Tacenda

Chapter Five

illecebrous

(adj.) alluring, attractive, enticing

The door to the B&B swung open when Amber brushed her hand against it and she stepped inside, case banging against her legs. The hall was airy and Amber looked about with a smile. The whole place was richly decorated, a plush patterned carpet beneath her feet. It smelt like spices and warmth and Amber relaxed for the first time since she'd got on the bus.

A small, thin Indian woman stepped out into the hall, smiling when she saw Amber standing there. "Oh, my dear, come in! I didn't hear you at the door."

Amber shook her head. "Sorry," she said. "I tried to knock..."

The woman looked between Amber and the door, but she was still smiling. "It does that sometimes," she said. She led Amber into a side room, ushered her over to a sofa. Everything in here was beautiful and clean and Amber sank back into the cushions with a sigh. She felt sweaty still, and there was some part of the back of her mind that was disgruntled at the strange events of the day, but overall her feeling here was one of safety. Security.

"I am Sakshi Chande," the woman said. She held out her hand and Amber shook it. "My husband and I run this place. You are...?"

"Amber," Amber replied. "I'm only going to be here a few days, I think."

If anything, the woman's demeanour seemed to relax at the news and, though Amber thought it a little strange, she shrugged it off.

"It is nice to get a visitor every so often," Sakshi said. Amber looked at her properly for the first time. There was barely a line on her face; still, Amber guessed she had to be at least in her forties—something about her eyes gave that away.

"You don't get many? The village seems... nice."

Sakshi laughed. "It is, it is," she said, "But ever since they closed off that road, it has been difficult for people to get here."

Amber frowned. Come to think of it, she'd seen no indication on her way in of why the road should be closed. She sat up and opened her mouth, but when the front door opened again, when Sakshi turned her head, her long plait flicking against her back, Amber closed it.

"Ah, Anil is back," Sakshi said. She smiled at Amber again. "My husband. You will see him often, too, during your stay."

Amber nodded. Made sense, she supposed, though she wasn't expecting the man she suddenly saw.

He seemed to fill the door frame, eyes dark under wild, angry-looking brows. Amber didn't shrink back into the sofa, even though part of her wanted to—instead she stared back, and bristled as he stared.

"A guest?" Anil asked and his voice was couched in an accent that almost sounded familiar to Amber's ears. She'd heard it on the streets of Leicester, in her schools, from her friends' parents. She smiled faintly.

Sakshi nodded. "She is staying for...?"

Amber thought. She was meeting the executor on Monday—the estate agent, too, so...

"Three nights," she replied and something in Anil's demeanour seemed to relax.

"Perfect," Sakshi said. "Come, come, let me show you to your room."

***

Once Sakshi had shown her around—"Make sure you come to us for dinner, there will be plenty for you!"—Amber sat on the bed that would be hers for the next three nights, staring out of the window. She was in a room facing the street and for a little while, she watched the people coming and going. Now she wasn't among them, Amber realised how normal they looked.

A breeze blew, swirling weak leaves from the trees and making them dance down the cobbled street. Amber was seized by the sudden urge to go out and explore—but at the same time, something held her back.

She couldn't deny that there was something strange in this village. She'd always felt that way, though it was her first time visiting. Her aunt had moved to Lower Cwealm years before, and always made the trip to see Amber on birthdays, at Christmas, but Amber's mother had spoken of the place in low whispers, whispers that Amber hadn't even tried to understand.

Now she wished she had.

Frustrated, Amber got to her feet. First, a shower—then she'd explore.

***

An hour later, the heat of the day finally beginning to subside, Amber stepped out onto the street. She had her phone in one pocket, some cash in the other, and she pulled her sunglasses down as she wandered aimlessly about.

The village was beautiful, she had to admit that, and for a moment Amber considered going to her aunt's old house, checking it out alone. She shook her head, dismissing the idea as quickly as it had come up. She wouldn't be able to get in without a key—and what was the point of surveying some old house from the outside?

Instead, she wandered down the streets, not really caring about where she was going. She'd find her way back to the B&B, she was sure; if she got lost, then she could always ask for directions.

People seemed to be staring again, but Amber paid them no heed. She walked until she found a narrow river, nestled behind a row of cottages, and then sat on the bank to rest. Her legs ached from all the walking but Amber ignored it. Her fingers dug into the dirt and she closed her eyes as a warm breeze rustled through some nearby trees.

A few minutes later, Amber opened her eyes again. She turned her head. She'd felt a prickle on the back of her neck like she was being watched again, and she half-expected to see one of the twins, but there was nobody there.

Turning back to the river, Amber shivered. It was still narrow, but suddenly looked deep, and she scrambled to her feet, wrapping her arms around herself.

Amber shook her head. She'd probably fallen asleep, dozed off and had a weird dream that had put her in this paranoid headspace. She yawned, running a hand through her hair—wincing when her fingers caught on a knot. Maybe it was time to head back.

The streets seemed emptier on the way back and Amber checked the time on her phone. Six-thirty; Sakshi had said they had dinner at eight. She still had time, so when she saw a small supermarket, she ducked inside.

It seemed worth it to pick up some snacks, so Amber grabbed crisps, sweets, a bar of chocolate she could eat watching TV that night.

She turned and almost walked straight into a teenage boy who was trying to not-so-subtly watch the girl filling shelves at the end of the aisle. Amber rolled her eyes and ducked past him, past the girl too, heading to the checkouts.

The lights were stark in here, everyone looking washed out and a little miserable, but that wasn't new. Amber eyed the checkouts—another teenage boy on the first, hair shoddily dyed dark, piercings, but he looked older than the one still lingering down the aisle, so that was something. The next checkout was manned by an older woman, working fast with her head down, but the queue was longer, so Amber walked past her and went to the third. She dumped her stuff on the belt, trying to fish her money out of her pocket, and when the customer in front of her left, Amber looked up.

The girl—woman—serving her looked back. She had dark hair, falling softly around her face, eyeliner smudged around her dark eyes. She bit her lip, teeth white against black lipstick and Amber felt her cheeks heat.

"Hi," she said.

The woman smiled. Her nametag read Damini and Amber liked the sound of it. "Hi," she said. "You find everything you were after?"

Amber looked up again, meeting Damini's eyes. She thought there was something else behind the words, something deep and warm, and so she smiled back.

"Yeah," she said. "Seems like it."