Chapter 27
27
Two days later, I was taking Theo for a lunchtime walk on the beach, while Seamus was out on a couple of small jobs, when I bumped into Dame Tessa down at the water’s edge. She was walking without the dogs so I thought I might take the opportunity to ask her some more questions about the habitat in an effort to engage her in conversation.
‘I’m so glad I’ve seen you,’ I said. ‘I wanted to ask you about these plants that I saw the other day and wondered if you’d know what they were. I took some photos to show you.’ I fumbled with my phone and eventually got the photos up.
‘Ah, yes, that one with the purply-pink flowers and the oval leaves is wild thyme. Otherwise known as elfin thyme or creeping thyme. A member of the mint family. Normally found in the short areas, along with another plant called eyebright. That one has white flowers with purple veins and yellow centres and keeps the grasses at bay encouraging the wildflowers to grow. They all have a purpose, you know.’ She really came alive when she was talking about these things. She flicked across to the next photo. It surprised me that she knew what to do.
‘Don’t look so surprised. I’m quite up on my technology. I have the latest iPhone and iPad myself and there’s not much I can’t do on an Apple Mac, you know.’
I laughed. You really should never judge a book by its cover.
‘So this one I don’t think is anything at all. I think it’s just a daisy that’s dying off.’ I was rather proud of myself for recognising that it was just a weed.
‘Now that’s where you’re wrong. This, my dear, might look like a dead daisy, but it’s actually what’s called a carline thistle. If you catch them in the bright sunlight, they glisten silver and gold. Beautiful.’
Gosh, that showed that I still had a lot to learn. I swiped across to the final picture of a yellow flowered weed, but I daren’t say that’s what I thought it was.
‘Ah, yes, the lovely lady’s bedstraw.’
‘Gosh, that’s a funny name.’
‘It’s a very clever plant, you know. Used to curdle milk in the old days when making cheese and they say that the name comes from the fact that it used to be dried and stuffed into mattresses for women when going into childbirth. And if you look closely you’ll see elephant hawk moths not too far away. Apparently, it’s the sweet honey-like scent that it gives off.’
‘You’re so knowledgeable.’ I didn’t know whether to call her Tessa or Dame or anything else. Aggie’s words popped into my head: why don’t you just ask? But, with Tessa’s age, I wasn’t sure if it would come off as rude so I just didn’t call her anything.
‘I’ve been around a lot of years, lass. And I’ve always been good at the small details.’
She stared at me for longer than I thought was necessary, and I still couldn’t figure out whether she liked me or not. I also didn’t know why I cared so much. Maybe it was just because she was Aunty June’s best friend that I wanted to make a good impression. Wanted her to like me. Maybe even we could be friends one day.
‘I don’t suppose you’d… well, you know…’
‘Spit it out, dear.’
‘I wondered if you’d like to join me for a cup of tea up at the house.’
She seemed to deliberate on the question, not immediately answering, but still those eyes seemed to bore into my very soul.
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
‘I baked a lemon drizzle cake this morning too.’
Her face lit up. ‘Ooh, that’s my favourite. You must have known.’
I didn’t have the heart to say that it was just coincidence but I smiled and led the way up the beach path to the house.
When Tessa came in, it felt kind of weird. She’d clearly been in this house before, way more than I had, and I really wanted her to like what I’d done but more than that, I wanted her to think that Aunty June would have liked it too. There felt more pressure with her being in the house than any other visitor I’d had and I could see her looking around from the moment I opened the French doors and saw her roving eye. There was nothing I could do about it though, so I left her to mooch while I put the kettle on. Inspired by the fact that when I’d visited Aggie’s house, we’d been presented with a tea tray, I decided to do the same.
As I returned to the lounge, she was sitting in one of the chairs by the side of the French doors and she was smiling.
‘I wasn’t sure what you’d be doing inside the house, but you seem to have kept some of the character while at the same time making it modern, warm and inviting. She’d have approved, you know.’
‘That makes me so happy.’ It filled my heart with joy and made me feel a tiny bit brave too. ‘And I’m sorry to ask, but what should I call you? It’s just that someone said that you were a dame so I wasn’t sure if I should call you Dame, or Dame Tessa, or…’
‘You’re overthinking things, m’dear. Tessa is just fine. It is my name, after all.’ She peered at me over the top of her china cup. ‘So, Joanna, tell me about your life. Has it been a happy one?’
Her question threw me a little. Unusual, really.
‘Well, nothing much to say really apart from that I was married to Aunty June’s nephew for nearly twenty-five years. I have two daughters, both with their own lives, one due to be married shortly. Lucy is a vet and Melissa is a doctor so they’ve done very well for themselves. They both earn plenty of money and have everything they want.’
‘But are they happy? It’s not what we have in life but how we feel about it surely?’
‘You’re probably right.’
‘Oh, I am, dear. I learnt that a long time ago. The hard way.’ She stared out of the French doors to the garden and the sea beyond, somewhat lost in her thoughts, and I drank my tea, although the silence was going on for so long it was becoming uncomfortable.
‘Can I ask you something, Tessa?’ I said. ‘It’s quite personal.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘How did you become a dame?’
‘Ah, well, that’s a very long story but one that I choose not to talk about, to be honest. Only June knew the truth and she took my secret to the grave with her. I’d rather you didn’t ask, if you don’t mind.’ She became quite huffy which came as a surprise. A complete turn-around in her demeanour.
‘Apologies. I didn’t mean to pry.’
‘That’s OK. It’s just something I’m quite touchy over. And I’m finding life hard without June. We knew all of each other’s secrets. She was truly the only person that I could be myself with.’
‘I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m always here if you feel like talking.’
‘Thank you. That’s kind. I must be off now, dear. Thank you for having me. And letting me look at that wonderful view. It’s like a photograph.’
‘Oh, that reminds me. I was actually wondering if one of these days, you might have a look through an old suitcase I’ve found. There are lots of old photographs, a sealed envelope, and a bundle of letters.’
Bizarrely Tessa snapped. ‘Throw them away. No good will ever come of dredging up the past. We have to live in the present. Throw them in the bin, Joanna, please. For all our sakes. Don’t go rooting through them. It’ll do more harm than good.’ She started to go a little red in the face, clearly flustered by my request, and she grasped my hand. ‘Promise me, Joanna. That you’ll throw them out. June would turn in her grave if she thought someone was looking through her private things. Promise me.’
Those eyes bored into my soul and I felt compelled in that moment to tell her I promised.
‘Would you like me to walk you home? You look really peaky.’
‘I’m fine, lass, thank you. I’ve walked these streets for years and nothing has ever happened to me yet. I’ll be fine once I get some fresh air in my lungs.’
‘OK, but let me scribble my number down for you and if you need me, just give me a call. OK?’
Totally and utterly out of character, she lifted her hand and cupped my face, stroking my cheek with her thumb. ‘Such a sweet girl.’
Then she seemed to pull herself together, realising what she’d done, and abruptly said, ‘Goodbye and thank you. You’re very kind.’ She turned and departed through the French doors, waved a hand in the air and walked through the dunes down to the coastal path.
When she’d turned the corner and I could no longer see her, I rubbed at the place where she had touched my face. What a very strange old lady.