Page 35 of The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea

Maisie opened one eye and snuggled further under the duvet. Something was different this morning. The air was cold, but it was always freezing in this house. She tried to focus her drowsy brain and work out what had changed. It was quieter than usual, she decided. The stupid seagulls that woke her most mornings with their raucous screeching seemed muted. But there was something else…and then it hit her. The light was different.

She pulled herself up to sitting, dragging the duvet with her. The light coming through the thin curtains was normally a dull grey. But today it was brighter, lighter. And there was no traffic noise. The house was close to the edge of the village and there was usually a distant hum from the cars navigating Heaven’s Cove’s narrow streets. But not today.

Getting out of bed, Maisie padded to the window, pulled back the curtains and gasped.

Overnight, Heaven’s Cove had been covered in a thick blanket of snow. The thatches of the cottages going in steps down the hill from Rose Cottage were coated in white and the sea in the distance was pale, like spilled milk.

Maisie’s heart leaped, in spite of her best efforts to remain unexcited at all times. There was something about snow that was joyful and London didn’t often get much. When the city did, the covering was quickly blemished with footprints, and snow that edged the roads swiftly turned to blackened slush. But the snow here was untrodden, unslushed, and utterly beautiful.

She quickly pulled on jeans and a jumper and checked her phone, as she always did first thing. More WhatsApp messages awaited her and she opened them gingerly, desperate to see what Madison and her friends had to say and dreading it at the same time.

There were several messages about Eden, the fittest boy in their year group, who apparently wanted to kiss Madison. She’d posted a meme of a kitten puking but probably would end up making out with him and then telling them all about it. Maisie liked Eden herself but he’d never taken any interest in her.

Maisie suddenly caught sight of her name and her stomach lurched. It was a message from Carly, Madison’s right hand woman.

Hey Maisie, when are you back at school? You’re not hiding are ya? Your face when Welby got slimed! You looked well scared. More than usual. We laugh about it A LOT!

It was followed by several laughing emojis, to hammer home the point, and Madison had added her own brief message below: LOL

Maisie gulped and sat down on her bed. She rarely commented in the group but life at school would be unbearable if she couldn’t put her practical joke behind her. Summoning up her courage, she composed a reply:

Ha. Not hiding. Have been dragged by awful stepmum to the end of the world (Devon) but will be back soon. Probably best to let Welby thing die down if that’s OK. Don’t need any more hassle after being suspended.

Maisie pressed the ‘send’ arrow and bit her lip, wondering if she should have kept quiet. Her eyes fell on Jessie’s carved driftwood angel on her bedside table and she picked it up to run her thumb along the cuts and grooves. There was something strangely comforting about this rough figure with its wings unfurled. Isla reckoned it had been Jessie’s protector over the years, so perhaps it would do the same for her? Though that was highly unlikely, Maisie pushed the angel into the pocket of her jeans anyway before making her way downstairs.

‘Why are you putting your jacket on? Where are you going?’ asked Caitlin, appearing in the hall in her silk dressing gown. Quite how her stepmother didn’t turn to ice in this house, with its antiquated heating system, was a mystery.

‘Nowhere,’ Maisie replied sullenly. ‘Thought I’d go out for a walk.’

‘A walk?’

Caitlin raised an eyebrow, which was annoying, even though Maisie hardly ever went for a walk in London. What was the point? If she wanted to get somewhere, there were always Tube trains, or buses, or Ubers, or lifts from Caitlin or Dad.

And the last time she’d ventured out for a walk, across Waterloo Bridge, it had ended in disaster when she’d spotted something she so wished she hadn’t.

‘Why are you going for a walk?’ asked Caitlin.

‘Just for something to do, if that’s all right with you?’

She was being unnecessarily snarky and she didn’t blame Caitlin when she gazed at her coolly.

‘It’s absolutely fine with me, but you’ll need more on your feet than trainers.’

Maisie looked down and twisted her mouth. Caitlin was right, for once. She’d have sopping feet in minutes.

‘Have you seen the snow!’ Isla declared, appearing at the top of the stairs. Which was a ridiculous comment because of course they’d seen the snow. It was hard to miss it when everywhere outside was smothered in the stuff.

Isla hurried down the stairs, her shiny, fair-brown hair swishing around her shoulders. Maisie coveted that hair, which was so much thicker than her own.

Isla hurried to the front door and opened it, sending a draught of frigid air through the house.

‘Really? Close it, quick!’ moaned Caitlin.

Isla slammed the door shut and frowned. ‘Ben will never get back to London today, which means he’ll miss his plane first thing tomorrow.’

‘Which probably won’t be taking off anyway, in this weather,’ said Caitlin.

Maisie ignored an urge to say ‘Duh!’ and made do with rolling her eyes instead.

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