.
‘Oh my God, I’m pregnant. We’re pregnant. Are you sure?’
The doctor shook her hand and then Will’s.
‘I most certainly am. I’ve arranged for you to have a scan to check everything’s okay after what you’ve been through, but I’m not worried at all. It’s just routine. We’ll be able to find out how far on you are.’
He began to walk towards the door, then stopped and turned to face them both.
‘Oh, the one piece of advice I insist you take is to stop chasing serial killers, at least until the baby is born.’ He winked at her and walked out of the room.
Annie looked at Will. ‘Are you angry?’
‘Angry – are you kidding me? It’s the best news I’ve ever heard. Apart from you saying that you’d marry me. I’ve never been so happy. Thank you, Annie.’
She bent down and kissed him. The colour had returned to his cheeks and he looked much more like the Will she knew. They both looked at each other and said simultaneously, ‘Oh my God, who’s going to tell Jake.’ Then they started to laugh.
CARINA™
ISBN: 978 1 474 03341 1
The Lake House
Copyright © 2015 Helen Phifer
Published in Great Britain (2015)
by Carina, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18–24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
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