Chapter 20
Dorothy had slept badly. She’d been restless all night with a terrible headache and when Gina knocked on her door at seven-thirty she’d really not had the energy to get up.
‘I think this is all too much for you, Dorothy,’ Gina had said. ‘I think it’s time to hand it over to Miles and Sophie and let them do whatever they feel is right. It’s too stressful for you.’
‘No,’ Dorothy had croaked from her bed. ‘We’re so close now – I can feel it.’
So Gina had agreed to leave her for a few more hours and then they’d make a decision about what was best to do. She left Dorothy with her tea tray and her newspaper open at the crossword.
It was now lunchtime and Gina had returned with more tea and a glass of water. Dorothy had managed to get some sleep, her headache had subsided and she was determined to show Gina that she was fighting fit. The trouble was, she wasn’t exactly on top form, but she intended to rally.
The rest of the guests were arriving, bringing a whole other level of excitement, and Gina was at the window describing the scene outside the front of the house.
‘Two coaches have pulled off the main road onto Leonard’s driveway and there’s a sea of colourful summer dresses. Caroline and Toby are there greeting them along with Miles and Lavinia, Paul and Sandra. Of course Leonard isn’t there,’ Gina said. ‘He’ll want to make his entrance later. There’s no way he would stand on his own driveway waiting for guests to arrive. He has his minions for that. He’ll probably appear in a puff of smoke, at the garden party.’
Dorothy laughed. ‘You definitely know that man now, Gina,’ she said.
‘So, why are the guests here a day early? What’s the plan?’ Gina asked.
‘Caroline didn’t want a tacky disco, as she put it, after the wedding breakfast. She wanted to disappear off with her new husband on their honeymoon before everyone got incredibly drunk and disorderly. Apparently, Lavinia had reminded her that some guests had come an awfully long way and were staying overnight. And what were they supposed to do with their evening when the meal would most likely be over by five-thirty? She said the rest of us would have already had a week’s worth of fun and would probably be glad of an early finish, but the guests might feel short-changed.’
‘That does make some sense,’ Gina said.
‘Well, Caroline arranged with Leonard that the guests would be invited a day early for an afternoon and evening of fun. That way they could be as drunk as they liked and it wouldn’t spoil her day. She’s also booked most of the rooms in a large hotel in Norwich for the two nights and arranged for the guests to take over the bar once they get back on the Saturday. Leonard suggested a garden party for today and he’s organised the coaches for the two days. Between them they have thought of everything.’
‘Are you going to be well enough for a garden party?’ Gina asked her.
‘I’ll be fine if I can sit quietly in the shade.’
Gina turned back to the window to watch what was going on down below, but Dorothy pretended to be busy with her crossword as she hadn’t quite got the energy yet to get out of bed and join her.
‘This whole week is quite surreal,’ Gina said, turning back to Dorothy. ‘Do you know what I mean?’
‘I do, when time begins to have no meaning. It feels like we’ve been here for weeks already, not days.’
‘When I was fifteen I was hit by a car when I was crossing the road. It was entirely my own fault as I’d been reading a book at the time and not concentrating, something my mother later ripped shreds off me about, but that was after she had smothered me in love at the hospital. My leg had been seriously injured in the impact and I needed several pins to bring the bones back together. It wasn’t a great start to us returning to the UK. I was in hospital for three weeks in the end and time had stopped making any sense. You know what it’s like, all that bleeping and buzzing, a constant noise, day and night, and alongside the pain, deep sleep had been impossible. That was a surreal experience too.’
Dorothy thought back to those surreal and painful days in hospital with Philip and her new reality caught up with her again, as it often did. It still felt surreal, not having her husband with her.
‘I’m sorry to hear that your week here is similar to three weeks in hospital in crippling pain,’ Dorothy said, and Gina laughed.
‘I didn’t really mean it like that,’ she said, but Dorothy understood.
‘So tell me exactly what happened after you got back from talking to Peter,’ Dorothy probed, as Gina sat in one of her chairs.
Gina relayed her conversation with the vicar, not that any of it came as much of a surprise to Dorothy. He’d just confirmed what she’d known for a while. But no matter what he said about art being scattered across his estate, Dorothy remained convinced that her painting would be in this house.
‘Well, Juliet and I then went to the attic room – she insisted she’d go alone if I didn’t go with her. There was an odd collection of stuff up there. Then we went to his sitting room and I found a tapestry that I’m sure the police would be interested in. Most importantly we found a secret doorway in the oak panelling and inside was his Aladdin’s cave. That Vanitas painting in the oval room is almost a record of his stolen items. He hides them in that secret room and gets someone to paint them in plain sight. You are so right about this. I’m afraid not your painting, though.’
Dorothy had been sitting forward in anticipation, but now slumped back against her pillows. Although, she knew that if Gina had found it, she would have already told her.
‘Why is it so bloody hard to find that painting? All the stolen items in the world won’t help me. He might go to prison for his theft, but not for the one he should be inside for.’
She reached for her tea and Gina stepped forward to help her when she saw that Dorothy’s hand was shaking. Once Dorothy had taken a sip, Gina placed the cup back onto the table and continued.
‘Then Harry found us.’
‘Oh God! What happened?’ Dorothy was leaning forward in anticipation once more.
‘It’s okay. He was ready to talk about his involvement with Leonard. Here, Juliet recorded it.’
Gina handed Dorothy her phone and pressed play on the voice recording. They both listened in silence as the conversation unfolded for the second time.
‘So, we could just go to the police with this, I think,’ Gina said. ‘What do you suggest? It could all be over with a proper search warrant.’
Dorothy shook her head. ‘Leonard is a slippery snake and will find a way to wriggle out of this, leaving me with nothing and possibly with family who wouldn’t talk to me. Like I said before, I want to find the painting first. Let’s see if Harry does. Now he knows about it, he might realise he has seen it before and does know where it is.’
‘But he said there was stuff in the stables, the roof of the temple and goodness knows where else. We can’t look in all those places and I don’t think Harry has any intention of hanging around after the wedding. It’s not like he’s going to work out his notice.’
‘No,’ Dorothy agreed, ‘I very much doubt he’ll do that. Let’s just see though. Let’s get through the wedding and then see.’
Although Dorothy could very well see that Gina wasn’t convinced.
‘So what, then? Go and chat to the guests, enjoy the wedding and let whatever is going to happen, happen?’ Gina asked.
‘I think that now Harry knows what we’ve been doing, that might be the best idea. He might still just tell Leonard what we’ve been up to. He doesn’t owe us anything, after all.’
‘You might be right, Dorothy,’ Gina said. ‘But you know I do have some confidence in him – possibly misguided. Oh, and Juliet recorded a brief conversation between Rufus and his mum.’
‘Anything interesting?’
‘Well, it was odd. Rufus telling Sandra that he’d found a compromising video of Leonard and someone, unnamed.’
‘Oh dear,’ Dorothy shuddered at the thought.
‘Yes, and something about them having him now, and blackmail, and how could it be any worse. Not sure it really helps with what we’re trying to do, to be honest, but Juliet will play it for you if you want to hear it.’
‘Okay, and in the meantime we have a garden party to get ready for,’ Dorothy said.
‘Yes, but only if you’re well enough to go?’
‘I shall make every effort to join in. That way, I won’t miss out on any opportunity to make Leonard squirm. I know an awful lot more about him now.’
Dorothy thought Gina looked lovely in a pair of pale-blue linen trousers and a cream blouse, but she noticed Gina never wore short sleeves and thought she must be hot. Dorothy herself had chosen a light summer dress in lavender, which Gina helped her into when her arms didn’t seem to want to work properly.
‘I love that your dress has such deep pockets,’ Gina said. ‘Not enough women’s clothes have pockets.’
‘That’s all to do with us having to have good silhouettes. I used to subscribe to that rubbish, but not any more. Pockets are useful; silhouettes are not.’
They made their way slowly down the stairs and outside into the parterre garden where Leonard had arranged to have several separate gazebos constructed with tables and chairs underneath. Every table had a vase of lemon-coloured roses and jugs full of ice and sparkling elderflower. Music filled the air from another gazebo where Dorothy could see a string quartet playing. The guests looked relaxed and delighted to be there while Caroline and Toby flitted between the groups, making sure everyone was having a good time. Dorothy watched as Gina took a couple of glasses and filled them.
‘I really want to hate him with everything I have heard about him,’ Gina said, ‘but I do have to commend him on another fabulous set-up. He’s a wonderful host.’
‘I think you’re to be congratulated on your kind nature, Gina. It’s an excellent trait to see mostly good in people. But, please don’t confuse wonderful host with narcissistic show-off with head up own arse,’ Dorothy said, causing Gina to splutter out some of the juice she still had in her mouth. ‘I, however, wish him a grizzly death where he is dragged through the snow by rabid wolves and torn limb from limb. Ah! Yvonne, how lovely to see you.’
Dorothy turned from Gina to greet her old friend who was wearing a large pink hat and a matching dress with plunging neckline in, what Dorothy knew to be, her wonderfully extravagant signature style. They leaned into each other to kiss cheeks and then choose seats in the shade.
‘Gina, my oldest friend – Yvonne. Yvonne, my newest friend – Gina.’
Gina extended her hand and Yvonne shook it vigorously.
‘Pleasure,’ Yvonne said. ‘Although I can’t possibly be your oldest friend, Dorothy. I’m only eighty-nine, the same as you,’ she said with a deep laugh. ‘I have a proposition for you, dear.’
‘Oh? I’m all ears,’ Dorothy said and then noticed that Gina was giving her a pointed look and turning her head in the direction of the rose garden. Dorothy looked to see Peter walking under the arch covered in white blooms.
‘Dorothy, would you like me to stay with you, or shall I go and mingle?’ Gina said, extending the syllables of the word mingle.
‘Oh, please do go and mingle. I have a lot of catching up to do with Yvonne. And, Gina,’ she said. ‘If you happen to go back indoors, would you be so kind as to fetch me that little packet of tissues I’ve left on my bedside table. No rush, mind, just in a while, if you’re going.’
Dorothy touched Gina’s arm and smiled as Gina placed her glass back on the table.
‘Of course, no problem at all,’ she said and then after a nod at Yvonne, Dorothy watched her as she made her way across the lawn, past the sculpted topiary, down the steps towards the sunken rose garden in pursuit of Peter.