Chapter 52: Isabella
"Mummy look, splashy!" Molly said as she dropped a rock in the stream
"I can see Molly," Isabella laughed "It's all over my shoes,"
"Mummy's all wet," Molly giggled
"So is Molly," Isabella laughed again as she crouched down by the stream and gently splashed her daughter
When the expected giggles didn't come from her five year old, Isabella looked up concerned
"Molly?"
"Mummy…" Molly said her bottom lip quivering
"What's wrong?"
"M-monster…." Her daughter stuttered
"There's no such thing as monste-,oh hello,"
"Mummy," Molly said crouching behind her mother's legs
"It's okay Molly, it's just a man out for a walk in the woods like us," Isabella assured her daughter "Lovely weather,"
"Yes…" the man replied tentatively
"I'm Isabella Williams. I live in the house just at the edge of the woods,"
"I know,"
"Bella!" a voice called from the distance before Isabella could reply
"Oh that's Daddy!" Molly said earnestly
"Gosh is that the time already," Isabella said "Or maybe he's home early from work, I can ever keep up with his hours,"
"Mummy," Molly called as she began to toddle off "Daddy home,"
"I'd better go," Isabella smiled
"Isabella is a pretty name," the man said
"Thank you. I never caught yours,"
"It doesn't matter," the man said turning to leave
"Oh…" Isabella frowned "Well goodbye then. I hope to see you again,"
"Oh you will," the man said as he watched the women turn to leave "You will,"
…
"Molly,"
A voice brought Molly out from her slumber and she gave a fearful squeak as she tried to gauge her surroundings.
"Ssh, it's okay kiddo. You're safe,"
"Jack?"
"Right here, you were dreaming,"
"W-wasn't a d-dream, it was a n-nightmare," she mumbled as she pushed herself up in bed
"Hi Molly," Nikki said gently as she sat down by the bed "Welcome back,"
"H-hi,"
"Are w-we safe?" Molly asked and Jack nodded
"We got out of there. All three of us our safe,"
"But DI H-Harris had a knife…Devil's Cott,"
"It's gone Molly. The knife is gone. You don't need to be afraid any longer. Devil's Cott is nothing but rubble now," Jack told her
"You're h-hurt?" she asked
"I'm on the mend," Jack assured her "I'm on the mend,"
…
"Molly you really need to be more careful," Isabella softly scolded her daughter "I've mended your jeans three times this month," she said as she watched her daughter stumbled through a bramble patch
"Sorry Mummy," Molly said as she ran over and planted a big kiss on her mother's cheek
Isabella tried to keep up her demeanour but her daughter's impish grin made her break into a peal of laughter "You are trouble my dear,"
"Not trouble Mummy, my name is Molly,"
"Your name will be no dinner if you don't go inside and wash your hands. Go and help Daddy in the kitchen,"
"Okay Mummy," Molly nodded "Daddy!" she bellowed "I'm coming to help," she said as she hurtled off in the direction of the house as fast as her little legs would carry her
Isabella smiled softly and turned back to her weeding. She was in the middle on trying to get the flower beds ready for the spring. She had spent an enjoyable Saturday teaching Molly all the different names of the flowers she was planting. That was until her daughter had gotten bored and wandered off to see if she could crawl through a hedge backwards (it was often a phrase used of her by her parents and Molly being six years old took these things very seriously and wanting to be a scientific journalist like her father decided to experiment)
"Hello again," a voice made Isabella look up suddenly with a start
"Goodness you made me jump, I didn't see you approach," she said as she got to her feet and walked over to the low fence where the man she had met in the woods was standing
"I didn't mean to make you afraid,"
"I'm not afraid, just a little startled. I was lost in thought over these roses," she gestured
"They are very beautiful. They remind me of you,"
Isabella frowned slightly at the comment "I'm no rose, I'm just plain old Bella,"
"Belladonna,"
"Sorry?"
"It's a plant. It means beautiful lady,"
"Oh I know the one you mean. It has black berries. But isn't it harmful?"
"Only to those who don't know how to treat her properly. There's some that grows near my house in the woods. You should come and look at it sometime,"
"Bella?" a voice called and she turned around to see Jonathan walking towards them "Dinner is ready,"
"Coming Jonathan. I just want to finish talking to-" but as she looked around the man was gone
"I thought I saw you talking to someone?" Jonathan joined his wife by the fence
"A man I met in the woods the other day. A strange man indeed. I sense he's a lonely kind of soul. I never caught his name though but he said he lives in the woods,"
"In the woods?" Jonathan asked "I didn't know there was even houses that deep in,"
"Maybe it's a small cottage. Like in the fairy tales we read to Molly," Isabella said dreamily
"Maybe Bella but just be careful, not all those stories end happily ever after,"
…
"Is it over?" Molly asked
Jack said "You're safe, no one is going to hurt you anymore"
"I get scared t-o c…close my eyes," Molly admitted
"What are you dreaming about?"
"M-mostly M-um," Molly admitted "If I died I w-would have been with her,"
"Don't talk like that," Jack said sternly "Not after all you've been through,"
"So..rry," Molly said and Jack took her hand and squeezed it gently
"You're a fighter Molly. I know you've been through the most horrendous of times but you will get through this," Nikki said softly
"I w-want my mu..um and my d-dad," Molly stuttered
"I know," Nikki soothed "But right now you have myself and Jack. Is that enough for you right now?"
…
"Am I enough for you?" Jonathan asked as he brought two glasses of wine over to the table
"What do you mean Jonathan?"
"I mean are we doing okay Bella?"
"Okay as in?"
"As in our marriage,"
"Of course we are Jonathan. I love you as much as the day I first set eyes on you," she said firmly
"I know you went to visit him out in the woods,"
"Who?"
"That man,"
"Oh him," Bella said in her dream like tones "It's nothing Jonathan, he's just a lonely soul who needs some company,"
"Bella you need to be more careful,"
"And you need to be more kind. That man has no other friends in the world,"
"Maybe there's a reason for that,"
"And what would you know, you're hardly ever here these days,"
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I trust that when you're off out working that you're not gallivanting off with other women so some reciprocal trust wouldn't go astray here,"
"Bella!" Jonathan shouted
"Don't you raise your voice at mean Jonathan David Williams," Isabella retorted
"Everything okay over here?" George Francis walked over to the pair, his greedy eyes glistening as he lapped up the tension brewing between the couple
"Fine George," Jonathan said
"Lover's tiff?"
"We're just a little tired that's all. We should be getting back to Molly soon. The babysitter can go home early," Isabella said laying a hand over Jonathan's own
"Bella…"
"Let's go John," Isabella said "Let's just go home and go to sleep. We'll talk more in the morning,"
"Bella…"
"Tomorrow John, I promise, she said as they exited the Slug and Pellet and walked up the country lane back towards their house together.
For the very last time.
