Page 46 of The Lucky Winners
A tear rolls down Sarah’s cheek as she spins on her heel and quietly leaves the room, avoiding eye contact with any of us. Her footsteps echo down the hallway as we all look at each other in shock.
Jack throws me a withering glare before he follows her, calling her name.
Simon and Tilda stand, still and silent, near the door. Dev, meanwhile, groans and runs a hand through his hair. ‘Shit!’ he murmurs.
‘What was all that about?’ Tilda says. ‘Were you seriously that angry, Merri, because she took a photo of your room?’
‘Someone has been posting private photos of the house online, Tilda. Pictures taken inside without our permission. That ’s why I’m so concerned.’
‘Really? You didn’t say.’ Tilda’s eyebrows rise in surprise, but before I can elaborate, Dev cuts in.
‘We suspected it was one of you. That’s why –’
‘Dev!’ I snap, cutting him off before he can say any more. He’s such a liability when he’s had a few drinks.
Simon looks at me, incredulous. ‘Wait a minute. Are you saying that’s why you invited us all here? That this was a set-up all along because you think we’re shafting you?’
‘No! It wasn’t like that,’ I say quickly, but my protest sounds feeble even to my own ears.
Dev, oblivious, keeps going: ‘We thought if we took you each to different parts of the house and left you to your own devices, we’d know who the culprit was if another photo appeared online.’
Simon’s face is like thunder. ‘So when you found Sarah taking a photo, that was enough to prove her guilt and exonerate the rest of us? How can you accuse her of something like that, after everything she’s done for you?’
Tilda lets out an offended yelp. ‘Why are you defending her ? What do you know about it?’
Down the hall, Sarah and Jack’s conversation grows louder. ‘You can’t go out in this weather,’ Jack’s pleading.
Tilda gives me a withering look. ‘I can’t believe you’d suspect us of doing anything as crass as this.’
‘Tilda, I –’
‘Save your breath, Merri.’ Simon heads out to the hallway and she follows.
‘Don’t go, please, Sarah,’ I hear him say. ‘It’s raining really heavily now, and you’ll get wet through. The storm should pass quickly enough.’
‘Leave it!’ Tilda hisses. ‘It’s got absolutely nothing to do with you.’
I round on Dev. ‘You idiot! You made it sound like we were laying a trap for them tonight!’
Dev throws up his hands defensively. ‘Well … we were!’
I don’t have time to argue. I head towards the front door, which is wide open, letting in the chill of the rain. Sarah stands in the hallway, her face pale and strained. She glances at my rainbow-striped umbrella hanging on the coat rack and snatches it.
Jack hovers nearby, his hands outstretched in a silent plea for her not to go.
‘Sarah,’ I say, softening my tone, ‘can we talk?’
She whirls around, her face twisting in fury. ‘After what you’ve accused me of? I don’t think so.’
The rain is coming down in earnest now, fat droplets pelting the ground and the hall floor as the forecast storm gathers momentum.
Sarah unfurls my umbrella with a clumsy snap and steps out into the weather.
‘Sarah, don’t,’ Jack pleads, following her to the threshold. ‘It’s pouring out there. Just stay and –’
‘Leave me alone, all of you, just leave me be!’ she says icily, shoving the umbrella higher and stalking off into the rain.
It occurs to me she’s either a first-class actress, or she’s more distressed than I could ever have imagined. A bolt of regret hits my chest. I’ve got it wrong.
Jack hesitates, caught between loyalty and her anger. I step forward, putting a hand on his arm. ‘I’ll go after her. I’ll apologize. Just … let me handle it.’
Jack’s mouth opens as if he’s about to argue, but he closes it again and nods reluctantly. That’s good enough for me. I glance back as I step out into the storm, seeing everyone else clustered in the doorway, their faces unreadable.
The rain is icy against my skin, soaking through my thin dress almost immediately. I was foolish not to grab a coat. My hair clings to my face and neck as I run after Sarah, my high heels slipping on the wet gravel. ‘Sarah! Wait!’
She doesn’t slow, doesn’t even glance back. The brightly coloured umbrella bobs ahead of me, vivid against the dull grey landscape.
‘Sarah, let’s talk. If I got it wrong, I’m sorry, OK?’ Shivering, I gain ground and call out again as I reach her. ‘Please, let me explain.’
I manage to catch up with her and reach out to grab her. She turns towards me at that exact moment. The roughly hewn Catbells ring Dev bought me catches her cheek and an angry red welt instantly springs up. Sarah screams and clutches her face.
‘Sarah, stop running! Listen to me –’ My words disappear into the wind whipping around us and Sarah takes off again.
Across the road, a couple of dog walkers sheltering under a tree pause to watch the spectacle.
Their mouths hang open as they take in the sight of me, drenched and shouting into the storm.
I catch their disapproving stares and feel a fresh surge of humiliation.
The locals already seem to have a low opinion of us.
This altercation will only serve to exacerbate that.
Sarah doesn’t stop. It’s clear now she’s heading for the lake, the wind tugging at the umbrella and the rain lashing sideways now. My feet squelch in the mud, the cold seeping through me until my fingers are numb.
I slow my pace, my anger and frustration fizzling out into exhaustion.
Let her go , I think bitterly. Let the stupid girl wear herself out. What good will it do me, chasing her? What good will any of this do? She’s refusing to listen, refusing to talk things through, like a sane adult.
I stop, doubling over to catch my breath, the rain streaming down my face like tears. Ahead, Sarah grows smaller and smaller, a blurred figure in the distance.
Just let her go.