Loren was disappointed, because she'd been aiming at the bridge of the big girl's nose, right between the eyes as advised; nevertheless, the blow had more effect than she ever would have dreamed. Blood immediately spurted out of Seraphina's nostrils, two bright red jets that splattered her mouth and jaw. Tears sprung into her eyes as she rocked back, the contact between the seat and the back of her knees forcing her legs to buckle so that she had no other choice but to sit. In shock, she stayed down, her fleshy hand cupping the blood that poured from her nose.
The friend next to her stared in horrified awe. One of the boys on the back seat breathlessly said, 'Wow.' Apart from that, there was no other sound inside the minibus. Until the boys started to applaud.
26: CONVERSATIONS
'You did what?' Gabe stared at Loren in disbelief and there was a hint of amusement in his open-mouthed gape.
He had returned home from work and barely had time to discard his coat before Loren came into the hall from the kitchen, followed by Eve, who had told her what she had to do: own up to Dad.
'I didn't mean to.' Loren shook her head as though her actions earlier on the school bus were a mystery even to herself. 'It just happened.'
'You whacked her?' He was incredulous; he had never known his elder daughter to use violence before.
'She knocked Tessa's school bag to the floor.'
'And Tessa is…?'
'She's my new friend at school. She lives in the village and we sat next to each other on the bus coming home. Seraphina deliberately tipped Tessa's bag out so that everything fell on the floor.'
Gabe looked over Loren's shoulder at Eve, who stood grim-faced, arms folded, behind her. He thought he might find a suggestion of a smile, but Eve had no intention of encouraging him or Loren.
'I couldn't help it, Dad,' Loren went on. 'I just did what you taught me without thinking.'
Eve gave a disapproving shake of her head, her eyes glaring at Gabe, as if it was entirely his fault that Loren had punched Seraphina Blaney on the nose.
'Hey, wait a minute,' he said indignantly, his blue eyes wide as he returned Eve's accusatory glare. 'You can't pin this on me. Sounds to me if anyone's to blame it's this other kid, Seraphina.' He remembered where he had first heard the unsuitable name. 'Isn't she the big girl who was in the store the other day with her brother?'
Loren looked ashamedly down at the stone floor. She slowly nodded her head. 'Tessa said Quentin's been suspended for two weeks for fighting in school. Dad, Seraphina was picking on me all day.'
'Then you did good.'
'Gabe!' Eve was in despair.
'The other kid had it coming. Loren did right to defend herself and her friend.'
'Violence is never an answer,' Eve huffed.
'No, you're right,' Gabe agreed sheepishly, at the same time giving Loren a surreptitious wink.
Eve wasn't fooled. 'I saw that. I mean it. Punching someone—especially another girl—doesn't solve anything. Loren will only have to deal with the situation again tomorrow.'
'I'm guessing not,' asserted Gabe. 'Seraphina will have had enough.'
'You don't know that. Hitting her might only have made matters worse.'
Gabe saw that it would be pointless to continue defending his daughter. And he certainly didn't want it to sound like he was countenancing what she'd done (Eve would kill him if he did).
'How's your hand?' he asked Loren.
She held up her right hand so that he could see. 'I thought I'd broken some bones, but it's all right now, just a bit sore.'
Gabe couldn't help chuckling as he examined her knuckles. 'That must've been some punch.'
'I made her nose bleed.'
'You kept your thumb on the outside like I told you? You didn't tuck it inside your fist?'
'Gabe, will you stop this.' There was no humour whatsoever in Eve's expression. 'You shouldn't be giving her boxing lessons.'
'Hey, I'm making sure Loren doesn't break any of her own bones.'
'She's a girl. She's not supposed to fight. And if it comes to that, nor should boys. It's uncivilized.'
Gabe held up both hands in submission. 'Okay, you win. It was a bad thing and Loren won't do it again. Right, Slim?'
Loren nodded her head and Eve softened. 'But you'll let us know if this girl tries to bully you again, you hear me?'
Again, Loren nodded. 'Yes, Mum,' she said. But she and her father exchanged a secret smile.
•
Gabe stamped his feet on the rough mat just inside the kitchen door, shedding wet mud from his boots. Loren, who had accompanied him in the search for Chester, was already hanging her coat on the rack by the door.
Eve appraised Gabe anxiously and he shook his head. 'No luck,' he told her. 'No sign of him anywhere.'
Cally looked distraught and Loren went to Eve for a hug. Arms round Loren's shoulders, Eve said: 'What are we going to do?'
Gabe slipped off his coat and hung it beside Loren's. 'He might turn up on his own, either tonight or some time tomorrow. I'll make another search in the morning, a better one in the daylight.'
'Our London telephone number is on his collar. If someone finds Chester they won't be able to reach us.'
'I'll ring the local police if I don't find him in the morning. And we'll tell Percy to keep a lookout. I'm sure he'll pass the word on to the locals, so there'll be plenty keeping an eye out for the mutt. We'll get Chester back, don't you worry.'
•
'What's changed your mind?' Gabe was bewildered. 'A coupla days ago you didn't like Crickley Hall, you couldn't wait for us to pack our bags and leave.'
Gabe and Eve were in the sitting room. A fire blazed in the hearth, but Gabe had to lean forward in his armchair to catch any warmth. Eve sat opposite him on the couch and she, too, leaned forward, a mug of coffee in her hands, elbows resting on her knees. His coffee mug stood on a coaster close by his foot.
She did not know how to respond to Gabe's question. Blurting out that she'd seen ghosts here wouldn't do at all, because he would demand some kind of evidence of their existence and how could you prove something that wasn't real? He had not been witness to the dancing children; he had not felt Cam's hand soothing his brow.
'Come on, Eve, something must've changed your mind, so help me, tell me what it is.' He couldn't conceal his exasperation.
'I'm sorry, Gabe. It's difficult to explain.'
'Try me.'
'I just feel we need time to get used to the place.'
'That's what I said the other day and you wouldn't listen. It's cold and it's damp, and we keep hearing strange noises. And don't forget Chester—something here scared the hell out of the poor mutt. We don't need this kind of thing at this point in our lives. We got enough to worry about.' His tone changed, dropped in pitch. 'Look, I could see the agent tomorrow, see what else he's got on his books. We could probably be out by the end of the week. What d'you say?'
'Let's give it more time.' What she meant was give her more time, time to discover the meaning of the haunting, time to find out if it had anything to do with their missing son. She thought of a compromise. 'Let's wait just a few more days. If you still feel the same by then we'll move.'
'I can't help thinking that it should be me arguing with you to stay. That's how it was before. Why can't you tell me what's happened to change your mind?'
He was no fool; but then, she already knew that. 'Go with me on this, Gabe,' she pleaded and said no more.
With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair. 'Okay, you win,' he said reluctantly, not quite sure now why he wanted to leave Crickley Hall. Viewing more properties, packing, then unpacking again—he sure as hell didn't need it. But the compromise was fair. Sure, the house was uncomfortable—although it was almost cosy sitting here in front of a roaring fire, even if the heat did not extend too far beyond the hearth. Maybe they did need more time to settle in. Maybe Chester just hadn't liked the strangeness of the house—he was too used to their home in London. Maybe there were odd noises, puddles on the floor, doors that would not stay locked, but there was probably a logical reason for all those things. Wasn't there?