Chapter 37 #2
Once sat in the kitchen (now so clean and tidy it felt empty) Lara launched straight in, she really couldn’t think of any other way. ‘Last night, Richard Porter told me your real name and now I know a bit about your past…’
Mrs M interrupted, ‘My real name?’ she demanded.
‘Maggie Linton.’
‘Oh,’ Mrs M said, ‘that.’ This was said with a mix of finality and relief. She smiled sadly at Lara. ‘And you thought once a murderer always a murderer?’
‘No. I didn’t think that.’
Lara had almost said ‘we didn’t think that’ and although Abby was just sitting quietly on the chair beside Mrs M, Lara thought she had never felt more like a solid presence.
She looked towards her now and, as Abby smiled encouragingly at her, Lara wondered about the comfort that a ghost could bring, and she remembered talking long into the night with Sarah and Kate – there was great comfort there too.
So now she did say it, ‘We didn’t think that. Sarah and Kate know too.’
Mrs M’s hand unconsciously edged towards her hair, as if to pat it, and Lara realised that Kate did her hair too.
Of course she did. ‘The reason I wanted to tell you is because I think Richard could make trouble for you, and that the police are now investigating and it seems they are close to an arrest.’ She hoped Kate would forgive her for breaking her promise not to say anything.
Mrs M’s expression hardened, but apart from that Lara had no idea what was going through her mind. After a long pause Mrs M said, ‘Thank you for telling me this.’
‘What are you going to do, Mrs M?’ Lara asked.
Mrs M didn’t answer and again Lara felt like she had no idea what the woman opposite her was thinking. Her face was a complete blank. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t call you Mrs M anymore,’ Lara reflected quietly, ‘you are Maggie Linton.’
‘Oh, don’t, dear, not that,’ Mrs M said softly. ‘Call me Mrs M. It reminds me of her and of happier times.’
And suddenly Lara’s mind was flooded with memories of Lady Porter and her heart ached with the loss of her.
She knew she could do nothing to bring her back, even the spirit of her – she glanced at Abby and thought of Thomas and his pipe.
But she could not bear the thought that Lady Porter had been served so badly by her family.
She drew the basket she had brought with her up onto her lap. ‘I need your help, Mrs M.’
With this, Lara told her all about discovering the china hidden in Jason Honeybourne’s shop and Sarah recalling that she had seen the pieces by the potting shed planted with herbs.
She mentioned the tea caddy and her trip to London to see her friend Fiona, and how the V&A were now interested in acquiring this rare tea set.
When it came to the part of Sarah, Kate and her breaking in, Mrs M burst out laughing.
Lara felt a warmth deep within her. ‘So,’ she concluded, handing Mrs M the china, ‘I thought it should be reunited with the rest of the set. Fiona is going to send the tea caddy back by special courier.’
Mrs M cradled a teacup in her hands looking thoughtful.
‘The thing is, Mrs M, I cannot bear the thought that Richard gets his hands on this. I didn’t tell you, but I now know that he’s been trying to get hold of the paintings that Lady Porter left for Dr Patil.
Well, when he thought they might be valuable, that is.
And Jason was helping him. You rather stopped them by taking the paintings to the doctor. ’
Mrs M smiled grimly at this. ‘You would hardly credit that he is her son.’ She shook her head as if in disbelief. ‘So, what do you want me to do?’
Lara had been about to say she had no idea, but Abby spoke, her gaze fixed intently on Lara. ‘Tell Mrs M you have an idea and ask her if, should you ever need her to invite people involved in this to Gillmore House, would she do this for you?’
Lara opened her mouth as if to reply, shut it again, and then repeated what Abby had said to her.
Understandably, Mrs M looked bemused. Lara knew how she felt.
‘But why? And what would I say to them?’ Mrs M queried.
Abby said quietly, ‘When it comes to it, I will tell you exactly what to say.’
As Lara couldn’t think what else to do, she repeated the gist of this too.
A few minutes later Mrs M walked them to the front door.
In the porch they paused as if not knowing what to say next.
Lara’s eyes strayed to a number of small floral watercolours arranged in a group on the wall beside them.
As if reading her thoughts Mrs M sighed.
‘She always loved flowers.’ Lara nodded, about to turn away when Mrs M added, ‘And there are the ones she knew you liked.’ She pointed at the delicate image of two white freesias.
‘I remember when she wanted to cheer you up – man trouble she suspected,’ Mrs M smiled a little grimly, ‘she got me to leave an enormous bunch of them on your doorstep. She told me later it did the trick.’
Lara could only stare at the painting in wonder.
Of course! It wasn’t like Julian to leave such a beautiful offering of long-stemmed freesias tied with a ribbon in her favourite colour.
But it was just the sort of thing her friend Lady Porter would have done.
‘Oh, Mrs M,’ was all she could muster, tears starting in her eyes.
She looked at Mrs M properly. Studied her worn face.
As she said her final goodbye, Lara was acutely conscious of having stripped something away from this intensely private person and she wondered if she had been right to come.
But just as she was turning to leave, Mrs M reached out and pulled Lara into a hug.
‘Thank you for trusting me, Lara,’ she heard Mrs M say quietly.
Lara held the warm compact body tightly to her and thought that this was at the heart of Mrs M’s relationship with Lady Porter. They had trusted each other completely.