Her fear increased when Peter urged her to go right ahead and follow Isaac through the door.
‘It won’t hurt a bit,’ he assured them, ‘and I’ll be right behind you both.’
Danny looked as doubtful as she felt, but they had no real option but to do as they were bid. Still holding hands they stepped forward, Danny leading the way. Brooke closed her eyes and walked on, half expecting to bang into the wood.
Instead, at Danny’s urging, she opened her eyes to find herself standing in the large hallway of a beautiful house, where they were quickly greeted by a man – possibly in his mid-sixties – with white hair and a warm smile. He introduced himself as Lawrie.
‘My poor dears,’ he said. ‘What a terrible time you’ve had. I couldn’t believe it when Quintus Severus arrived to tell me what had happened on our lovely, quiet roads. We’re not used to such things. There are very few cars allowed in the village, you see, and I can’t remember the last time there was a road accident on the estate. It was lucky Quintus was on patrol and saw what happened. I sent him at once to fetch help from the village for you both, but I’ve already alerted the emergency services, so someone will be on their way to the scene as we speak.’
‘Not much use now,’ Danny said hoarsely. ‘We’re past helping.’
‘Your families will need to be informed,’ Lawrie said kindly. ‘And they’ll want to know you were taken care of.’
Danny gave a gasp and Brooke put her arms around him, not sure if she was holding him up or if she wanted him to holdherup.
She hadn’t even thought about their families. Nothing seemed to have registered, which she supposed was because it was hard to believe any of this was real. But soon the police would knock at her parents’ door.
She imagined her dad stumbling down the stairs, calling out that heknewshe’d lose her keys again, and how many times had he told her to be more careful?
She thought of her mum, reminding him that Brooke was supposed to be at a hotel tonight and never mind her keys, what was she doing home at all? She’d be standing behind him as the police asked if they could come in. She could picture the devastation on their faces when they heard the news. Their lives would never be the same again.
Her grandma. Her brother, Cal.
And then there was Kirsty. Just how, she wondered, wouldshereact to this?
Why, oh why, had Brooke rushed out of the party like that? Why had she let her temper and her feelings get the better of her?
This was all her fault.
Danny would never forgive her.
* * *
‘You poor thing,’ Kirsty murmured when Brooke finally finished giving her account of what had happened that night, minus all mention of Danny. ‘It must have been so terrifying for you.’ She wiped away her tears. ‘I know this is going to sound selfish, but I’m glad Danny wasn’t there. I’m glad he moved on. I don’t know if he’d have coped with all that trauma. He was never the most emotionally resilient person.’
Brooke stiffened, feeling a surge of anger towards her cousin. What did she know of Danny? Brooke had lived with him now for longer than Kirsty had even known him, and Kirsty had never really let Danny prove himself, or even show who he really was. Kirsty had taken charge of everything in their marriage. What Kirsty wanted, Kirsty got, and to hell with anyone else.
‘Well,’ she said abruptly, ‘now you know.’
‘I suppose I should tell you,’ Kirsty said hesitantly. ‘Grandma. She passed away twelve years ago.’
Brooke slumped, her anger evaporating as sadness took over. ‘I kind of expected that she wouldn’t be around by now,’ she admitted. ‘It’s still hard to hear, though. Did she— I mean, was she?—’
‘She didn’t suffer,’ Kirsty said gently. ‘She was ill, but it was a brief illness, and she had the best of care.’
Brooke nodded, remembering the jolly little woman who had always been such fun to be around. Her poor mum. So much loss. She was glad that Cal had managed to give her a granddaughter to bring some light and happiness back into her life.
‘You never answered me,’ she said, remembering suddenly. ‘What are you doing here, Kirsty? What brings you to Rowan Vale, of all places?’
Kirsty looked decidedly shifty. She cleared her throat.
‘Er, well, the thing is… The truth is… Erm, I’m here with my husband.’
‘Yourhusband?’ Brooke felt a surge of hope suddenly. If Kirsty was married again then Danny would have to let her go. Even he would see that.
Then she remembered what had happened at the party and anger replaced the hope. This was all Kirsty’s fault! If it hadn’t been for her, Brooke would never have jumped in Lee’s car in the first place and she and Danny would still be alive, yet here she was carrying on as if nothing had happened, and enjoying her life like Danny had never mattered to her at all.
Which he hadn’t. Brooke had always known that, deep down.
