Page 14 of A Curious Ending

‘Oh, he is a slippery fish to be sure,’ Abby said, now staring directly at him, taking in the sheen of his face and his shiny, unfeasibly brown locks. She wrinkled her nose, ‘The smell of his hair oil is really most unpleasant.’

‘She was very interested in paintings and antiques…’ Lara prompted.

‘That is true. Many is the time she was in my little emporium admiring my wares. I like to think that my humble offerings didn’t disappoint.’

‘Did you ever go to visit her in Gillmore House?’

For some reason this question seemed to disconcert Jason Honeybourne and he shifted from foot to foot. ‘Only ever in a professional capacity,’ he replied curtly and Lara was left wondering why this innocuous question had touched a nerve.

After that, Jason’s manner became brusquer and he quickly concluded his purchase and left the shop. But not without giving Becky a last lingering look and glancing nervously in Abby’s direction.

As Abby followed his progress to the door she declared, ‘You really are very good at your job, Miss McGregor, and I believe it would be a fool who would underestimate you.’

Lara and Abby finally got the opportunity for a much needed catch-up when Becky left the shop to deliver the wedding flowers. ‘So!’ said Lara, as she moved around the shop sweeping the floor.

‘So!’ repeated Abby, watching her.

Lara stopped sweeping and leant on her broom. She wanted to ask Abby about Jason Honeybourne, but first she felt she needed to get to the bottom of her conversation with Dr Patil.

‘I just don’t know what to think, Abby. Dr Patil clearly knew Lady Porter much better than I thought, so that explains the crying after her funeral.’

‘And it seems that the doctor followed her here… or maybe? I wonder who came to this area first?’ Abby mused.

‘It does seem that they were close,’ Lara agreed, ‘and yet…’

‘Yes?’ prompted Abby.

‘He didn’t know about her childhood… that doesn’t sound right. Hadn’t she told him? Or maybe he didn’t know her that well?’ Lara paused, thoughtfully. ‘Or could Lady Porter be lying about her past? But then why on earth would she do that?

‘None of it makes sense!’ Lara concluded in frustration.

‘Well, certainly someone has been less than honest,’ Abby responded, ‘and that is always illuminating. For example, we only have the doctor’s word for it that they were close. He could simply know Lady Porter was called Elizabeth from her medical record. You can tell a lot from a medical record, Lara Petunia McGregor.’

‘Really?!’ Lara exploded. ‘Really?!’ Then she muttered, ‘They’re my dad’s favourite flower.’

Abby ignored this. ‘It is always a mistake, I feel, to take people at their word. However, as I said, I do think the conversation shed some light on the matter.’

‘Well, it may be clearer for you, but I feel like I’m in thick fog over here.’ Lara kicked the broom in her frustration. ‘At least he didn’t think it was an accident,’ she added as an afterthought, ‘but then, in his mind, that leaves us with suicide… and… oh, I don’t know…’

Abby walked over to stand directly in front of Lara, who was now frowning off into space. She looked her full in the face. ‘Tell me exactly what your instinct says to you about his statements. It does not have to make sense. It is what you feel that matters.’

Lara drew a deep breath. ‘Not for one moment did I sense that she was a woman carrying a burden. I just don’t think she was hiding something. Whatever he says about never knowing what someone is thinking,’ Lara sighed. ‘That’s what I feel. Yet if I start to think about it I have huge doubts. Because at the end of the day I was just her florist and I hadn’t known her for that long. He was her doctor and an old friend.’

Abby smiled at her encouragingly.

‘And what was it with the “running in the family” and her “determination”? He said he was thinking about Reginald, but I don’t know…’ Lara felt there was no end to what she didn’t know.

‘Do you regard the Honourable Richard Porter as a man of determination?’ Abby asked Lara thoughtfully.

‘Not really. He always seems like he’s full of hot air to me. You know, all bluster.’

Abby did know. Harding the butler had been the terror of the downstairs staff (and if truth be told, of Lord Unwin), but he had always reminded Abby of an over-inflated balloon in need of bursting. Which, she smiled, looking back, was exactly what she and James the footman did. Still, determination took many forms. ‘Are there any circumstances in which you could imagine Richard Porter finding some backbone?’

Lara thought for a while. ‘I would say, he would be pretty determined if it meant him getting something over on someone, especially if that person hadn’t shown him the respect he felt he deserved. Or worse still, who had laughed at him… or…’ she continued, thoughtfully, ‘if money was involved. I would guess, then, he could be mean and nasty. But determined… as Dr Patil meant it…?’ Lara’s voice trailed off.

Abby started striding around the shop, her voluminous skirts swishing about her. ‘That certainly is interesting. Also interesting that Dr Patil mentioned it. I rather think you caught the good doctor off his guard when he said that.’

‘So you think it means something?’ Lara asked eagerly, wondering about the questioning note in Abby’s voice when she said ‘good doctor’.