Page 23 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

VALERIE

Valerie shoved the long tube of the vacuum cleaner under the chair, bashing into her husband’s feet. He grumbled and turned another page of the newspaper he’d been reading for the last half hour.

It was somewhat passive-aggressive, Valerie realised, assaulting her husband with the Dyson. But he’d done nothing but spend the morning faffing about with a crossword and being no help whatsoever.

‘What time is Lily arriving?’ shouted Alan, raising his feet a fraction.

‘Whenever her mother deigns to bring her over.’ Valerie turned the vacuum cleaner off and sniffed. ‘She said this afternoon so I expect it’ll be around two-ish.’

‘Lily’s stayed here before, you know. The place doesn’t have to be scrubbed clean. I read it’s good for youngsters to come into contact with germs.’

‘She comes into contact with who knows what at that guest house, so the least I can do is make this place clean and tidy. A guesthouse is no place for a child.’

Valerie switched the machine back on, wondering if she’d have time to wash down the paintwork. Though Alan would only make fun of her if she did, which would feed Valerie’s fears that she was becoming obsessive about germs.

But she felt safe in her sparkling clean home. Safe, but bored, and sometimes in the silence – Alan wasn’t the most loquacious of people – she felt as if the walls were closing in on her.

If only Jacob were here, but he wouldn’t be home – she checked her watch – for a good few hours. He was coming on the train from Manchester, and he worked hard so she didn’t expect him to get up too early on a Saturday.

Why on earth had he moved so far from Heaven’s Cove? If only he’d never met that woman and been driven away by her demands.

Valerie stopped herself from gnawing at the inside of her cheek. She had to look on the bright side. Nessa was a pain but at least she’d produced Lily, who was the love of Valerie’s life – along with Jacob, of course. She was very fond of her husband, too, but he’d slid down the pecking order since he’d started picking his feet in the sitting room.

She turned the vacuum cleaner back on and did another sweep of the rug, just in case any of his dead skin was lurking in the pile.

‘Phone!’ yelled Alan over the top of his paper.

Valerie switched off the machine for the second time and picked up the phone that was within reach of her husband.

‘Hey, Mum.’

A smile spread across Valerie’s face. ‘Jacob! Are you on your way already? We’re not expecting you for ages but that’s no problem. The house will be ready for you whenever you arrive.’

‘That’s what I’m ringing about. I’m sorry but I’m not going to make it this weekend, after all.’

Valerie felt her heart sink but tried to keep her voice upbeat.

‘Not at all?’

‘I’m afraid not. I’m so busy at work right now, I’ve had to come into the office to catch up.’

‘Your boss sounds like a slave driver. Do you have to work all weekend?’

‘Well, not all weekend, obviously. But it’s a new job, and good impressions and all that… So it’s going to be too tricky to get down to see you. It’s a bit of a trek. And the eco group I belong to has got a protest planned next week and I said I’d make some placards.’

Valerie took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to sound too needy. ‘That’s a shame,’ she said levelly. ‘You won’t get to see Lily.’

‘Nah, I’m gutted about that, obviously, but I did see her a few weeks ago.’

‘It was at least four months ago and she changes all the time. You’re missing such a lot, Jacob.’

‘I know. Don’t try to make me feel guilty, Mum.’ His voice had taken on the sulky tone that Valerie remembered from his childhood. ‘I do have to work, you know. And fight for the planet. We can’t all swan about being retired, like you.’

Swan about? Valerie had left her admin job at a building merchant’s in the spring, soon after her fifty-fifth birthday. But constantly clearing up after Alan didn’t feel much like swanning about.

She sometimes regretted leaving work, but Alan had encouraged her to join him in early retirement. And she’d thought it would be different from this endless… nothingness.

When she stayed quiet, Jacob filled the silence.

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