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Thea looked at the dog, who still hadn’t calmed down. Maybe that was why the previous owners had given him up. Too much energy. Untrained. He looked a handful. A handful that Thea was not prepared for.
Winston’s head whipped around to look inside the house. He must have heard something; perhaps Toby. He barked and scampered off.
Thea sighed. She asked, ‘Does Winston have a crate or something?’
‘What do you mean?’
Thea was wondering whether there was somewhere safe Winston could be left in the house alone while she went out when the children were at school.
Katie didn’t answer her question. She folded her arms instead and remained standing in the doorway, blocking Thea from entering the house. ‘Dad said you were coming. I told him we don’t need a babysitter.’
Thea hadn’t been expecting a warm welcome. ‘Yes, well, I’m not babysitting. Someone has to run you to school.’
‘You don’t have to run us to school.’
Thea frowned. ‘What do you mean? Your school is in Leiston, isn’t it? That’s a good half an hour drive up the coast road.’
‘Yeah, and we get a coach at the end of the street.’ Thea heard her add under her breath, ‘Idiot.’
She stared at Katie, but decided to ignore her rude comment. Mark had mentioned that they’d come home today on the school bus, but she’d assumed it was a one-off. Thea much preferred not to have to do the school run. Someone still had to be there for them, though. They were thirteen – although looking at Katie, Thea thought she could easily be mistaken for fifteen or even sixteen. She’d changed a lot in the past few months. She had makeup expertly applied, like a model. Her long, blonde hair was straightened, with a centre parting, and Thea couldn’t help but notice her nails, which made Thea feel a little embarrassed at the state of her own; she blamed it on her archiving job and the fact that, unlike Katie, she didn’t have time for manicures.
Katie flicked her hair over her shoulder. ‘We can take care of ourselves.’
Thea was quite shocked when Katie shut the door in her face. She stood there for a moment, staring at the door. Now would be the perfect excuse just to get in the car and visit her sister. But she’d promised Mark she’d look after the twins. What if something happened while she was gone? They’d obviously been okay since Mark had left for the station. Even so, now she was there, she couldn’t just leave them on their own.
Thea rolled her eyes and put the key in the lock. Katie obviously wasn’t aware that Mark had given her a door key.
She stepped into the house, expecting Winston to bound over and jump up at her again. Fortunately, this time the dog was nowhere in sight. Neither was Katie.
Thea lifted her suitcase and bag inside and closed the front door. She cast her gaze around the entrance hallway to see what had changed since her last visit. The staircase was still uncarpeted, but the hallway had been laid with light oak flooring leading into the lounge on the left. On the right, a door led through to the kitchen, which looked as though it had been refitted with white shaker-style units. She knew that both rooms were double-aspect rooms. The lounge had French doors on to the pretty back garden, and the kitchen had an extension with a skylight in the ceiling and big patio doors also overlooking the garden, letting in lots of light.
Thea walked into the kitchen and found a glass. She poured herself some water and stared out at the garden. They’d built themselves a summerhouse in the corner of the back garden. She imagined it doubled as Mark’s home office. What she couldn’t understand was why he’d returned to work in London full-time. She’d thought those days were behind him; that leaving London was the whole point of moving to the countryside. She’d thought he’d have more time for the twins.
Thea decided to take her things up to the spare bedroom she’d stayed in before, and then find Toby. Perhaps she’d get a better reception from him, and even a friendly hello on her arrival. Somehow, she doubted it.
Thea left her shoes by the door, hoping Winston didn’t chew them, and made her way upstairs. It was an L-shaped landing, painted in white, the floorboards bare. They were obviously waiting for carpet to be laid. Some electrical work looked as though it still needed doing, by the looks of the wires hanging down where a ceiling light should be.
The spare bedroom hadn’t changed. The single bed was made up, but it looked as though it had been slept in. Thea raised her eyebrows, wondering who else had been staying there.
‘So, you’re still here.’
Katie’s voice came from right behind her, making her jump.
Thea glanced at her. ‘I promised your dad while he was away at work that I’d look after you, and a promise is a promise.’ She caught Katie pulling a sour face as she moutheda promise is a promise.
‘Well, it is,’ said Thea.
‘What do you mean, Dad’s away at work?’
‘He told me when I met him earlier at the station,’ Thea replied.
‘Not for work,’ scoffed Katie.
‘Then what for?’
‘Oh, my god, how old are you?’ Katie blurted sarcastically.
Thea stared at her. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’
