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Skye gave a derisive snort. ‘Jealous! Do you really think I’dwantto be Ada’s favourite? The favourite of a woman who’s so bloody manipulative and self-obsessed that she can calmly destroy lives without blinking an eye.’
‘What?’ I stared at her. She was drunk, it was true, but there was a fevered desperation in her eyes that brought me up short. ‘Do you mean because she sent you to boarding school? I thought you quite liked it there... that you were pleased to be away from Ada? I’d hardly call thatdestroying your life!’
‘Oh, you have no idea, Rori. No idea at all.’
‘What do you mean?’
Skye rubbed her face. Then she sighed. ‘Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m going back to bed. I’ll apologise to Blossom in the morning.’
I stared after her, reflecting wearily that alcohol was to blame for many things – including ridiculous rows.
And not to forget butt-dialling.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I woke up next day feeling exhausted after my sisters’ emotional wrangle the night before. I was so glad I got on with both of them but it made me sad having to be piggy-in-the-middle all the time, always trying to calm the waters between them.
Keeping the place clean and tidy with Skye around was also starting to get me down.
I’d almost given up because it was clear that Skye’s habits were very different to mine. She had cleaners in weekly at her London flat so she never had to bother with housework herself, and that was all too obvious.
She littered surfaces with her stuff, left damp towels after showering on her bedroom floor, and casually dropped her bag and coat anywhere she felt like when she came in from a trip to the shops. I was constantly falling over her shoes in the living room – she just kicked them off and left them lying there – and the flat now looked as if we’d been burgled. By intruders who ate slice after slice of toast (but then failed to re-stock the breadbin) and left a trail of crumbs and sticky honey or strawberry jam splodges everywhere they went.
When I asked her to start clearing away after herself, she smiled and waved away my concerns as if I was being a little hysterical, and said, ‘The place looks fine, Rori. But honestly, I don’t know why you don’t have a cleaner. They’re an absolutely fabulous invention!’
I must have looked as exhausted as I felt because after waving Blossom off on the train back to Guildford, the first thing Jaz said when she met me in the high street (I was heading to the village store for the most carb-filled doughnuts I could get my hands on) was, ‘Rori? What on earth’s happened?’
I gave a weary laugh. ‘In a word. My sister, Skye.’
‘Oh.’ She grimaced. ‘I knew she was staying at yours, but that’s been a while now, hasn’t it?’
Grinning, I told her the exact number of days.
‘Ooh, it’s like that, is it? And there’s no sign of her going back to London?’
‘None whatsoever. She’s out tonight, meeting up with an old friend from school days, plus she’s joined the local doctor’s surgery.’
‘Ah! She might be sticking around, then.’
‘Well, it was just because her back was playing up a bit the other day. But even so...’
Jaz nodded slowly, thinking. ‘Actually, thismightbe your lucky day!’
‘I wish.’
‘What are you doing next Tuesday?’
I grinned ruefully. ‘Apart from clearing up after my sister, you mean?’
‘You need a break. How about a day at a spa, totally free of charge?’
‘What?’ I laughed at the unexpectedness of it. ‘That sounds like bliss to me.’
‘Well... Maddy’s managed to wangle a day pass for all her bridesmaids to this really swanky hotel she’s looking at booking for their wedding reception.’
‘Oh, I heard her talking about that in the café.’
Jaz nodded. ‘Primrose can’t go. Baby-sitting issues. So... I’m sure Maddy would be fine passing you off as “Primrose” for the day.’
