Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
When Lily walked out of Roy’s house, it was with his phone number and a promise that she’d message him if she found herself in any sticky situations, rather than Flynn, who was hundreds of miles away. It was comforting to know she had an ally nearby.
Caught up in her own thoughts on her walk back to Malporth, she didn’t even register she was leaving the footpath, so wasn’t on the lookout for cars.
The long, angry blare of a horn brought her swiftly back to the real world. A huge Range Rover loomed ahead of her, and its red-faced driver shouted his annoyance at her.
Abruptly his features softened. He moved the car forward a little, drawing up beside Lily. The window rolled down, and Charles Bramford smiled at her as though he hadn’t been screaming abuse just a moment before.
“Sorry about that,” he said, resting his elbow on the window frame. “I thought you were another gormless hiker not paying any attention to where you were going.”
“I wasn’t paying attention,” she said. “Lost in thought.”
“I’m sure you have a lot on your mind. It must be very emotional for you to be back here.”
“Yes.” She smiled sweetly. “Sorry we didn’t get to talk properly yesterday. Nancy and I were engrossed in catching up.”
“I’m sure.” His smile hinted at sentimentality.
“You two were thick as thieves when you were kids. I reckon you were the only one who’d put up with her bossy nature.
You always seemed to go along with whatever she told you.
” He tapped the steering wheel. “It looked as though you were having a good time yesterday, anyway.”
“Yes,” Lily said, wondering how to keep him talking. When he glanced up the road, she panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I was actually hoping I might see you again. Samantha said that all the neighbours used to get together for dinner sometimes.”
“We used to have barbecues in the summer,” he said with a gentle fondness in his voice. “I didn’t always see eye to eye with all my neighbours, but I enjoyed those lazy summer evenings, nonetheless.”
“I wondered if you might have any photographs from back then? Everything was destroyed in the fire, so I don’t have many.”
“I know we did have some.” He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. “I remember Serena digging them out after the fire. I’m not sure what happened to them. Why don’t you come up to the house with me and we can ask her?”
“That would be great,” Lily said eagerly.
With a tip of his head, he told her to hop in.
Serena was in the kitchen when they walked in. She kissed her husband in greeting before she spotted Lily behind him.
“I bumped into Lily down the road,” he told her. “Invited her up for a cuppa. She was wondering if we have any old photos from the barbecues we used to have all together.”
“They were good times,” she said, smiling at Lily. “I did have a few photos, but Samantha took them. She was putting together an album for you. I think she asked all the neighbours.”
“In that case, I already have them. I didn’t realise she’d collected photos from other people too.”
While Serena moved to make drinks, Lily and Charles took a seat in the large winter garden. At the front of the house, it overlooked the Westons’ house and Lily’s old home, but the elevated height gave a view over the rooftops and down to the sprawling river.
“It’s beautiful,” Lily said, taking a seat on the wicker couch. The cushions had no give in them, and her posture remained straight.
“The view is the best thing about the house,” Charles said. “In summer it’s stunning. We’re not so keen in the winter.”
“Samantha said you have a house in Italy.”
“Yes. Serena has family there, and we’ve had a home there for years. Looking forward to getting back there soon.” He looked up at his wife, who joined them with a tray of drinks.
“I lived in Italy for a while,” Lily said, her stomach stirring uncomfortably. “Whereabouts is your house?”
“Tuscany,” Serena said. “A little place in the hills between Pisa and Lucca. It’s very quiet in the winter. Peaceful. Where were you?”
“Florence,” she said, while her mind whirred, trying to recall the geography.
Pisa and Florence were pretty close. “I wasn’t there for long,” she added.
They’d moved when her uncle had caught a private investigator watching her at the school gates.
Not that she’d known the reason for the move at the time.
“How long have you had a house in Italy?”
“Almost ten years,” Serena said. “I grew up there and have family in the area.”
Charles took a sip of coffee, then cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind my asking, what brought you back here now, after all this time? Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely to see you. I’m surprised you didn’t come back for a visit sooner, that’s all.”
Lily forced her mind to focus on the question. “I moved around a lot when I was growing up. I think my uncle didn’t want me to dwell on the past, but he passed away a year ago, and I suppose I got curious.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your uncle,” Serena said softly. “That must be so hard for you.”
“It’s not been the easiest time,” she said, then hesitated. “I also wondered about my grandmother. My uncle lost touch with her. I never knew what happened to her. I thought someone around here might know.” She braced for a reaction, but neither of them looked perturbed.
“Clara Cotton,” Charles said. “Poor woman. She was as sweet as they come, but losing her daughter changed her.”
“And then her accident,” Serena said. “I don’t think she ever recovered from that. Physically, I mean.” She squinted at Lily. “Is she still alive?”
“I’m not sure,” Lily said. “I suspect she might be.”
“I thought she’d died,” Serena said. “I know she was in a coma after the accident, and I heard she’d woken up.” She looked at her husband. “She was in a rehab clinic for a while, wasn’t she?”
“I think so,” he said. “Your best bet would be to speak to Marcie at the gift shop. She and your gran were friends.”
“They fell out,” Serena said. “I’m sure they did. I remember asking about Clara a couple of years after the fire, and Marcie didn’t have anything good to say. I’m sure it was Marcie who told me she’d died.”
“I asked her and she didn’t seem to know anything. Not for definite, anyway.”
“That’s odd,” Serena said, lips pursed. “Maybe she didn’t say she’d died. She might have just implied it, or I misunderstood. To be honest, I haven’t thought about Clara in a long time.”
“I heard she caused some upset after the fire.”
Charles nodded. “She was looking for someone to blame. Trying to make sense of a senseless accident. I always felt sorry for her.”
“She accused that poor man from the property developers,” Serena said. “At the community centre, in front of most of the village. We had a sort of vigil there the day after your parents died. No one knew what to do with themselves. He was there…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “What was his name?”
“Richard Harper?” Lily said.
“Yes. He was there, and Clara stormed in and accused him of starting the fire and murdering her daughter.”
“It was awful,” Charles said. “She was convinced he’d done it. Even when the inquest ruled the fire accidental, she was still convinced someone had started it intentionally. I’m not sure there was anyone around here she didn’t accuse at some point.”
“I suppose it’s easy to see why,” Lily said. “From what I gather, tensions were high before the fire. And a lot of people were upset with my parents for not agreeing to the sale.”
Charles dragged a hand down his face, exchanged a troubled look with his wife. “I had a row with your dad a few days before the fire.”
Lily nodded. “I heard about that.”
“You have to understand that I’m a businessman.
The deal offered to us was fantastic. Offers like that don’t come along very often.
I was frustrated, and I can be a bit of a hothead, but I didn’t wish any ill will on your parents.
They were good people. I was devastated by what happened. Everyone around here was.”
Lily smiled politely, and Serena moved the conversation on – asking where Lily lived now and what she did. They seemed to be pleasant enough people, but they weren’t exactly warm, and the conversation felt slightly forced.
Lily didn’t linger for long. Twenty minutes of polite conversation was enough. Then she thanked them for their time and said goodbye.
She wanted to pay Marcie another visit.
But first there was another neighbour she’d like to acquaint herself with.