Devil in Disguise (27 page)

‘Yes.
What a difference a day makes.’

‘You
are even able to attempt some sort of musical reference. A great improvement, I
must say.’

‘I
think I might like a little fresh air,’ said Molly.

‘Goodness.
This is more than I had dared hope for. Such progress!’

Molly
went to the sofa and sat next to Lilia, taking her hand and holding it between
hers. ‘You really are a darling, Lilia. I don’t know what I’d have done without
you. Not only have you taken me in and looked after me, but hearing about what
you have survived, and what your parents went through — it was really humbling.
It made me realise how lucky I am. I mustn’t wallow in self-pity any longer.’ She
gave Lilia a hug.

‘You
are a very wise, very special girl,” said Lilia. ‘Why don’t you take Heathcliff
to the field? He’d love a run.’

As if
on cue, Heathcliff stood up and looked hopefully at Molly.

‘I’d
love to. Come on, Heathcliff!’

‘My boy
knows the way. Take it easy and try not to push yourself too far too soon,’
cautioned Lilia.

Heathcliff
did indeed know the way. He dragged Molly there at such a pace she was out of
breath by the time they arrived. As she leant over him to take his lead off so
he could run free, Heathcliff gazed at her with grateful, intelligent eyes.
‘There’s a good boy,’ said Molly, stroking his head and holding him under his
chin. ‘You look after Lilia, Lilia looks after me and I look after you.’

Heathcliff
seemed to smile at her before running off into the undergrowth in search of
rabbits. Molly began her walk, pushing herself a little beyond a gentle
strolling pace once she got going. There was a well-worn narrow track right
round the edge of the field, which occasionally branched off under a low
archway of brambles. Clearly, the path was used by badgers as much as humans.
Now and then Heathcliff would reappear, panting and full of excitement, as if
he were checking on her. After ten minutes she was flushed and aware of the
wind on her face. She felt an inner quiver of pleasure in her current activity.
All of a sudden she engaged with the world again, sensed the moisture in the
air and the spring in the turf beneath her feet. She tuned into the sounds of
the trees rustling and the birds singing.

Her
walk became a bouncy skip and, her hair flying about her like ribbons, she
began to sing herself, a sure sign of her spirits improving. She returned to
the cottage with rosy cheeks and a genuine smile.

Lilia
greeted Heathcliff like a long-lost son, then looked Molly up and down. ‘You
must not run before you can walk, Molly. Beneath those rosy cheeks, you are
still pale and wan. If we are not careful, you will have a terrible relapse.’

‘Oh,
no, I feel all right, honestly. The exercise has really perked me up.’

‘Your
feelings are deceptive. Yesterday you could not get out of bed,’ Lilia said
sternly.

Molly
didn’t want to argue. ‘You’re right, I expect, Lilia.’

‘We
have tomato soup for lunch. Then you must go back to bed. You are only at the
beginning of your recovery.’

‘I
know,’ said Molly, meekly. Lilia smiled at her, obviously pleased. ‘I really
don’t feel I could sleep any more, though.’

‘That’s
all very well but you are a long way from being able to face the future,’ she
said, shaking her head. ‘Visions of Daniel and Simon locked in carnal pleasure
will come back to bite you. The pain has dipped beneath the surface
temporarily. It will return. What you are experiencing is a very severe case of
post-traumatic stress disorder.’

‘But I
feel quite positive about my situation, in a way,’ Molly argued. ‘While I was
out walking with Heathcliff, I had the chance to think things through and I’ve
realised that now I have the chance to start my life over again. It’s time to
be on my way.’

‘No!’ snapped
Lilia. ‘You are in denial! You have a broken heart. This has caused your pulse
to slow to such a rate that your brain is being starved of oxygen.’

‘I’m
not that bad, Lilia.’ The old lady was talking nonsense now and Molly wasn’t
going to listen to it for much longer. ‘I’ve taken enough of your hospitality
and I should leave you in peace. By the way, I looked in my coat pocket for my
mobile and I couldn’t find it. Do you know where it is? I’m going to call Jane
and see if I can go and stay with her for a bit.’

‘But
you are not ready, my child. I knew your phone would be full of calls from
those traitors, begging you to forgive them, so I removed it temporarily. I
cannot expose you to it. You can have it back when you’re stronger.’ Lilia rose
to her feet. ‘Now you are up and out of bed,’ I was going to suggest we do some
therapeutic singing at the piano. I have plans for you.’

‘I
can’t stay here for ever, Lilia. I’m so grateful to you, but I’ve made up my
mind to go, so if you don’t mind giving me my phone—’

Lilia
interrupted her, a look of panic on her face. ‘Oh, my goodness! I left poor
Joey in the bath!’ She dashed out of the room. A moment later, Molly heard a
worrying thud from Lilia’s bathroom and a horrified scream. She rushed to the
room and saw Lilia sitting on the floor by the bath. Joey was naked, sprawled
over the side of the tub, half in and half out of the wire-mesh hammock that
lifted him from the water.

‘The
hoist got stuck,’ said Lilia, her face red with distress. ‘He fell out.’

Molly
took charge of the situation. ‘It’s okay, Lilia, I’ll take care of Joey. Everything’s
going to be all right. There, there, Joey, that’s better.’ She put her arms
under his and, without much effort, lifted his sparrow-like frame out of the
sling, then lowered him gently to the floor. She wrapped a towel round his
waist, picked him up in her arms and carried him into the bedroom. Lilia got to
her feet and followed.

‘What a
strong girl you are! Like a fireman,’ she said, as Molly deposited Joey on the
bed, laying him carefully down. She looked at her reflection in the
dressing-table mirror, pulled her skirt straight, adjusted her pink crocheted
waistcoat, and patted her hair. ‘Thank you so much, dear Molly. How lucky you
were here.’

‘It
could have been worse. Are you in one piece?’

‘More
or less. I know it could have been far, far worse. I left him there for a bit
of a soak and then you came back with the dog and— Oh dear.’ Lilia began to cry
dry, tearless sobs.

Molly
turned from Joey to comfort her. ‘He’s fine now, love, don’t worry.’

‘I try
to be a good wife.’ Lilia’s voice was trembling. She picked up a giant
disposable nappy from a pile next to the bed and handed it to Molly, wincing a
little with the effort. ‘I do not always succeed. He needs this putting on now.
Would you mind? I’m still rather shaken.’

Molly
hesitated, but then, as Lilia shuffled out of the room, moaning with
discomfort, she saw she had very little choice. She attached the nappy swiftly,
trying not to look at Joey’s poor, shrivelled genitals. Then she spotted a pair
of clean pyjamas folded on the pillow so she put those on him too, wrestling
his delicate limbs, with skin like tissue paper, into the jacket and trousers.
When that was done, she laid him down so his head was on the pillow, pulled the
sheet and blankets over him and gave him a rub on the shoulder. ‘All right,
Joey? You just take it easy while I go and check on Lilia.’

The old
man held her in his gaze, his face frozen with shock.

She
found Lilia in the lounge, watching a quiz on the television.

‘This
woman will go home with nothing,’ she declared, when she noticed Molly had come
in. She gestured at the screen. ‘You can see it in her eyes. She does not think
she deserves the big money so her expectations will be fulfilled. Dozy cow.
Look,’ I told you, she has lost the lot.’

‘Joey’s
resting now, Lilia. Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?’

Lilia
tore herself away from the television screen. ‘I bruise so easily. I think I
landed on both my elbows. Tomorrow it will be worse.’

‘Oh
dear. Would you like me to call your doctor?’

‘No
doctors, please!’ said Lilia,’ looking alarmed. ‘I don’t allow them in the
house if I can help it. They will try to take my Joey away from me. He could
not bear that. It would kill him.’

‘I’m
sure you should be entitled to some help caring for him. Have you spoken to
your GP or the council? You could have someone come in and help you to bath
him. Do the shopping and the cleaning.’

‘No,”
said Lilia, stubbornly. ‘It would be the beginning of the end. Please don’t
tell anyone. It was just a silly mistake. Promise me?’

‘It’s a
lot for you to cope with, Lilia,” said Molly, softly. ‘No one wants to take
Joey away.’

‘We are
fine!’

‘You’ve
bruised yourself. You said it would be worse tomorrow.’

‘But
you will help me, won’t you? Just for a few days?’ Lilia sounded like a
helpless child. Molly didn’t see how she could refuse. ‘I’ve just seen how
wonderfully you dealt with my husband,” continued Lilia. ‘He is in very safe
hands with you. You have a gift, my dear,’ she said flatteringly.

Now she
had decided to go, Molly was keen to get on her way. ‘It’s ever so nice to be
asked but—’

Lilia
turned the television off ‘I’m not asking, Molly dearest,’ I’m saying there is
no alternative. I have badly bruised my tired old brittle bones. Surely you can
help for just a couple of days?’

‘I
still think you should get some professional help. I’m sure you’re entitled
to—’

‘I’ll
tell you what I am entitled to,’ said Lilia raising her voice. ‘A little
gratitude. I took you in, in the middle of the night. You were a wreck, a ruin
and a shrine to despair. I have fed you and nursed you and listened to your
darkest ramblings—’

‘I
know, and I’m very grateful. But—’

‘But
what? Thank you and goodbye?’ Lilia stared at Molly, her eyes hurt and angry.

Molly
didn’t want to upset her if she could help it. She knew she didn’t really have
a choice. How could she leave the old woman unable to care for her husband?
‘Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll stay and help you look after Joey, just for a couple of
days, until you’re better.’

‘Yes.
Just a few days,’ said Lilia, reverting to her helpless-old-lady voice. ‘A week
at most. Then I will be able to resume my wifely duties. Thank you, Molly. I
know you’ll make an excellent carer. She pressed the remote control once again
and the television came back on. ‘Joey doesn’t want to be in bed at this time
of the day. Could you get him dressed and into his chair?
Neighbours
is
on in fifteen minutes. It’s his favourite.’

Molly
returned to the bedroom where Joey lay on his back, his eyes still open.
‘Hello, there, Joey. I’m going to get you up so you can watch some telly. I’ll
be standing in for Lilia for a couple of days while her bruises heal.’

In a
wardrobe she found some trousers, a shirt and a jumper. She felt more
comfortable if she chatted to him while she went about her task, taking off his
pyjamas and getting his clothes on to him. ‘Grey and blue? That will look nice,
won’t it? This jumper’s ever so soft, isn’t it? Should keep you nice and warm.’

She
wheeled the chair to the side of the bed, manoeuvred him into it, then pushed
him through to the lounge just as the
Neighbours
theme tune was playing.
The three of them sat and watched it together.

When it
finished, Lilia turned to Joey and said, ‘Are you hungry, my dear?’

Joey
stared blankly at the television screen.

‘Yes,
he is,’ she said, turning to Molly. ‘There are tins of Cow and Gate in the
cupboard. Chicken and rice. He likes that. And Complan for afters.’

Molly
went off to prepare Joey’s supper, telling herself firmly that helping Lilia
was the least she could do under the circumstances.

The next morning started
rather differently from the previous three. Molly was woken at 7.30 a.m. by a
brisk rap on her bedroom door. Lilia strode into the room and opened the
curtains. There was no tea on a tray. ‘Now then,’ she barked. ‘It is a brand
new day and you have a lot to achieve. Chop, chop! A cold bath,’ I have
decided, will wake you up. I have run it for you. Then you can walk Heathcliff
after breakfast, which will be only fruit and black coffee. Your duties with
Joey begin after that.’

‘Fruit?
Cold bath?’ said a bewildered Molly, still only half awake. Is she joking? she
wondered drowsily.

‘You
came to me a broken woman and, having mended you, I intend to test my patient,’
said Lilia, standing with her back to the window, hands on hips and leaning over
Molly in a matronly manner. ‘You will eat fruit because it is slimming,’ she
continued, her chin quivering as she warmed to her theme and gathered pace.
‘Let’s face it, Molly. You are on the buxom side. Maybe you have convinced
yourself that you can carry off this look, but I am here to tell you
otherwise.’

Molly
was aghast. ‘Lilia,’ please!’ she said, pulling the blanket up to her throat.
‘I’m a healthy, big-boned girl.’