Part 2 (1/2)

Louise nodded reluctantly. 'Yes, but you know what a pittance that is.'

'I suppose there's always temporary work.'

'You sound just like Karrie,' Louise said. 'What do you expect me to do, scrub toilets?' When Susan smiled and shook her head she added, 'Anyway, I told you, there's a strong possibility of something really exciting coming up any day now. I don't want to miss it because I've taken on some mundane job, do I?'

'I suppose not.'

'Right, so getting back to the point can you put me up?'

Susan frowned. 'You mentioned that Karen is going through a crisis. What's happened? Should I be worried?'

'No, nothing like that.' Louise paused. 'OK we've fallen out. It was all about something trivial and I'm sure it will soon blow over, but in the meantime ...'

'If, as you say, it's only for a few days.'

'At the most.'

'Then I suppose you'd better go and collect your stuff.'

'As a matter of fact, I left my case outside on the landing.'

Susan loved order and she always felt that when Louise was staying, it was as though the flat was full of people. Although she was sleeping on the sofa, she didn't get up until halfway through the morning. When she did, she used up all the hot water and made full use of the was.h.i.+ng machine. The flat was strewn with her belongings and the bathroom was festooned with her drying tights and underwear. It never occurred to her to give a hand with the cleaning or cooking and in the evenings, she hogged the TV remote control, dismissing Susan's taste in programmes as 'boring'. She made absolutely no attempt to help with the shopping, nor did she offer to contribute towards the food bills.

Once the half-term week was over, Susan suggested to Karen that she babysat Peter at her house. It was a relief to get out of the flat although she dreaded the state the flat would be in on her return each evening. She also tried not to think about the heavy telephone bill Louise was running up. She used the landline all the time. It never seemed to occur to her to use her mobile. The worst of it was that most of her calls were long-distance ones to her agent and various other people.

When she ventured to ask if there was any news about the so-called 'exciting prospect', Louise merely shrugged and muttered something vague about 'these things taking time'.

Susan asked Karen why she and Louise had fallen out but her daughter was cagey, shrugging it off as a 'storm in a teacup'.

'If she's taking advantage, Mum, just kick her out,' she said, and although Susan agreed that she would, they both knew that it was easier said than done.

Louise had been at the flat for ten days when Susan began to have a suspicion that the marvellous job she had been so effusive about was either a non-starter or all in her mind. She became quiet and preoccupied and jumped every time the phone rang, racing to be first to pick it up. Then suddenly one evening, her mobile phone trilled out. Rummaging for it in her bag, she listened in breathless antic.i.p.ation to the voice at the other end and slowly a look of excited relief lit her face. The call seemed to last forever but eventually Louise said goodbye and ended the call and looked at her stepmother, her face wreathed in smiles. Her whole demeanour had changed.

'I'll be off tomorrow morning, Susan,' she said cheerily. 'It's been lovely staying with you and I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot.'

Susan's heart leapt. She was going at last! 'Was that your agent?' she asked. 'Was it about the job?'

Louise nodded. 'Well, fingers crossed. There are some details to iron out yet. But anyway, I'll be out of your hair tomorrow.'

She left soon after breakfast, before Susan had left for Karen's.

'Thanks for everything, Susan. I'll be in touch,' she said, pecking her stepmother on the cheek.

'Where will you be staying?' Susan asked.

'With Dianne, an old friend from drama school. She's got a flat in Earl's Court and she's always happy to put me up for a few days. I rang her last night. Would you just ring a taxi for me while I gather my stuff together?'

As she disappeared into the bedroom, Susan lifted the receiver. One more call and it would all be over.

Ten minutes later, she watched from the window as Louise stepped into a taxi down in the street.

She was bursting with her news as she took off her coat later at Karen's.

'She's gone,' she said briefly, knowing there was no need to elaborate.

'Louise gone? Just like that?'

'Just like that. She had a phone call yesterday evening and announced right after it that she was leaving this morning. She's gone already.'

'So is it a job, or what?'

'I asked that. She just said something about an exciting possibility.'

'I take it she'll be sponging on her friend, Dianne, again.'

'She did say she'd be staying with her, yes.'

'Oh well, at least you've got your home to yourself again. I'm sorry, Mum. I'm afraid it was partly my fault you got saddled with her.'

'I wish you'd tell me what you quarrelled about.'

'Maybe I will one of these days,' Karen said, putting her coat on. 'For now, just be thankful that she's gone. If you've got any sense you'll say no next time she asks to stay. I'm going to. It's time we left her in no doubt about how we both feel, Mum. She's always ridden roughshod over us and it's time we called a halt to her freeloading. After all, she can't be hard up.' She kissed her mother's cheek briefly. 'Thanks, Mum. I'll have to dash now.'

What Karen said made good sense. It was high time they told Louise a few home truths. But she had the distinct feeling that Louise would find a way to be the injured party when they did. Somehow she always did.

Chapter Four.

It was my fourth birthday that day. I'd had a party and I was really sleepy when I went to bed but something woke me. Rising up the stairs, I heard my parents' raised voices. I couldn't make out the words, just the frightening tone of their voices, sharp and ugly with anger; Mum's shrill and Dad's hoa.r.s.e and rough. They were rowing again. I felt my heartbeat quicken and my tummy churned sickeningly. Pulling the covers over my head, I stuck my fingers in my ears. I must have gone to sleep again because suddenly it was morning and I was awake. Slipping out of bed, I padded through every room on my bare feet, searching the whole house for Mum. When I couldn't find her, a wild panic filled my chest.

'Mum!' I heard myself screaming. 'I want Mum!'

'Lou Lou, wake up!'

Someone was shaking my shoulder.

'Lou, you're dreaming again. Wake up now, love, everything's all right.'

I opened my eyes to see Dianne standing beside the bed. My heart was still pounding but I took a deep breath and sat up, shaking my head. 'Sorry, Di. Did I wake you? Was I shouting again?'

'Yes. I don't know what those nightmares are about but they certainly seem to terrify you.' Dianne sat down on the side of the bed.

'I've had them on and off for most of my life,' I admitted. 'They usually recur when I'm nervous about something.' I pulled myself up into a sitting position. 'My parents used to have these horrendous rows when I was little and I'd wake and hear them.'

'They must have scared you pretty badly if they're still affecting you.'

'They did. Then one morning my mum wasn't there any more. I never saw her again.' I shuddered, my stomach still churning at the memory of the dream. 'When I was about eight I started getting bullied at school. The other kids said my dad had killed her and buried her body in the garden. That gave me even worse nightmares. Then, on my ninth birthday I got a card from her so I knew it wasn't true. She'd written her address on it. I managed to keep the card but I never got to see the letter she enclosed with it; Dad tore it up and wouldn't let me read it.'