Family Secrets Page 6

  “I’m full of admiration. You girls certainly have a wealth of ideas.”

  She grinned. “We have to – it’s a question of survival. We don’t charge much per head. It’s a lot cheaper than buying things from the shops. The children might like to make something for a present. We’ve got Mothers’ Day and Easter coming up soon.”

  “Don’t worry about the cleaning at the cottage,” he told her as they reached the car. “I’ll ask Ron. He’s bound to have some contacts. I’ll sort it out. It’s unfortunate poor Tish chose the wrong tenants.”

  This time he took a different route. It was very scenic in spite of the time of the year. The hedgerows had quantities of evergreen ivy and old man’s beard clinging to them. Here and there a scarlet hip remained undiscovered by the birds. Suddenly, he slowed down to allow some riders to pass.

  “There’s a riding school over there. And there are quite a few farms dotted about. Which reminds me - we could stop at the local farm shop on the way back. I’ll give Tish a ring – see if she wants any supplies.”

  “Are you planning to stay in Brookhurst for a while longer?”

  She tried to make the question sound casual.

  He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid I can’t. Family commitments - I’ve promised to return home by the end of the week. But I’ll be back to see Tish from time to time…What have you decided?”

  “Oh, I imagine I’ll be spending quite a bit of time here in the future. I’m not going to drop Letitia. She’s a lovely lady. Besides, there’s a lot I need to find out about in this area. I haven’t even had a chance to look at my ancestors’ graves yet. So, Brookhurst will feature quite prominently in my life from now on.”

  Lawrence smiled. “That’s great. I hoped you’d say that.”

  She felt a warm glow inside her and hoped he meant it. She stole a glance at him liking the way his chestnut hair fell across his brow and noting his strong profile.

  “Letitia and I have such a lot of catching up to do…Do you suppose she might like to see the gallery?” she asked presently.

  He nodded. “She most probably would, but I think you need to take things slowly. Letitia hasn’t left Brookhurst for more than the occasional day for several years now.”

  “Mmm, I’d thought of that. It is possible to do Herts in a day but it would be quite tiring - oh, goodness there’s a pheasant in that field!”

  He shot a look at her. “You’re obviously a girl after my own heart. You enjoy the countryside?”

  “I certainly do – now where are these properties you’ve brought me to see?”

  “There’s one just round here somewhere. It’s a bit further out than I’d thought, but we’ll take a look whilst we’re here. I haven’t got an appointment but, apparently, it’s OK just to turn up.”

  They walked along a muddy lane and eventually came across the house which appeared rather neglected. Lawrence looked at it in dismay.

  “Well, I was told it was in need of some refurbishment but it looks more run down than I expected.”

  He rang the bell and a dog started barking. After a while, the door was flung open by a large woman with iron-grey hair, wearing a grubby apron and clutching a rolling pin.

  “Yes?” she asked abruptly.

  “We wondered if it was convenient to look round your house?” Lawrence asked politely.

  The woman scowled. “No, it is not and I’ll tell you for why. My daughter persuaded us to put it on the market, but we’ve changed our minds. We withdrew it this morning – isn’t that right, Alf?”

  A small wizened little man, wearing a multi-coloured, woollen hat, came to stand beside his wife. He solemnly nodded, but didn’t say a word. Rhianna bit her lip to prevent herself from giggling.

  “Well, we’re so sorry to have troubled you,” Lawrence said pleasantly.

  “Right. Good-day to you.” And the woman practically slammed the door shut in their faces.

  It was too much for Rhianna who, seeing the amusement in Lawrence’s eyes, gave a whoop of laughter. “He looked like a little garden gnome,” she spluttered and he joined in.

  “I was a bit worried about that rolling pin,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Do you suppose she uses it to keep her husband in check?”

  This set Rhianna laughing again. It eased the tension she’d been feeling for the past few days. She was enjoying Lawrence’s company more that she could have imagined.

  The garden path was muddy and, at one point, she slipped and would have fallen, but Lawrence caught her arm and retained it. The contact was electric and she caught her breath, wondering if he were aware of it too.

  When they arrived back at the car Lawrence said, “There is one other property I can view on the way back to Brookhurst. I know the owners and I’ve got a proper appointment this time - for eleven o’clock.”

  Jill and Tom Yates were very different from the previous couple.

  “You’re Letitia’s grand-daughter. Well, that’s one in the eye for Tina,” Jill remarked, as they sat over coffee in the elegant but minimally furnished sitting-room.

  “Why would you say that?” Rhianna asked, startled.

  “Oh, I should have thought that was obvious. You’re the official next of kin - so you stand to inherit Wisteria Lodge and everything that goes with it.”

  There was a shocked silence and then Tom said, “You must excuse my wife’s bluntness, Rhianna. I’m afraid Tina rather blotted her copy book - as far as Jill was concerned - as Lawrence knows.”

  Lawrence chose to ignore this comment. He drained his cup and looked pointedly at the clock.

  “Well, we’d better press on,” Tom said taking the hint. “Let’s start with the kitchen, shall we?”

  Rhianna followed in a daze. Did everyone think the same as Jill - that she had an ulterior motive for tracking down her grandmother - ultimate financial gain? Was that what Lawrence thought too?

  “I’m surprised you’re thinking of moving back here,” Jill said, as they stood looking at the beautifully appointed but very clinical kitchen in white and stainless steel.

  “Oh, I think Brookhurst has got a certain charm all of its own,” he told her. “Anyway, I’ve made a lot of friends here.”

  Presently, as they wandered round the landscaped garden, Lawrence said, “The problem is that nothing will ever compare with the cottage. It was perfect.”

  “And you really wouldn’t consider living there again?”

  His face had a closed expression. “No, there are too many memories.”

  She nodded, realising that he didn’t want to talk about it. Lawrence told the Yates that he’d been in touch and they retraced their steps to the car.

  “Let’s get one thing straight, Lawrence,” Rhianna told him as she buckled up her seat belt. “I’m not a gold-digger. I didn’t visit my grandmother in the hopes she’d leave me anything. For all I knew she was a pauper.”

  “She’s hardly that, but she’s not wealthy either.” He squeezed her arm. “You mustn’t mind Jill. She speaks her mind, and I suppose it is a pretty unusual situation you turning up out of the blue like this.”

  Rhianna had to agree. “But the point is that Letitia contacted me and not the other way round.”

  “Yes, I realise that and, eventually everyone else will too.”

  On the way back, Lawrence pointed out the farm shop and, seeing there was a café, Rhianna had an idea.

  “I wonder if Letitia would like a spin out this afternoon - then she could select her own produce and I could take her for tea.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea. I’d offer to join you but I’ve arranged to see a mate of Ron’s who’s got a problem with his computer.”

  When they arrived back at The White Unicorn, Rhianna looked at her watch.

  “Have you got time for a quick lunch – my treat?”

  To her secret delight he agreed and they sat in at a quiet corner table enjoying bowls of steaming soup and chunks of crusty bread.

  “So what shall I tell
Letitia about the cottage?” she asked, breaking off a piece of bread.

  “Oh, just say it’s all in hand so she’s no need to worry. I’ll explain everything tomorrow when I call to see her. Can’t be specific but it’ll be sometime in the afternoon.”

  He leant towards her and lowered his voice.

  “Rhianna, that picture your grandmother asked you about – the portrait of Anna Soames…”

  She looked at him spoon poised. “What about it? If you know something tell me, because I’ve got a feeling it holds a clue to a lot of things I don’t understand.”

  He helped himself to more bread. “Yes, I’m sure you’re right, but I’m afraid I don’t know any more than you - except your grandmother is most anxious that you keep it safe.”

  “Why? Whatever can be so important about it? She can have the wretched thing for all I care. Do you know who painted it?”

  He had a good idea but preferred not to say anything until he was sure.

  “Tish doesn’t want the painting at Wisteria Lodge. She thinks it’s best if you keep it in your possession for the time-being.”

  Rhianna was suddenly tired of the whole affair.

  “I’ve a good mind to get rid of it,” she told him.

  “No – no don’t do that,” he said more loudly than he intended - so that people on the next table looked in their direction.

  They lapsed into silence and then he said quietly. “Rhianna, if ever you feel in trouble, feel free to ring me. You can reach me on my mobile.”

  She felt that odd little shiver of fear again.

  “Trouble - why should I…?” But she took the card he proffered and stowed it carefully in her handbag. “Thanks, I’ll do that.”

  Presently, he got to his feet. “Thanks for the soup, Rhia. It really hit the spot. Now I must dash but I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.”

  She felt an unexpected pang of disappointment that he couldn’t accompany them that afternoon. She sat there for a few minutes staring into space and wondering what exactly he had been warning her about.

  *

  That afternoon was a lovely nostalgic trip down memory lane for Letitia. Periodically, Rhianna parked the car so that her grandmother could point something out to her.

  “That field over there is where Joe had a picnic with his friends on his tenth birthday. We knew the farmer, you see. It was such a happy occasion. It was a sunny July day and the children were in their element. Afterwards, they had a game of rounders.”

  As she looked across the field, Rhianna could almost see the children running about and hear their laughter.

  “So, did Dad go to the local school,” she wanted to know.

  “Oh, yes, and he passed the eleven plus and went to the grammar. He was such a bright child…Oh, look there’s the little stream where the kiddies came to paddle and fish. They caught quantities of those tiny things – tiddlers they called them, but they threw them back.”

  On the way to the farm shop they stopped yet again - this time so that Letitia could point out a wood.

  “I often used to bring your father here when he was a boy. We had such lovely rambles. It’s abundant in wildlife and your father loved it here. One evening, we stayed out later than we intended and we came across a family of badgers playing beneath the trees.”

  In her mind’s eye, Rhianna could visualise the scene.

  “Your grandfather and I did our courting here,” Letitia confided, her eyes lighting up as the memories flooded back. “In spring there are primroses and later, in May, bluebells like a sea of shimmering blue. You’ll have to come here with your paintbrush, Rhianna.”

  “Who needs a paintbrush when you’ve painted such a wonderful word picture,” she told her grandmother with a smile.

  “I taught your father to value the simple things in life.”

  “And he always did,” Rhianna assured her. “Now, I know where he got his love of nature from. He passed it on to me. We went for long country walks too.”

  Presently, they pulled up at the farm shop.

  “Now, the big barn at the back is still used for dances in the summer. That’s where your father used to go when he was a teenager…”

  Letitia trailed off and Rhianna wondered if she had been about to mention who he’d taken to those dances. Her father had been a good-looking man, so it would come as no surprise to her to learn that there had been other girlfriends before he’d met her mother. But, Rhianna knew that from the time he’d met her mother, she had been the one true love of his life.

  They wandered round the shop and Letitia took pleasure in selecting her fruit and vegetables. Rhianna made a few purchases too and stowed them in the boot of her car.

  The café at the farm-shop overlooked an orchard. It was a pleasant place serving traditional afternoon teas.

  “I haven’t been here for ages,” Letitia said, as she buttered her scone.

  “I think Tina and Laurie brought me on one occasion. It was summer and we sat out on the terrace. It’s such a peaceful spot, isn’t it?”

  “It certainly is,” Rhianna agreed, again wondering why Tina and Lawrence had split up. She sounded a restless, discontented sort of person used to getting her own way.

  “Life throws up unexpected surprises sometimes, doesn’t it Rhianna? I’ve had such a delightful few days and I’m going to miss you dreadfully when you go home.”

  “Oh, I’ll miss you too, Letitia,” Rhianna assured her, “But now that we’ve found each other, we’ll keep in touch.”

  She was going to miss Lawrence too, she decided, but that was a different matter entirely.

  *

  On Wednesday morning, Lawrence encountered Rhianna trundling her suitcase along the corridor towards the stairs.

  “Hi, can I carry that for you or are you one of those independent feminist types who prefer to grit their teeth and carry on - even if it kills them?”

  Rhianna laughed. “I certainly am, but that doesn’t mean to say I don’t appreciate help when it comes to negotiating winding staircases.”

  He picked up the case and carried it effortlessly downstairs and out to her car.

  “I hope we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future, Rhia.” And, stooping, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

  “Yes, I hope so too,” she told him, resisting the urge to reach up and touch the spot where his lips had been.

  He stood there waving as she drove away and she fancied her heartbeat quickened.

  *

  When Rhianna arrived at Wisteria Lodge, Irene whipped open the door.

  “Did you catch up with that guy who was looking for you?” she wanted to know.

  Rhianna stared at her fearfully. “What guy?”

  “That reporter chap. He interviewed Mavis just as she was leaving the hospital and came into the post office and saw Lizzie and me, but we didn’t know where you were.”

  Rhianna gasped with relief. “Irene you nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you meant someone more sinister.”

  “Sorree – his mate took oceans of pictures. Fame at last! Mind you, I wouldn’t like to go through that again in a hurry!”

  “Nor me,” Rhianna said with a shiver.

  Letitia was in the sitting-room, Tansy on her lap.

  “Oh, I’m so glad you’ve come. I’ve sorted out a couple of keepsakes you might like to have, dear. Things that belonged to your father.”

  She handed Rhianna a flat package. “Save it to open until you get home. I wanted to show you his room, but it’ll keep until we’re alone.”

  They chatted about a variety of things and, presently, Irene brought in a tray of coffee. She refused to stay and have a cup with them, saying she needed to pick up Lizzie’s small son from nursery shortly.

  “Irene’s an absolute treasure,” Letitia told Rhianna when she’d gone. “She’s agreed to come up here a couple of mornings a week to help me out, as I believe I told you. I think it’ll work out really well.”

  It was a tearful par
ting. Letitia hugged Rhianna who told her, “I’ll be back before you know it and - when I come next time - I’ll bring you some prints of the photographs I’ve taken.”

  Letitia smiled and wiped away a tear. “Well, I’ve got Laurie coming to see me this afternoon. I’m so fortunate. Only a short while ago I had no-one in my life and now I’ve got the pair of you.”

  Rhianna hugged her back. “I feel the same way,” she told her sincerely. “I thought I was the last of the line when Dad died, but now I’ve discovered I’ve got a grandmother.”

  She kissed the elderly lady and made more promises to come again.

  Chapter Six

  The drive back to Hertfordshire was uneventful. Rhianna decided to pop into the gallery on the way home.

  “Am I pleased to see you,” Fiona told her. “It’s been manic here.”

  Rhianna poured some coffee and they sat down at one of the tables. Fiona gave her an update on what had been happening during the past few days and filled her in about Friday’s workshop.

  “We’ve still got several boxes of mugs and plates left over from last time and I’ve ordered more eggcups and dishes. The suppliers assure me they’ll be here on time. We’ve been inundated with requests – oh and Matthew’s sold another painting.”

  Rhianna’s eyes widened. “Another one! Wow! He will be pleased. His work is proving popular.”

  “Certainly is…Now, before you tell me all about your trip, you’d better listen to this…We’ve had one or two weird phone calls,” Fiona informed her.

  A shiver ran along Rhianna’s spine. “What sort of weird?”

  “Asking for Ms Soames. I told the first caller firmly that no one of that name was here, but the second one was more persistent so I put the phone down.”

  Rhianna gasped. “Oh, my goodness! This is a nightmare! If only Letitia hadn’t called me Soames. I’m sure that’s why people keep asking for me.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not all – there was a visitor,” Fiona said dramatically.

  Rhianna frowned. “How d’you mean – a visitor? We often have visitors.”