Page 38 of The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea

‘It’s all right,’ she mumbled.

‘What’s your school like?’ asked Beth, who seemed full of questions.

‘All right,’ mumbled Maisie again. ‘Actually, I’m suspended at the moment.’

Beth’s eyes opened wide. ‘Why?’

‘I played a practical joke on a teacher.’

Maisie remembered the door to the classroom opening, the tub of slime she’d balanced on top tipping and thick, yellow gloop sliding down Miss Welby’s hair. The girls in the class whom Maisie was trying to impress had laughed and clapped but all Maisie could focus on was Miss Welby’s face: her shock and upset. Miss Welby was a pain and she picked on Maisie constantly, but still…Maisie had wished with all her heart that she could rewind time and never carry out such a stupid joke, which suddenly hadn’t seemed funny at all.

Maisie swallowed, desperate to ward off any more questions from Beth. ‘Anyway, why are you out here doing all of this, delivering food parcels?’

‘We belong to the Heaven’s Cove Residents’ Association and, as part of that, we look out for local people who need help. Belinda, who heads the association…have you met her?’

‘I don’t think so.’

Beth spoke quietly. ‘You’d know if you had met her. She’s dead bossy. Like a headmistress. And nosy. But, fair play, she gets things done. Anyway, she rang round this morning to see who could get involved in Operation Whiteout.’

When Maisie wrinkled her nose, Beth laughed. ‘Belinda’s name for it – she enjoys a touch of drama. Anyway, there’s no school ’cos it’s Saturday so my sister and I said we’d help. She’s already gone out on a different food run. My mum’s a GP at the local surgery so she’s gone in to work.’

‘Cool,’ said Maisie without thinking. She winced because she was sounding more local by the minute.

‘Did you say your name is Maisie?’ the woman driving called over her shoulder, turning slightly to glance towards the back seats.

‘That’s right,’ said Maisie, wishing that the woman – Freya – would concentrate fully on the road ahead. The man’s hand was on her thigh, which, Maisie couldn’t decide, was either because the two of them were an item or because he was terrified by the prospect of skidding to his death.

‘It’s very kind of you to lend us a hand.’

‘That’s all right. There’s nothing else to do round here.’

Maisie worried that might sound a little too curmudgeonly when she was with strangers, but Ryan laughed. ‘You’re right there. My daughter, Chloe, is always complaining about it. That’s why Freya and I have joined the village residents’ association and we’re setting up some local activities for young people.’

Maisie sniffed. They probably had a Sunday School, a reading club, and a learn to love maths group in mind.

‘Yeah,’ said Freya beside him, wincing as the truck hit a pothole. ‘We’re planning an alcohol-free night club once a fortnight, white-water rafting in the summer, a fashion design course, and trips to the cinema.’

Maisie sniffed again because that didn’t sound bad at all. It would certainly liven up the place.

‘It’s a shame you won’t be around for that,’ said Beth beside her.

‘Mmm,’ said Maisie. ‘We’ve got all that kind of stuff in London already.’

Which was kind of true, apart from the white-water rafting, though Maisie never seemed to take advantage of any of it. She spent most of her time stuck in her bedroom, with her nose pressed up against the screen of her phone. Was she horribly boring? Maisie wondered. Was she wasting her life?

Her introspection was interrupted by Freya declaring: ‘We’re here! First stop,’ as the truck slid to a halt outside an isolated cottage surrounded by woodland. ‘Let’s check on Mrs Bolton, make sure she’s warm and has enough food and then we can move on to the next person.’

‘How many people are on the list?’ asked Beth.

‘Six,’ said Ryan cheerfully. ‘I doubt we’ll be back in Heaven’s Cove before lunchtime.’

Lunchtime? Maisie supposed she ought to let Caitlin know where she was, not that she expected her stepmother to care. She patted her jeans pocket and realised she’d left her phone at home.

‘Is everything all right?’ asked Beth.

‘Yeah. I just realised I didn’t bring my phone.’

‘Did you need to ring someone? You can use mine, if you like.’

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