Augi followed her outside, picked up the book and froze. On the pavement beyond the library fence stood a woman. A stranger. A stranger who was looking directly at her.
Panic surged inside her and she stepped back before pulling the door closed behind her, and firmly locking it.
Who was she?
She’d never seen her before. She wasn’t even walking past. She had stopped and had been facing the library. She must have been able to see her through the open double doors while she’d been talking to the young mother.
She quickly finished locking the cabinets, transforming the space back into the tennis club rooms which was their function when it wasn’t a library. Then she turned out the lights.
She sat in the old cracked leather club chair, heart pumping, grasping the sides as she willed herself to think calmly. She gathered up courage to look through the side-room window. There was no sign of the stranger. She heaved a sigh of relief and grabbed her bag. Another look reassured her the street was empty.
She hurried down the path and, after another reassuring glance, walked away from the village towards her house. But, at the corner of the street, where the tennis courts ended, she saw the stranger. Again, the woman met Augi’s gaze with a searching look. She stifled a gasp and hurried on.
‘Eleni?’ the woman called from behind her.
Her real name. Again. Her legs were wobbly, as if all the life had drained from her, and she felt sick. She stopped, frozen in her tracks. Her mouth dried and she turned slowly, feeling like the world was tipping out of focus.
‘I’m sorry,’ the dark-haired stranger said, her hands held out to show she didn’t mean her any harm. Augi realised she must look terrified. ‘I didn’t mean to frighten you.’
She shook her head and reached out for the fence for support. She swallowed hard. This was ridiculous. She was safe here.
‘My name is Augi Markos.’
The woman frowned and didn’t say anything.
‘Augi Markos,’ Augi repeated. She couldn’t bring herself to lie and tell the woman that she had the wrong person. Because the truth was, she was both people now.
’OK,’ the stranger said doubtfully. It unnerved her that she didn’t look as if she accepted her assertion.
Augi nodded abruptly and walked away without looking back. But she listened. No footsteps followed her.
Instead of going straight home, Augi continued on along the road to its end. She had something she had to do. Something she should have done days ago.
Despite her attempts to calm herself, her hand was shaking as she rang the doorbell at MacLeod’s Cottage. She’d spent the past ten years learning how to contain agitation, acquiring ways to appear as if nothing was getting to her. She’d thought it had become second nature. But, apparently not.
Augi rang the bell again, but she couldn’t hear anything. No one answered. Kate had always told her to go straight in if no one answered, but she never had. But now she did. She couldn’t bear the thought of turning away without dealing with it. She couldn’t cope with another sleepless night. It had begun to rain, so the chances of anyone being outside — even under the covered verandah — were slim. Besides, she didn’t hear any voices or see any lights on outside. Only inside. Light streamed between the curtains of the front drawing room.
She knocked again. No answer. She took hold of the battered brass doorknob and twisted it, opened the door, and stepped inside. She called out. She could hear water running, then the door opened from the drawing room and Dan stepped out wearing headphones. He pulled them off.
‘Augustini!’ he said, tossing the headphones to one side and coming over to hug her. He held on to her, smiling as he searched her face. ‘I didn’t expect you this evening. I thought you were busy.’
She shook her head, remembering she’d made an excuse not to see Dan. ‘Something’s come up.’
He frowned. ‘About what? The house? Have you discovered something?’
‘Yes and no. But I need to see Kate. Is she around?’
‘She’s just having a bath I think. I heard the water running a few minutes ago.’ He paused. ‘Anything I can help with?’
‘I…’ She hadn’t expected Kate not to be available, which was stupid of her. She should have phoned ahead. She would have done if her mind hadn’t been in such a whirl. ‘I really wanted to speak to Kate.’
‘Augustini, this doesn’t sound like you. Is everything all right? Has something, or someone, upset you?’
If only he hadn’t asked that. If only he hadn’t looked so sympathetic, so concerned about what was troubling her. It turned out this was her Achilles heel — being cared for. Because she wasn’t used to it. She’d made sure she was protected from everything except kindness and love.
She blinked and to her horror felt tears appear from nowhere.
‘Augustini,’ Dan said, clearly appalled by her tears. ‘What on earth has happened?’
