The Apartment - K. L. Slater Page 0,56

the door. ‘Freya! Wasn’t that a lovely little gathering in—’

‘Sorry. I’ve had to come straight back down because I’m angry. I’m so angry.’ I’m panting and my voice is trembling.

‘Whatever is wrong?’ Dr Marsden looks genuinely concerned. ‘Is it Skye? Has someone upset her?’

‘Skye’s fine. But there’s a fu—’ I manage to bite back the curse. ‘There is a camera inside our apartment and that is not acceptable. It’s a violation of our privacy.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Dr Marsden frowns. ‘Audrey told me she’d spoken to you about that.’

‘She did speak to me about it and I told her I didn’t like the idea.’ I’m still battling to regulate my breaths. ‘I said I’d let her know but I’ve decided I don’t want it in there.’ I press the soles of my feet down into my shoes to anchor me in the face of Dr Marsden’s silence. ‘I don’t see why you’ve put it there. It’s creepy and I—’

He holds up his hands. ‘No need to say another word, Freya. I shall come up this second and dismantle it myself. We just wanted you to feel safe here but I can understand—’

‘Mummyyyy!!’ I whip round as Skye’s voice screams from the top floor.

‘It’s OK, Skye,’ I yell, my throat tightening so I have to squeeze out the words. ‘I’m coming!’

I turn and belt back upstairs, my heart feeling like it’s about to explode. When I get to the first-floor landing I see that Dr Marsden is rushing upstairs behind me.

I’m nearly on my knees when I reach the top floor. Skye is out on the landing, eyes wide and clutching her blanket to her chest. I shouldn’t have left her alone.

‘What’s wrong, sweetie?’ I pull her to me and I can feel she’s trembling.

‘I think there’s someone in our apartment,’ she whispers to me, looking away as Dr Marsden appears at the top of the stairs. ‘I heard them talking.’

The next morning, I feel a little sluggish after our restless night.

I couldn’t get Skye settled until nearly midnight, and in the end, she slept in my bedroom.

There was nobody in the apartment, of course. I’d obviously rattled her with my reaction to the security camera and then I’d left her to go downstairs and she’d frightened herself silly.

Dr Marsden insisted on checking each and every room himself, and true to his word, in ten minutes, with the help of a stepladder he brought up with him, he unscrewed the camera and the bracket from the wall.

I just don’t know what they were thinking, installing it without my express permission while we were out, but they’ll be under no illusions how I feel about it now.

He was so contrite and apologetic, in true British fashion, I found myself assuring him that there was ‘no harm done’ before he left.

But that wasn’t really a truthful response.

I’ve had rumbles of discontent over various things since we arrived here, but for the first time, as I lie awake in the early hours this morning, I’ve seriously started to consider whether Adder House is the right place for us to stay.

Skye scowls all the way to the ground floor and even resists my attempts to engage her in conversation about her feeding the birds with Lily later on.

I’d prepared her favourite cereal for when she came into the kitchen, sleepy eyed, still in her pyjamas.

‘So, ready to work on your owl today?’ I poured milk into her dish, and when I put it back in the fridge, she still hadn’t answered me. ‘Has Miss Perkins said when you might be able to bring it home? I can’t wait to see it hanging in your bedroom, and I bet Brenna will love it.’

Skye prodded at her cereal with her spoon.

‘Why can’t I go back to Grove Primary?’ she said flatly.

I sighed. ‘We’ve been through all this, poppet. This is our fresh start, remember? Petra can still come over, but Grove is too far to go every day. Besides, St Benjamin Monks is a far better school.’

‘It’s not better,’ she remarked crossly, letting her spoon clatter into the dish. ‘It’s the worst school ever.’

I guess good examination results and varied holiday activities are not top of the priority list for most five-year-olds.

‘Did someone upset you yesterday?’ I touched her arm gently. ‘You must tell me if something happened.’

‘Nothing happened!’ She stood up, her little fists balling. ‘I just don’t want to go. So there!’

She stormed out of the kitchen and I let her go.

‘Five more minutes, then it’s