Echoes of Grace Read online

  ‘Sometimes I do, yes. What’s so strange about that?’ Laura rounded on her. ‘I suppose you call your mother ‘Mummy’ or something.’

  Aurora’s face fell and she shook her head. ‘My mother’s dead,’ she said quietly. ‘She died when I was born.’

  Laura immediately felt terrible. No one had told her that. Gloria had been deliberately vague about the girl’s mother. All she had said was that she ‘wasn’t on the scene’. That could mean anything. She had thought that they were divorced.

  Her expression softened and she pulled Aurora into her arms. ‘Hey now, I didn’t know. My bloody mother forgot to mention it. No hard feelings?’

  Aurora shook her head.

  ‘Good.’ Laura patted her back. ‘Now, I’ll put a couple of duvets on the ground as a mattress and you can sleep there by the bookcase. Will that be all right?’

  ‘Yes!’ answered Aurora, beaming. ‘It sounds absolutely perfect.’

  James’ Golf pulled up outside his mother’s house and screeched to a halt. He was kicking himself for forgetting that the Sinclairs were due to arrive.

  ‘Mum?’ he called, opening the front door with his key. ‘Mum?’

  Gloria appeared out of the sitting room. ‘Hello, darling. I’m so glad you could make it.’

  ‘Where’s Aurora?’ he asked, glancing around. ‘Is she okay?’

  His mother smiled. ‘She’s perfectly fine, James. William and Laura are looking after her upstairs.’

  ‘Oh, are they,’ he said dubiously. ‘I’d better check.’

  He bounded up the stairs and down the corridor. A sign saying ‘ENTER IF YOU DARE’ was stuck to Laura’s door, along with stickers of the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls. But the door was slightly ajar and he could hear the murmur of conversation inside, so he paused.

  ‘Well, the school dance was epic,’ came William’s voice. ‘Nigel Brown smuggled in some of his mother’s vodka and Mary Jane Andersen asked me to bonk her.’

  ‘You?’ came Laura’s voice incredulously. ‘That’s a bit rich.’

  ‘What’s bonking?’ asked Aurora in her clipped tone and James fought the urge to laugh.

  There was a pause and James cautiously peered inside.

  Laura giggled. ‘Well, it’s when two people love each other and …’

  ‘They take off each other’s clothes and …’ added William.

  ‘Roll around the place, I guess,’ finished Laura.

  ‘It’s how babies are made,’ added William helpfully. ‘But you must be in love, isn’t that right, Laura? You don’t just bonk anyone.’ He looked at her meaningfully.

  ‘Oh no,’ she agreed, trying her best to be serious. ‘You must be in love.’

  Aurora raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, so bonking is like having sex. A bit like Freddie’s pigs. ’

  ‘Freddie? Who the hell is Freddie?’ said Laura, laughing.

  ‘He’s my best friend and he’s a farmer,’ she explained calmly. ‘I saw the daddy pig jump up on the mummy pig and then they had babies.’

  ‘Well,’ concluded William, ‘that’s it exactly. The pigs were bonking.’

  ‘So, is this Mary Jane girl in love with you, Will?’ asked Aurora logically.

  ‘Probably,’ admitted William. ‘I mean, I’m a serious catch.’ He stood up and fixed his hair in the mirror. ‘Laura?’ he asked, pouting slightly. ‘All the girls in my form are mad for Enrique Iglesias. Should I paint a mole on my face? Right here?’ He jabbed his cheek.

  ‘No, Will,’ his sister assured him. ‘That would be a disaster.’

  ‘You’re sure?’ He stepped back and resumed his seat on the bed. ‘He’s the number-one guy around school because of that Hero song.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ affirmed Laura, patting his arm. ‘Quite sure.’

  Aurora stared at them in fascination. ‘You two are funny,’ she said, sipping her Coke. She was rarely allowed have the famous fizzy drink and she could feel it flowing through her veins. It made her feel good.

  ‘Thank you,’ said William, bowing. ‘We try our best.’

  James decided he’d had enough and knocked on the door. What with bonking and pigs and his siblings’ attempt at morality, it was time to interrupt.

  ‘Entrez,’ called Laura, who was learning French at school.

  ‘James!’ gasped Aurora, spilling her drink in excitement. ‘You’re here.’ She jumped up and catapulted herself at the young man, hugging him fiercely. ‘I’m so glad!’ She buried her head in his chest.

  ‘Well, hello, Borealis,’ he said fondly. ‘I see that you’re getting on just fine without me.’

  ‘I’m having the best time,’ she said, pulling back. ‘Laura is letting me sleep on her floor and she said she might give me a makeover later and Will gave me Coke to drink and –’

  ‘You really need to get out more,’ reflected Laura, shaking her head. ‘So, James, where’s Rosie?’ She looked at him innocently. ‘Ella said she saw you two at the cinema the other night and you didn’t see much of the film by all accounts.’

  ‘Butt out, little sis,’ he warned good-naturedly. ‘I won’t be bringing her home to Gloria just yet.’

  ‘Who’s Rosie?’ asked Aurora, looking from Laura to James.

  ‘The love of James’ life,’ William informed her, getting to his feet. ‘He’s been chasing her for months and she’s finally caved, the poor sod.’

  James calmly covered Aurora’s ears. ‘Enough of this, siblings. She is yet a child in this world.’

  Aurora pulled his hands down immediately. She had never been part of such a grown-up conversation before and she didn’t want to miss a minute.

  ‘Fine, fine.’ Laura stuck out her tongue. ‘Well, at least you’re getting some action, Jiminy Cricket.’

  James grinned. ‘Enough of the Jiminy. I’m the nickname person around here, Laura. Don’t you forget it.’

  ‘Jiminy Cricket? That’s so funny.’ Aurora giggled and James ruffled her hair affectionately. ‘Why does she call you that?’

  ‘Jim is a pet name for James,’ explained Laura, turning towards her mirror and practising a pout. ‘Should I dye my hair like Posh Spice then, Will?’

  ‘Blondes have more fun, I reckon,’ he answered thoughtfully. ‘Still, a change is as good as a rest, so they say.’

  ‘Well, I suppose I’ll hold off,’ she decided, releasing her blonde mane from its bobble. ‘I’m saving myself for Mr. Right anyway.’

  ‘Who?’ asked Aurora, wide-eyed.

  ‘You know, my soul mate,’ the older girl said. ‘He has to be tall, handsome, well-dressed and filthy rich.’

  ‘Laura,’ said James shaking his head, ‘you’re incorrigible.’

  ‘You see, Aurora, love will only get you so far in life,’ Laura continued, ignoring him. ‘I want to shop and travel and stay in nice hotels.’

  William snorted. ‘Then get your own job, freeloader. My word, what has happened to feminism?’

  ‘Well, men are paid more than women, yeah?’ Laura rounded on her brother fiercely. ‘Why not take a slice of the cake? Little Laura Dixon isn’t going to change the world all by herself.’

  James stood up. ‘I’ve had enough of this conversation,’ he announced. ‘Borealis, do you want to come and watch a movie or something?’

  ‘Okay,’ she beamed, scrambling to her feet. ‘May I choose the film?’

  ‘You may,’ he said, winking. ‘Nothing too scary though. I’m not very brave.’ He ushered her out in front of him.

  Aurora turned to Laura, just as she was on the threshold.

  ‘I’m going to marry for love,’ she said clearly and the occupants of the room stopped dead. ‘A prince is going to come and rescue me and we’re going to live happily ever after.’

  William opened his mouth to scoff but James glared at him. ‘Shut it,’ he mouthed warningly.

  William understood and said nothing. Laura didn’t dare look at her brother in case she’d laugh.

  ‘Okay, see you later!’ Aurora skipped awa
y, energised by her Coke.

  Chapter Six

  Gloria stared at the turkey.

  ‘Good Lord, Henry. This is enormous! Will it fit?’ She glanced in panic at her built-in electric oven and then at the huge bird on the countertop. Conny Thompson had proudly boasted that all his free-range birds were at least eighteen pounds in weight.

  He laughed. ‘We’ll make it fit, my darling girl. Now, come over here and kiss me.’ He pulled Gloria towards him and kissed her full on the lips, just as Aurora and James walked in.

  ‘My eyes, my eyes!’ mocked James, taking a beer and a Coke from the fridge. ‘Please, no hanky-panky in front of your children.’

  ‘Daddy!’ exclaimed Aurora. ‘Why were you kissing Gloria?’ She stared at the older woman, who was looking flushed.

  Henry smoothed his grey hair and smiled. ‘Because I love her,’ he answered simply.

  ‘Love?’ repeated Aurora. ‘Does that mean that you two are bon–?’

  James yanked her by the arm before she could finish and hauled her out of the room.

  ‘Is that your word of the day?’ he whispered loudly, half-laughing. ‘I’m sure Henry wouldn’t appreciate that kind of language from you.’

  ‘Do you think they are?’ she pursued, following him into the sitting room.

  ‘I don’t want to know,’ he said. ‘That is not an image I want in my head, to be honest.’

  He picked up the remote control and activated the television in the corner.

  ‘I’d love one of those new flat-screen TVs,’ he said, pressing the AV button. ‘They look so cool on the wall.’

  Aurora shrugged. She had no knowledge of such things. Any TV was exotic to her, even Freddie’s ancient twenty-inch in his sitting room.

  ‘Right then, choose a film,’ said James, gesturing to a mixture of VHS tapes and DVDs on the shelf. ‘Laura has most of the Disney ones.’

  Aurora bounded over to the brightly coloured titles and peered closely. ‘Oh! You do have Sleeping Beauty,’ she cried in delight. ‘We must watch it! It’s about Princess Aurora.’

  ‘Sounds brilliant,’ said James as enthusiastically as he could. ‘I’ll go and microwave some popcorn then.’

  ‘You’re sure you won’t be bored?’ she asked.

  ‘Not at all – bring it on,’ he replied cheerfully. ‘I just love singing animals and all that jazz.’

  ‘Really?’ She looked doubtful.

  ‘No.’ He grinned. ‘But I’ll do it for you, Borealis. Now, grab the sofa before Will gets it.’

  Maleficent was in dragon form and was trying to kill Prince Phillip as he raced to save Aurora. James kept one eye on the screen and the other on his phone as Rosie had been texting him. He had planned to go back to the flat, but a thick frost had descended outside and Aurora’s head was heavy on his arm.

  Earlier, Will and Laura had walked in and out in one movement when they saw what was on the screen. ‘Disney?’ Will had mouthed in mock horror, backing away. James had presumed they retreated to Gloria’s room to watch a film on her computer.

  Finally, the prince defeated his nemesis and found the sleeping princess.

  ‘This is the best part!’ squealed Aurora, jumping up in excitement.

  James placed his phone on the coffee table and tried to look attentive. He watched the screen and then his eyes strayed to the little girl on his right. Her face was rapt and her eyes were shining as she watched the events unfold. He could see why she was so childish for her age as she had been denied crucial social contact with her peers. He couldn’t see Laura getting excited about Prince Phillip saving Aurora, unless she saw his bank statements first. His own sister was the complete antithesis of his film companion and this made him slightly uneasy. Aurora’s innocence was endearing but it also rendered her vulnerable. He didn’t know why but he wanted to protect her.

  The end credits came up on the screen and Aurora sighed. ‘I just love that film,’ she said. ‘I’ve only seen it twice.’

  ‘It was fantastic,’ lied James. ‘Thank you for letting me experience it. Now, I think it might be bedtime for you, Borealis. It’s past eleven.’

  ‘Oh,’ she said in disappointment.

  ‘It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow – you need to get all the sleep you can before the Big Man comes down the chimney.’

  ‘What’s Father Christmas bringing you?’ she asked, clapping her hands. ‘I asked for a CD of Greatest Songs of the West End.’

  ‘You asked for what?’ He started in surprise. ‘Aurora, you’re nine!’

  ‘So? I love to sing. Freddie’s sister Susie has seen all the great musicals in London. She lets me listen to her tapes when I call.’ She sighed wistfully. ‘That’s what I want to be when I grow up: a singer like my mother.’

  James shrugged. ‘Fair enough. Well, I asked for money and a large bottle of Jack Daniels. That’s about it.’

  ‘Have you been good?’ she asked seriously.

  ‘Oh, an angel,’ he replied.

  ‘Then, you should get what you asked for, Jiminy Cricket.’ She burst out laughing and ran upstairs.

  ‘Don’t call me that!’ he yelled, chasing her. ‘I’m the nickname guy!’

  Laura appeared down the corridor with William in tow as Aurora slammed the bedroom door. ‘We’ve been watching Meet the Parents, James,’ she said. ‘It’s absolutely ace! We laughed and laughed.’

  ‘Ace,’ repeated William. ‘That scene with the ashes.’

  ‘Why did she bang my door like that?’ asked Laura, straightening the ‘ENTER IF YOU DARE’ sign on her door with a frown.

  ‘I was chasing her,’ answered James. ‘No harm done.’

  ‘So, did you enjoy your film?’ said William, grinning. He opened his own bedroom door. ‘I admire you for your sacrifice.’

  ‘It was great. She loved it which is the main thing. Right, you two, see you in the morning.’

  He headed in the direction of Gloria’s room and, walking in, closed the door behind him. Her computer stood on a wooden desk by the window. Laura had forgotten to shut it down, so he activated the screen immediately. In two seconds, he was typing ‘Grace Sinclair’ into Google. Immediately, links popped up. Newspaper articles about her death, pictures of Henry and then theatre reviews of Grace Molloy. He clicked on one and found that it was from The Irish Times, dated the tenth of July 1991.

  Grace Molloy dazzles in the title role of My Fair Lady, playing Eliza Doolittle with such style that her fellow countryman, George Bernard Shaw, would be proud. The popular musical was given a makeover by pioneering director, Silas Walsh, who wanted to stay true to its Pygmalion roots …

  There was a picture of a beautiful young woman with cloudy dark hair and huge brown eyes, dressed as a flower-seller. James drew in a sharp breath. She was the absolute spitting image of Aurora, even down to the heart-shaped face. Henry had no claim to the child when it came to appearance.

  He exited out of the article and scrolled down further. There were pictures of Grace in various roles ranging from Christine in The Phantom of the Opera to Desdemona in Othello. She was smiling and radiant in most of the pictures, not like the sad image Maggie had imprinted on his brain. Her wedding to Henry was documented and immediately he could sense the change. Her once smiling face was morose and her large eyes were haunted.

  The front door slammed and James jumped. He exited out of Google immediately and deleted the search history.

  Back in his room his phone buzzed in his pocket and he knew immediately who it was. Rosie. He really ought to reply but he wasn’t in the mood for flirty texts right now. Back and forth coquettish messages that were amusing when at a loose end, but annoying when busy.

  Throwing his Nokia on the bed, he frowned. Something didn’t quite fit. He yearned to know more about the enigmatic Grace Molloy. He didn’t know why, but he could sense a story. There was more to this woman’s life and death than people thought.

  His photographer’s eye had ascertained right away that the camera loved Grace. S
he had it all: perfect skin, chiselled cheekbones and big dark eyes. Her cloudy hair framed an exquisite face and added drama and depth. She fascinated him and he vowed to find out more about Aurora’s mysterious mother who had lost her life so young.

  The next morning and the radio was blaring non-stop Christmas songs.

  William sang along in his baritone, buttering toast.

  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were sitting on two kitchen chairs, watching every morsel of food that was being eaten.

  ‘Lolly, pass the jam!’ William called from the top end of the kitchen table.

  Laura, who was sitting nearly at the opposite end of the table, tore her eyes away from the newspaper. Extending her arm, she handed her brother a pot of blackberry-and-apple conserve. ‘Did you make me a slice?’ she demanded, watching William deposit a huge dollop of jam on his toast.

  ‘You didn’t ask,’ he said.

  Aurora sauntered into the kitchen in her pink pyjamas and bare feet. The tiles felt warm as she walked and she luxuriated in the underfloor heating. She could never walk around her house at home without two pairs of socks on at least. Gloria’s house was double-glazed and comfortable, with working radiators and smaller rooms.

  Sleeping on the floor had been a pleasant experience. The two duvets had served as a soft mattress and she had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. It was strange to sleep in the same room as someone else – every so often she would tune in to Laura’s breathing and jump.

  ‘Morning,’ she said uncertainly, unused to a crowd around a breakfast table. It was normally just her with Maggie serving. Henry rarely joined them at breakfast time.

  ‘Good morning,’ greeted William, blowing her a kiss. ‘Lolly was just about to make some toast so if you’re hungry …’

  A slice of bread came flying through the air and hit him on the head.

  ‘Well, as a certain someone didn’t make it for her …’ Laura scowled at her brother. ‘So, Aurora, would you like some toast? Or we have cereal too. I’m not sure about porridge, but I can check.’

  ‘I’d like some toast,’ said Aurora, beaming.