Save Her, Abigail Osborne [ebook reader for surface pro txt] 📗

for a baby as soon as they moved in to 5 Trelawney Close. It thrilled her. The note in her purse was forgotten. Everything was forgotten. It didn’t matter what happened going forward: Flora had the best husband in the world and as long as she had him, she’d sit voluntarily in a bath of worms. He was worth it.

It was only when she was loading the dishwasher that she suddenly remembered Charlotte had tried to tell her something before she found the note. She resolved to ask her what it was next time she saw her.

39

It was the worst week of Sophie’s life. Without Flora, she was subjected to the full wrath of Alistair, Greg and Cecelia alone. Whenever she was feeling overwhelmed by them, it took a mere five minutes in the presence of her best friend to reset and wash away the stress and strain.

A week. A whole bloody week Sam had held her hostage in that house. She was sure that Flora wanted to see her, but Sam wouldn’t let her. He was controlling Flora the same way Greg had tried to control her.

Sophie couldn’t help herself. She kept glancing at the house, looking at the garden, willing Flora to come into view, just to know she was okay. But the weather, like her feelings, was turbulent. The rain hadn’t stopped, the gardens had turned into bogs, rivers formed as the grass could no longer absorb any more water. The wind was brutal, attacking anyone that dared to venture outside.

Sophie would sit on the doorstep of the back door, smoking. She was a stress smoker and judging by the three packets she had gone through so far, she was extremely upset. She didn’t think anyone knew she smoked. It was a secret, disgusting habit. But keeping her real feelings inside, never expressing them caused a blockage. The only way she had found she could release it was to smoke. The nicotine had powerful properties that prevented her from exploding from pent-up emotion. But it wasn’t working today. This was the longest she had ever been away from Flora.

How was she supposed to protect her when she wasn’t allowed to see her? Sophie put out her cigarette and returned to pacing around the house. She picked up a magazine and flicked absently through the pages, not taking in a single word or picture. Wandering aimlessly around the house, Flora’s face filled her mind. The fear and distress on her face the last time she saw her was devastating. She needed to be there for her. Sam wouldn’t be able to soothe her the way she could. He hadn’t even believed her until recently. Sophie was the only one that was really there for Flora.

The impotency eventually overspilled and she punched the wall. The agony coursing through her knuckles distracted her for a whole ten minutes. Wrapping her fist in a tea towel filled with ice, she tried to think clearly. She should be using this time to plan. If anything, this time away from Flora had made her even more certain. They needed to get away from the Cavendish family.

She went to her bedroom and began to pack a go-bag. The time was coming when she and Flora would be leaving. She couldn’t go on fighting to keep Flora safe: she needed to take the next step.

From her underwear drawer, she pulled out the black gun. Just holding it made her feel powerful. She aimed it at the wall, pretending it was Greg’s face. He’d no longer have physical strength on his side. Finally, she would have complete control. She jumped around and trained the gun on the other wall, picturing Alistair quaking with fear. Smiling, she lowered the gun and placed it into the black rucksack.

From underneath her bed, she withdrew the book. The book that fate had given her. The tool that would guarantee the downfall of the Cavendish family – if she was clever enough. And Sophie had no doubt that she was clever enough. She walked over to the window, looking down at Flora’s garden.

Don’t worry, Flora. I’ll save you. Even if you don’t realise you need to be saved.

40

Considering they had lived as neighbours for years; Flora had only been into Sophie and Greg’s house a handful of times.

She had a spare key but never used it until now. She had never been comfortable in their house. Sophie and Greg’s home was beautiful, sophisticated and pristine, a show home devoid of any individuality. Nothing was out of place. The black and white theme spread throughout the house. It was impossible to tell who lived here. Everything in the house was chosen for style rather than sentimentality.

Sophie must have realised that Flora was never comfortable there because they always seemed to gravitate to Sam’s house. Sophie never invited her over and Flora avoided asking to visit because the house made her feel unwelcome, she felt too untidy and unrefined to be there. It also reminded Flora of a part of Sophie’s personality she did not like, the side of her that was obsessed with wealth and status. This was the house of someone who had money and liked to flaunt it.

Flora tiptoed through the house. She knew that no one was home but felt like an intruder nonetheless. She was uneasy being in the house without Sophie, but she knew her friend wouldn’t mind. She only wanted to retrieve the black sandals that she had lent to her.

Sam was taking her out for dinner tonight. It was the first time they would have left the house in a week. They had decided that they had hidden away for long enough and that it was time to re-join the real world. They were both reluctant: they had been in a bubble and it had been incredible. But it couldn’t last, Sam needed to return to work and so did she. Sam had even bought her a new dress to wear. When he