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“So Olivia outed her brother on Facebook, and instead of turning against
him,
everyone turned against the friend they thought had betrayed him. It was what Olivia hoped would happen, because it provided her with a way of offering friendship.”

Jenna was quietly stunned. How could a girl of Olivia’s age be capable of devising such Machiavellian manipulation, never mind carrying it out? “Where on earth did you think all this was going to lead you?” she asked Olivia curtly.

Though Olivia’s eyes came briefly to hers, she didn’t answer.

“I’m not sure Olivia had really thought it through at that point,” Judith said for her.

Jenna waited for Olivia to contradict or confirm that, but she was apparently going to do neither.

Judith continued, “It was largely through Owen, who became a part of Kelly Durham’s set, that Olivia was able to warn Paige what was about to happen to her, or offer comfort after it happened.”

“Why didn’t you just report it?” Jenna demanded forcefully. “You’d brought about a dreadful, terrifying situation for my daughter. How could you possibly call yourself a friend? You weren’t even who you were claiming to be.”

Though Olivia flushed, she didn’t reply. Her aunt said, “I need to explain my niece’s home situation. For many years she has been the victim of her parents’ bullying, as has Owen, though it’s been worse for Olivia. So bad that she doesn’t always evaluate situations the way the rest of us do. She has been severely affected by the abuse, which is both mental, physical, and sexual. The damage it’s done…” She took a breath that was almost a sob. “I’ve had my suspicions, of course, but living so far away…”

Jenna’s eyes moved to Olivia. Naturally she felt pity for what she’d been through, but she couldn’t ignore what she’d done to Paige.

“It was after a particularly brutal episode at home,” Judith continued, “that Olivia was online with Paige and Paige began saying that she couldn’t take any more of the bullying. This was when Olivia suggested they should take a way out of their misery together.”

Jenna looked at Olivia again. No matter how damaged the girl was, she had to be made to understand that it wasn’t possible to get away with what she’d almost done.

“After Olivia arranged to meet Paige last Friday morning,” Judith was saying, “she took a bus to Rhossili, in spite of having told Paige to go to Whiteford Sands. Olivia wanted to pay a last visit to her grandmother’s grave at St. Mary’s. While she was there her father found her and took her home, where he shut her in her room, confiscated her phone and computer, and left her there while he and his wife, my sister, drove Owen to a healer in North Wales to have him cleansed of his sins—his sins being his homosexuality.”

Jenna shuddered inwardly. What kind of parents were they, for God’s sake? How could they behave in such a monstrous way to their own children?
Cleansed
for being a homosexual? Raping their own daughter?

“It was Saturday evening before Olivia managed to break out of her room,” Judith continued. “When she did, she went to the bathroom, smashed open the cabinets, and swallowed every pill she could find. Her parents returned early the next morning with Owen. When they realized what had happened they refused to call for help. Whether they’d actually have allowed Olivia to die I can’t say, but thank God Owen snatched his father’s phone, locked himself in a downstairs bathroom, and dialed 999. He was still in the bathroom when the police and ambulance services turned up, and he wouldn’t come out until they’d managed to convince him his parents had gone.”

As a deep and terrible silence fell over the room, Jenna watched tears sliding silently down Olivia’s cheeks. To her surprise the girl spoke then, her voice soft and feathery, her hand still holding tightly to her aunt’s.

“I’d have gone to Paige that night if I could,” she said, “not to carry out what we’d planned, but to see her, persuade her that it wasn’t the right way out for her. I was going to tell her about me, what my parents have been doing to me and Owen. I wanted to ask her to tell someone, but it was too late. There were no buses at that time of night and I had no other means of getting there. I tried to find my phone and computer, but I couldn’t, and we don’t have a landline at home. So I sat down and wrote a note for my aunt Judith that she never got. I guess my parents destroyed it before anyone could find it.”

“I haven’t been allowed to see my niece and nephew since my mother died,” Judith told Jenna, “and that was over ten years ago.” She tried to swallow. “The abuse has been going on since then,” she said shakily. “As I said, I was always afraid of it, but I had no proof, and my brother-in-law, being a senior executive at the council, knows how to deal with social services. Nevertheless, I should have tried harder. I suppose I just couldn’t make myself believe that my own sister would go along with it. I know now that she was as bad as him.” As she put an arm around Olivia, Jenna noticed the girl stiffen before she relaxed.

“Olivia and Owen were incredibly brave on Monday,” Judith continued. “They spent most of the day talking to the police, telling them everything that had happened to them. Owen had contacted me on Sunday, so I was with them while they were interviewed, and it’s being arranged now for them to come and live with me.”

Jenna’s eyes moved to the headmaster. This would clearly release him from having to take any action over Olivia’s part in what had happened to Paige. He’d be relieved about that. Whether she was too, she’d only know when she’d had time to digest it all. “What’s happened to your sister and her husband?” she asked Judith.

“They were arrested on Monday,” Judith told her, “and they’re probably going to be charged sometime today. If they’re bailed out, it’s very probable a restraining order will be issued to keep them away from the children. However, we don’t want to run any risks, so we’ve decided it would be best for Olivia and Owen to be as far away from here as I can take them, just in case their parents are released.”

“Where do you live?” Jenna asked.

“In Kent, close to Deal. There’s a lovely school not too far away where Olivia can continue with her music, and hopefully she and Owen will be able to make a fresh start in a new environment with new friends and an aunt who’s desperate to give them all the love they deserve.”

Jenna hoped they could receive some therapy too, while wondering if they could ever fully recover from such a terrible start in life. She looked at Mr. Charles and Miss Willis before saying to Olivia, “I’d like to tell Paige what I’ve heard here today. I think she has a right to know.”

Olivia regarded her with wary, haunted eyes.

“You said you were going to tell her yourself,” Jenna reminded her.

“It’s going to come out sooner or later,” Judith said softly to her niece, “and I know you don’t want Paige to suffer any more than she already has. An explanation could be very helpful.”

Olivia turned back to Jenna. “OK,” she whispered shakily.

As the girl leaned in to her aunt’s shoulder, Jenna could see how tired she was, and heaven only knew what else was going on inside her. Deciding there was nothing to be gained from prolonging this any further, she got to her feet. “Thank you for your honesty,” she said, sounding both gentle and firm. “I realize this can’t have been easy for you.”

Olivia didn’t respond; her head was down again.

“Knowing Paige,” Jenna continued, “there’s a chance she’ll want to see you once I’ve told her what you’ve been through. Would you allow it?”

Olivia looked up at her aunt.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Judith murmured.

To Jenna, Olivia said, “Please tell Paige that I’m very sorry for everything. I wish we could have been proper friends. She’s someone…she’s…” As her voice failed, fragmented with tears, her aunt pulled her into a closer embrace.

Outside in the corridor Miss Willis said to Jenna, “Thank you for coming today.”

Jenna turned to her. “As affected as I am by all I’ve heard, I’m sure you realize that Paige is still my main concern.”

“She’s ours too,” Miss Willis assured her, “but we can only take this process one step at a time. Please try to understand that.”

“I do, but I’d like to know that a part of that process doesn’t involve Paige sitting in a room with Kelly Durham to engage in restorative justice.”

“I’ll admit it’s been discussed,” Miss Willis told her, “but so far Kelly and her mother are resisting.”

Unsurprised and relieved, Jenna said, “I think I should make it clear that if Kelly Durham stays at this school, Paige won’t be coming back.”

“I understand your feelings, of course, but we have to give children a chance, even those who have as long a history as Kelly’s of intimidation and harassment.”

“Bullying,” Jenna corrected. “Please let’s call it what it is. And I can’t help wondering how big a role her grandfather’s donations to the school play in keeping her here. I imagine he’s already made another to try to brush this under the carpet too.”

Miss Willis flushed. “You’re right, he has, and I can tell you that it has been refused.”

Impressed, and hoping it was true, Jenna eyed her closely, waiting for more.

Sighing, Miss Willis said, “It’s sad but undeniable that some children derive a certain amount of pleasure from cruelty. Whether that’s down to their upbringing or to a psychological or psychiatric disorder isn’t always possible to say. It’s also true that some grow out of it, while others don’t.”

“Kelly Durham is fifteen going on sixteen and you’ve just said yourself that she has a long history of bullying, so do you think she’s going to grow out of it?”

Clearly discomfited, Miss Willis said, “That’s not for me to say. Hopefully, though, speaking to Olivia has shown you how complex the problem of bullying can be, especially when it comes to punishment.”

“In Olivia’s case I understand that punishment is difficult, but she still needs to know that what she did was wrong.”

“I agree, and I want to assure you that we aren’t just letting it go. As for Kelly…There are several options open to us, but, of course, we need to carry out extensive enquiries before any decisive action can be taken.”

Angrily Jenna said, “I’m glad you’ve got Kelly’s welfare so close to your heart. Now tell me where Paige’s is, because she was the victim in all of this, and just about everyone at this school knows it. So exactly what sort of message do you think it’s going to send to other bullies if you keep Kelly here or drag out some pointless investigation into the kind of cruelty that
has
to be punished?”

Miss Willis was finally moved to say, “It would be a wrong message, of course, and between us it’s more or less certain that Kelly will be asked to leave. I just don’t like to give up on a child until all avenues of rescue have been explored.”

“Which is admirable, and your job. It’s also your job to make sure my daughter is safe while she’s on these premises.”

“Indeed, and I want you to feel assured that we greatly value Paige here at The Landings. I know she hasn’t been here as long as most, but her contribution has always been a hundred percent whether in her studies, her community projects, or the various other ways she involves herself in representing the school, which is why we most certainly don’t want to lose her.”

“Then you really have to make sure that the right decisions are taken before the start of next term,” Jenna retorted, and with a polite but cool little nod she left.

—

“I’d give Kelly Durham the chance if she wanted to go face-to-face,” Paige declared rashly, after Jenna had finished telling her about her visit to the school.

“You’d sit down in the same room as that girl and—”

“Listen to her explain herself and apologize? Yes, why not? She wouldn’t mean it, but I think she ought at least to be made to do it.”

Exasperated, and yet unable to suppress a smile, Jenna said, “Well, it seems she’s not willing, so at the moment it’s not likely to happen.”

Paige merely shrugged, and after a while her eyes took on the intense, oddly baffled look they’d had while Jenna had been telling her about Olivia. “It’s a shame Olivia doesn’t want to meet,” she remarked, “but I’m not sure what I’d say to her if we did. It’s really terrible what she’s been through. I mean, we always thought their parents were a bit strange, you know, never speaking to anyone or allowing anyone into the house. Do you think they had a special place where they did all the abuse? Do you know what sort of…?”

“No, I don’t know the details of what they did, and we certainly don’t need to be making them up for ourselves. It’s enough to know that it happened, and that those dreadful people are going to be made to pay for their crimes.”

Paige nodded vaguely. “I understand now why she said her mum was dead,” she commented. “It’s because she wished it was true.” Her eyes came to Jenna’s. “It’s funny—well, sad, actually—that she picked on me because she thought our family was so perfect. I suppose Dad hadn’t gone then, so she didn’t know it was all an illusion.”

“What she probably didn’t realize,” Jenna said, “is that no one’s family is as perfect as they might seem from the outside. Everyone has their issues.”

“Charlotte’s family seems pretty up together,” Paige replied. “So does Cullum’s.”

“Cullum lost his mother a couple of years ago,” Jenna reminded her, “and I happen to know they’ve all had quite a struggle trying to get over it.”

“Because Richard told you?”

“Yes.”

“He seems a really nice man.”

“He is.”

Paige drifted again, apparently losing herself to more inner reflections. “That still leaves Charlotte,” she pointed out in the end.

Jenna’s smile was wry. “Not everyone has to be dealing with issues all of the time,” she responded, “and if we’re really lucky, they hardly come along at all.”

“So we’re not very lucky.”

“Not lately, but it’ll change. In fact, I have some news I can share with you, if you like, that I think you might want to hear.”

Paige eyed her carefully, clearly still too bruised by her experiences to allow herself to think positively.

“Actually there are two pieces of news,” Jenna corrected. “The first won’t interest you quite as much, but here goes: I spoke to my agent on the way home, and apparently an American film company wants to buy an option on
Poetry Emotion.
”