Chapter 21 #2
By now, they had moved into the flower room and Lara was rummaging through the shelves under the big white Butler sink.
She found two small matching cut-glass rose bowls and wrapped these in some paper and popped them into her basket.
She then had one last look in case there was something else she could not resist. She was sure Lady Porter wouldn’t mind her having three vases.
Abby had lost interest in the vases and was looking out of the window at the herb garden that ran along the side of the house.
She appeared to be miles away and Lara left her to her thoughts.
She was just adding another item to her basket when Abby spoke.
‘I believe it would be safe to ask Dr Patil if he thought Lady Porter was being blackmailed. He clearly did know her well, despite the fact she may or may not have kept some things from him. No, I do not believe Dr Patil is the blackmailing type. We might also see if he knows more about Lady Porter’s family. ’
Any more questions Lara might have asked were interrupted by the arrival of Mrs M. ‘All sorted?’ she enquired, popping her head around the door.
Lara got up off her knees and picked up her basket. ‘Yes, thank you, Mrs M.’ As she was heading out of the back door Lara paused. ‘Mrs M, I saw your flowers on Lady Porter’s grave. If you ever need any in future you only have to ask.’
Mrs M pursed her lips. ‘No, dear, those weren’t mine. I’ve been growing some nice paper-whites for her,’ she pointed to pots of spring bulbs lined up on the windowsill by the door. ‘I was going to take them over at the weekend.’
Lara frowned. ‘Do you know who might be leaving flowers and notes? They’re signed “M” so I thought it was you.’
Mrs M shook her head and smiled, ‘I do have another name you know, dear. It’s not like I would sign a note with my surname.’ This confirmed what Abby had suspected, that no one had ever asked Mrs M what her Christian name was.
‘Of course, I’m sorry,’ Lara said.
‘Well, actually, my first name starts with an M too.’ Mrs M chuckled. ‘It’s Maggie,’ she said.
‘I was sure she was a Gloria or a Ruby,’ Abby said, clearly disappointed.
Just as they were turning to leave, Lara remembered the envelope. ‘Oh, Mrs M, what was Lady Porter’s maiden name?’
‘Now why on earth would you want to know that?’ Mrs M responded, obviously disconcerted.
‘Oh, I just wondered,’ Lara said vaguely.
‘I’m not sure I can remember…’ Mrs M replied.
‘Not a problem,’ Lara said, thinking this was something she could look up.
Mrs M held up a hand, forestalling her, ‘Well, as a matter of fact, now I think about it I believe it was… Brown. Yes, that was it.’
‘So not Elizabeth Abbott,’ Abby said consideringly, as Mrs M closed the door behind them.
When they got back to the shop, all was well and there was only one message.
‘Your mum called. She sends her love and hopes you’re okay.’ Becky then added, ‘She’s nice your mum. And really chatty.’
Lara smiled. ‘She sure is.’
Lara sent Becky home early and got on with some emails and paperwork. Abby did not seem in the mood for discussing their investigation, but sat on her normal stool at the back humming thoughtfully to herself. After a while she shook herself out of her abstraction and asked Lara what she was doing.
‘I’ve ordered a couple of red jumpers online for me and Becky, the delivery notice has just come through. I’ve also ordered a couple of second-hand books, and now…’ she swivelled her laptop around to show Abby, ‘I’m looking at a blog about Regency clothes.’
Abby was fascinated and stood by Lara making her scroll backwards and forwards through the images, reminiscing about balls and picnics and visits to the opera.
One dress in particular reminded her of a trip she had taken with her husband, Miles, to Vauxhall Gardens.
‘We rowed across by boat through the water gate and then walked together along the groves that were lit with thousands of lanterns. The orchestra was playing and we were surrounded by hundreds of coloured lights that were reflected in the mirrors in the Pavilion. It truly was magical.’ Abby smiled at the memory.
‘Tell me more about Miles,’ Lara urged.
Still looking at the screen Abby blinked several times, then she started, ‘I married Miles later on in my life. I know today I would be thought of as a young bride, but then, at twenty-two I was considered past hoping for and was expected to take my place as the caring, unmarried daughter at home. Oh, how my mother would have hated that.’ Abby shook her head slightly.
She went on, ‘Miles was older than me by some years and I believe many thought I had settled for him as a last refuge. Grasping at golden straws some called it. It was certainly an advantageous marriage. Miles was a very wealthy man and part of his land ran close to our estate in Cambridgeshire.’ Abby stared unseeing at the screen.
‘I think even my family thought it was a marriage of convenience. But the simple truth was I loved Miles very much indeed. I don’t think I ever knew how much until he died.
’ She continued quickly, ‘I came home one day to find that he had been stabbed.’
Lara waited for her to go on, but it seemed that was all Abby wanted to say. ‘Did you find out who stabbed him?’ Lara asked.
‘Oh, I knew who had killed him almost as soon as I found him,’ Abby said bitterly, ‘but I knew I could not prove it.’
‘But who was it? Didn’t you tell anyone?
’ Questions tumbled from Lara and she marvelled at how upset she felt.
This was an event that happened nearly two hundred years ago, to a man she did not know.
But you know Abby, she thought, and she fully understood for the first time the experience that linked the two of them.
It was suspecting murder but not knowing how to prove it that had drawn Abby to her; maybe in some unconscious way she had called to her Kindred Spirit.
Lara fleetingly wondered about Kate’s comment about her police officer friend, Rod.
What had she said? There was no reason for an investigation but now he knew of another police force that was interested. That made no sense at all.
Abby was studying Lara’s troubled and thoughtful expression.
Her words cut across her speculation. ‘Lara, my story is a very old one and I think it is only important in as much as I believe it is the reason I am here. I could not avenge my husband’s murder and very shortly after his death I also died.
The man who murdered him, I now know went on to live a long life.
I do not know if it was a happy one. You will perhaps forgive me if I say that I hope not.
But whatever the outcome for him, the outcome for me is that I have unfinished business.
And my unfinished business is with those who take a life and think they can get away with it. ’
They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Both women were now certain that someone had killed Lady Porter and that that person believed they had got away with it.
Lara was the first to look away. But not before Abby said, ‘So, are you going to tell me what you hid in your basket along with the two rose vases?’
Lara didn’t reply, but turned back to her laptop, for once looking almost as smug as her Kindred Spirit.