Chapter 4: Elliot - The Foster Child

It’s a pleasant enough meal, but I can sense an undercurrent between Violet and Lori and Jacob is a bit intense. Cora seems anxious, too. I’m wondering if I did the right thing asking Violet to stay for dinner, especially as it’s the first time Cora has met Jacob.

This was an important meal for her. She’s been planning it all week and it should be a family occasion. I should have thought, but I acted on impulse, wanting Violet to feel welcome and to give Cora and Lori the chance to reunite after all these years. I can see now that it was clumsy of me and it would have been best if we’d just kept it to a family meal. Still, Violet will only be here a couple of hours and we have the whole weekend to spend with Lori and Jacob.

‘How did you and Elliot meet, Aunty Cora?’ Violet asks. ‘Did you go to have a tooth out and your eyes met as Elliot peered into your mouth?’

We all laugh.

‘No, I pranged his Merc,’ Cora confesses.

‘What? Really?’ Violet’s eyes are like saucers. Lori is grinning, she’s heard the story before but it always amuses her.

Jacob looks shocked. I saw his car in the driveway, a red Mazda convertible. I don’t think he’d take kindly to anyone pranging that. I can tell by his tan, branded clothes, the gold chain around his neck and large gold sovereign ring on his finger that image is important to him.

‘It was only the number plate,’ I say.

‘Thank goodness, I was worried I’d dented the bonnet! I was in a rush delivering a birthday cake and reversed into his car,’ Cora explains. ‘I was about to leave him a note on the windscreen when he spotted me.’ She smiles. ‘I was expecting him to go ballistic but he was very cool about it.’

‘Of course I was. It was only a little dent. Besides, you made the cake for Leo’s birthday. Leo is my godson, his father Joe and I went to the same university together,’ I explain to the others. ‘His mum, Christy, sent me to look for the cakemaker as she was worried she’d got lost. I came along just as Cora was leaving me a note with her phone number on the windscreen apologising for bumping into my car. I was impressed by her honesty. And her looks,’ I add with a grin. Cora’s petite, slim and beautiful with her short bouncy dark hair, hazel eyes. Straight away I noticed a spark in her eyes, a smile on her lips – a smile is never far from her face. I love that about her.

‘I felt so bad, but Elliot was very good about it.’ Cora smiles at me. ‘He helped me carry the dinosaur birthday cake and muffins, then Christy and Joe invited me to stay. By the time the party was over I had orders for three more birthday cakes so it was a very lucrative afternoon as well as an enjoyable one.’

‘And then of course we had to meet up again to discuss the damage to my number plate.’ I smile as I remember the day that changed my life. We’d both helped dish out the food and entertain the kids. Leo fell in love with his birthday cake and I fell in love with Cora.

I knew from that first day that she was the one I wanted to be with.

‘Not that he would let me pay!’ Cora says with a grin.

‘I love this story. It’s so sweet,’ Lori says.

‘And now here you both are, living together in this beautiful cottage. And in the same village as me. Life’s full of coincidences, isn’t it?’ Violet adds.

‘It really is,’ Jacob agrees. ‘It was coincidence that we met, wasn’t it, Pumpkin?’ He squeezes Lori’s hand. ‘I wasn’t meant to be at that party but one of my mates was there. I needed to see him about something. I walked in, saw Lori and that was it, I was bowled over.’

Lori smiles lovingly at him. She’s obviously besotted with him.

I can see that Cora likes him, and Violet too but I can’t take to him. I don’t like how he calls Lori ‘pumpkin’, it comes across as patronising. He’s talked over her a few times too, and he asked me some pretty personal questions. It could be his journalist background, of course, and maybe I’m naturally distrustful. Even so, I’m glad when Lori yawns, obviously tired, and Violet says she should go. Violet seems nice enough but there is definitely a bit of an atmosphere with her and Lori. They’re both being friendly to each other but it’s too forced.

‘Let’s swap phone numbers so we can keep in touch with each other,’ Violet says. She holds out her phone. ‘Key in your number, Aunty Cora, then pass my phone on to Lori.’

I can tell that both Cora and Lori are reluctant to give her their number, but don’t like to refuse so they do as she asks and a couple of minutes later she sends a text to both of them and they’re connected.

Cora insists on calling her a taxi. ‘I don’t want you walking alone in the dark and we’ve all had a drink so I can’t give you a lift.’

‘Thank you, that’s really kind.’ She gets up. ‘Do you mind if I use the bathroom before I go?’

‘Of course, turn right as you go out and it’s the door on the left.’

She hasn’t returned when a text pings into Cora’s phone a few minutes later. ‘The taxi’s outside,’ she says.

‘I’ll call Violet.’ I go to the doorway and am surprised to see Violet walking down the hall from the opposite direction.

‘I couldn’t resist having a peek in the living room,’ she says with a big smile. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’

Her honesty about being nosy, and admiration for our home is disarming. ‘Not at all. I was just coming to tell you that your taxi is here.’

‘That was quick!’ She dashes back into the kitchen to grab her bag and coat. ‘Goodbye, everyone. Thank you for a delicious meal. I hope we all meet up again soon.’

‘I’ll walk out with you. I like to do a final check around before we go to bed,’ I offer.

‘Any reason to be so cautious?’ Jacob asks. ‘I can’t imagine you get much trouble in the village?’

‘No, but I don’t take chances.’

‘Best not to, I agree. There’s some real dodgy characters about. You never know what people are capable of.’ His eyes meet mine, his pupils like dark pools and for a moment I find myself wondering just what he’s capable of.

Then he puts his arm around Lori. ‘Come on, Pumpkin, let’s get you to bed.’

I walk out with Violet and see her to the taxi, then lock the gate behind them.

As I turn around I see it. An envelope half sticking out of the post box. It seems no one has checked the post today.

I take it out. It’s a card, but there’s no stamp. It’s been hand-delivered so it’s obviously from one of the neighbours and there’s no name on the front.

I’m guessing it’s a Christmas card even though it isn’t December until Tuesday.

I open it up. I’m right, it’s a Christmas card. It’s square-shaped and on the front is a holly wreath hanging by a red ribbon with the words season’s greetings around the top of the wreath.

I open it up and frown as I read what’s written inside. It’s blank apart from one line.

THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST CHRISTMAS.

A dart of fear pierces me as I read it again. It sounds like a death threat. Who the hell has sent this? I steady my hand and take another look at the envelope. There’s definitely no name on it. So it could be aimed at me or Cora.

Or both of us.