Read Online The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards - Free Book Online
Authors: Martin Edwards
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The line below the platform was awash with puddles after a sudden cloudburst, the sky was as grey as the stone station waiting room. Daniel considered mentioning that Oxenholme station was designed by the man who built the Bank of England, but thought better of it. Louise’s arrival had been delayed by fifty minutes (engineering works), the on-train buffet had been closed (staff shortages) and she’d spent the journey sharing a table with three Macbeth-like witches who discussed their digestions at the top of their voices (deafness coupled withcontempt for the fit and youthful). She wasn’t in the mood to be impressed by local trivia. Not that Louise was often in the mood to be impressed.
As he led his sister down the ramp to the tunnel that linked the parking areas on either side of the station, he stole a sideways glance at her. All at once, her resemblance to their late mother was striking and, as much as he’d loved Mum, he was sorry to recognise the similarities. Gone were the flowing dark tresses, replaced by a severe bob in her natural mousy shade. She’d never liked going out without ‘having her face on’ but now the make-up was confined to a touch of colour in otherwise pallid cheeks. If she seemed tinier than before, it wasn’t merely because of the flat shoes. He guessed she might have lost as much as a stone; there were lines around her mouth that he hadn’t seen before. Not even when she’d suffered from anorexia in her late teens, a phase that persisted until an ardent if acned suitor who lived next door helped her recover her self-esteem . He yearned to put his arm around her, but he knew that if he did, chances were that she’d shrug it off with a furious remark.
He’d left his Audi in a marked space on the brow of the hill above Kendal. As they emerged into the light, she halted on the edge of the pavement and took in the prospect of the fells in the distance.
‘This is where he lived with her, isn’t it, Oxenholme?’
He’d meant to avoid mentioning their father. Her resentment of the old man was excessive, but too deeply ingrained to be smoothed away overnight. He should have known better than to believe that they could gloss over the past.
‘Cheryl’s in Grange-over-Sands now. She’s moved in with someone else.’
‘You looked her up?’
Her voice rose; she was too astonished to be angry. For her, Cheryl was the serpent who had tempted their father into destroying his family’s happiness and he’d been too weak to resist. She’d never met Cheryl, but like her mother, she hated the woman with blind ferocity.
‘I was curious.’
Louise was struggling for calm. ‘You were always too curious for your own good.’
He heaved the suitcases into the car and slammed the boot shut. ‘Believe it or not, I felt sorry for her.’
Louise swore. ‘You’re joking!’
‘She’s not ageing well and the man she lives with is an old misery. He’s obviously planning to spend his retirement looking around for errands she can run for him. Waiting for her to mess up so he has something fresh to complain about.’
‘Serves her right, the selfish bitch.’
‘He used to be her boss.’
Louise grunted. ‘That was her modus operandi, wasn’t it? Seducing men she worked for.’
They drove through the town in silence. As they turned on to the road that led to Brackdale, she said, ‘I know I look a fright.’
‘A bit wan, that’s all.’
‘I’ve lost a bit of weight too.’
‘Not a bad thing.’
‘Still not got any manners, then?’ She hesitated before saying, ‘Thanks for letting me stay with you.’
‘I’m glad you came.’
‘Who knows, in a couple of weeks people might start mistaking me for a country maid, with pig-tails and cheeks like apples.’
He laughed. ‘So this is your first time in the Lakes since that holiday?’
He’d wanted to keep their conversation on safe ground, but with Louise you could never be sure what was safe ground. In a moment, the
As he led his sister down the ramp to the tunnel that linked the parking areas on either side of the station, he stole a sideways glance at her. All at once, her resemblance to their late mother was striking and, as much as he’d loved Mum, he was sorry to recognise the similarities. Gone were the flowing dark tresses, replaced by a severe bob in her natural mousy shade. She’d never liked going out without ‘having her face on’ but now the make-up was confined to a touch of colour in otherwise pallid cheeks. If she seemed tinier than before, it wasn’t merely because of the flat shoes. He guessed she might have lost as much as a stone; there were lines around her mouth that he hadn’t seen before. Not even when she’d suffered from anorexia in her late teens, a phase that persisted until an ardent if acned suitor who lived next door helped her recover her self-esteem . He yearned to put his arm around her, but he knew that if he did, chances were that she’d shrug it off with a furious remark.
He’d left his Audi in a marked space on the brow of the hill above Kendal. As they emerged into the light, she halted on the edge of the pavement and took in the prospect of the fells in the distance.
‘This is where he lived with her, isn’t it, Oxenholme?’
He’d meant to avoid mentioning their father. Her resentment of the old man was excessive, but too deeply ingrained to be smoothed away overnight. He should have known better than to believe that they could gloss over the past.
‘Cheryl’s in Grange-over-Sands now. She’s moved in with someone else.’
‘You looked her up?’
Her voice rose; she was too astonished to be angry. For her, Cheryl was the serpent who had tempted their father into destroying his family’s happiness and he’d been too weak to resist. She’d never met Cheryl, but like her mother, she hated the woman with blind ferocity.
‘I was curious.’
Louise was struggling for calm. ‘You were always too curious for your own good.’
He heaved the suitcases into the car and slammed the boot shut. ‘Believe it or not, I felt sorry for her.’
Louise swore. ‘You’re joking!’
‘She’s not ageing well and the man she lives with is an old misery. He’s obviously planning to spend his retirement looking around for errands she can run for him. Waiting for her to mess up so he has something fresh to complain about.’
‘Serves her right, the selfish bitch.’
‘He used to be her boss.’
Louise grunted. ‘That was her modus operandi, wasn’t it? Seducing men she worked for.’
They drove through the town in silence. As they turned on to the road that led to Brackdale, she said, ‘I know I look a fright.’
‘A bit wan, that’s all.’
‘I’ve lost a bit of weight too.’
‘Not a bad thing.’
‘Still not got any manners, then?’ She hesitated before saying, ‘Thanks for letting me stay with you.’
‘I’m glad you came.’
‘Who knows, in a couple of weeks people might start mistaking me for a country maid, with pig-tails and cheeks like apples.’
He laughed. ‘So this is your first time in the Lakes since that holiday?’
He’d wanted to keep their conversation on safe ground, but with Louise you could never be sure what was safe ground. In a moment, the
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