‘Are you coming to the ball tonight?’
‘No.’ Ben shook his head. ‘Not my thing. Come on, Bess.’
The dog sprang to her feet.
‘I’ll see you all tomorrow then?’ Ben looked around the room at them before he turned to leave.
Grace went to see him out. She wished he were coming to the ball. She enjoyed his unobtrusive company, and wanted to get to know him better.
‘Thanks again for the tree,’ she called after him belatedly as he neared the gate, with Bess trotting behind him.
He didn’t turn, just waved a hand in reply.
20
Freeborough Hall loomed sturdy and imposing at the end of a long circular driveway, lights blazing from the downstairs rooms. Grace grasped the skirt of her long black satin dress so that it wouldn’t trail along the wet ground, and headed towards the ornate doorway with the others.
Annabel had borrowed a sparkly silver number that Grace hadn’t worn in years, while James had managed to hire a tuxedo in town. He fiddled with his cufflinks as they made their way up the steps. At the top they were greeted by two elderly women, in similar royal blue knee-length dresses that looked more appropriate for church than for a ball.
After parting with their tickets and entering the raffle, they headed along a wide corridor in the direction of voices and music.
‘Look at these,’ James said, as he glanced up at the large disembodied head of a stag, its beady eyes glaring malevolently down at them – one of a number of animal trophies that were mounted between various works of art.
‘I’d rather not, thanks,’ Annabel replied.
They entered the large function room to see the party in full swing. Multicoloured balloons were bunched at regular intervals around the wall, streamers trailing from them. The stage and the bar area were well lit, but the rest of the light came from small lamps on each table. People milled around, or sat in groups holding animated conversation, while a few had already taken to the floor, dancing to a swing band. Grace glanced at the double bass player, his eyes closed as he plucked fiercely at strings, and wondered what it would be like to be that absorbed in something. When was the last time she had lost herself like that? She couldn’t remember.
‘Where the hell did all these people come from?’ James murmured.
They bought drinks and found an empty table, but it didn’t take long before Annabel began cajoling them all to dance.
‘All right then,’ James muttered crossly as Annabel pulled him from his seat. ‘Come on, Grace, you too.’
But Grace shook her head as they got up and moved to the dance floor, and after a few attempts at waving her over to join them, James gave up. Annabel began sashaying around with her arms in the air, while James did his best impression of a swing king, bending double and clicking his fingers to each side of his knees, nodding his head enthusiastically. Grace was laughing at them when she heard someone saying her name, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She swung around to see Claire.
‘Hi Grace.’ Claire was smiling. ‘My family are over there – come and say hello.’
Grace got up and followed Claire across the room to a large round table. ‘Everyone,’ Claire announced, ‘this is Grace.’
Conversation drifted away as all eyes fell on her. On the far side, a burly, shaven-headed man had his hand placed proprietorially on the thigh of the woman next to him. The woman was observing the dance floor, and Grace saw that she had a pretty elfin face and dark hair piled high on top of her head. Nearest to Grace, a woman with long auburn hair had turned to stare, her face sombre. Last of all, Grace spotted Meredith in a dim corner close to the wall, one elbow on the table, the heel of her palm elegantly propping up her chin as she coolly regarded the dance floor.
‘These are my younger sisters, Liza and Jenny,’ Claire said, gesturing to the women as she spoke. ‘And over there is Liza’s husband Dan. Everyone, this is Grace.’
‘Hello Grace,’ Meredith said from her shadowy corner, her mouth barely moving. ‘Claire, can I talk to you for a moment?’
Claire moved across to her mother, leaving Grace on her own. As she looked around, her gaze fell on Jenny, whose long red hair was familiar. Then she realised: this was the person she had seen leaving Ben’s house when she’d been out walking. Perhaps Ben was the ‘someone’ Claire had referred to when she’d said Jenny was in a new relationship. She realised too late that she was staring, and Jenny was regarding her with a frown. Grace averted her eyes.
Dan got up and held out a hand. ‘Nice to meet you,’ he said without smiling as they shook. ‘So you’re living in Roseby? Claire said you’re from London – the change of scene must have taken a bit of getting used to?’
‘Yes, it has.’ She shook his hand, expecting more conversation, but he sat down and began rolling a cigarette. Grace remembered Emma telling her about him, and tried to picture him as a policeman. His manner was both abrupt and slightly menacing, and she was grateful that it was Niall and not this man who’d been sent to help her on the night Adam disappeared.
‘How are you getting on at the cottage?’ Liza asked. ‘Mum says you’re busy sorting through everything?’
Grace wondered if they knew about Meredith’s interest in the place. ‘Yes, but I’m enjoying the break for Christmas.’
Before Liza could say any more, Jenny leaned across the table and said something to Dan. He looked down at the tablecloth and let out a short bark of laughter, and Grace saw Jenny’s eyes flicker to her, then away. Grace began to feel uneasy, but was saved as the music stopped and it was announced that the raffle was about to be drawn.
‘Good to meet you all,’ she said, glancing around to find Meredith’s eyes fixed on her. Claire began to move towards her again, but Grace pretended she hadn’t seen, and hurried away.
Annabel and James were already back at their table. ‘Where did you go?’ Annabel asked accusingly. ‘You left my purse on the chair, it could have been stolen.’
‘I’m not here to babysit your handbag,’ Grace retorted. ‘Look after it yourself.’
‘All right, calm down.’ Annabel glared at her.
Their attention shifted towards the stage as the raffle was drawn. Grace glanced at her tickets, then screwed them up. Then the lights were dimmed again, the music resumed, and everyone went back to their conversations. Trying her best to absorb the carefree atmosphere, for a while Grace chattered inconsequentially to Annabel and James over another glass of wine, but she felt as though she were alone in an invisible bubble. ‘Time for another dance,’ Annabel announced a little while later, and James agreed, saying, ‘This time you’re coming too, Grace,’ but dancing was a step too far for her tonight, in front of all these people, particularly when she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.
She decided she would go for a walk rather than sitting by herself next to the packed dance floor. She thought she might find a moment’s solitude in the ladies’ bathroom, but when she arrived there was a queue of women gossiping animatedly while they waited for a cubicle. So she headed back beneath the leering parade of hunting trophies, towards the main doors of the building. The old women who had welcomed them were no longer there, and she leaned against the cool stone wall, breathing in the frigid air, feeling the chill of the night seeping through her skin and into her bones.
‘Grace?’ a female voice said.
Grace whirled around. One of Meredith’s daughters was standing behind her, contemplating Grace nervously.
‘Liza, isn’t it?’ Grace queried.
‘Yes,’ the woman replied, a small jewel in her brown hair glinting in the soft light. ‘I need to talk to you. Alone. It’s about Adam.’
