Free The Room Beyond by Stephanie Elmas Page A

nothing
else for it but to put my fork down, throw my head back and laugh hysterically.
It wasn’t hard at all and as soon as I started it seemed to spur the others on
even more. I scooped the noodles up into my mouth between outbursts and before
I knew it the play was thankfully over. All I had to do was pray every night
that none of them would ever attempt to address me in German.
    ‘How are the plans for the party going?’ Edward asked Eva
afterwards, wiping his tears of laughter away with the corner of a napkin.
    ‘Well, I think. Are you coming?’
    ‘Me? Oh no,’ replied Edward. ‘Your mother might put her head round
the door but I’ll leave you lot to it. When’s he arriving?’
    ‘Not sure. He’s been rather busy out there.’
    Edward looked down at his empty plate, a momentary cloud crossing
his face, and then he glanced up at Beth with a large smile.
    ‘Now I’m pretty sure I know someone who can’t wait for her Uncle
Raphael to come home.’
     
    By the time dinner was over it was almost dark outside. It was
Beth’s bedtime and our shadows accompanied us up the stairs as we went; mine
long and dark and Beth’s a little lighter and more scattered with her flitting
about. Up in her room I tried to find some bedtime reading, but the bookshelf
was mostly crammed with a lot of grim looking spines embellished with gothic
writing.
    ‘You do have quite a collection of ghost stories here,’ I said.
    I managed to tug out an abridged edition of Peter Pan from
between them and she listened to the opening pages with unblinking
concentration.
    ‘Who’s your favourite in the book?’ she asked after I’d finished
reading.
    ‘Um, I don’t know. Tinker Bell probably. Now get into bed, do you
like your lamp on or off?’
    ‘Off. My favourite’s Peter.’
    ‘He is fun, isn’t he? It’s a shame we can’t all be young like him
forever.’
    ‘Some people can. I know that for a fact.’
    ‘Yes, of course you do! Now, sweet dreams.’
    I kissed her cool forehead and she seemed content to be left.
     
    It really was dark now. I couldn’t find a light switch so had to
feel my way up the narrow stairs to my room. My shoulders started to relax; it
was so quiet and peaceful up here. I closed the curtains but opened the balcony
door behind them just a little to let in the cool evening air. It carried the
scent of flowers with it, jasmine maybe.
    Now, Jessica. I didn’t really feel like ringing her yet. She’d
probably start to worry if I attempted to describe all the German comedy and
guffawing to her, so I sent her a text instead:
     
    Am fine. House still lovely. Hartreves unusual but nice. Will ring
in a few days when settled. Love Serena
     
    I tossed the phone onto my bed; it was time to unpack properly, but
then a sudden sound from the balcony stopped me in my tracks. What was it? A
shoe scuffing against the floor? The closed curtains rippled gently with the
breeze. No. Nothing more than a deranged cat would have braved a jump like that.
    The noise came again and I could feel the whirr of blood start to
rise up in my ears. I tiptoed over to the windows and, with one sharp tug,
pulled the curtains back to scare whatever it was away. Instead I came face to
face with Seb.
    ‘Fancy a smoke?’ he said, offering me a crumpled pack of cigarettes
whilst lighting one for himself.
    ‘Oh my God! How the hell did you get up here?’
    ‘Ah, now that would be telling.’
    I pushed past him and peered over the balcony at the spine-crunching
drop to the garden. Even the flat roof of next door’s extension seemed
dangerously out of reach, although not impossible.
    ‘How did you do it?’
    ‘Come on, relax. I practically grew up in this house,’ he said and
then he rolled his eyes mysteriously. ‘I know its ways.’
    He sat down on the balcony step, exhaled an impressive array of
smoke rings into the night sky and then beamed at me in a way that made me want
to giggle like a schoolgirl. I perched next to him and we