Read Online Shimmer by Hilary Norman - Free Book Online

get it, sis.’
    â€˜Me neither,’ Claudia said, wretchedly. ‘But then, I don’t really get what happened in the first place, with Kevin.’
    â€˜I’m not sure that’s quite true,’ Grace said. ‘You said you were at a low ebb, said you’d been feeling “cold”, said—’
    â€˜Please,’ Claudia said, quickly, ‘don’t be scornful. I don’t think I can cope with that.’
    â€˜How do you think Daniel’s going to cope,’ Grace said quietly, ‘if he sees the photos? When he realizes you lied to him about coming here, that you were escaping, running away.’
    â€˜You make it sound as if I want to hurt him.’
    â€˜I don’t mean to,’ Grace said. ‘I know it’s not in your nature to want to hurt anyone, and certainly not someone you love as much as Daniel.’ She paused. ‘That’s assuming you do still love him.’
    â€˜Oh, God, yes,’ Claudia said. ‘That’s why I left, don’t you see? If I’d stayed, I’d have had no choice but to tell him the whole truth, and I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his face when I told him – and sure, I know it won’t be any better if he hears it from that snake , it’ll be even worse, but at least I won’t be there.’ She shrugged. ‘I told you I’m a coward. Now you know.’
    Joshua began, suddenly, to cry, and Grace stood up swiftly to retrieve him from the playpen, Woody wagging his tail as she came close, then settling down again, resigned to being ignored.
    â€˜I guess I’ve been hoping,’ Claudia went on, ‘that maybe Jerome won’t go to Daniel, because after all, what would be the point? Once Dan knows the truth, there’s no hope of a payout.’
    The baby had already stopped crying, but Grace, grateful for the comfort of his warm, solid body in her arms, began to walk back and forth in the small room, kissing the top of his head, consoled by him.
    â€˜So what now?’ She stopped moving, looked down at her sister.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Claudia said.
    â€˜Do you think,’ Grace asked, slowly, already repelled by the idea, ‘that I should call Frank?’
    â€˜God, no,’ Claudia said. ‘What for?’
    â€˜Intervention, maybe?’ Grace said.
    â€˜Surely he’s the last person in the world we want to talk to,’ Claudia said. ‘And I don’t think for a single minute that he’d be interested in helping.’
    â€˜I guess not,’ Grace said. ‘What about Roxanne? Maybe if she knew what her son had been up to . . .’
    â€˜That would mean telling her what I’ve done,’ Claudia said, appalled.
    â€˜Maybe she already knows,’ Grace said, then shook her head. ‘I guess it’s not my best idea.’ She paused. ‘Let’s wait and see what Sam thinks.’
    â€˜Do we have to tell Sam?’
    â€˜Yes,’ Grace said. ‘It’s the reason you’ve come to us.’ She saw fresh misery in her sister’s expression. ‘I mean, I know it’s your personal business, but now you’ve shared it with me . . . I don’t keep anything from Sam these days.’
    â€˜All right,’ Claudia said.
    â€˜You said that you need my help, sis.’ Grace sat down on the sofa again, settled Joshua on her lap, gave him his rattle. ‘I’m just not sure – other than being here for you – what I can actually do to help.’
    â€˜I don’t know that either.’ Claudia paused. ‘Maybe I just need you to help me work out why this has happened. Why I’ve done such destructive things, why I even looked at Kevin in the first place.’
    Joshua was content again, sucking on his rattle, leaning into his mother.
    Every last trace of Grace’s exasperation had melted away.
    â€˜Have you really been so terribly