Mad Alice Lane

Chapter Nineteen

Martha

The journey home is a silent one. Both Isak and Evie are kind and intuitive enough to leave me to my thoughts. When Evie, once again ignoring pedestrian zoning, pulls up right outside my flat, she merely says, "I'll call you tomorrow, Martha." I nod, and climb out of the car. Isak also gets out, and taking one hand in his, he squeezes it; nothing more, but it means the world. I send him a fleeting smile before turning and starting the long heavy walk up the stairs. Richard is home; the Saturday papers neatly stacked on the coffee table. I realise I haven't had a single call from him.

"Martha," he says calmly, as I walk in. "Where have you been?"

"I went out with Evie and Isak. You remember Isak, don't you? He's the man who called the ambulance when I had the miscarriage. He came with me to the hospital. He gave you his number for me."

"Oh yes. I remember the fellow. Black hair, camera."

"Why didn't you give me his number?" I ask, accusingly, happy to pick a fight.

"I didn't think it was important. I thanked the fellow, offered him some reward for his time-"

"You offered him money?"

"Well, it seemed like the right thing to do," he protests.

"You're unbelievable, Richard," I say.

"Me? Me unbelievable? You're the one who disappeared today without saying a thing to me about it. You're the one who's hanging around with God knows what people. You're the one who threw your own mother out of the house!" I've never seen Richard explode like this, and, despite the storm of emotions flying around my head, I must admit that it's refreshing to see him like this; out of control and passionate. "What's going on with you, Martha? Do I have to threaten you with Bootham Park again? Where's the woman I married?"

"Don't you dare threaten me, Richard. I'm still here, Richard. I've been here the whole time. It's you who's been avoiding me."

"Avoiding you? Don't be ridiculous. I spend every night with you, for heaven's sake."

"In twin beds! Don't you think that's a little odd, Richard? We've not even been married a year."

"Yes, well, you had the baby to consider-"

"Not any more, Richard, and still..."

"Well, there's my back, and you know how important it is for me to have a good night's sleep."

"Fine, fine," I say. Richard, taking this as my surrender, launches into a fresh assault.

"And what about your poor mother? Have you spoken to her since you treated her so badly?"

"My poor mother? My poor mother?! Let me tell you about my poor mother. You want to know where I've been today, Richard? I've been to my old house. Yes, that's right. I used to live around here. Did you know that? No, neither did I, but it turns out to be true.

"I grew up in a beautiful old house called Deepdene Hall, in a little village not far from here. And you know what else? That house burnt down about twenty years ago. About the same time that I moved to Milton Keynes with my mother, to live with her parents, after my father had left us.

"But here's the thing, Richard. He didn't leave us. He died. He died! And what's more. So did my brother. Yes, my brother. Matthew. How could I not even know about my brother? How is that even possible?"

"What did you expect her to say? That they'd both been killed in the fire and you were left with nothing? That-"

"What did you say?"