Hope Blooms in Tuppenny Bridge (Tuppenny Bridge #5)

Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

‘I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe it.’

Daisy had never imagined Miss Lavender could ever look so utterly broken, but as she watched Noah’s great aunt wipe away her tears, her heart broke for the old lady who was clearly devastated by what had occurred.

They were sitting by Noah’s bedside—Ross and Miss Lavender on one side and Daisy and Zach on the other. Noah was sleeping peacefully, having been examined, his wounds attended to, and painkillers administered.It was early on Monday morning, and they’d been allowed to stay with him while he was settled into a private room at Miss Lavender’s insistence. Daisy had managed to contact Rowan and Tess, who’d assured her they would manage the café just fine on their own, and that she needn’t worry about a thing.

‘Why didn’t I see?’ Miss Lavender wept. ‘Why didn’t I know what was going on?’ She reached for Ross’s hand. ‘Why didn’t he tell us?’

‘I don’t know, Auntie,’ he soothed. ‘The main thing to remember is that he’s safe now, and he’s being taken care of. And now we do know it will never happen again.’

‘It certainly won’t! That woman!’ Miss Lavender shook her head, then her gaze fell on Daisy, her eyes full of shame. ‘I warned him away from you. Told him to stick with Isobel. Be loyal to her !’ Her voice cracked as fresh tears fell. ‘If I hadn’t said all that to him, perhaps he would have found the courage to leave her. Was this my fault?’

‘No! No, Miss Lavender, you can’t blame yourself,’ Daisy said, wanting nothing more than to reassure this heartbroken old lady.

‘If anyone’s to blame it’s me,’ Zach said gruffly. ‘He came to see me, back in mid-August. Told me things were bad between him and Isobel. He asked me if I thought all sins could be forgiven—even ones where people got hurt. I—I told him to put more effort into his marriage.’ His eyes gleamed with unshed tears. ‘I suggested counselling. Counselling! God forgive me.’

‘You weren’t to blame either,’ Ross said flatly. ‘There’s only one person at fault here and that’s Isobel, and with any luck she’ll pay for it.’

‘Oh,’ Miss Lavender said, sounding for a moment like her old, determined self, ‘she’ll pay for it all right.’

They all fell silent, and Daisy turned to Noah. He had fallen asleep with his hand in hers. She gently squeezed his fingers, beyond grateful that the damage hadn’t been worse.

An orbital fracture had caused the swelling of the eye. Noah had been given a scan and an assessment first thing that morning and they’d been told that the specialist would assess him again once the swelling had gone down, so they could better check the eye and its movement. He also had two fractured ribs, extensive bruising to his upper body, scratches all over his neck and face, and a deep cut to his head, which had been stitched.

‘He has concussion, so we’ll keep him in for forty-eight hours to monitor him,’ the doctor had told them last night. ‘We’re keeping an eye on his blood pressure, too. It’s rather high, although perhaps that’s not surprising. Try not to worry.’

Easier said than done, thought Daisy. How Noah had managed to drag himself to the church was beyond belief. And why he’d made for All Hallows instead of her flat was another puzzle. It would have been just as near for him and much safer. What if Zach hadn’t gone to lock up the church? What if he hadn’t heard him?

‘At least he’s sleeping now,’ Miss Lavender said quietly. ‘Poor lamb didn’t get much chance last night, what with all the tests and being moved around so much.’

‘Do you think his eye will heal okay?’ Ross asked, worriedly. ‘It looks bloody awful.’

‘It’s hard to tell at this stage.’ Zach gave Noah a compassionate look. ‘They’ll be checking his vision and if there are any problems they’ll deal with them. I’m sure it will be fine.’

Daisy raised Noah’s hand to her lips and gently kissed it.

‘I’m so sorry for the way I judged you,’ Miss Lavender said.

Daisy realised she was talking to her and shook her head. ‘Please, don’t worry about it. I totally understand.’

‘I’m so glad he’s had you to turn to, even if he couldn’t confide in his own family,’ Miss Lavender continued.

‘I should have told the police,’ Daisy said. ‘I should never have listened to him when he said he’d deal with it. I thought I had to let him decide for himself when the time was right to leave her, but I should have realised. He was being abused, and people in that situation find it so hard to make rational choices. I should have overruled him. I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘Well, that makes three of us then,’ Zach said sympathetically.

‘Four,’ Ross said. ‘I know I said this is all down to Isobel, and in a way, it is, of course, but that doesn’t stop me feeling bloody awful that my own brother didn’t feel able to confide in me, or that I didn’t spot the signs. I should have done.’

‘It’s not your fault—any of you.’

They all jumped upon hearing Noah’s voice. Daisy leaned over and carefully kissed his forehead.

‘Hey, you. Back with us then?’

‘Looks like it. Can’t get rid of me that easily.’ He managed a smile and Daisy swallowed down a sob.

‘The police will be here soon, my darling,’ Miss Lavender said. ‘They wanted to take a statement last night, but I wouldn’t let them. But the sooner that woman’s behind bars the better.’

Noah groaned. ‘I don’t want to talk to the police. I told you that last night. Who got them involved anyway?’

‘They turned up just as you were being taken away in the ambulance,’ Ross explained. ‘I presume they were informed when Ava rang 999 and said there’d been a serious assault. They followed you to the hospital, but you weren’t in any fit state to answer their questions. How do you feel now? Are you up to talking to them?’

‘It’s not about being fit to talk to them,’ Noah said. ‘I just don’t want to. Can’t we forget about this? I’m okay now. I’ll be fit and well again in a couple of days.’

‘I hope you’re joking,’ Ross said, clearly aghast at the idea that Noah didn’t want to tell the police what had happened. ‘That woman needs punishing.’

‘She’s already been punished,’ Noah said heavily. He looked at Daisy. ‘She knows about you and me. She heard what we were talking about outside the church.’

‘That you were leaving her?’ Daisy gasped. ‘Is that why she did what she did?’

‘That’s—that’s what started it.’

‘Noah, why on earth didn’t you tell us what was happening?’ Miss Lavender pleaded. ‘We could have done something. Darling boy, I would never have told you to stay with her if I’d known. I’m so sorry.’

‘I heard what you were all saying just now,’ Noah admitted. ‘All of you, blaming yourselves. None of it was your fault. Any of you. This was all on me. I was the one who chose to stay with Isobel. I was the one who kept it all a secret. I was the one who drove her to behave in that way in the first place.’

‘ What ? You can’t possibly blame yourself!’ Daisy cried. ‘There’s no excuse for what she did. Noah, you’re the victim in all this, not her. You must tell the police what it’s been like. What she’s done to you all these years.’

‘I can’t,’ he said quietly. ‘I just can’t do that to her. And I don’t want to go through it all again. Can’t we just put it behind us?’

‘And leave her free to do it to someone else?’ Ross asked, his gaze piercing through Noah, who seemed lost for words.

‘She wouldn’t,’ Noah said at last. ‘This was about me and my failure to make her happy. She wouldn’t hurt anyone else, Ross.’

‘Oh, Noah.’ Zach shook his head sadly. ‘Have you any idea how many victims of abuse say that? I’m sorry, I really am, but it’s just not true. If she wasn’t happy with you, she could have left but she didn’t. Instead, she chose to stay and make your life hell, and she’s managed to convince you that it’s all your fault. If you let her get away with this, she’ll find her next victim and put him through the same kind of hell. That’s what these people do. Please believe me when I tell you I’ve come across this sort of thing far too many times before. You have to call her to account.’

Noah’s fingers curled around the blanket, and Daisy saw how tightly he was gripping it.

‘Who will believe me?’ he asked at last. ‘A man being assaulted by his wife? They’ll think it’s ridiculous. Isobel told me she would tell everyone it was self-defence, and that I’d been hitting her for years. You saw the bruises on her wrists that day, Daisy, after I’d tried to restrain her! You know what people thought. People who’ve known me for years, doubting me, thinking I was capable of that. I never did!’ His voice, thick with anxiety, rose. ‘I wouldn’t. I never laid a finger on her other than to try to stop her. I just couldn’t.’

‘Shh, darling,’ Miss Lavender soothed. ‘We know. We know you would never!’

‘No one will believe her,’ Daisy said, choked. ‘For God’s sake, Noah, look at the state of you! That’s not self-defence. And I’ve seen you bruised and battered before, remember, and I’ll give evidence stating that if I have to.’

‘But what will happen to her?’ he pleaded. ‘She couldn’t go to prison. She’d never survive it.’

‘And you nearly didn’t survive what she did to you, remember?’ Miss Lavender reached for his hand, prising his fingers from the blanket. ‘Please, Noah. You can’t let her get away with it. I can see she’s done an exceptional job on making you believe this is your fault, but it’s just not true. And the vicar is absolutely right. If you let her get away with this, she’ll do it to someone else. That type always finds another victim. Please. For me. I can’t…’

And then out of the blue, stoic, no-nonsense, common sense, tough as old boots Miss Lavender put her head on Noah’s chest and sobbed her heart out.

Daisy could barely see for tears as a horrified Noah stroked his Aunt Eugenie’s hair and tried to comfort her, while Ross and Zach seemed at a loss to know what to do or say.

‘It’s all right,’ Noah said. ‘It’s okay. I’ll do it, Auntie, I promise. I’ll tell the police.’

‘No!’

Miss Lavender sat up and mopped away her tears with her already sodden handkerchief. ‘I won’t have that! I will not let you do anything you don’t want to do. You’ve been bullied and manipulated for long enough. I’m a silly old fool and I’m heartbroken for you, but that must have no bearing on your decision. You’re an adult and you make your own decisions, Noah. And we will respect that decision.’ She looked round at them all, a fierce glint in her eyes. ‘Won’t we?’

There was a moment’s silence, then everyone mumbled variations on the same theme that, of course they would, and it was totally up to Noah, and they were on his side no matter what.

Noah looked dazed. ‘I—I?—’

The door was pushed open, and a nurse entered, followed by two police officers.

‘Now then, Noah,’ one of them said kindly. ‘I’m Sergeant Jarman, and this is PC Brent. By heck, you’ve been in the wars, haven’t you? How are you feeling? Are you ready to talk to us?’

Noah looked at Daisy, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

He gave a heavy sigh then said, ‘Yes, I’m ready. I’ll tell you everything.’