As he drove his car up the drive, Rex saw that every light in the house had been lit, making the windows glow like a wall of old masters in mahogany frames: shabby sitting room piled with books, bedrooms showing unmade beds and in the kitchen, the silhouettes of his grown-up daughters, arguing. He could imagine the conversation:

“I’m going to call the police.”
“No! That’s what he wants. The attention.”
“But he might be dead, in a ditch somewhere.”
“Then let him stay there. Teach him a lesson.”
“Margaret!”
“I mean it.”

Rex put his car into reverse.

***

This week my story was also inspired by a long weekend I spent in the Gothic Temple in Stowe Landscape gardens, which my husband organised for my birthday. This magnificent building can be rented from the Landmark Trust. On Sunday night we put all the lights on and went out into the dark. It looked amazing.

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For those who don’t know how Friday Fictioneers works, this picture (this time supplied by Dawn M. Miller) is our inspiration for our weekly online writing group hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Click here to read other people’s amazing stories or to join in. And please comment below with any suggestions for improvement on mine.