One Moment At Sunrise Read online

  Cally squeezed her niece and at the same time kissed her cheek repeatedly, before sitting her in her highchair at the end of the table.

  Evie battled to control the tear escaping down her cheek. It splashed, staining the table. If her sister had seen it, then thankfully she wasn’t fussing. They ate in silence.

  Cally’s rapid jerk startled her. Evie frowned as her sister glared at the bushes a few feet away.

  ‘Hello.’ Cally leaped out of her seat, gripping her knife and racing to a boundary hedge. Leaning forward and stretching out her neck, she called, ‘I know you’re there.’

  Chapter 9

  ‘Here, hold Charlotte,’ Cally said, dashing back to Evie who was now on her feet, stunned and holding out her arms. Cally extracted Charlotte from her highchair and passed her to her mum.

  ‘You be careful,’ Evie warned as she heard a rustling on the other side of the tall shrubs, then a thump.

  She watched as her sister unlocked the front gate and raced down the side of the property, where a path led to the canal. Tempted to run out after her, Evie turned and unbolted another gate by the table leading to the front of the house which faced the canal. She ran straight to the railing on the front terrace, flicking her head both ways along the grassy stretch beside the water. Only her sister appeared from the alley, gasping for breath.

  ‘Strange. Whoever it was must have jumped the fence into that garden. Probably still in there.’

  Cally scrunched her hair with her hands and pulled it to one side. ‘Ok. Keep a watch on that gate this end, I’ll go back to the other.’

  Several minutes later, Cally appeared on the terrace behind Evie. ‘He’s not coming out, is he?’

  Evie felt the blood rush from her cheeks. ‘Clearly not, if it is a he?’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure it was a he. Dark hair, quite young. I just saw part of a face. Unnerving to say the least. Have you noticed anyone before?’

  ‘No. That cottage is being renovated. I doubt if it was Bram. Maybe it’s some paparazzi. That’ll please Seb – not! Go back to the back entrance and I’ll go and knock at the front. Hold Charlotte a moment, I need to climb out.’ Evie passed Charlotte to Cally and at the corner post hurled one leg over before leaning forward and kicking over the other. ‘Ouch. Not a recommended route,’ she said rubbing her inner thigh and taking Charlotte back before pottering off to the neighbouring gate.

  Once in, Evie banged the door knocker twice, peeking her head to the side where a low picket fence edged the side and rear gardens. There was no sign of an intruder nor was there any answer from the cottage. Whoever it was could be in the back, but there was no way she could hurdle over the thicket of shrubs. She pondered whether to wait, hearing fast footsteps from the alley. Her sister appeared, almost breathless.

  ‘We missed him. He’d come out and was running down the track. I chased for a while but he was too fast. I saw him run down the road and hop onto a bike.’ Cally stopped to breathe. ‘He’s short, about our height I suppose, dark hair with jeans and a green t-shirt.’

  ‘Oh, Cally, bless you,’ Evie said, gripping her sister’s shoulder, ‘you’re so brave, running after him. I wonder if he’s from the press?’

  Cally’s chest heaved and she pressed her hand to her collarbones. ‘Evie, he could be a menace, especially when you’re on your own here.’

  ‘But I’ve never seen anyone before. Maybe he was walking passed, was just having a nose, and panicked when he heard you call.’

  ‘You’re so trusting. Why did he run like hell, and why would he leave his bike down the road?’

  Evie’s hand flew to her mouth and her stomach lurched. She took in a deep breath. ‘Shit. You’re right.’ Her hand curled around Charlotte. ‘That is weird behaviour. I’ll have to work out the security system. I have to admit, Seb’s a bit of an anorak when it comes to using the alarms and cameras. He did show me but I’m hopeless. But why would he be snooping? It can only be the press.’

  Cally began walking and Evie followed, stopping to watch as her sister rolled over the railing to the terrace as simply as walking through a door. She handed Charlotte to Cally’s waiting arms and attempted the easy-looking manoeuvre with less dignity.

  ‘Ooh, ouch,’ she said, clambering off-balance to one side. ‘Out of practice, clearly.’

  ‘Perhaps he’s a stalker. I didn’t see him carrying a camera. We’ll have a look at your security, and keep your eyes peeled, anywhere, any time. Maybe we can catch him if you have CCTV.’

  Evie scanned behind her as she held the gate open for Cally, who was still holding Charlotte. Immediately, she secured the lock and ran her fingers around her neck, pinching her hairline.

  ‘Ok, erm, right, did you lock the double gates?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Let me get Charlotte a drink and I’ll get the security info – if I can remember where I’ve put it.’

  ‘Well let’s not spoil your lovely lunch but yes, priority afterwards, and then we can walk down to the supermarket and I’ll buy some more wine. Oh, have you got candles for the cake?’

  Keeping a grip on her lip, Evie was only half listening. Would the press be onto them? ‘Ah, good think…’

  ‘And some candles for the cake.’ Cally affirmed. ‘Come on, relax. I don’t think he’ll be in a rush to come back. He knows we’re onto him. Enjoy your lunch. We have a party to organise.’

  Feeling nauseous and trying to contain her frenzy, Evie relished her sister’s help and specifically, Cally’s penchant for survival skills. She admired her tendency to question everything, and she didn’t hesitate to scare the man off. Although Evie had a curious mind for certain things, her sister certainly had high self-awareness. A trait she lacked. Whether it was innate or whether Cally had learned to adapt – coping with living alone, having to make her way home in the early hours of the morning – she could only guess, but compared to herself, she had the prowess of a tiger. She was certainly more conscious of her surroundings and safety, plus she’d quickly managed to get the cameras and security working, explaining it better than Seb. She just hoped she could remember it all.

  Returning from their shopping trip, her sister had also revealed a penchant for creativity Evie hadn’t encountered before. Cally had bought fondant icing for the cake; so much icing that in fact, she had not only covered the cake, but also inserted two fondant ears at the top, then added pink fondant features – transforming it into the face of a sweet little kitten. Charlotte was going to love it. Evie was so grateful to her sister, she was certainly opening her eyes to what could be done, and she was cheeky too. Whilst in the supermarket, twin girls from the park, about a year older than Charlotte, were shopping with their mother and began chatting, then out of the blue Cally invited them along to Charlotte’s party. Evie thought it such a courageous thing to do, but it worked. Charlotte would enjoy two new friends at her party to play with, as well as Suzanne. They were lovely girls too and, Evie hoped, it could be the start of new friendships for Charlotte and possibly herself, if she got to know their mother.

  Sadly, the only people missing were her grandparents and, of course, Seb. She’d had to remind her sister not to mention his name in front of Suzanne, which didn’t feel right. It was becoming increasingly difficult to talk to Cally about Seb in Suzanne’s presence, trying to keep his identity under wraps. But, with strangers snooping around, it was probably best for now.

  Charlotte loved her party however, and marvelled at the kitten cake, and having friends to play with. Like her daughter, Evie squealed in delight when Charlotte unwrapped Cally’s present. It contained a little pink pushchair, a baby doll, and two CD’s; a nursery rhyme CD and a children’s party CD, which Evie instantly put on for them all to dance and play games. Cally, it turned out, was as much a child as the little girls, playing games, dancing with them and making them laugh. After the twins and their mum had gone home, although exhausted after putting Charlotte to bed, Evie poured out three glasses of Languedoc sparkling wine and carrie
d them out to Cally and Suzanne out on the front terrace.

  Cally put her feet up on a stool as she sipped from her champagne flute. ‘Phew, children are hard work aren’t they?’

  ‘Well three, yes. They all played together nicely though. I don’t think Charlotte has quite grasped the concept of sharing yet, but they muddled through.’ Evie said.

  Suzanne sipped her wine, and licking her lips added, ‘I thought it was a perfect party for a two-year-old. We always had too many at our parties when I was a child. Small groups work better in my mind.’

  ‘Mum always limited ours to twelve, didn’t she Evie? She didn’t like all the hard work that parties entailed. She was also selective about which friends we were allowed to invite.’

  Immediately Evie pointed her chin in the air, holding her tongue. Yes, her mother often told them who they should mix with. She’d rarely heard her sister speak negatively about their mother. Cally had been worse than her parents – making snide or seemingly unfair judgements about Seb and how Evie had been a fool to mess up her life… however right she’d turned out to be. At the time, Evie wondered if her sister was jealous of what she had with Seb. Perhaps she was just a better judge of character than herself.

  ‘You’ll live to regret it.’ Cally had told her. ‘You’ve had a taste of the real Seb, so why stay with someone who treats you with so little respect?’ And wasn’t that just what her mother wanted to hear.

  ‘Well, Steve, she’ll just have to get on with it,’ her mother Jill had said to her father as though Evie wasn’t in the room. ‘I think we know why he’s bought that lovely villa and is keeping them both. He’s keeping control to suit himself so she won’t run to the press. Let’s just pray they’ll come to no harm, or that she comes to her senses.

  Try as she might, Evie still couldn’t blank those words from her memory. They were embedded, as much as she had tried her damnedest to forget them and make the most of her life with Seb and Charlotte. She’d been desperate to prove them all wrong. But now, deep down – and, it was hard to admit – she understood that her family had been genuinely concerned for her.

  ‘Well, I suppose Mum had her reasons. I understand better now where she’s coming from as a parent. She was being protective by choosing our friends I expect. I’ve got over it now - managed on my own and find myself becoming increasingly used to it.’ Evie held out her glass. ‘But, I have to say, I’m really enjoying having you both here. So cheers!’

  Suzanne raised her glass, but Cally put down hers. ‘Evie, from what you’ve told me, you do worry about it, otherwise you wouldn’t have this desire to want to improve your situation. Let me tell you, it’s ok to admit you want change.’

  Evie sat forward, curling a strand of hair. She was silent for a few moments trying to catch her breath. It was cutting but not in the old sense. Cally wasn’t bitching or being nasty, trying to put her down… she was being honest. She appreciated that now, and she should be honest about her needs too. Meeting Ben had opened her eyes to her lack of autonomy.

  ‘I’m working on it Cally, and I’m glad you came. I always thought you were mean, but I think it’s becoming clearer now and I feel I’m just getting to know you.’

  They continued chatting about their childhood, both revealing their petty hates.

  Cally began. ‘Oh, I did hate you when Mum always stuck up for you and fussed over her “little Evie”. And when she made me wear blue and you had the pretty pink.’

  Evie gave a giggle. ‘Ha, that’s so funny. I was always under the impression you were so bloody perfect and could do no wrong in Mum’s eyes. You got all the praise.’ Evie hadn’t quite realised until now why they had been at each other’s throats all these years, but this was all very simple. They both craved approval from their parents. A sibling rivalry – probably the most natural thing in the world. They just hadn’t dealt with it.

  ‘I know Mum wasn’t happy after you left uni to DJ, but I think you were her favourite until then.’

  ‘I got angry when Mum wasn’t happy about you having a baby. I saw the hurt in her eyes and I think that was the first time I had heard her complain about you. My theory is, I think she was embarrassed both of us had let her down after doing so well with our studies. I wonder if that’s what truly drove them away to Florida. Her and Dad, I mean. I wonder if they couldn’t face the shame of village gossip and disappointment. You know what she’s like, Mum was always proud, the pillar of the community… well, chief delegator at least.’ Cally looked Evie in the eye. ‘What do you think?’

  Evie gave a sigh and nodded. ‘She is a proud woman and you’re possibly right. Maybe we both killed her dreams and she was running away, escaping from her less-than-perfect life.’

  ‘And Dad would have been behind her one hundred per cent.’

  ‘Sad, isn’t it. That we’ve hurt them so much. And one another. I wish I could make it up to them.’ Evie had been stunned when her parents announced they were going to live so far away. And it was only a few weeks after she told them she had made her decision to move to France that they shipped off their furniture and left.

  ‘It is sad. I would love us to be together again too. I still miss them. Family, home, the community. It’s quite comforting to know you and Charlotte are here. I love Charlotte so much. She is such a gorgeous little thing. I’m going to try and get back as much as I can to see you both. I’ve had some personal challenges and the hardest part was not having someone who cared… I want to be here for you both. Like me, I think you’ve spent too much time on your own.’

  ‘More wine?’ Trying hard to conceal tears, Evie hurried to the kitchen. Cally was speaking from the heart and it stung, but Evie felt that her sister was holding back. What challenges hadn’t she told her about? She grabbed a tissue to wipe her eyes. Hearing Cally speak so affectionately and wishing to create a new future had turned her to mush. Her instinct was to hug her sister and tell her she felt the same. Her big sister, now, for some reason, really seemed to care – which was so weird, but wonderful. She wasn’t casting out aspersions or being contrary like she used to.

  Checking her face in the mirror, Evie ran up the stairs to check on Charlotte. Curled on her side, she slept soundly. Evie pulled the door to and returned to the kitchen, took the opened bottle of wine from the fridge and pottered back to the terrace where her sister and friend were frantically giggling. She wanted to pinch herself, it made such a change to have love and laughter in her home.

  Suzanne looked up at Evie. ‘No more wine for me, thank you. I must go. We were just laughing about our dreams as children. Cally said she wanted to be on TV presenting Countdown like Carol Vorderman and I told her I wanted to be an astronaut. We agreed we had come some way to fulfilling our wishes, I’ve travelled… to France, and she’s working in the entertainment industry.’

  Evie joined in the laughter.

  ‘What did you want to do?’ Cally asked. ‘Oh, actually, I might know this. You wanted to work in the library. You were always stamping your books.’

  ‘Yes, never overly ambitious. I think I just wanted to be like my big sister.’

  ‘How sweet.’ Suzanne cooed as Cally reached for her hand.

  ‘It’s true.’ Evie squeezed her sister’s hand in return. ‘So, what have been your challenges and what are your dreams?’ Evie searched from one to the other.

  Cally pinched her brow, lifting her right eye. ‘Challenge – to find a way of living in England to study; get on a teaching course, ideally. My dream is to have a lovely job and home.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Evie’s mouth twisted. That didn’t work. She should have asked: what challenges have you had? She and Cally turned to their Dutch friend.

  Suzanne smiled, looked down at her skirt and began fiddling with the overlocking on her hem. ‘I would love to have a baby, so that s my challenge and my dream.’

  Immediately, blood rushed to Evie’s head. All eyes were on her. The two things she possessed were other’s dreams.

  ‘Well, I can s
hare what I have, for now, at least. Cally, you can treat this as your home. You are welcome to come and stay any time, and you too Suzanne – Charlotte will be only too pleased to have you as her Auntie Suzy until you have your own little one. I can’t help feeling I will be the one benefitting from this though, having you both to share my good fortune with.’

  ‘That sounds a great idea,’ Suzanne agreed. ‘I can have Charlotte when you’re researching or writing. And we can have girly time more often if your sister is here too. I shall need to keep off the alcohol though if I’m ever going to bear a child.’

  Evie felt a pang of guilt. ‘You’re still very young Suzanne, I’m sure it will happen.’ She reached out and lightly squeezed her friend’s hand.

  ‘And I couldn’t be happier,’ Cally wriggled in her chair and raised her tone to lighten the mood. ‘I will get to see you both more often, and be a proper auntie so that I feel like I have my family back.’

  Chapter 10

  After waving her sister off the following day, Evie reflected on her time getting to know Cally – and Suzanne too. She then spent the next few days engrossed in her books, reading through much of the history of the canal and how it was built, making copious amounts of notes. It was easy to see how Ben had missed the women off his script. Many of the books on the history of the canal and Pierre-Paul Riquet only referred to him employing peasants. Even the ledgers only had a vague mention of females being employed. So where did she read about them? Was it on her trip to Toulouse?

  She turned to Charlotte, who held her baby doll in her arms and with her other hand was wheeling her pushchair – which was piled with her little picture books – into the sofa, just running over the edge of Evie’s toes.

  Evie chuckled, leaning forward and reaching out her arms. ‘Well, my poppet, we need food and I need more books. We’ll finish off that cheese for lunch with some crackers, your favourite, then we’ll ride into Beziers to the library. Hopefully, I can find what I need because it’s a long way to Toulouse by bike.’