Page 94 of The Bookshop By the Loch

Celeste’s shoulders disappeared into her dress. “After falling pregnant and then the Reece situation, I was glad to get away from here; try to put everything behind me and start over.” Celeste shrugged. “I think my parents were embarrassed by it all and when they insisted we move to Edinburgh, I was only too glad.” Her lips morphed into a sorry smile. “That was where I met Huntley, my late husband, a few years later.”

“So, why did you come back?”

Celeste’s lips gave a fleeting smile. “It was Maeve. Her and her late husband Ronnie holidayed here a few times, because of the family connection to the place, and then when he retired early from the police he said he wanted to move here and Maeve was delighted.”

Celeste arranged her blanket. “Huntley’s health was beginning to suffer and she didn’t want to leave us in Edinburgh and so we all came back to the area a couple of years ago.”

“Were you apprehensive about it? About coming back to Bracken Way after that?” I pursed my lips. “Flora could’ve told Maeve about Corinne. If she was capable of doing that with Reece, she would be more than capable of telling Maeve about the baby.”

Celeste raised her face. There was an element of satisfaction to her features. “Not long after we arrived back in Bracken Way, we were told some rather juicy gossip about Flora’s husband.” Celeste paused. “So, a rather imposing friend of mine from the showbiz world made sure he bumped into Flora accidentally on purpose one day and advised her that if she so much as dared to utter a word to Maeve about her adopted sister, Bracken Way would know about her husband’s affair.” Celeste gave me a knowing look. “Flora thought she’d managed to keep that under wraps for years.”

My eyes grew to the size of plates “Affair? Arthur Simmonds? Are you joking?”

“No. I know. Quite a shock, isn’t it? Church elder, pillar of the community.”

My lips made a long, low whistling sound as I recalled Flora’s stout, pompous late husband. “He just didn’t seem the type.”

“They’re often the worst.”

I let this piece of latest stunning information sink in. “And do you know who she was?”

“She?”

“Arthur Simmonds’s mistress.”

Celeste gave me a knowing glance. “Not she. He.”

I couldn’t keep the shock from crossing my face.

Celeste nodded. “Do you remember Timothy Archibald, who used to own the local post office?”

I recalled the tall, thin, dapper man with a serious side sweep of jet-black hair. He had been a confirmed bachelor; a gentle giant. My mouth formed a series of surprised shapes. “Are you saying Timothy Archibald was Arthur’s lover?”

Celeste nodded.

“Bloody hell! I’d no idea all this was happening in Bracken Way.” I sat there, letting these revelations tumble through my head. “And what happened between Flora and Reece? I take it nothing did, if she married Arthur?”

“His parents married him off to a rich horsey type from Dumfries and Reece and his new bride moved to the south of France. Her parents owned a successful vineyard there.” Celeste shook her head at the memories she was pulling up after so many years. “So, Flora’s jealous conniving was all for nothing.”

Good grief! I was struggling to unscramble the array of tangled, secretive and messy deceptions. I thought again about Flora sneering at Celeste and the way she’d curled up her mouth as she’d called her the silver songbird. “So, the silver songbird nickname she gave you was because of your surname and your silver dress, I’m guessing?”

“That’s right. What with my maiden name being Finch, and the silver dress I wore that night of the birthday party, I think she thought she was being rather clever.” Celeste pulled a dismissive face. “Flora was crazy about Reece. The story I was told after we returned here, was that she married Arthur on the rebound, as she never got over losing Reece and all that went with him: the house, the name, the prestige.”

Celeste dropped her voice an octave. Further out in the corridor, a loud TV set burbled out from an open door. The booming volume of it made me think of my grandfather. “Some say that’s why Flora is how she is. It’s why she’s so bitter at life and what it dealt her. But the way I see it, you choose to make these mistakes. Nobody forces you.”

“Yes, but a lot of people have tough and difficult lives and they don’t go around bullying and picking on people!”

“That’s very true, Lexie.” Celeste let out a weary sigh, followed by a yawn. “Please excuse me but I think I’m in need of a nap. I have another portrait session with your gorgeous work colleague tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep.”

“Of course. You go and get some rest. And thank you for confiding in me.”

Celeste fluttered her blanket. “Thank you for listening. Now, would you mind very much escorting me back to my room please?”

“Of course not.”

I rose out of the chair, grasped both wheelchair handles and negotiated Celeste back down the snaking, carpeted hallway. I thought again about how frail and tired she looked all of a sudden. I had to select my words with care. “Celeste, are you going to tell Maeve about Corinne?”

Celeste sat like a small bird. “Part of me doesn’t want to, but I think I should. I don’t want to die and leave a mess.” She clasped her fingers together as I wheeled her along. Her voice was thoughtful, but edged with trepidation. “And if I’m going to try and speak to my adopted daughter before I pop my clogs, it’s only right Maeve knows.”