36. Clara
36
Her mother was not happy. In fact, Clara would go so far as to say that Julie Netherway was furious.
‘You did what?’ she demanded, even though Clara had explained it all very carefully.
Clara placed the tulips she was carrying on the ground, next to her grandmother’s gravestone, and straightened up. Talking to her mother in public and in broad daylight so she wouldn’t freak out didn’t appear to be working.
‘I told you, Mum. I fished Audrey Brellasham’s diary out of the bin while you were in bed, which I know I shouldn’t have done. Some of the things she’d written were in code but I managed to crack it and work out what she’d said.’
Julie stooped down and began to clear Violet Netherway’s grave in what could only be described as an aggressive manner. Weeds that had dared to encroach on the area were yanked from the earth with force and thrown to one side.
‘Why would you do that?’ she asked, tearing out a dandelion. ‘No, don’t tell me. I suppose Audrey was speaking to you from some other dimension and saying her voice had to be heard? You losing your mind is the only possible explanation as to why you would go against my explicit instructions and do something that would horrify tragically bereaved Mr Brellasham while also dragging your hideously maligned grandmother back into the spotlight. Poor Audrey Brellasham is dead, Clara. Can’t you let her rest in peace?’
‘The thing is, Mum’ – Clara swallowed – ‘it turns out that Audrey Brellasham isn’t dead after all.’
Julie stopped, her fingers wrapped around another unsuspecting weed, and looked up.
‘What are you gabbling on about? Of course she’s dead.’ She released the weed and got to her feet, her face suddenly creased with concern. ‘I understand that life’s very stressful for you at the moment, what with the manor being sold and River heading back to Australia soon. It’s a tough time. But I’m getting worried about you, Clara.’ She put an earthy hand on her daughter’s shoulder. ‘Do you think talking to Dr Kellaway might help?’
‘I don’t need to see a doctor, Mum. I’m fine, and what I told you about Audrey is true. She needed to escape from the manor because her husband was abusing her, so she waded into the sea and swam to a boat that was waiting for her. She’s been living in Ireland, mostly, but now she’s back in England and settled in a care home in Surrey.’
Julie huffed, scepticism written across her face, but then her eyes narrowed and she moved her hand from Clara’s shoulder.
‘I hardly knew Edwin. He was unwell and bedbound for many years and I had little to do with him. But actually, I did hear things about him from my mother. Not much. Just a criticism here and a hint there but, you know your gran, she never usually had a bad word to say about anyone.’
‘Gran knew all about Edwin’s abuse, and she was one of the people who helped Audrey to escape. Grandad was the person rowing the boat that carried her to her new life.’
‘Your grandad?’ squeaked Julie.
Her mouth had fallen open but no sound was coming out so Clara carried on while she could. ‘Gran sent Audrey a coded message to tell her where the boat would be and that message was in the back of the diary. That’s why Gran stole it from Audrey’s bedroom.’
‘Your grandmother wasn’t a thief!’
‘OK,’ said Clara gently. ‘Let’s say that she liberated the diary before Edwin or the police got to it.’
‘So that she could retrieve this message that you claim she sent.’
‘Exactly, and maybe she also didn’t want Edwin reading Audrey’s innermost thoughts.’
‘Then why didn’t she burn the diary?’ asked Julie. ‘Why did she keep it for decades?’
‘She must have been very fond of Audrey to help her escape. Perhaps the diary was a keepsake or maybe it was insurance, in case Edwin realised that his wife wasn’t dead and made a fuss about her taking the diamond necklace with her. The diary notes some of the occasions when Edwin hurt her. It might have been useful to Audrey if Edwin ever found her and got legally nasty.’
Julie walked to the wooden bench that was pushed up against the churchyard wall and sat down heavily. ‘Well, I never. Mum didn’t tell me any of this. Dad, neither, though he died when I was quite young.’
Clara joined her on the bench. ‘They didn’t tell the police either, not even when Gran was accused of theft. They were determined to keep Audrey’s secret from everyone and, as the years went by, Gran must have put the whole thing behind her.’
Julie sat up straight. ‘Does Geoffrey know?’
‘He does now because Audrey came to see him on Saturday afternoon, during the fete.’
‘I knew there was something funny going on! Belinda nabbed me this morning in the village and was babbling on about some mystery woman who’d turned up and was acting peculiarly. I’d seen nothing out of the ordinary, having spent most of the fete in the kitchen, making teas. So I thought Belinda was inventing gossip, as usual, but she was insistent.’
‘She was right.’
‘Poor Geoffrey. He must have been overwhelmed.’
‘He was, but I think…’ Clara crossed her fingers behind her back. ‘I really hope that finding out the truth will be the best for him, in the long run.’
‘Audrey Brellasham, alive and well.’ Julie whistled through her teeth. ‘I can’t believe it.’
‘It’s hard to take in, isn’t it? River and I found it hard to get our heads around it too.’
‘Have you been working with River on all of this?’
‘Most of it, yes. We’ve done quite a lot together.’
Including going up to the locked third floor and exploring the ghost rooms. Clara decided that was information her mother really didn’t need to know.
Instead, she said: ‘The good thing is, Mum, that Audrey has returned the diamond necklace that she took with her.’
‘I can’t believe she still has it.’
‘I think she was scared that selling such a distinctive necklace would alert Edwin that she was still alive, and she didn’t feel that it belonged to her anyway.’
‘It didn’t,’ said Julie fiercely. ‘It belongs to the Brellasham family.’ Her voice softened. ‘Though I can understand why she took it after being abused by her husband. He doesn’t sound like the sort of man who would have agreed to a divorce settlement.’
‘Definitely not.’
‘So the necklace is back where it belongs.’ Julie stood up and, after walking to Violet’s grave, laid her hand gently on the headstone. ‘You’re completely exonerated, Mum. You never stole those diamonds and now there’s proof of it. You helped Audrey to escape and kept her secret until the day you died, even after Dad had passed away. You were an amazing woman and I miss you so much.’
Tears sprang into Clara’s eyes as she remembered her lovely grandmother who would do anything for anybody who needed help. Her kind heart had been larger than any of them had ever realised.
‘Don’t upset yourself, Clara.’ Julie sat down next to her and patted her knee. ‘What’s to become of us, I wonder? Jobless and homeless. It won’t be easy getting another job at my age and there’s not much call for housekeepers.’
‘It’ll be OK. I’ll find us a new place to live and, if I can’t get enough freelance work, I can get a permanent job somewhere. Whatever happens, you won’t have to go through this on your own, Mum.’
Julie looked into her daughter’s eyes and smiled. ‘No, I don’t suppose I will. I’m glad you’re here and I know you probably don’t believe it but I do appreciate the sacrifice you made in coming back home to look after your dad, and me. It can’t have been easy.’
Clara blinked at her mother’s unexpected words, waiting for the ‘but’. When it didn’t come, she patted her mum’s arm. It hadn’t been easy giving up her whole life, yet all she said was, ‘I’m glad I’m here too.’
Her mother sniffed before saying briskly, ‘But Michael would never have been so nosy, reading that old diary and stirring all of this up.’
And normal service was resumed. Clara allowed herself a discreet eye roll.
‘We’d better get back to the manor.’ Julie stood up and brushed her hands together to dislodge the soil still on her skin. ‘Geoffrey needs tea and cake at four on the dot or his blood sugar levels dip and he gets grumpy. I shall miss Geoffrey and his curmudgeonly ways.’
‘Curmudgeonly? You won’t normally hear a word against perfect Geoffrey.’
‘Actually, he can be a total pain but he’s been my total pain for a long time, and I will definitely miss him.’
‘Me too,’ Clara admitted with a smile, bending down to pick up the carrier bag that held the trowel her mother had ignored in favour of her hands. ‘I’ve grown quite fond of him recently.’
‘I expect you’ll miss River too.’
Clara shrugged, even though the prospect of River leaving was occupying her thoughts more and more.
‘I suppose I will, a bit. But he’ll be off soon without giving me a backward glance. He won’t miss me. I’m just someone he used to know.’
‘Are you sure about that?’ asked Julie, nodding towards the churchyard gate.
Clara followed her mother’s gaze and caught her breath when she saw River standing there.
‘He’s waiting for you,’ said Julie.
‘I’m not sure?—’
‘He’s here for you, Clara,’ her mother insisted, taking the carrier bag from her. ‘Now don’t keep him waiting.’