They were not so lucky.
Rose was lying on his bed, wearing one of his t-shirts and pushing the remains of food around her plate absently, trying not to listen to the commotion. He had been out in the hall from the second he had heard her car screech up. The shouting had calmed down, but the ringing of something smashing had turned Rose’s blood cold. Afraid to venture out and wondering if Abby was hiding out too.
Her phone was dead, and she didn’t want to get off the bed to find Rob’s charger for fear any noise would bring the hurtling suspicious women running down this hall. She knew she was being stupid. He wouldn’t let her in here, but after seeing that woman in a half-full manic blowout once before, she felt uneasy. The pain of that slap was easily recalled to her cheek.
It was still early. They had barely come in here after making eggs in the kitchen together. He had kept her upstairs for another hour after Abby had interrupted, making sure neither of them was leaving that room until fully satisfied. Her skin was still flushed all over. Her body was still tingling in places that made her blush.
In the kitchen, it had been romantic and easy. Dressed in his shirt while he stood topless, tanned and sexy, moving seamlessly from cooker to cupboards together as though they did it every day. They had walked out carrying plates and mugs to his bed, laying them down so he could kiss her briefly, admiring her in his clothes, his hands reaching under the shirt longingly. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could never fully satisfy his craving for Rose. And he wasn’t against trying repeatedly.
He had cursed at the familiar hum of the bright red car, despite trying to return her calls to stave her off and meeting voicemail. He pulled on a t-shirt and told her to stay put, and now here she was, stuck here, unable to call her parents or check the time. Unable to go anywhere except the bathroom or his office from the internal doors. Afraid to do either.
The noise had diminished completely, and she wondered if they were still in the main hall. This was complete agony, sitting in suspense, waiting and listening to silence. Staff to do the mass clean up would be arriving soon, and he had told her Alice normally came in to spring clean his rooms when he had got up and out for the day.
How was that going to look, finding her sitting here in nothing more than his shirt?
She didn’t need to ponder over it for long.
Abby slid in with a rucksack in hand, her face a picture of happiness.
‘I figured you would need clothes and an escape route!’ Her grin barely concealed as she took in her friend’s rosy cheeks, glowing complexion and brother's shirt from the night before. A knowing eyebrow raised.
‘Are they still out there?’ Rose started towards the bag Abby had thrown onto the bed, grateful for the contents, pulling out toiletries and casual clothes. Abby tossed the trainers from her other hand and shook her head.
‘He took her to the formal lounge. Stupid bitch and all the bloody noise, I was almost asleep again before she showed up. The doors shut, so you can pretty much escape.’ She clocked Rose’s hesitation. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘He’s meant to be coming with me to meet Mum and Dad for breakfast.’ Rose felt stupid and selfish. ‘It’s just, with her here. I don’t want to just leave!’
‘So, meeting with the rents, eh? Things have changed, I see. If Rob says he’s coming, trust me, he will be there. Just leave him a note with the when and where, and soon as he gets rid of the crazy witch, he will be right along.’ Abby was slurring her words slightly, obviously still drunk. Rose looked doubtful, knowing that dealing with Morag could take far longer this morning, judging by his intentions made clear last night.
‘I need to go home. My parents will be showing up there to get me, and I have no idea what time it is.’
‘It’s eight twenty-five’, chipped in Abby, glancing at her watch. Rubbing her eyes and gawking at the early hour. She was still a little drunk from the night before and had not yet begun to feel the effects of her hangover. Rose, however, had the familiar sore head and fuzzy mouth of suffering. She sighed, knowing that waiting would be pointless. If she left now and walked home, she would have an hour to get bathed and pull herself together before they showed up.
Muffin would be desperate for his morning walk to relieve his business too. She also did not want her parents to know she had slept here with him. Once it was clear Rob and Rose were a couple, the thought of them knowing she had not come home was a little too embarrassing. They were still her parents, after all. She did not want them looking at her with the knowledge she had spent the night writhing and moaning under his naked body. Despite her age!
‘Ok, Abby. I need paper and a pen. My phone’s dead.’ She was pulling on her friend’s clothes and trainers as Abby slid her a notebook and expensive fountain pen and stood to yawn as Rose left Rob a brief note. It felt weird to be the one sneaking out for a change. Another shift in reality.
‘I shall be going back to bed after you’re gone!’ She scratched her head, picking up her friend's discarded dress and shoes from the floor and stuffing them into the rucksack. ‘I hope you remembered your underwear this time!’
‘Firmly back where they belong!’ She smiled, flashing a lace edge above the sweat pant waistline.
‘So, you and him? It’s all back on, right? This isn’t just a drunken fuck?’ Abby cocked her head to the side and regarded her seriously.
‘Right, and No, please don’t call it that.’ Rose grimaced at her friends and her choice of vocabulary. Squirming under her intense scrutiny.
‘And psycho?’
‘Abby, don’t use that word either. He’s going to tell her. He’s going to try anyway. I guess her showing up means maybe sooner rather than later.’
Abby looked impressed and hugged her friend before leading her down the hall and quietly across the main floor to the front door. Rose was aware she was tiptoeing on the marble. Alice appeared from another door, apron on and duster in hand.
‘Morning, girls. You two are up early!’ She was twinkling and fresh despite being one of the merry partyers long after the majority left. Abby mumbled some incoherent nonsense, and Alice smiled as though she understood, although she hadn’t.
‘Did you have a wonderful time Rose? Saw you dancing with a few of those handsome men, lucky thing.’ She winked cheekily, obviously assuming Rose had slept in Abby’s room with her and waved her off when she slid out the door moments later with a red-faced smile as a way of an answer.
Abby walked her down the drive a little way, still wearing last night’s clothes and fluffy slippers. She looked a lot worse for the wear out in the early morning sunlight.
‘I’ll text you in a bit and let you know if he’s got away from her okay’.’ She squinted at the sun and shielded her eyes.
‘It’s okay Abby. Just go back to bed. If he doesn’t text me or show up I’ll know why, and I’m okay with it, honest. It’s different this time. I trust him.’ She smiled convincingly. Crossing her fingers inside that this time would be different. He wouldn’t let her down anymore.
‘Okay, but don’t take any shit this time, Rose. Brother or not, I will still cut off his balls if he fucks your head over again.’ Her angry frown and fist-raising were a little too adorable to be threatening.
‘Nice Abby. Very classy!’ Rose leant in, kissing her on the cheek affectionately, and headed toward the long sweeping drive.
* * *
The walk home in the calm early day sun was exactly what she needed. Everything seemed surreal and dreamy, and she needed the walk to wake her up and accept this was real. That everything she remembered had happened. That her now blooming, bouncing, happy heart was not some mythical illusion about to be shattered by waking up.
Muffin practically devoured her on sight and only made it as far as the grass by the door before releasing a night’s worth of doggy gifts. Rose was now feeling fragile and nauseous from alcohol consumption and could barely scoop it into one of her doggy bags. Throwing the little fur ball a pained look and making disgusted noises. He just ignored her, sniffing at some flowers.
Rose was beginning to suffer, and the thought of breakfast was no longer appealing. The awful after-effects of alcohol reminded her why she did not drink very often. Her phone was on charge and had enough power to switch on now.
No messages from her parents yet, so she left it plugged in and ran herself a bath. Her usual bath bomb was dumped in and turned into a foaming lathering cream in hot water. Even the strong, normally favourite scent was making her queasy. This was going to be a long, painful day; swallowing some aspirin and sipping water as she sat on the bath edge, she slowly peeled off the clothes, feeling the weariness of aching muscles. Overused in dancing and after-hour workouts with Rob.
He knew how to make her body respond, finding positions she would never have dreamed of. Seeing faint marks on her thighs and wrists from their over-enthusiastic bathroom reunion made her smile, casting her mind back to the hazy memories. That scene was one for the keepsake chest, and there was no way she would let him go now.
The water, although a little hot, was a welcome soothing relief. Relaxing in and letting all the night’s smells and aches soak away. She could sleep in this bath this way right now, exhaustion finally catching up with her.
Muffin snuffled in the open door sniffing her clothes on the floor, wagging his tail at Abby’s scent. Rose watched him contentedly, smiling before closing her eyes and laying her head back. She had no intention of moving for quite some time. All she wanted to do was revel in her thoughts and feelings and ponder how everything had changed overnight! Enjoy the soothing water around her and nap.
Her mother sent a text at nine fifty am, informing her that instead of breakfast, they would do a late afternoon lunch. Alcohol was the devil's work, and neither of them was fit to go anywhere so early. Rose was relieved and amused. Not only did she feel like death and gladly swapped her dress for sweatpants and a baggy shirt, but she had not heard from Rob and was beginning to worry seriously.
Concern had been building in her stomach for the last half hour. Unshakeable anxiety gnawing away. The lack of contact nibbling at her nerves no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She did not want to bother Abby, knowing she would be asleep by now and most likely dead to the world and any beeping of phones.
By eleven am, she was pacing the house, looking for things to occupy herself, and she had managed to fight the urge to text or call him. She needed to let him do this and give him space and time. It was complicated and delicate. He needed time to sort things out. Maybe Morag had taken it badly, far worse than he had predicted. Perhaps she had broken down sobbing, and he could not get away.
Maybe she had tried to hurt herself?
Oh god, what if she had done something stupid?
Rob would be devastated. The thought sent a ball of choking panic up her throat. Her body shivered involuntarily.
Another long agonising fifteen minutes later, and the temptation was too much. She couldn’t stand it anymore, her mind racing with crazy thoughts and scenarios resulting in Morag’s death. She picked up her now fully charged phone and sent him a text
‘Is everything okay?’
She sounded calmer than she felt.
She needed to be rational about this. If Morag had done something foolish, he would have contacted her by now. It was more likely the silence meant they were still going around in circles in that room. She knew there was a chance he wouldn’t respond if that were the case. Knowing that it was most likely, his phone was still in his room where she had been, and he was still in the lounge with Morag. She bit her lip, feeling frustrated. Looking at the time again, she figured Abby might be up and chanced it
‘Hey, girl. Any word?’
When her phone rang, she almost dropped it in anticipation but felt disappointed when she saw ‘Mum’ flashing on the screen.
‘Hey, Mum,’ she sounded deflated.
‘Hiya, darling. I’m sorry to do this, love, but your dad’s not well. Can’t keep much down. Let him recover a bit. Do you mind if we rain check today, and we will pop over tonight with some takeaway and a movie? One last night together before we head home tomorrow?’ She sounded genuinely disappointed, but Rose was monumentally relieved.
‘Aww, Mum. Sure... It’s okay. Tell dad to stay off Mr Munro’s whisky next time.’ she laughed as her mum agreed.
They chatted briefly, with vague small talk about the rest of Rose’s night at the party, and Rose held back the urge to tell her about Rob. She did not want to do this over the phone, and right now, she wasn’t even sure Rob would make an appearance before they left tomorrow. It could wait until she knew what was going on with him and Morag. Right now, it was all up in the air in her head.
Saying their goodbyes moments later, she ended the call and looked at her blank screen.
Fuck.
No texts or voicemails. Muffin was scraping at the door, and Rose wondered if a walk to the manor was maybe an idea.
Would he be mad if she showed up?
Surely if Morag was still there, she could go straight to Abby’s room and act like that was her purpose after all. He would never be mad at her for coming back. She was being stupid. He had not wanted her to leave in the first place. She needed to keep reminding herself that things had changed, hopefully for the better.
Her stomach fluttered with nerves, torn between walking up there and seeing for herself and staying here waiting endlessly. Somehow unable to concentrate on anything else. She rang Abby’s phone in one last attempt to get a response, but it went straight to the answering machine, indicating she had it switched off.
‘God’s sake Abby!’ She cursed at her, knowing it was not her fault. She was probably asleep.
She swallowed her nerve and rang Rob’s phone. It rang out as she had expected, most likely nowhere near him or even within earshot. This wall of silence. It just frustrated her even more.
‘Come on, Muffin, my lovely. I actually cannot sit here agonising any longer.’ She slid up, pulled off her casual clothes and headed to her room for a change of outfit. She still had to look good, even if he had seen her in all shades of nakedness.
* * *
The walk took longer than any other time she had used this route. Or so it felt. Muffin was walking slowly or stopping to sniff for an age at seemingly nothing, and she was beginning to get ratty with him. Knowing it was not on him that she was feeling this impatient, it was making her equally guilty, and when his soft little face looked up with big brown eyes innocently, she cursed herself and told him he was a good boy.
Even with the manor in sight, walking up the drive seemed to take forever. Up the long grey steps and finally knock on the door. Morag’s car was still parked in the middle in an abandoned fashion, but Rob’s car was nowhere to be seen. This little detail made her uneasy and her mouth dry with anxiety.
‘Don’t jump to conclusions.’ She chastised herself inwardly as Alice answered the door with a bright smile and beckoned her warmly.
‘They’re not here Rose. But I’m waiting on them to call if you want to wait. Abby promised to call as soon as possible, and it‘s been a while since they left.’ She said warmly, assuming Rose knew what she was on about.
Confused and feeling a tad betrayed stupidly, her nerves were tight and fraying. A huge sense of foreboding weighed heavily upon her.
‘Where are they?’ She asked quietly, emotion threatening.
‘They're all at the hospital. Had a bit of a mishap here earlier. Morag did herself a nasty turn!’ Alice frowned, realising Rose had no clue and guided her inside with a gentle hand.
Rose physically paled, her stomach lurching as she grasped Alice’s arm.