Page 10 of The Stranger in Her House

‘What are they in aid of?’ I ask him.

‘No reason. I just prefer not to eat alone,’ he says. ‘And neither does Gwenny.’

Gwenny?That’s new to me. I let it pass. ‘She doesn’t normally have breakfast on her own,’ I reply, ‘but I forgot to set my alarm this morning. Anyway, Mum, we need to get going. You have your doctor’s appointment soon and the Hopper will be picking us up in twenty minutes.’

‘Not to worry, Paul said he’d take me.’

‘Oh wonderful, thank you, Paul,’ I say. ‘Shall we get going?’

‘It’ll just be your mum and me I’m afraid,’ he replies. ‘I can only get two people in the van.’

‘It has three front seats, doesn’t it?’ I ask.

‘One of the seatbelts is broken. And I don’t want to risk anyone’s safety. Don’t worry, I’ll look after her.’

Paul still hasn’t looked at me today. Not once. Have I done or said something to upset him? I think back to last night’s conversations, but we were mainly discussing her and my life in Italy. I don’t think there was anything I said that could’ve offended him. Or maybe it was the disaster of a kiss. Have I totally misread him?

‘There are things I need to talk to her GP about,’ I say, ‘so it’s best if I take her.’

‘I found the note you left in the bureau to remind you of what you need to discuss,’ he says. ‘So I’m sure we’ll be okay.’

Hefoundthe note? How do you find something that wasn’t left out to find in the first place? What was he doing looking inside the bureau?

‘Thank you again for offering to help,’ I say, ‘but I really don’t think it’s a good idea.’ I’m polite but firm. ‘I’ve been taking Mum for the last year and Dr Chambers knows me. So Mum, let’s get your handbag or we’ll be late.’

‘Stop telling me what to do!’ she shouts. Her outburst is swift and sudden. I jump but Paul doesn’t flinch.

‘Mum, don’t stress yourself,’ I say.

‘I wasn’t stressed until you arrived. I want Paul to take me.’

A stand-off ensues, none of us saying a word. I’m the first to back down.

‘Fine,’ I huff. ‘Do what you want, but don’t complain to me when you can’t remember anything the doctor tells you.’

Paul looks at her and taps his temple with his forefinger. She and I do the same action to one another when we don’t want to mention the dementia word. I recall telling him about it. ‘Don’t worry, Gwenny, I’m like an elephant, I never forget anything. I’ll remember for the both of us.’

Only now does he turn his head to make eye contact with me. ‘Why don’t you take another day for yourself.’ He doesn’t phrase it as a question. He’s telling me what’s going to happen. ‘I’m sure I can keep your mum entertained.’

‘Mum?’ I ask one last time, hoping she’ll intervene. She doesn’t reply. She is too busy cooing over Paul to listen to me.

I turn on my heel and spot her purse lying on the side of the kitchen worktop. The clasp is open and the section where she keeps her debit cards is empty.

‘Where are your bank cards?’ I ask.

‘I don’t know,’ she says.

I glare at Paul. He sips his tea like a buttered croissant wouldn’t melt in his mouth. ‘I put them away in her bureau for safekeeping,’ he says. ‘You shouldn’t leave them lying about. You can’t trust anyone these days, can you?’

I honestly don’t know what to say. What the hell is happening here? How have I just been frozen out of a routine GP appointment? I slam the front door behind me, cursing them both, but especially Paul.

Why is the man who I spent the last few days opening up to behaving like he’s made of ice? He is like a completely different person.

I’ve met his type before, men who are drawn to women they believe are lacking love and craving affection. They lavish them with attention, and once they’re reeled in, they begin to antagonise them, knock their confidence and ensure they never really know where they stand. Does Paul think I’m like that? Is that the image I portray of myself? Well he’s wrong. Nobody gaslights me. Nobody.

I’m about to pass his van when I slow my pace. I open the passenger door and lean inside. I tug on the strap of the middle seatbelt. Aha! Just as I thought, it’s not stuck. I keep pulling it further and push the metal part into the buckle. It slips in with a simple click. So hewaslying.

I’m about to close the door and return to the house to confront him when the belt unclicks itself and falls open.

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