The Girl Who Lied(54)

I feel myself bristle slightly at the scornful tone in Ralph’s voice. Before I can answer though, Ed speaks.

‘Oh God, don’t start on that for fuck’s sake,’ he groans. ‘Bit of a moot point.’

If I was bristling before, I feel positively spiky now. ‘It’s not that.’ I look to Ralph. ‘My dad is still in a serious condition.’

‘Yes, well, time is running out.’ Ed’s clipped voice has a note of danger in it. ‘We need to have that discussion.’

‘It’s not as simple as that, but can we save the discussion until later?’

‘Frightened your country-bumpkin friends will ostracise you if they think you’re leaving them? Maybe they’ll cast some ancient pagan spell over you.’ Ed laughs at his own pathetic joke. Encouraged by Ralph and Melissa laughing along, he continues, ‘They might even put you on a ducking stool in the local village pond.’

‘Don’t worry, Erin, we’ll come and rescue you.’ Ralph sniggers. ‘Headline news. Beautician rescued in a daring night raid from sleepy Irish village cult.’

‘You’re not actually funny,’ I snap. ‘In fact, you’re bloody insulting.’

‘Oh, lighten up,’ says Melissa. ‘The boys are only joking. You’ve got to admit, this is like something from one of those Hollywood movies, you know, where they live in some backwater town and all marry their cousins.’

‘Er…excuse me, I wasn’t joking,’ chips in Ed, the smile now nowhere to be seen. ‘Bloody new-age pagan hippies. They’ve certainly got Erin brainwashed.’

‘Just stop it now.’ I try to keep my voice to a hiss. I look round the garden, conscious we can probably be heard. Shit. Kerry’s watching, although hopefully he can’t hear what we’re saying.

‘I don’t know what’s happened to you since you got here,’ huffs Ed. ‘I mean, a few weeks ago you hated this place. After all, you did leave it as soon as you could. What exactly drove you away? You know, you’ve never told me?’

The pain of the memory sticks like a thorn in my throat. I can’t answer. I can feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes. I need to escape.

Blindly, I head towards the cottage, trying to keep a dignified and composed walk, but the need to escape Ed drives my feet faster than I want. As I approach the cottage, I realise it will be full of people and I will only have the bathroom in which to hide. I detour round the sandpit and pass the other side of the gazebo. Lifting the latch on the gate to the vegetable garden, I hurry through.

The laurel bush that shields this part from the main garden is high enough to hide behind if I sit on the ground. Finally, I let the tears fall, but only a few before the anger rises to the surface, quelling them. How dare they laugh at Kerry and my friends? Ed and Ralph know nothing about the Wrights. Melissa is just as bad. Then for Ed to bring up why I left Rossway is the final straw.

The click of the latch on the gate as it closes makes me look up. It’s Kerry. Furtively I wipe my face clear of any tears. Without saying anything, he comes and sits down beside me, a bottle of homemade wine in one hand and two plastic beakers in the other. He pulls out the cork with his teeth and puffs it onto the grass before pouring the pale-gold liquid into the cups.

The silence remains as he hands me a cup, which I accept and take a large gulp. The first mouthful catches in the back of my throat but the second slides down a lot easier.

‘So, what’s up? Ed living up to his name?’

I give Kerry a sideways look. ‘Which is?’

‘Dick-Ed. I can’t claim the credit for coming up with that one, but it kind of fits.’

‘I don’t suppose I need to ask whose idea it was.’ I take another gulp of wine. No doubt it was Joe’s idea. I ought to feel offended by the nickname, but somehow I can’t quite summon up that emotion.

Kerry tops up my glass. ‘What are you doing with Ed? You know you’d be much happier with me.’ He grins and gives my shoulder a squeeze. I like the feel of his arm around me and am in no hurry to shrug it off.

I give a wry smile back. ‘You are funny.’

‘Hmm, that wasn’t quite the impression I was going for.’

An easy silence falls between us as I close my eyes and lean my head on Kerry’s shoulder, soaking up the warm summer rays. The music and chattering coming from the other side of the hedge, together with the effects of the alcohol and sunshine, make me feel decidedly relaxed again. I push thoughts of Ed, Ralph and Melissa from my mind.

For a moment I wonder if I’m dreaming and haven’t managed to clear my mind after all. The low voices of Ralph and Melissa drift over the hedge.