Miranda was still brandishing the knife. She looked so furious that, if I’d been Charles, I might have scared. ‘What about dinner?’
‘We’re going to grab something on the way. Zack and I have a lot of work stuff to talk about. Things are crazy at the moment and this gives us a chance to figure out some problems without bothering the rest of you.’
‘What do you mean, crazy?’ Holly asked.
‘Oh, nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart.’ He kissed her on the cheek, the rifle now slung over his shoulder. ‘It’s all exciting stuff. A huge opportunity has come our way. It’s a lot of work, that’s all.’
‘You’re not going to invite me?’ Lewis asked. He sounded like a kid asking if he could join some bigger kids’ game.
‘You? Remember what happened the last time I took you hunting?’
Lewis flinched. ‘I was thirteen.’
‘Old enough to handle a gun. No, it’s much safer if you stay here with the girls.’
‘I didn’t want to go, anyway,’ Lewis said in a low voice. I felt sorry for him. Anyone would think Zack was Charles’s son, not Lewis.
Zack came into the kitchen. ‘Morag is here. She wants to talk to you, Charles. Something about some repairs the house needs. I told her to go ahead and bill the company, but she insists on running it past you.’
‘For God’s sake. There is always someone after my money.’ Charles put the rifle down and left the kitchen, going into the downstairs office, where Morag was waiting.
‘I’m going outside for a smoke,’ Lewis said.
A minute later I heard his footsteps on the gravel outside. The atmosphere in the kitchen was thick with tension– it really wouldn’t have surprised me if Miranda had stabbed her husband or hacked off a limb to add to the soup– so much so that I needed to get out and breathe in some fresh air.
It was already dark outside, and cold, my breath pluming in the night air. This family. Were they always like this? Or was all the bad feeling being caused by Jasmine’s presence? And why was Charles acting like I didn’t exist? Did he think my relationship with Holly was so inconsequential– the latest in a line of unsuitable boyfriends– that he thought it would be a waste of energy to get to know me? What was it about Zack that he liked so much, I wondered. From what I’d witnessed– the sniping, the secrecy, the poor communication– Zack and Miranda didn’t exactly make each other happy, and I would have thought Charles would side with his daughter, not her husband. But not only did Charles appear to prefer Zack to Lewis, he seemed to enjoy spending time with him more than he did with Miranda. It wasn’t that I wanted to have that kind of relationship with Charles– I certainly didn’t want to go hunting with him– but it would have been nice for him toacknowledge that I was part of Holly’s life now and therefore part of his family.
I was about to go back inside when I heard voices. It was Lewis and a young woman. Morag’s red Fiat was parked nearby, next to a Jeep that I hadn’t seen before, and although I couldn’t see where they were, I realized Lewis was talking to Morag’s daughter, Avril. Lewis was speaking in a gentle, placatory tone. Avril said something, also impossible to make out, and this time I heard his response.
‘It’s got nothing to do with me.’
I heard her reply, too, her voice louder but cracking with emotion. ‘I hate you.’
She came stomping towards me from around the side of the house and, as she stepped into the glare of the security lights, I saw tears shining in her eyes. At the same time, Charles and Zack came out of the house, carrying their rifles. Morag was behind them, head down, wringing her hands together. Yet again, she seemed nervous, and I wondered if it was because of the guns. Then I saw Charles’s irritated expression and figured Morag’s disposition was because of their conversation about house repairs. I assumed he’d reacted badly to whatever she’d told him. As if he couldn’t afford the repairs.
Lewis appeared out of the darkness, a fresh cigarette burning between his fingers, and Morag took him in without saying another word.
‘Hey, Morag,’ he said.
‘Lewis.’
Hadn’t they been friends once? There was no sign of any warmth between them now.
Morag turned to Charles and opened her mouth, then seemed to lose courage until Charles said, ‘What is it?’
‘Well. It’s just…’ She cleared her throat. ‘Avril is a goodlittle hunter. One of Mum’s friends from the pub taught her how to shoot. She’s spent the entire school holidays talking about how bored she is. Maybe she could go with you?’
‘I don’t think so,’ he responded.
‘Why not?’ said Lewis. ‘Sounds like a good idea to me. Take someone along who can actually shoot. From what I’ve heard, Zack only shoots blanks.’
Zack came towards him, fists clenched. ‘What did you say?’
Were they going to fight? I was frozen to the spot, unsure if I should intervene. Was Charles going to do anything? Pick a side? But Lewis immediately backed down.
‘It was only a joke, mate.’
Zack jabbed a finger towards him. ‘You’re fucking lucky Miranda didn’t hear that.’
