Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama) by Carole Williams (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

options as to what to do with the rest of her life but the deep sense of injustice and the need for revenge towards her family, still nagged at her.  Something had to be done.  Ideas kept formulating, all of which were rejected.  She really had no clear idea of what to do and then Shelley, unwittingly, gave her an escape route.

“I hope you don’t mind, Delia,” Shelley remarked as they were preparing an evening meal in her sterile looking kitchen.  “But I’ve invited mother to stay for a day or so.  I’ve a couple of days off work and we’re going to shop like mad.  You’re very welcome to join us.”

Delia couldn’t think of anything ghastlier.  She remembered Shelley’s mother from school opening days.  Dreadful woman.  Never stopped talking and awfully nosy, repeating everything she was told as soon as she heard it.  Delia went to bed that night knowing that it was time to move on and where else but to see her own mother.  As soon as she thought of it, a peculiar excitement mounted.  She hadn’t seen Margaret since that dreadful day at Canleigh but she knew where she was.  What was the name of the Caribbean island Vicky had mentioned when she asked if Delia had invited Mother to the wedding?  Somewhere near Grenada.

Shelley, who liked to travel to far off places on her holidays, had an atlas in the bookcase in the lounge so once she had left for work in the morning, Delia placed the book on the coffee table and poured over it.  She soon found Grenada but took a little longer to find an island with a name that she might remember.  Then she found a tiny dot on the page.  Carriacou.  That was it.  That was what Vicky had said.

Delia made herself a coffee, sat back on the sofa and thought about her mother.  She despised her and would never forgive her for causing Granny’s fatal stroke but devilment now crept in.  She wondered what her mother would say if she turned up unannounced.  Would she be welcome?  Would they have an almighty row or would they come to some sort of understanding?  Suddenly Delia wanted to know.  She wanted to confront her mother, find out why she had hated Canleigh so much, had been so careless of her marital relationship and offered no motherly support while her children were young.  Delia was sure nothing would have changed but she had nothing else to do so why not pay a visit to her long-departed parent?

Highly excited by her plans and eager to be on the move, Delia rang Gatwick airport to ascertain when the next plane departed for Grenada, the nearest airport to Carriacou.  She would have to get either a light plane or the ferry to the island but she would deal with that when she got there.

Shelley couldn’t hide her relief when she returned home from work to find Delia packed, ready to go and thanked her profusely for allowing her to stay for so long.  “I can’t say it's been the easiest partnership,” she grinned as Delia presented her with a huge bouquet of

pink roses and white lilies.  “And I am glad you’re not seeing that Benny chap any longer.  I think he’s one to stay well clear of, albeit he is very charming.  In my experience men like that are usually the worst.”

At seven o’clock Delia was checking in for her night flight to Grenada, relieved to have a purpose, even though it could turn out very badly and she had no idea what she was going to do after she had seen her mother.  Anyhow, it was an adventure.  She had never been to the Caribbean and was going to make the most of the experience.  As the plane rose into the sky and Delia settled back for the long flight in her comfortable first-class seat with a glass of champagne in her hand she began to look forward to what was to come.  Even if her mother didn’t greet her with open arms, and Delia knew that possibility was highly likely, it was good to be active again … and to get away from London.  It wasn’t her kind of life.  Shelley was welcome to it.  A hot climate, a lovely golden beach and azure blue skies was where she was heading and she had absolutely no need to hurry back.  Canleigh, Richard, her father and Philip could wait.  She would return one day and then they would all be sorry.  Delia sipped her champagne and smiled as she looked out of the window, watching the puffy white clouds beneath the wings of the plane.  Yes, they would all be very, very sorry.

CHAPTER 23 OXFORD JUNE-JULY 1972

Ruth was tired and dispirited after the exceedingly long journey back to her flat, beginning with the taxi which turned up promptly at Canleigh, then to Oxford on the train, which had been two hours late leaving Leeds and then held up for hours along the route.  It wasn’t far from the railway station to Walton Street, where she rented the top floor of a terraced house, but her suitcase wasn’t light so she took a taxi home.  The flat wasn’t the best she could have found but was handy for the Radcliffe Infirmary, didn’t take long to drive over to her college, St. Hilda’s, and a quiet, studious medical student lived in the flat below and never bothered her.  The only fly in the appointment was that Richard lived further down the road and they often bumped into each other so whatever happened she would have to move as it would cause tremendous strain, worrying that he might appear every time she stepped outside.

She pushed the key into the door, hauled her suitcase upstairs, dumped it on the floor in the lounge, and flopped into a chair by the window.  It wasn’t a brilliant view by