Read Online The Stranger Next Door by Miranda Barnes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Miranda Barnes
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readily enough. So work could begin.
Anna waited until the rubble was cleared away. Then she and the children moved back into the house. They were pleased to be back in their own home. Tom stayed in his room for hours, happy to be re-united with his cars and trucks, and the rest of his worldly possessions. Lisa was happy, too, but she wrinkled her nose at the smell. Anna assured her it would soon go now the windows were all open.
'Besides,' she added, 'we'll do some painting. That will help. What colour would you like your room to be?'
'Pink!' Lisa said with enthusiasm.
Anna grimaced. She hated pink. It was so … girly!
'Well, that's what she is,' Pippa said on the phone. 'A girl.'
'You don't need to tell me that,' Anna complained. 'But wouldn't you think she'd want something more … vibrant?'
'Feminism hasn't hit the young ones yet, Anna. It's just the teens that want to be grown-up and post-modern.'
Anna sighed. 'I suppose you're right. But pink! Really. It's so conventional.'
'Well, you never know. Tom might surprise you.'
'He won't. He'll want blue. I'm going to shock them both. I'm going to go for deep burgundy, or something equally lively, for my room.'
Pippa laughed and changed the subject. 'Have you got everything you need up there, Anna?'
'Just about. If not, I'll pop down to the village this afternoon. I'll call in to see you, if we do.'
'Please do. The house seems empty without you three.'
'I'll bet!'
But she knew the message was well meant. Pippa and Derek, and their boys, had all been wonderful the past week.
She soon found she was short of the very fundamentals of life on the hill now she had no fridge. That would have to be remedied soon, she told herself. She would buy a new fridge and stand it in the hall until the kitchen was rebuilt. Meanwhile, she needed to make a trip into the village. No matter how much food she bought, they never seemed to have enough and there was always something she'd forgotten.
It was an opportunity as well as a chore, an opportunity to acquaint Daniel with the world outside his four walls. And she would do it, she decided, without giving him the chance to think about it and say no. She would just knock on his door and confront him.
With a giggling Lisa and a curious Tom in tow, that's what she did.
'We're all going down to the village, Daniel, to do a bit of shopping. Will you come with us?'
'Oh, hello! You're back in residence, are you?'
'As of an hour ago. Yes. Will you come?'
'I don't really ….'
'Now!' she insisted.
'Now!' Lisa and Tom chorused.
Daniel looked as startled as any rabbit caught in headlights. They were being unfair, Anna knew, but they stood their ground.
'By car?' he queried.
'By walking,' Anna said firmly. 'The time has come.'
'All right,' he said reluctantly, and with a sigh. 'I'll just get my jacket. I suppose a walk might do me good.'
They walked down the hill as a group. The children were excited to be back on their own familiar ground, and excited, too, to have Daniel with them. Anna was on edge but trying hard not to be. She knew how difficult this must be for Daniel, and she wanted to distract him. Stop him worrying and feeling apprehensive.
Besides, she was convinced the problem really was mostly in his own head. His face was horribly scarred, it was true, at least on one side, and people would certainly notice. But only at first, just as they would notice any strange face. Once they had seen him a few times, they would simply accept that that was how it was, what he looked like. Already it had happened to her, and seemingly to the children. Already they were far more concerned with the person behind the face, which was exactly how it should be.
'Where is this village?' Daniel enquired. 'I'm beginning to wonder if it exists.'
'Down there!' Lisa shouted, pointing down the road.
'Down there!' Tom echoed.
Daniel peered doubtfully into the distance. 'I don't know,' he said, shaking his head. 'Do you think we've come the
Anna waited until the rubble was cleared away. Then she and the children moved back into the house. They were pleased to be back in their own home. Tom stayed in his room for hours, happy to be re-united with his cars and trucks, and the rest of his worldly possessions. Lisa was happy, too, but she wrinkled her nose at the smell. Anna assured her it would soon go now the windows were all open.
'Besides,' she added, 'we'll do some painting. That will help. What colour would you like your room to be?'
'Pink!' Lisa said with enthusiasm.
Anna grimaced. She hated pink. It was so … girly!
'Well, that's what she is,' Pippa said on the phone. 'A girl.'
'You don't need to tell me that,' Anna complained. 'But wouldn't you think she'd want something more … vibrant?'
'Feminism hasn't hit the young ones yet, Anna. It's just the teens that want to be grown-up and post-modern.'
Anna sighed. 'I suppose you're right. But pink! Really. It's so conventional.'
'Well, you never know. Tom might surprise you.'
'He won't. He'll want blue. I'm going to shock them both. I'm going to go for deep burgundy, or something equally lively, for my room.'
Pippa laughed and changed the subject. 'Have you got everything you need up there, Anna?'
'Just about. If not, I'll pop down to the village this afternoon. I'll call in to see you, if we do.'
'Please do. The house seems empty without you three.'
'I'll bet!'
But she knew the message was well meant. Pippa and Derek, and their boys, had all been wonderful the past week.
She soon found she was short of the very fundamentals of life on the hill now she had no fridge. That would have to be remedied soon, she told herself. She would buy a new fridge and stand it in the hall until the kitchen was rebuilt. Meanwhile, she needed to make a trip into the village. No matter how much food she bought, they never seemed to have enough and there was always something she'd forgotten.
It was an opportunity as well as a chore, an opportunity to acquaint Daniel with the world outside his four walls. And she would do it, she decided, without giving him the chance to think about it and say no. She would just knock on his door and confront him.
With a giggling Lisa and a curious Tom in tow, that's what she did.
'We're all going down to the village, Daniel, to do a bit of shopping. Will you come with us?'
'Oh, hello! You're back in residence, are you?'
'As of an hour ago. Yes. Will you come?'
'I don't really ….'
'Now!' she insisted.
'Now!' Lisa and Tom chorused.
Daniel looked as startled as any rabbit caught in headlights. They were being unfair, Anna knew, but they stood their ground.
'By car?' he queried.
'By walking,' Anna said firmly. 'The time has come.'
'All right,' he said reluctantly, and with a sigh. 'I'll just get my jacket. I suppose a walk might do me good.'
They walked down the hill as a group. The children were excited to be back on their own familiar ground, and excited, too, to have Daniel with them. Anna was on edge but trying hard not to be. She knew how difficult this must be for Daniel, and she wanted to distract him. Stop him worrying and feeling apprehensive.
Besides, she was convinced the problem really was mostly in his own head. His face was horribly scarred, it was true, at least on one side, and people would certainly notice. But only at first, just as they would notice any strange face. Once they had seen him a few times, they would simply accept that that was how it was, what he looked like. Already it had happened to her, and seemingly to the children. Already they were far more concerned with the person behind the face, which was exactly how it should be.
'Where is this village?' Daniel enquired. 'I'm beginning to wonder if it exists.'
'Down there!' Lisa shouted, pointing down the road.
'Down there!' Tom echoed.
Daniel peered doubtfully into the distance. 'I don't know,' he said, shaking his head. 'Do you think we've come the
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