It had been a proper bender, Stella had declared as she’d dragged herself out of bed to brush her teeth. They were both still fully dressed, having collapsed giggling long after night had turned to morning.
Hetty glanced at her phone as it buzzed at her with a message from Aggie:Awake yet?
She smiled as she replied, then got up. God, her head felt awful. She wandered to the loo, took two aspirins and started to remove her makeup as Stella grinned at her, bumping shoulders as they passed.
As Hetty finally relieved herself on the ugly green toilet, she heard Stella meet her brother Elliot in the hallway and his panicked voice as he whispered to her, ‘Ooooh, you’re in trouble, Stell. Mum’s back early. She knows you’ve got someone here.’
She heard Stella’s reply. ‘Elliot, you’d better not fuck this up for me. Hetty is everything.Everything.’
Hetty felt the happiness playing across her face and pierce right through to her heart. This was it. This was her happy ending.
‘Ugh, gross,’ said Elliot. ‘Okay. I’ll help you with Mum. Maybe she’ll be all right if you’re going out with a posho.’
Then she heard a sharp, older voice echo from the kitchen. ‘What posho? You look like you’ve both been caught trying my wigs on again. Elliot, washing up. Stella, we need to talk. Now.’
Hetty knew what she was doing was wholly beneath her, but she closed the toilet lid and, without flushing, crept to the closed bathroom door. She was vaguely aware things were tense between Stella and her mother – tense enough for Stella to check with her brother before bringing Hetty home last night. But he had been wrong: their mother was home after all.
She heard the creak of springs as Stella plonked herself on the sofa.
‘Mum, I’m really sorry you don’t have the nice, slim, well-behaved straight little church girl you wanted, but—’
‘You’re going to have to get out,’ Stella’s mother interrupted her, her harsh voice cutting clearly through the bathroom door.
Hetty’s breath caught in her throat. She silently opened the door a crack and her heart broke at Stella’s expression. She looked like she was drowning, or floating in space without oxygen, or falling. Perhaps all of those at once, Hetty thought, as she stared at the back of Stella’s mum’s perfectly coiffed head.
Hetty registered a low groan behind her and turned to see Elliot across the hallway peeking out from his bedroom door. He looked at Hetty, wincing, as if to brace her for whatever would come next. The look on Stella’s face didn’t bode well.
‘This is a house of God – you can’t bring women here.I’ve spoken to the pastor. It’s wrong. If you want this … lifestyle … then you’re not welcome any more.’
Hetty felt a tear crawl down her cheek, a mirror version of the one travelling down Stella’s perfect, dewy skin. She expected Stella to say something – to defend herself in some way, but she stayed silent. But the older woman wasn’t done.
‘I’m going out and I expect you gone by the time I get back. You’ve got half an hour. Give me your keys.’
Hetty watched Stella rummage through her bag and produce her keys, which her mother immediately snatched from her hand.
‘This isn’t easy for me, Stella.’
‘Seems pretty easy to me,’ she said, finally finding her voice.
A loud gasp escaped Hetty as Stella’s mother roundly slapped her. The woman turned at the sound, stared for a long moment at Hetty, then strode out of the flat.
Stella sank down into a chair, so alone, so small, and Hetty could almost hear the cracks as her love’s heart slowly shattered. She lowered herself next to Stella, putting a hand on her arm.
‘All will be well, in the end, you know.’
‘No, Hetty, I don’t know.’
Hetty sighed and turned Stella’s chin. They shared a long look, before Hetty spoke again.
‘Perhaps it’s my turn to look after you now.’
Stella nodded, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she spoke. ‘You know what, Hetty? That would be lovely.’
Chapter 42
1818
Etta looked around confidently as she entered the Baxter family’s ballroom, hoping to find Clarissa who she knew would be back from her own Christmas celebrations. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be spilling the news about her engagement until it had been formally announced, but surely it wouldn’t hurt to tell her closest friend?
