Free Losing Nicola by Susan Moody Page A

front door. ‘Have they no sense of compassion? Or common courtesy?’
    She came back half an hour later. ‘I’ve put the fear of God into them. I told Charles and Julian that Colonel Tavistock would have been thoroughly ashamed of them if the poor man were here today, and that I’d have to think twice about allowing them into this house again. As for that Nicola . . .’ She made a disgusted noise. ‘I’m a strong believer in independence, as you two know. I prefer to let you children make your own mistakes, which is why I don’t often lay down the law. But there are times when it needs to be done.’ She looked at me. ‘Alice, I’m very close to forbidding you to have anything more to do with that frightful girl.’
    I glanced in appeal at Orlando but his face was stony. All my life he’d been my rock. Now he was rejecting me. ‘But shouldn’t we show compassion to her too?’ I said in desperation, foreseeing that I would have to spend the rest of the holidays as a social outcast.
    My mother raised a glacial eyebrow. ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’
    â€˜Isn’t her father –’ Too late I remembered my promise to Ava. ‘– isn’t he in prison or something?’
    â€˜And how do you know that?’
    â€˜One of the boys told us,’ Orlando lied easily. ‘Can’t remember if it was Charles or Julian.’ Neither of us dared to meet her eyes.
    â€˜This is something you should never mention to anyone,’ Fiona said. ‘And of course, we have to be understanding. On the other hand, whatever her family circumstances, they don’t excuse the way she – and the others – are treating poor Sasha Elias.’
    She looked at Orlando and her face softened. ‘I’d like a quick word with Alice on her own, if you don’t mind,’ she said.
    Alarm and guilt pulsed through me. What had I done?
    â€˜I’ll be in the garden,’ Orlando said, as he opened the door to leave.
    As soon as it had closed behind him, she said: ‘How’re you getting on with your music lessons?’
    â€˜All right,’ I muttered.
    â€˜Why don’t you play me something?’ she said.
    I was embarrassed, unused to so much attention. I launched into
The Fairy’s Picnic
. If she was impressed, she didn’t say so.
    â€˜How do you get on with Mr Elias?’ she asked. There was something in her tone that made me uneasy.
    â€˜Fine. He’s nice.’
    â€˜Does he ever . . .’
    â€˜
What
?’
    â€˜. . . touch you?’
    â€˜Of
course
not.’ My face burned. He did touch me from time to time, but not in the way that I suspected she meant.
    â€˜I’ve been told that he sometimes uses . . . um . . . inappropriate behaviour.’
    â€˜Who told you that?’
    â€˜Louisa Stone mentioned something.’
    Nicola must have been saying things, either in order to divert attention from the campaign of terror she’d tried to initiate, or to excuse it. ‘What’s inappropriate behaviour, anyway?’
    â€˜He’s never asked you to . . . to sit on his lap?’ Fiona was almost as embarrassed as I was. ‘Or put his hand . . . on your knee? Or . . . um . . . elsewhere?’
    â€˜No! If Nicola said that, she’s lying. It’s disgusting of you to say such things.’
    â€˜I’m only repeating something I was told.’
    â€˜It’s lies!’ I shouted. ‘He doesn’t do
any
thing. Just teaches me the piano.’
    â€˜Are you telling me the truth, Alice?’
    â€˜
Yes
!’
    â€˜Very well. We won’t mention it again. But if you ever have the slightest—’
    â€˜I
won’t
. He’s not
like
that, not in the least.’
    â€˜Very well. I shall invite the poor man to dinner. Try to make up for the behaviour of your . . .
friends
.’ She gave me an ice-cold stare. ‘In fact, I’ll