It seemed little to ask, but he’d grabbed my head and bounced my face off the steel railing of the rink staircase. My cheekbone made a sickening crunch on impact. It was only muscle memory and my skating partner’s powerful hands that let me land every jump that day. My cheek swelled so much I couldn’t see out of that eye.
One of the few times he caused a bruise others could see. A precursor to the violence that finally brought our relationship to an end.
I groan and leave the bedroom, picking my way to the dining room with fewer missteps than my previous attempts. I might finally be learning.
Everyone else has finished breakfast and when Nora’s harried face pokes through from the kitchen, I reassure her I’m only after coffee. Although there’s a perfectly good pot on the bench, she insists on brewing a new one for me.
“Are you spending time with Sophia today?”
“I guess.” My mind feels sluggish, like it’s already had its daily fill of thinking and doesn’t want to do it anymore. “Do you usually spend time with her?”
“Just popping in and out,” she says with a smile. “And sometimes she likes to come into the kitchen while I’m baking and tell me elaborate stories. Sophia’s got an interesting mind on her.”
“Yeah. She lost me when we were playing yesterday. Her scenarios just kept going one layer deeper, over and over, until I couldn’t remember what we were playing.”
“Takes after her mother.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, not wanting to know but still desperate to ask. “What was Alice like?”
“A cold-hearted bitch who wanted things the way she wanted them and couldn’t abide listening to alternatives from anyone else.”
“Oh,” I murmur, struggling to reconcile the sudden flash of hatred with the kindly woman I’ve seen up to now. “You didn’t approve?”
“It’s not my place to approve or disapprove of anything Mr Balabanov gets up to or who he gets up to it with.”
I stare into my coffee, momentarily lost for words.
“But it’s nice to know you’re sticking around a while. It makes a change to see the boss relaxing. Especially with everything that’s happening.” She gives me a quick wink. “Now, if you could just get him to sleep for a couple of nights in a row, we’ll be stepping in miracle territory.”
Since she’s in a talkative mood, I decide to chance one more question. About an atmosphere that’s been building that I’m certain isn’t just in my imagination. “Why does Meri dislike me?”
“She doesn’t. You had a pleasant chat when you were prepping dinner.”
“After that.”
Nora wipes down the bench with such vigour I’d hate to be a crumb. “She doesn’t want her brother to get involved again. When Alice left, he was an absolute mess.”
“Well, luckily this time I can’t leave.”
She laughs as though that was the best joke she’s heard all year. But when I reach out to pour a second cup of coffee, she puts her hands on her hips. “Weren’t you going to visit with the young miss? Maybe restart her lessons?”
When put like that, how could I possibly refuse?
* * *
Sophia’s wornme out by lunchtime and when Yuri pops by to check if I’m free to help prepare lunch, the answer is an enthusiastic yes. I leave her in his capable hands and wander back to the kitchen, wondering if another heart to heart with Nora is on the cards.
But the moment I walk through the door, that hope fades. Meri’s there. Fine lines radiate from her eyes, making her appear tired. I don’t know whether they were there previously, and I just didn’t notice, or if they’ve only just appeared.
Either way, I feel a ripple of unease as I stand at the bench, beside her.
“Could you chop these?” she asks, pushing a bag of red onions at me while Nora retreats, looking faintly alarmed.
“Sure. Not well but sure.”
“Nora? Would you be able to pick some fresh basil from the greenhouse?”
The cook nods, her alarm intensifying into a frown. “If that’s what you need.”
