50 womansweekly.com
T
ry asshemight,Stella
Cassidycouldn’tget
backto sleepat the
neighbouringGrand
Hotel,afterwitnessingthe
devastation.Whatonearth
wouldbecomeof poorAlan
andDarcynow?Where
wouldtheygo?She’dasked
Darcyafterthefuneralif she
wastakingAlanto staywith
relativesandshe’dtoldher
theyhadnooneelse.It was
justthetwoof them.
Shegotup,showeredand
dressedandwentdownto
thereception.
‘Everythingalright?’Sam,
thenightporter,asked.
‘I’mgoingto thehospital,’
shesaid.‘I can’tsleep,Sam.
WouldyouletMichaelknow?’
‘Ofcourse,’hesaid.‘Give
themmybest.AlanSpencer
gavemea jobwhenI left
school.I feelawfulthatthis
hashappened.’
‘I know,’Stellasaid,also
feelinga twingeof guilt.Sam
usedto workat theVictoria
beforehersonMichael,who
nowownedtheGrand,had
luredhimaway.He’dtriedto
poach other people too, but
everyone else was fiercely
loyal, especially red-haired
and hot-tempered Molly,
their housekeeper.
Not that Alan or Esther had
held it against anyone. They’d
wished Sam well and had
thrown him a leaving party.
Stella couldn’t help thinking
that if Sam still worked at the
Victoria, he would have been
on duty and might have been
able to do something to stop
what had happened.
‘Sam,’ she said. ‘Could you
do me a favour?’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said.
‘Get housekeeping to
prepare the downstairs flat
ready for occupancy.’
His grin lit up his face and
he pointed at her. ‘I like your
thinking,’ he said.
‘Well, yes,’ she said, smiling.
‘I just hope Alan and Darcy
do too.’ She bit her lip. ‘Not
to mention Michael and Kate.’
✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
The hospital was still fairly
quiet and as Stella walked in,
her younger son Ned was on
his way out. He looked tiredand she realised he must be
at the end of his shift.
‘You alright, Ma?’ he asked,
concern furrowing his
forehead. ‘What are you doing
here? Is everything alright?’
‘You’ve heard about the
Victoria?’ she asked.
‘I was there,’ he said. ‘Alan
and Darcy are still in A&E.
They were lucky to get out
alive. The hotel is a wreck.’
‘You were there?’ She
pressed her hand against her
mouth. ‘Oh, Ned, don’t tell
me you’re the person who
rushed in, regardless of your
own safety?’
‘Alright, I won’t,’ he laughed.
Stella closed her eyes.
Sometimes it felt as if Ned
had a death wish.
Her sons couldn’t be more
different. Michael would
never be so reckless. They
were both big, broad men,
but while Michael had been
ambitious, his main goal in
life to make as much money
as possible, Ned only ever
wanted to help people.
She was pleased they’d
both followed their dreams,but couldn’t say she was
happy with their life choices.
Michael, she was sure, was
heading for an ulcer the way
he pushed himself and Ned
often put his life on the line.
She feared for both her boys.
Maybe she was worrying
too much, but what happened
to Esther brought it home to
her just how precarious and
fragile life could be.
Ned always ran towards
danger. He’d been the same
as a child, climbing trees to
rescue cats, jumping into
rivers to save dogs and even
flinging himself in the road
to stop his brother being run
down by an out of control car.
Michael was a proud boy
and he’d been furious as he
picked himself up off the
ground and spun round to
confront his brother – ‘What
did you do that for?’
But Ned had been unable
to answer because he wasThe beloved
VICTORIA
They may have safely escaped the wreckage, but
what was to stop these criminals trying again?
©TI MEDIA, 2019. ILLUSTRATION: CAT O’NEIL/KILLINGTON ARTS
PART
TWO
Teresa Ashby’s tense mystery continues...
THESTORYSOFAR:DarcySpencerisinshock
followingthedeathofhergrandmother,Esther,
aftera fallfromthecliffneartheirfamily-run
hotel,theVictoria.Darcyclosesthehotelandat
thefuneraltellseveryonethatsheistakingher
grandfather,Alan, awayfora while,butheis
reluctanttoleave.Thatnight,a lorrysmashesintothefrontoftheVictoriacausingimmense
damage.DarcystrugglestogetAlanoutandis
helpedbyparamedic,NedCassidy. Whenthe
policecometoseeDarcyatthehospital,theytell
hertheybelievethelorrywasdeliberatelydriven
intothehotelandaskherif shehasanyideawho
wouldwishthemharm.Thestorycontinues...