Behind A Twisted Smile (Dark Minds Book 2) (3 page)

“So where have you decided to go for our picnic? I’m pretty hungry now. Guess what? I completed the race in my best ever time.”

“Well done you. Mum said you were aiming to beat your last time. Actually, I thought as it’s such a lovely day we’d have the picnic here in the park, and then, once it gets chilly, finish off with a cream tea on the Thames somewhere.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The Saville Gardens were nearby, and we walked the short distance skirting round the lake. Evie was definitely keyed up about something as she chatted happily about Mum and our sisters. I cast a quick glance at her as I took hold of one of the two picnic cool bags to carry. Yes, definitely. Sparkle was the right word to describe my sister that day. I knew I couldn’t hurry Evie, though—she would tell me in her own good time.

We chose our spot with care: a small picnic table, vacant and sheltered by a copse of trees.

Evie had brought quite a spread, and we started on slices of smoked salmon filled with creamed horseradish and prawns hors d‘oeuvres, accompanied by a crisp white wine. I gaped at what she had put together for what I thought was to be a simple picnic. My scatter-brained sister was renowned for being idle and would normally have packed a few sandwiches and crisps and been done with it. This was a rare treat. I alternated sipping the Australian Riesling with a glass of water, as I needed to rehydrate after the race.

After the salmon, she produced some delicious cold chicken with a rice salad, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“So, you’ve said Mum and Darcy are okay, but what about you? You seem…different. Apart from all this,” I waved a hand over the food, “which is a delightful surprise and your new appearance, have you just been given a massive pay rise or something?”

She glanced away with a tiny smile, dimples appearing in her cheeks and pointed to a squirrel scampering down from a nearby tree. “Cute. Um, I’m fine, but I do have something to tell you. It might shock you at first.”

I flicked my gaze from the squirrel, which had ventured near enough to pinch a few crumbs, back to Evie. “Oh? Don’t tell me you’ve been offered a full sister post on your ward?”

She laughed. “Silly, they don’t want a part-timer in charge. Nor would I want to be. I’m happy with my position as it is. No, I’ve got a new boyfriend.”

“That’s great. What does he do? Does he live near you?”

“Fairly near. And the amazing thing is he’s a nurse, too.”

At that moment the sun went in behind a dark cloud, and I shivered as if someone had walked over my grave.

Chapter 3

My next first thought was why her, why Evie? And then I realised that if I had spoken out loud, she would have taken it the wrong way. But the coincidence was curious. Or was it? Was I drawing my own conclusions before I knew the facts? Everyone said how small the world had become, what with social media and flights to far-flung corners of the world, etcetera. No, perhaps it wasn’t that curious, as both were single and of a similar age. All the same, I did wonder if she had engineered that day for some reason. Evie could be devious at times—a throwback to when she was a child. I recalled taking the blame for quite a few of her foolhardy escapades.

No, be serious. My thoughts were running away from me.
There must be hundreds of male nurses working nearby.

“Really?”

“Moya, you might find this a bit strange, uncomfortable even.”

I forced my eyes to meet hers, knowing I was right. Oh ye gods, spare us. “Uncomfortable? Why would I? I’m pleased you’ve met someone.”

“Of course you are, as I would be if you met someone you really cared about. Only, the thing is…you know him.”

I expressed surprise. Opening my eyes wide and raising my eyebrows, I could have won an Oscar for the effort. “I do?”

She licked her bottom lip. “Well, to be accurate, you went out with him. It’s Martyn.”

“Martyn,” I repeated to gain time.

“Yes.” She nodded, and the rest of her words came out in a gabble. “Martyn Cousins. I know what you’re thinking…how odd this all is. But it just happened. We’ve been seeing each other for about three weeks now. The thing is he wants us all to meet later today. He says that he’s sure you won’t mind and that it’ll be a good thing for us to meet up.”

“Mmm, but he and I parted and not on very good terms,” I said.

“I know all about it.”

This time, my eyes truly were as big as saucers. “You do?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, but I know you’ll understand. You’ve had lots of boyfriends. I’m sure it was upsetting at the time when Martyn split up with you, but you’ve always got over it before. He said you were angry and said some nasty things, which he was sure you didn’t mean. It was just a bit of a shock for you, but he’s forgotten and forgiven you.”

I was speechless. She hurried on.

“Anyway, please for my sake. I want us all to be friends. One big happy family.”

I took in a huge lungful of air. “Honestly, Evie, I really don’t care about him. I never did. What I mean is, you’re welcome to him.”

She sat back and gazed at me with a slight frown. “Are you sure? You look a bit fierce.”

I shook my head and managed a smile, although it might have come out a bit sickly looking. “No really, I’m okay with it.”

“If you really are, then great. You see, Martyn thought you might still be a bit miffed, and he wanted today to be nice.”

“Today?” He knew about today.

“Yes,” She glanced at her watch before pouring some more wine into my glass. “He’s joining us.”

I knew my mouth dropped open as I gawked at her, and I must have looked a complete idiot when, seconds later, Martyn strolled casually into view on the path not more than twenty feet away from where we were sitting.

He raised a hand in greeting, and bent down to kiss Evie on the lips before saying anything. She gave a surprised squeak, turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. After what seemed an interminable length of time, they drew apart reluctantly, and she murmured something. Martyn smiled, nodded and looked across at me. His beam widened until it stretched across his face, and then, raising his arms, he walked round the picnic bench to my side.

“Moya,” he said. And before I had time to leap up from the wooden bench, he pressed his hands down upon my shoulders and smiled into my eyes. Evie would never have known the pressure which pinned me onto the seat.

“Hello, Moya.”

Without another word his mouth hovered near mine, and I realised with horror that he was about to kiss me. I managed to turn my head at the last moment, and his lips grazed against my cheek.

“It’s so good to see you again. You’re looking well. I’m presuming Evie has told you our good news?” He smiled gently at Evie, and she blushed in response.

“About you and her? Yes, of course she has, but you—”

“And you understand? Evie and I, well it just happened.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve already said so, haven’t I, Evie?” I heard Evie catch her breath, and I threw her a desperate look, which was entirely wasted, as she frowned at my reply. I wondered if I sounded as brusque to them as I did to myself. Damn!

“Look, it really is okay with me.” I smiled and looked from her back to Martyn.

“I know it’s awkward, but I know how big-hearted you are usually.”

“No, it’s not awkward, and I’m pleased for you both.”

I swear Martyn’s eyes misted over, and he covered Evie’s hand with his own. “See, honeybun. I said she’d be kind. Moya’s so like your mum. Big-hearted and generous. She never bears a grudge.”

“Mum? What’s she got to do with this?” I knew Mum was scatty and charitable, but the thought of Martyn wheedling his way into her good books irritated me.

“Nothing, Moya. All Martyn means is, Mum invited us over for a meal a few days ago. She wanted to meet him, and they got on like a house on fire. Darcy was there, too, and even she seemed to like Martyn. You know how picky Darcy is.” As she spoke, she handed Martyn a plate and piled it with smoked-salmon canapés and a portion of chicken.

“Yeah, underneath all that black eye-liner and heavy jewellery, there’s a nice kid lurking inside.” Martyn hugged Evie to him with a grin.

I could imagine the four of them sitting round the dinner table exchanging banter and maybe discussing me. I froze suddenly. Evie said Martyn had forgotten our row and forgiven me. What the hell had he really said? The great euphoric feeling I had earlier that day, after my race, dissipated completely. The bastard had turned everything round.

“Actually, you’ve got it all wrong, Evie, our parting—”

“Don’t spoil a nice day, Moya. Look, Evie is being nice and understanding. Don’t let’s talk about what happened. It’s not important. Chill out and have another glass of wine.” He upended the bottle into my glass.

“I don’t want any more,” I grumbled in protest, glaring at him when he placed a warning hand on my wrist.

“Moya,” said Evie, leaning towards me with a begging look upon her face. “Martyn didn’t do anything or say anything wrong. He just told Mum what he thought was necessary. She had to know about you and Martyn sometime—you know, before he and I met.”

I stared at her face, which was full of concern for me. Her pretty eyes pleaded with me to accept and behave. I didn’t have the heart to tell her what a creepy little shit he was. I would
never
forgive him for stealing into my flat and going through my personal laptop files. Had he searched through my drawers and cupboards too? No, I couldn’t explain it all to Evie. Not then, not that day. Maybe when we two sisters were on our own, I could tell her the truth.

A feeling of lassitude settled like a damp mist over me.

“Of course she did. Sorry, I’m feeling tired after my run. Let’s finish our picnic. Anyway, here’s to you both,” I said, raising my glass in their direction. I took a sip, but as I replaced the glass back on the table, my hand shook so much I knocked it over.

“Oh, how clumsy. Sorry. It’s a good job it’s white and not red,” I cried in embarrassment as Evie and Martyn leapt up from their seats.

“No problem,” he said as he mopped up the spilt wine on the table with a serviette.

“It’s okay, I’ve got another bottle. Except that it’s red,” Evie said delving into one of the cool bags.

“Allow me.” Martyn took the bottle from her hands and reached for the bottle opener. “No harm’s been done, Moya. This red’s pretty good. We got it from the wine shop just round the corner, didn’t we, Evie? I like a cheeky little Merlot, and I know you do too, Moya.”

“Do I? Er, no more for me thanks.”

“Go on? A little red won’t hurt—it might mellow you,” Martyn said as he plunged the corkscrew in.

“No, really. I’ve got to drive home and I’ve had enough.”

“You’re not still worrying about whether it’s produced organically or not, are you?” He swung his gaze to Evie. “Honestly, Moya would spend all her time dithering about whether her diet was all wrong. I never knew what we were going to have to eat. Ace diet, GI, Five: Two. Your sister has a real compulsion for eating and drinking the right things, doesn’t she, honeybun?”

“Well, Moya has always been fussy about what she eats.”

“But it’s more than that, isn’t it?” He pressed on. “Moya frets about selecting, buying, preparing, cooking, ornamenting, and eventually consuming her food. You know, I’d say she’s bulimic as well as suffering from OCD.”

“Excuse me.
She
…
I
am sitting right
here
you know, and you’ve got it completely wrong.” I couldn’t help crying out with outrage. “I do
not
worry that much. I just like experimenting with things and that includes diet. If you must know, I maintain that all aspects of people's needs, including psychological, physical and social, should be taken into account and seen as a whole. I don’t consider it unusual to want a complete holistic order throughout my life.”

“I hope you‘re not still worried about your weight…you don’t need to. You’re as slim as ever. Actually, you’re thinner now that I look closely at you. Your waist is trimmer and makes your bust more prominent. Wouldn’t you agree, Evie?”

Struggling to keep my temper, I bit my bottom lip.

“Yes, but then Moya has always had a lovely figure.” She answered in a tight little voice, and I flicked a glance her way, wondering if she guessed what Martyn was insinuating. He was with my breasts, and the memory made me want to squirm.

I thought back to Martyn’s little statement about bulimia and OCD, both mental disorders. He said he was a nurse, but the thought crossed my mind that he might have been a registered mental nurse. Sod it, I knew next to nothing about the man. The stuff I remembered was a bit thin on the ground; he said he was a nurse between placements. I never met any of his friends other than the one at the diving school. I hadn’t seen his flat, and I didn’t know anything about his past life apart from him saying he was an orphan.

I looked at my watch and wondered how soon I could get away. Evie must have noticed, as she immediately pulled out another plastic box from the cool bag and whipped off the lid with a flourish.