“Me, her, Dan Trenton from the shop, and Eleanor Carwell.”
“Eleanor Carwell? Isn’t she the lady who lives at number fifteen and has all the notices about dog poo?”
Lily wrinkled her nose. “Um. I’m not sure.”
“I don’t know, Lil.” Rachel sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “I’m shattered.”
“You’ll enjoy it. You always enjoy the pub quiz. And maybe you need to go out.”
“What about Nathan?”
“Meghan isn’t working tonight.”
“Is she out?” Rachel hadn’t seen her sister since she’d dragged herself into the house fifteen minutes earlier.
“No. She’s upstairs.”
Rachel hesitated. She hadn’t seen much of Meghan lately, but what she’d seen worried her. Her sister had become increasingly erratic and fractious since their mother’s stroke. “Maybe I should see how she is.”
“But you’ll go tonight?” Lily pressed.
Rachel sighed. “All right, fine. But be prepared to have your arse kicked.”
Lily grinned, and with a tired smile, Rachel rose and went upstairs. She knocked once on Meghan’s door before opening it; her sister was lying on the bed with one arm thrown over her face, Nathan stretched out next to her, playing with her phone. He looked up when Rachel came in.
“Ray-Ray!”
“Hey, Nath.” Meghan didn’t move, and Rachel took a step into the room. “Hey, Meghan. You okay?”
Meghan dropped her arm from her face. “Why do you ask?”
Rachel hesitated. “Honestly? Because you seem . . . off.”
“First Claire, now you. Can’t a girl have a bad day without everyone stressing her about it?”
“Claire? What did Claire say?”
“She came over to ask Lily to the pub and she asked if I was all right.” Meghan rolled over to give Rachel a sardonic smile. “She almost sounded Cumbrian, except for the upper-class drawl. She should have said Areet.”
“Seriously, Meghan, though.”
Meghan’s eyes flashed with challenge. “What?”
“Are you all right?”
She let out a gusty sigh and rolled onto her back once more. “I’m fine, Rachel. Not that you care.”
“I’m asking, aren’t I?”
“Only because you’re worried that I’m going to off-load Nathan onto you.”
There was enough truth to that remark for Rachel to stay silent. Nathan looked up from Meghan’s phone. “What does ‘off-load’ mean?”
“Never you mind, Nath,” Meghan said, and rested her hand on top of his head.
“You know Mum is coming home on Friday?” Rachel said, and Meghan didn’t answer. “I know this is hard, but it’s going to be all hands on deck when she’s back here. We’ll have to work out some kind of schedule. She can’t be left alone. Not even for five minutes to go to the post office.”
Meghan let out a shuddering breath, and Rachel wondered if she’d come down too hard. But the reality remained that she needed Meghan to step up. She couldn’t do this alone. “You and lover boy might have to cool it for a little while.”
