Chapter 19
When Miss Lavender invited you somewhere you went, whether you really wanted to or not. Bethany’s mother had told her that years ago, and she remembered her words when the old lady telephoned her a couple of days later at Whispering Willows.
‘Lunch at The Crafty Cook Café,’ she said without preamble. ‘Shall we say twelve thirty?’
Bethany blinked, confused. She was, after all, still living at Lavender House, and they’d be seeing each other that evening and having their evening meal together. Why would they need to meet for lunch?
‘I’m a bit busy,’ she mumbled uncertainly.
‘Really? Doing what?’
Bethany glanced down at the laptop that was sitting on the table. She’d been going through a list of local tradespeople, checking out their websites, and reading the reviews. She needed an electrician to examine the wiring, and a roofer to check the roofing on both the house and the stable block, and decorators and carpet fitters and…
She sighed inwardly at the thought of all the upheaval that lay ahead, before reminding herself that it would be worth it in the end. At least she didn’t have to worry about the boiler and central heating system. Clive had assured her that Joseph had dealt with all that about three years ago when the old boiler packed in. She’d thought guiltily that, really, that should have been her responsibility. Whispering Willows was her house even then, and Joseph had never asked her to do anything to it. She supposed he’d had to deal with quite a few running costs and repairs that she’d never considered before.
‘Finding people to do the work on this place,’ she admitted.
‘Nothing that can’t be put off for a couple of hours,’ Miss Lavender said. ‘Besides, there might be someone who can recommend various tradespeople to you.’
Bethany’s suspicions increased immediately. ‘What do you mean, someone? Who else is coming to this lunch?’
‘Don’t sound so worried,’ Miss Lavender said brightly. ‘The Pennyfeather girls have been giving crochet lessons in the café this morning, as they do every week, and we always meet for lunch afterwards. Katherine usually joins us, and er, there might be a couple of others.’
At first, Bethany was too busy coming to terms with the Pennyfeathers being addressed as ‘girls’ to notice Miss Lavender’s evasive tone, and it was only after she agreed to be at the café for twelve thirty and had ended the call that she realised the old lady had been decidedly shifty.
She had a funny feeling she was about to face a mass interrogation.
Reaching the top of the stairs in The Crafty Cook Café, Bethany quickly realised the place was busy. Miss Lavender, who had met her outside, assured her it was always like this.
‘Puts the Market Café in the shade,’ she said cheerfully. ‘And no wonder really. Such a marvellous idea to have a craft café, and of course, the food is excellent here. I can recommend the coffee and walnut if you’re undecided which cake to choose.’
‘We’ll see.’
Bethany gazed around the café, which was above the craft shop that had previously been Pennyfeather’s Wool Shop. Apparently this had once been a two-bedroomed flat, though you’d never know that now. It was surprisingly light and spacious, with areas set aside for crafting groups. Two walls were entirely taken up with shelving units housing craft supplies, and there was a friendly, informal vibe to the place that Bethany liked immediately.
Rita and Birdie called out to them before she’d even had the chance to look around for an empty table.
‘Eugenie, we’re over here.’
Miss Lavender rolled her eyes. ‘Well of course you are. You’re always there after your crochet lesson. Honestly, those two,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘Come on, dear. Let’s join them.’
‘Over there?’ Bethany frowned as she saw the Pennyfeathers were still sitting in the craft corner, which was sectioned off from the rest of the café. ‘Shouldn’t we move into the main eating area?’
‘Normally we would, but today’s a special day.’ Miss Lavender beamed and marched over to the sisters, leaving Bethany no real choice but to follow her.
Rita and Birdie were wearing bright yellow dresses today, along with patchwork crocheted waistcoats and—Bethany was a little taken aback to discover—lime green Crocs. Rita’s dyed red hair was pinned up with a variety of purple hairpins, while Birdie was sporting a shocking pink hairband.
‘We’re so glad you could make it,’ Birdie told her, ushering her into the seat next to hers. ‘I’m so excited. As if she thought she could get away with it!’
‘Who would get away with what?’ Bethany asked nervously.
‘Ooh, here’s Dolly and Clemmie!’ Rita stuck her arm in the air and waved wildly. ‘Coo-ee! Over here!’
Bethany looked round, half relieved to see Clemmie and half wondering what on earth was going on. Behind Clemmie was the woman Bethany had seen her talking to at the open day at the art academy—presumably her Aunt Dolly. They were both carrying bunches of white helium balloons.
Bethany peered closely at the writing on the balloons.
‘Kat’s Hen Party,’ she read aloud, then turned to the others. ‘A hen party in here?’
‘Tell me about it.’ Dolly flung herself into a seat and shrugged. ‘I mean, have you ever heard the like? I’m guessing we’re not going to be squirting cream on some hunky naked man this afternoon.’
‘Certainly not!’ Miss Lavender gave her a stony look. ‘This is going to be an elegant affair. Daisy has promised us a proper afternoon tea with sandwiches, cakes, and scones.’
Dolly pulled a face. ‘Sounds fab,’ she said flatly.
‘So is this it then?’ Clemmie asked, after greeting Bethany and formally introducing her to Dolly. ‘Just us?’
Miss Lavender glanced at her watch. ‘Sally promised to keep Kat busy downstairs until twenty to one. We’ve still got five minutes. The others should be here by then.’
‘So Kat doesn’t know about this?’ Bethany asked, amused.
‘Nope. She’s going to love it, isn’t she?’ Dolly said with a grin, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
‘It’s her own fault,’ Birdie said. ‘She should have had a hen night like anyone else. Fancy saying no. Jonah had a stag, you know. Oh yes! They all went on a pub crawl to Ravensbridge. Did Clive tell you?’
Bethany felt rather hot. ‘Why would he tell me?’ she asked.
‘Just wondered, that’s all.’
‘So, Clive went on this stag night, too?’
Rita grinned. ‘Of course he did! Someone’s got to keep them all on the straight and narrow and it’s usually Clive. And that’s even though they had a former barrister and a vicar with them.’ She cackled with glee. ‘Rafferty and Zach had a good time, apparently. Not so sure Sally and Ava were impressed.’
‘It does men good to let their hair down once in a while,’ Miss Lavender said with a sniff. ‘They’re strange creatures. They need the company of other men now and then, where they can revert to their primitive behaviours. It must be quite a strain on them, having to be civilised the whole time while in the presence of their female partners.’
The others exchanged amused glances and Rita and Birdie nudged each other mischievously.
‘I’d quite like to be a fly on the wall when they revert to their primitive behaviours, wouldn’t you, Birdie?’ Rita said with a smirk.
‘You’re not kidding,’ Birdie replied with feeling.
‘I can assure you it wouldn’t be a sight worth seeing,’ Miss Lavender said firmly. ‘And I’d thank you to remember that you’re in decent company right now, so please behave with dignity for once in your lives.’
‘That’s them told,’ Dolly muttered. ‘Mind you, never thought the old bird would call me “decent company”. I feel quite special now.’
Bethany hid a smile, feeling the anxiety that had knotted her stomach begin to ease. Maybe she wasn’t going to be interrogated after all.
‘It’s such a shame Summer’s still away,’ Clemmie said with a sigh. ‘And she’ll miss the wedding, too.’
‘I should think she’s having far too good a time in Australia to care about that,’ Dolly told her. ‘I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a glass of wine in here?’
‘Daisy doesn’t have a licence,’ Birdie said glumly. ‘It’s tea or lemonade this afternoon.’
‘Whose bright idea was it to have this do here?’ Dolly queried.
All eyes turned to Miss Lavender who glared at them.
‘If Katherine had wanted a raucous, alcohol-fuelled party, she’d have gone on a pub crawl like her intended. Clearly, she has more refined tastes. An afternoon tea will please her enormously, I have no doubt.’
‘Well, we’re about to find out,’ Dolly said, nodding towards the staircase, where Sally and Kat were hovering, with Ava and Bluebell just behind them.
Daisy hurried over and led them to the table where the others were waiting.
Everyone yelled, ‘Surprise!’ and Dolly thrust the balloons into Kat’s hand.
She shook her head. ‘Well I never. Who’d have thought it?’
Miss Lavender beamed at her. ‘Welcome to your hen party, Katherine. We’ve got an absolutely splendid afternoon tea booked for us. Daisy has promised us a feast, haven’t you, Daisy?’
Daisy grinned. ‘Just as you requested, Miss Lavender. Would you like me to start serving? Is everyone here?’
‘I think so,’ Miss Lavender mused, looking round. ‘Oh no, Jennifer and Isobel haven’t arrived yet, although Isobel wasn’t certain she could make it. But Jennifer did say she’d be here, so we should maybe give it another five minutes, and in the meantime I’ll just, er, powder my nose.’
She hurried off and Daisy, after giving them all knowing smiles, headed back to the counter.
Dolly nudged Kat. ‘So go on then, admit it. You knew, didn’t you?’
Kat looked shamefaced. ‘Sorry, but yes I did. Don’t tell Eugenie, though. I’d hate to spoil it for her.’
‘Who told you?’ Rita demanded mournfully.
Bluebell shrugged. ‘How was I to know Kat was still downstairs in the shop? We were a bit late, so we thought she’d be safely upstairs out of the way.’
‘Even so,’ Ava said, ‘you didn’t have to burst into the shop shouting that there’d better be champagne at this bloody hen party, did you?’
‘There isn’t,’ Birdie said bluntly. ‘Champagne, I mean. Daisy hasn’t got a licence. It’s tea or lemonade.’
‘Bloody hell,’ Bluebell said. She glanced at her watch. ‘I’ll give it half an hour.’
‘Charming,’ Kat said, laughing. ‘Anyway, I’d already guessed, so it’s not your fault. It was pretty obvious that Sally was trying to distract me, and besides, did you really think I wouldn’t notice all of you going upstairs to the café? Never take up spying. You’d have a very short and rather disastrous career.’
‘Sorry it’s just an afternoon tea,’ Sally said, her eyes crinkling with sympathy. ‘Once Miss Lavender had made up her mind there was no shifting her.’
‘What do you mean, just an afternoon tea?’ Kat said cheerfully. ‘Have you seen Daisy’s afternoon teas? I’ve been dying to try one for ages, but I couldn’t justify the calories. I’m looking forward to this.’
‘Well, my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut, so I hope they get on a move on and bring us some grub,’ Dolly grumbled. ‘Never mind waiting for Isobel and Jennifer. With any luck, Isobel won’t bother, and we all know Jennifer won’t turn up. She never does.’
‘Sorry to have kept you waiting.’
They all turned to see Jennifer hovering by the craft table, looking a bit awkward. Bethany wondered if the others felt as embarrassed as she did. There was no way Jennifer hadn’t heard Dolly’s words.
Dolly clearly knew that, too. She went a bit pink and said, ‘Sorry, love. I wasn’t?—’
Jennifer slid into a seat between Bethany and Sally. ‘It’s okay. I know my track record in these things isn’t very good, but I’m trying to change that. Thank you all for inviting me. I’m looking forward to one of Daisy’s teas, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ She turned to Kat. ‘I’m so happy for you. You know that, don’t you? And I just know Leon would be happy for you, too.’
Kat’s smile looked forced, even to Bethany. Clearly, mention of her dearly departed boyfriend still hurt, all these years later. Miss Lavender had told her all about Kat’s relationship with Jennifer’s eldest son, and how devastated poor Kat had been when he was killed in a car accident. Apparently, he’d been Jonah’s best friend, too. It was, she thought, quite lovely that the two of them had finally got together.
It occurred to her suddenly that it was a similar situation to Clive and Jennifer. After all, Jennifer had lost Julian, and Clive had been his best friend. Was that why Clive had feelings for her? Were those feelings reciprocated? Hard to compete with a couple who had so much history between them, yet she wasn’t certain. Maybe she’d imagined the looks Clive had been giving Jennifer at Monk’s Folly. They’d had enough time to get together if they wanted to, after all. She just wasn’t sure what to think.
‘I’m really glad you came, Jennifer,’ Kat said, reaching across Sally for Jennifer’s hand. ‘It wouldn’t be the same without you. And you’ll definitely be at the wedding?’
‘Try and stop me,’ Jennifer said with a smile.
‘Oh cripes,’ Kat said, looking at Bethany suddenly. ‘I’m so sorry! I meant to drop you an invitation off just after the open day at Monk’s Folly, and I completely forgot. Bethany, would you like to come to the wedding? You’d be very welcome.’
Bethany looked around, surprised. Everyone was smiling and clearly waiting for her answer.
‘Me? Are you sure?’
Kat laughed. ‘Of course I’m sure. Me and Jonah would love to have you there.’
Bethany wondered where those tears that were suddenly pricking her eyes had come from. ‘Well, thank you very much. I’d love to be there.’
‘Great. Uh-oh, we have another guest,’ Kat murmured, and Bethany looked round to see Miss Lavender returning arm in arm with a woman of around Kat’s age.
Judging by the mumblings and uncomfortable shuffling around the table, Bethany guessed that whoever this person was she wasn’t exactly popular.
‘Bethany,’ Miss Lavender said, ‘let me introduce you to my great niece-in-law, Isobel. She’s Noah’s wife.’
Isobel, an attractive woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, gave her a brief nod and squeezed into a spare seat between Miss Lavender and a dismayed looking Rita.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ Bethany said, aware of the awkward silence that had suddenly fallen. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ As Isobel raised an eyebrow, she added quickly, ‘From Miss Lavender. You run Petalicious, don’t you?’
‘That’s right.’ Isobel gave her a cool smile. ‘And you’re Bethany, Joseph’s sister. I’ve heard a lot about you too.’
Somehow, the way she said it made it sound less than complimentary, and Bethany couldn’t help but wonder what, exactly, she’d heard.
Daisy hurried over. ‘Time for tea?’ she enquired. ‘Only, I’ve got a bit of a lull on at the moment so now would be a good time to bring it all over, if that’s okay with you.’
Everyone agreed that they were ready for some food, so Daisy took their orders for preferred sandwich fillings and cake. Kat offered to help but Daisy refused, and the others were adamant that Kat was the star of the show, and waiting on tables was definitely out of the question.
Sally and Dolly went with Daisy instead, while Bluebell rummaged in a bag and drew out a sash, which proclaimed, ‘Bride-to-Be’ and draped it over a blushing Kat.
Ava placed a tiara on her head and said, ‘There you are. Now you look the part.’
When afternoon tea was served there were delighted murmurings of appreciation. Bethany had to admit it really did look amazing. Everyone had three types of elegant finger sandwiches, a slice each of a rather yummy cheese and tomato quiche, salad, coleslaw, crisps, a scone with jam and cream, and their choice of cake. Bethany had taken Miss Lavender’s advice and gone for the coffee and walnut, but others had chosen Victoria sandwich, lemon sponge, or a rather gorgeous looking caramel and white chocolate cake which made her regret not looking more closely at the options.
Everyone tucked in and soon there was a contented silence, broken only by the occasional crunching of crisps and delighted murmurings of appreciation for how tasty the food was.
‘So how was Zach after the stag do?’ Dolly asked Ava, even though her cheeks were bulging with food. ‘Had a good time, so I heard.’
Ava rolled her eyes but waited until she’d swallowed the quiche she’d been eating before replying. ‘He probably did, but he can’t remember much about it,’ she confessed.
‘Same as Rafferty,’ Sally said, amusement in her eyes. ‘Never seen him in such a state. I had to call in reinforcements cos there was no way he could do his shift in the pub the next day.’
‘I must say,’ Miss Lavender said, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin, ‘I’m rather disappointed in our vicar. It’s just not done for a man of the cloth to behave so badly in public.’
‘He’s still a human being, Eugenie,’ Ava reminded her. ‘He’s a vicar, not a saint, and he’s entitled to a bit of fun now and then. It’s not as if he makes a habit of it.’
‘Even so…’
‘Oh, Eugenie, don’t be such a killjoy,’ Birdie said. ‘Let him have his bit of fun. You said yourself, men need to let the primitive side of themselves out now and then. Even those with a direct line to the Almighty are entitled to a few beers on a stag night.’
‘Hmm.’ Miss Lavender pursed her lips but said nothing more.
Bluebell’s eyes twinkled with mischief. ‘Did your Noah go on this stag night then, Isobel?’
Miss Lavender looked smug as Isobel said primly, ‘Certainly not. I’m afraid he had far too much work on to spare the time. Besides, it’s not his sort of thing.’
Bluebell and Ava exchanged glances.
‘More a tea and cake sort of chap, is he?’
‘Hardly.’ Isobel, who so far had refrained from eating anything but her salad, gave her a superior look. ‘He doesn’t eat cake. We’re both very health conscious.’
‘Really?’ Bluebell shrugged. ‘Funny, cos it looks like he’s enjoying a big slab of that caramel and white chocolate cake to me.’
Isobel’s eyes widened and they all turned to follow Bluebell’s gaze. Bethany hadn’t seen Noah before, so she had no idea what to expect. Vaguely, she’d imagined he would look like his half-brother, Ross, but the man she saw sitting at the corner table, tucking into the cake with a blissful look on his face, was nothing like him. Slender and a bit pale, he had tawny coloured hair and was clean-shaven. As she watched, Daisy approached him and placed a pot of tea in front of him, along with a cup and saucer.
She said something to him, and he rewarded her with a wide smile, which she returned before heading back to the counter.
‘I don’t believe this,’ Isobel said. ‘What’s he doing here?’
‘Well, it’s his lunch hour,’ Miss Lavender reminded her.
‘So why isn’t he at the school? He usually has his lunch there.’
Dolly frowned. ‘Does it matter? So he fancied a bit of cake for a change. So what?’
Isobel was already pushing back her chair.
‘Oh, Isobel, leave him alone,’ Kat said, as everyone murmured their agreement.
‘It’s supposed to be Kat’s hen party,’ Clemmie reminded her, rather timidly. ‘Let’s not worry about what Noah’s doing.’
‘I’m not worried,’ Isobel said tightly. ‘Just curious, that’s all. He’s always telling me I’ve got to watch my weight, and there he is tucking into cake.’ She looked round at them all, clearly aware that she’d surprised them. She nodded. ‘Oh yes, he’s a stickler for it. I was just worried when I saw him, because if he saw this,’ she gestured to the three-tier cake stand in front of her, ‘he’d assume I intended to eat it all and he wouldn’t be pleased.’
‘I’m sure that’s not the case,’ Miss Lavender said uncertainly. ‘He wouldn’t mind you eating cake, especially on a special occasion like this one.’
‘Wouldn’t he?’ Isobel said darkly.
They all exchanged glances and Bethany could see that the others were as uncomfortable as she was. What sort of control freak was this Noah? If he was bullying Isobel about the food she consumed that set off alarm bells in her mind. Not to mention the hypocrisy of him happily tucking into that rich cake with no hesitation.
‘Well, he hasn’t noticed us since we’re hidden away over here in the craft area,’ Ava said gently, ‘and if he does notice and come over we’ll make it quite clear that you’ve eaten nothing but salad. Although,’ she added sympathetically, ‘I do wish you’d just eat whatever you wanted. A little of what you fancy does you good.’
‘So they say,’ Birdie said with glee.
‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ Rita added.
For once, Miss Lavender didn’t reprimand them. She nibbled thoughtfully on her scone, looking quite subdued.
There was a distinct change in atmosphere around the table, as everyone ate and drank quietly. It was as if they were all suddenly afraid of drawing attention to the table, Bethany realised. The atmosphere only picked up again when Noah got up, waved a thank you to Daisy, and headed back downstairs.
It was as if they all heaved a collective sigh of relief, and it was only then that Bethany noticed that Isobel had cleared her plate. Evidently, she’d decided what was good for the goose was good for the gander, and about time too.
‘I dunno. Marriage, who needs it?’ Dolly said with a sigh. ‘Are you sure you want to go ahead with this, Kat?’
‘Dolly!’ Clemmie said, horrified. ‘Of course she does. She loves Jonah, don’t you, Kat?’
‘He’s my world,’ Kat confirmed dreamily. ‘Jonah and the kids. They’re all I need in my life, and everything I ever wanted.’ She blinked suddenly and gave Jennifer an apologetic look. ‘I’m sorry, Jennifer. I didn’t mean?—’
Jennifer smiled. ‘Kat, darling, you don’t have to apologise. I’m just so pleased that you and Jonah found each other after all these years. And I’m so pleased for Hattie and Tommy, too. It’s wonderful that you’re a little family. There’s nothing more important.’
Isobel gave Bethany a smile that she thought was probably meant to convey sympathy, but actually made her nervous. For some reason the knot in her stomach returned.
‘Such a shame that you have no family left,’ Isobel said. ‘And how sad that you didn’t get to see Joseph before he passed away. I suppose you didn’t get the message in time?’
Bethany swallowed. ‘I didn’t, no. Helena tried to get in touch with me, but I’d turned my phone off, so…’
‘Helena.’ Isobel sipped her tea, watching her thoughtfully. ‘Is it true that she was married to your ex-husband? That she stole him from you, in fact?’
Bethany wondered how that nugget of information had got round. Fleetingly she wondered if Clive had mentioned it to anyone but dismissed the idea immediately. The only other person who knew was Miss Lavender, but surely she wouldn’t gossip about her?
Isobel sat up straight. ‘I’m so sorry. Was it supposed to be a secret?’
‘Not really,’ Bethany said flatly. ‘I just didn’t realise it was public knowledge.’
‘Birdie, Rita, you really should have warned me,’ Isobel said, giving the Pennyfeather sisters a disapproving look.
Rita and Birdie looked shamefaced as Miss Lavender glared at them. Bethany guessed that she’d confided in the Pennyfeathers, and they hadn’t exactly been discreet.
As Miss Lavender turned to her, clearly embarrassed, Bethany said, ‘It’s all right. Like I said, it’s no secret.’
‘But you’re still friends with the woman?’ Bluebell had evidently decided that, if it was no secret, the floodgates had opened, and she was free to gather more information. ‘How come?’
Bethany pushed away her half-eaten scone. ‘Helena and I have been best friends since we were at St Egbert’s together,’ she explained. ‘I wasn’t about to lose her friendship because she’d fallen in love with my husband. Not when our marriage was already over in all but name when they began seeing each other.’
‘He sounds like a proper ratbag,’ Dolly said. ‘And she doesn’t sound much better.’
‘They’re good people,’ Bethany said hotly. ‘I mean, Ted was a good man. They felt terrible that they developed feelings for each other, but it was all okay. They were far better suited to each other than Ted and I ever were.’
‘So you forgave her, just like that?’
Bethany shrugged. ‘More or less. It took a bit of getting used to,’ she admitted, ‘but I cared about them both and didn’t want to lose them, any more than they wanted to lose me. Ted and I stayed friends until the end, and Helena… I don’t know what I’d have done without her when I left Tuppenny Bridge. She was the one I moved in with, you see. When I walked out of Whispering Willows I went to her. She put a roof over my head until my inheritance came through. I owed her so much, and when Ted died I felt I could be there for her and maybe give something back.’
‘I think she’d taken quite enough from you,’ Birdie said indignantly. ‘You’re more forgiving than I’d ever be.’
‘I think maybe Bethany understands the frailties of human nature very well,’ Ava said kindly. ‘I’m quite sure it wasn’t as black and white as it appears.’
‘I think you’ve been married to a vicar too long,’ Dolly said. ‘I’d have walloped the pair of them.’
‘I’d have thought that, after going through all that, you’d have wanted to come home,’ Isobel said. ‘To Joseph, and to Whispering Willows.’
‘Well,’ Miss Lavender said briskly, ‘she didn’t. Would anyone like more tea?’
‘But why not?’ Isobel persisted. ‘You were away an awfully long time. What happened between the two of you?’
Bethany’s face burned. This was the inquisition she’d feared was coming. She should have known better than to give them an opening. They’d never let her get away now.
‘I’d rather not talk about it,’ she said, wondering how she could make her escape.
‘Is it true that Whispering Willows is actually yours?’ Isobel asked. ‘How come you let Joseph live there if the two of you weren’t speaking?’
‘Isobel,’ Jennifer said firmly, ‘it’s really none of our business.’
She smiled at Bethany, who gave her a grateful look in return.
‘I’m just taking an interest in my neighbour,’ Isobel said. She gazed around the table and laughed. ‘Let’s face it, I’m not the only one who’s dying to ask. She stayed away from her own brother for well over thirty years and didn’t even come back for his funeral, so clearly something massive happened between them. Don’t tell me I’m the only one who’s curious because I know for a fact you’ve all been speculating.’ She nudged Rita. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if you weren’t taking bets on it.’
‘Bets?’ Bethany croaked.
‘Oh yes, didn’t you know? The Pennyfeathers are renowned for taking bets on events in this town. Sally and Rafferty’s relationship, Ben and Summer’s relationship…’ She smirked at Clemmie. ‘Ross’s relationship with the lovely interior designer he was working with earlier this year.’
Clemmie went pink.
‘The father of Kat’s baby,’ Isobel continued. ‘Not,’ she added, ‘that anyone’s been paid on that one. Still a mystery to us all, isn’t it, Kat?’
Kat gave her a cool look. ‘Not to me,’ she said. ‘And not to Jonah either. That’s all that matters.’
‘Quite right,’ Rita said. ‘Nobody’s business but your own.’
‘Yet you still took bets on it,’ Isobel pointed out. ‘How lovely to do that to your own great-niece.’
Rita and Birdie looked indignant, and Sally said, ‘They don’t mean any harm. We all know that.’ She smiled at the sisters. ‘Hearts of gold, the pair of them.’
‘Anyway, it’s Eugenie who’s in charge,’ Birdie said, clearly having no compunction about dropping her friend in it. ‘And we give all the profits to the Tuppenny Bridge Fund, don’t we, Eugenie?’
Miss Lavender looked as if she’d like to throttle Birdie.
‘If no one wants more tea I think perhaps we should get the bill,’ she said, looking round for Daisy with some desperation.
‘So,’ Isobel said, as if she hadn’t heard Miss Lavender’s suggestion, ‘what was it? What did Joseph do that was so bad you left him to rot in that place all those years? Or was it,’ she added, a gleam in her eyes, ‘that it was you who did something unforgivable? Come on, Bethany. We’re all friends here. No judgement, right, ladies?’
Bethany felt trapped. Her face was burning, and she had no idea what to say. She’d been dreading this moment. They were all going to start demanding answers now, she could feel it. Why had she agreed to come here? The minute she’d realised it was a gathering she should have had the sense to leave.
‘Right.’ Bluebell threw her napkin on the table. ‘I’ve had enough of this. It’s supposed to be a pleasant little afternoon tea to celebrate Kat’s marriage to Jonah, not the bloody Inquisition.’
‘It’s nobody’s business but Bethany’s,’ Ava added firmly. ‘I suggest we change the subject.’
Everyone nodded in agreement and Clemmie leaned across the table and squeezed Bethany’s hand. ‘Whatever went on, we’re all really glad you’re back in Tuppenny Bridge now, aren’t we?’
There was a resounding agreement to her question and Bethany felt a lump in her throat. She’d thought they would all interrogate her and had believed it inevitable that once Isobel started asking questions the others wouldn’t let her go until they’d got some answers. It seemed she’d been very wrong about them.
Perhaps she didn’t have to hide away from them.
‘Now that’s sorted,’ Miss Lavender said, ‘I think I will have another pot of tea. And while we finish our lovely food, perhaps some of you will be able to offer Bethany some recommendations for tradespeople. She’s renovating Whispering Willows and needs reliable electricians, roofing people, and decorators. Any suggestions?’
Everyone immediately began discussing work they’d had done on their own homes and scribbling names and website addresses for Bethany.
She could barely keep up with the fast-flowing and light-hearted conversation after that.
Maybe, she thought, spreading jam on the second half of her scone, Tuppenny Bridge really wasn’t so bad after all.