Page 44 of Snow Going Back

‘Oh, for thelove of God,’ she muttered under her breath, wondering if it was National Harass a KateDay and no one had bothered to tell her.

Wrapped in a vintage mink fur coat that had seen better days, Evelyn clutched her handbag to her chest with both hands. Her pale cheeks were dotted with a little too much blusher, and her red lipstick bled out through the fine lines around her lips, which she squeezed together as if sucking on a lemon.

‘Where is she?’ Evelyn demanded, sweeping past Kate with barely a glance. ‘Whereis my granddaughter?’

‘Please,’ Kate muttered wryly, shutting the door. ‘Do come in.’

She followed Evelyn through to the kitchen.

‘I knew it,’ Evelyn declared in angry triumph.

Aubrey glared at her grandmother. ‘I said I would sort this out, and Iwill,’ she replied.

‘Oh really?’ Evelyn asked with obvious disbelief. ‘Let’s see, shall we?’

She swung round to face Kate, quickly shifting her expression to a calm sweet smile. The sour battle-axe who’dstormed in moments before was gone, replaced with a soft elderly woman who looked like she probably spent her days in a rocking chair crooning at babies and knitting them hats. Kate marvelled at the woman’s ability to flip an instant personality change. Perhaps she hadn’t been that bad an actress, after all.

‘Kate,hello,’ she said, her voice distinctly slower and weaker. Evelyn placed her handbag on the side and walked over with a new stiffness in her gait, reaching out to grip Kate’s hand between both of hers. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear. An absolutepleasure. I’m Evelyn, Cora’s sister.’ She cast her gaze down a little too perfectly, raising it again with a sad smile.

‘It’s nice to meet you, too,’ Kate said, drawing her hand back.

‘I’ve been trying to call you,’ Evelyn said, screwing up her face to look a little confused. ‘I’ve been terribly worried, you see. I have a letter from my sister that?—’

‘Oh, Gram,stop,’ Aubrey ordered angrily. ‘I said we’d cut a deal and Imeantit, but right now we have a bigger problem.Katehere has decided to make some decisions of herownwithout consulting me, putting the control of the company in the hands of Cora’soffice girl.’

‘What?’ Evelyn demanded, the soft-knit grandmother disappearing instantly. ‘What do youmean, Aubrey? She can’tdothat, can she?’

Kate sighed, looking between their angry faces as she tried to work out how best to proceed. ‘Look, let’s all just calm down and have a civilised discussion.’ She flicked the switch to reheat the kettle. ‘Evelyn, would you like a cup of tea?’

‘No! She doesnot wanta cup of yourdamned tea,’ Aubrey exploded.

‘Well…’ Evelyn tipped her head sideways as if she wanted to disagree, glancing at Aubrey’s mug with interest.

‘No.No tea. Tea does not fix this.Youfix this.’ Aubrey pointed at Kate.

Kate stared back at her coldly, having had enough of the woman’s tantrum. ‘I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but I canassureyou, you’re not helping yourself at all right now.’

She recalled Bob’s warning to tread carefully with Aubrey and stopped there. With Aubrey’s love for attention and clear desire to be in the media, they didn’t need her walking off with any ammunition. Still, that didn’t mean she had to accept this kind of behaviour. So long as she remained calm and professional, she could still tell the other woman to take a hike.

Aubrey slipped off the stool and stalked towards Kate. Kate watched her warily and felt a ripple of unease as Aubrey’s eyes turned glassy, a darkness flickering just behind. The woman no longer looked anything like the preppy cheerleader type from her picture. Now, with her vacant stare and obvious anger, she just seemed dangerous.

‘Youdon’t know whoIthink I am?’ she asked in a low, shaky tone, taking another step towards Kate. ‘I’mthe person you’re going to hand the company to, Kate. Because it’s what I’mowed. Because it’s rightfullymine, byblood. You’ll hand me this house, too, and everything else you’ve listed. AndIwill decide who gets what out of it. And you’ll do thatnow.’

‘Damnright,’ Evelyn snapped waspishly.

Kate glanced at the older woman and at the sour look on her face, then turned back to Aubrey, taking a measured step backwards to the counter as the woman moved into her personal space.

‘Aubrey, I think I should remind you that I’m alawyer,’ she said in a calm but firm tone, feeling anything but those things. ‘Threatening me into putting my legal stamp on anything is a federal offence, which you could, andwould,go to prison for, if I were to report you.’

A smile briefly played on Aubrey’s lips. ‘Oh, you won’t be reportinganything, Kate,’ she said with confidence. ‘You’d turn yourself into a joke and never be taken seriously again.’

Kate frowned. ‘I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, Aubrey.’

‘No, I don’t thinkyouunderstand whatI’msaying,’ Aubrey shot back.

‘Why don’t you explain it to her a little better,’ Evelyn hissed menacingly.

The kettle came to the boil and clicked off, and Aubrey glanced towards it with a glint in her eye. Kate frowned as a warning prickle travelled up her neck, but she didn’t catch Aubrey’s dark train of thought until it was too late.

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