‘She doesn’t.’
‘You mean she sees no one but you and Louisa?’
He nodded.
‘That’s not good for her.’
‘It would be too much for Louisa to take her out. She hasn’t left the house for over a year, no matter how I’ve tried to coerce her. Her doctor gives her another round of medication every time she has an appointment. I swear it’s all those tablets she pops that make her this way.’
Sarah took a sip of wine before speaking again. ‘Have you mentioned this to him?’
‘Many times but he says she’ll come out of her depression when she’s ready. It can last for years. Healso says that she may be bipolar and the delivery of the baby was only circumstantial to her diagnosis.’
‘In other words, he doesn’t have a clue what’s wrong with her.’
‘I assume not. There’s been no official diagnosis of ME. Louisa tells people she has it as it gives her the label to use.’
‘She’s certainly changed since she left Derby.’ She stared at Richard. ‘I wasn’t sure I’d hear from her again so your message took me by surprise.’
‘I wasn’t sure if you would come or not. You have a right to be upset with her.’
‘She’s also my family. If I can forgive her, then I can move on.’
It was Richard’s turn to stare. ‘It’s a shame you don’t live nearer. You’re great company.’
‘Cheers.’
He poured more wine and they clinked glasses. ‘Would you consider the nanny post? I think you’d make a great job of it.’
She paused for drama. ‘I’m thinking about it,’ she replied.
‘Good.’
As he turned to gaze out of the window, Sarah wished she could crawl into his head and see what he was thinking. Did he really love Louisa or was he putting up with her because of Daisy? It was time to do more digging as the week went on.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Louisa sat up in bed, sleep forgotten in an instant. Screams were coming from Daisy’s room. She pulled back the duvet and slipped her feet into her slippers.
‘What’s the matter?’ Richard said from her side.
‘Daisy is crying. She must have had a scary dream.’
‘I can’t hear anything.’
‘She sounds really distressed. I won’t be long.’
Richard switched on the lamp then. ‘Louisa, it’s twoa.m. Come back to bed.’
Louisa stopped for a moment, wondering why he was being so sharp. Daisy was still crying. She couldn’t leave her to it.
‘I won’t be a moment.’
She heard him sigh as she left the room. But as she padded along the landing, the noise stopped. She popped her head around Daisy’s door. It was ajar, her nightlight still glowing.
‘Mummy’s here, Daisy,’ Louisa whispered as she crossed the room to her daughter. Yet as she got to the bed, she realised she was fast asleep. She’d expected Daisy to be sitting up after crying out like that, wanting the arms of her mum to soothe her. But no, she was dead to the world.
She stooped by the side of the bed, watching as her daughter’s chest rose and fell. Perhaps she’d been calling out in her sleep. Louisa had definitely heard her, despite what Richard had said.
