‘Please, Gemma.’
‘The person who hired Sadie… it was your mother.’
I’m surprised to see Robert’s shoulders relax. He gives me a look. ‘Come on, Gemma. You don’t believe that.’
‘I didn’t want to believe it either, but it’s true.’
‘I know that you and Mum aren’t exactly best friends, but come on, this is bloody ridiculous. No way. No way is that true.’
I show him the evidence that Sadie gave me – printouts of the emails between Sadie and his mother. He reads them with scepticism at first, and then with a growing expression of horror on his face. I then present him with copies of Sadie’s bank statements, which show payments being deposited by Diane.
My husband shakes his head, and my heart goes out to him at the devastating news he is being forced to process. Although I’ve never liked Diane, I wouldn’t wish this revelation on my worst enemy. To find out that your own mother could be so calculating and callous.
I go on to tell him about her also being responsible for the graffiti on my car. And then I admit what happened with the fake Mick Cosgrove – something I had wanted to keep secret from him, but it’s all wrapped up with this incident, so he needs to know just how low his mother has stooped. This last revelation seems to make him more furious than all the rest of it put together. Or maybe it’s just the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
‘How could she do this? I’ll kill her.’
Fifty-Seven
One week later
We stand on Diane’s front step, waiting for her to come to the door. She thinks we’re here for a social visit. She couldn’t be more wrong. I was a little nervous that Sadie wouldn’t show up today. But, true to her word, she’s here with me and Robert, prepared to face Diane and get the woman to admit what she’s done.
The door opens, and Diane’s smile becomes a frown. I have to keep from smirking at her discomfort. I have to remember that this is Robert’s mother, and none of this can be easy for him.
‘Sadie…’ Diane says before faltering, her fingers flying up to touch her lips.
‘Hello,’ Robert says. ‘Are you going to leave us outside on the doorstep, or can we come in?’
‘Of course, yes, come in. I wasn’t expecting… I didn’t realise…’
We follow her into the lounge, none of us offering an explanation as to why Sadie is with us. I have to admit, I’m enjoying Diane’s discomfort.
‘Robert,’ Diane says, ‘will you come into the kitchen and help me bring out the tea things?’
I know what her game is. She wants to question her son out of earshot. ‘That’s okay, Diane,’ I say brightly. ‘I’ll help,’
‘But Robert…’
I bustle out of the room and lead the way to the kitchen. Diane has no choice but to follow me, unless she wants to make an embarrassing fuss, which of course she won’t. Once we’re there, I deflect any chance of conversation by taking hold of the tray, which is already set out with cups, saucers, plates, cake and biscuits. ‘This one, yes?’
‘Oh, wait a moment,’ she says, ‘I’ll need to re-boil the kettle and put the teapot on the tray too.’
‘No problem, I’ll take this. You can bring the teapot separately.’ I pick up the tray and sweep out of the room without giving her the opportunity to speak further.
It’s been a feat of massive self-restraint for me and Robert this past week, trying to pretend that everything is fine between us and Diane. Every time she calls, I feel like screaming at her. Calling her out for the evil witch she is. But Robert wanted us to wait until Sadie could come with us to confront her. That way, we would have her testimony too, and his mother wouldn’t be able to deny it.
I don’t know why we’re even going through with this afternoon-tea charade. None of us will be eating any of her homemade-bloody-angel cake, that’s for sure. But Robert thought this was the easiest way to do it. The girls are with Amelia and James. We haven’t yet told them about any of this. Robert is dreading telling his brother. But we’ll save that conversation for another day. Right now, we need to confront Diane.
I dump the tray on the coffee table, catching Robert’s eye and giving him what I hope is a supportive smile. Moments later, Diane appears with the teapot. I must say, my mother-in-law now appears remarkably calm. She must be wondering why we’re here. She must suspect something. I wonder what she’ll say when we present her with the stark reality of our evidence. I wonder how she’s going to try to worm her way out of it.
Robert does the talking while I restrain myself from chipping in. Sadie keeps her silence too. We agreed that he would do it. He said it was only right that he’s the one to confront her.
‘You seriously expect me to admit to this hogwash?’ Diane snaps, directing her gaze to me and not to Robert, who has just spent the past five minutes telling her that we know what she did.
‘You don’t need to admit it, Mother,’ Robert says, his voice low and even. ‘We have all the evidence. I haven’t come here to ask you if it’s true, I’ve come here to ask you what the hell were you thinking, meddling in my life like this. Subjecting Gemma to all that harassment and fear. But worst of all, hiring a woman who could have been dangerous – no offence Sadie – to come and live in our house and take care of our children. I mean, who does that? Who puts their own family at risk like that?’
‘I don’t know, Robert. I don’t know who does that. But it certainly isn’t me. Are you really going to believe the word of a virtual stranger, acharlatan, over the word of your own mother?’ She stares from him, to me, to Sadie. ‘You!’ She points at Sadie with a pink-polished fingernail. ‘I don’t know what your game is, young woman, but you’ve obviously made my family believe your fairy tales. So answer me, why are you doing this?’