Page 32 of A Curious Ending

After a few moments she looked up and softened, ‘Do you miss books?’

Abby simply nodded and continued to stare into the fire. After a few moments she said, ‘The library at our home was perhaps my favourite room. It had an expansive window overlooking the Great Park. All the remaining walls were filled with the books the family had collected over generations. As a child it seemed to me that there were endless, exciting worlds to explore there. When Uncle Henry took over the estate he still encouraged me to visit it as often as I liked. Now I can gaze upon the covers of books but it is impossible for me to turn the pages.’ Abby looked at the novel in Lara’s hand.

Lara watched her for a moment and then, settling down more comfortably against the cushions, she started reading aloud:

Gabriel had watched the blue wood-smoke curling from the chimney with strange meditation. At evening he had fancifully traced it down the chimney to the spot of its origin – seen the hearth and Bathsheba beside it, but in her outdoor dress; for the clothes she had worn on the hill were by association equally with her person included in the compass of his affection: they seemed at this early time of his love a necessary ingredient for the sweet mixture called Bathsheba Everdene…

Chapter 17

The next day there was no sign of rain. The sky was a bright blue backdrop to small white clouds that appeared to be racing each other across the rooftops. The flying clouds made Lara think of Penny Porter’s painting and she wondered what had prompted her to paint in this new style.

As she approached her friend’s grave she expected to find Lady Porter’s flowers scattered all around the churchyard after the previous day’s wind and rain. But as she got closer it became clear that someone had been there before her. The ground around the grave had been tidied and there was a new display of flowers. The yellow roses were gone and in their stead were greeny-white ranunculus. Her mimosa had been arranged in between the rounded heads of the flowers and there was a fresh card beside the posy. It read simply, ‘Forgive me. M.’ Lara was intrigued; she couldn’t for the life of her think what Mrs M would have to be sorry for. She also wondered why Mrs M hadn’t bought the flowers from her shop. She worried that Mrs M might not have much money for flowers and wondered how she might say to Mrs M (without causing offence) that she would always give her a good discount. In the end she decided that with such a proud woman there were no such words.

Lara placed the creamy hellebores that she had brought with her on a neighbouring grave that did not have any flowers. She silently explained this to Lady Porter, who didn’t seem to mind at all.

Returning to the shop, Lara was met by the gentle crackle and haunting melody of an old 1940s song. Becky looked up. ‘I hope you don’t mind, I put one of my playlists on.’

‘No, that’s fine,’ Lara said. A Billie Holiday fan, she smiled, who’d have thought it. Maybe she would try Becky on Classic FM after all. Five minutes later Lara was not in the least surprised to see Abby dancing around the central display of lilies. This morning she had chosen a cream sprig muslin dress, decorated with small peach rosebuds and green leaves. Over it she had decided on one of Lara’s ‘Miss McGregor’s Garden’ aprons. ‘Now do apply yourself, Lara, you must not leave all the work to Becky,’ Abby said, spinning slowly on the spot. She decided she really did like feeling part of Miss McGregor’s team. And, glancing in her direction, she revisited the thought that Becky would look quite magnificent in scarlet.

Miss McGregor on the other hand was wishing her new team member elsewhere. Preferably a long way away.

Once the main orders had been completed, Lara started gathering the flowers that she was going to present to Jason Honeybourne in the hope that this would give Abby the opportunity to explore his premises.

‘Ready?’ she said out of the side of her mouth to Abby.

‘I think you will find I am always ready,’ Abby assured her.

Lara found she was grinding her teeth.

Jason was delighted to welcome Lara to his shop, especially when he realised the reason for her errand.

‘I noticed you had a new jug in the window and I wondered if you would like some flowers to put in it? I over-ordered some varieties and I thought these might complement it,’ Lara said, holding out a large bunch of aubergine snapdragons and heathery-lilac roses.

Jason beamed at her, stroking the front of his primrose waistcoat with one small, white manicured hand.

‘Would you like me to arrange them for you? It would be no bother,’ Lara offered.

‘Why that’s most kind of you. I think they might need the feminine touch.’ He smirked and ran a long fingernail around the button of his waistcoat.

Lara tried to hide her distaste. Abby watched this exchange with revulsion, which she took no pains at all to hide.

‘Is the kitchen through here?’ Lara asked, picking up the jug from the window and carefully carrying it towards the back of the shop. Her plan was to open as many doors as possible in the shop and back rooms to allow Abby to investigate while she arranged the flowers. Before she had taken two steps Jason had risen smartly from his seat. He moved surprisingly quickly for a man in such tight corduroys.

‘No, no, let me,’ he insisted, firmly manoeuvring her out of the way and taking the jug from her hands. It seemed that the proprietor of Honeybourne Antiques was reluctant to let Lara invade his inner sanctum.

‘What do I do now?’ Lara mouthed helplessly to Abby who was left behind with her in the main body of the shop. Beyond the closed door they could hear the sound of a running tap.

Abby looked at Lara appraisingly. ‘You will think of something,’ she said with apparent unconcern and started to study some of Jason’s merchandise.

The small shop was packed with several spindle legged tables and two pedestal desks. On each piece of furniture were displayed pottery figurines, vases, lamps and small bowls. Around the wall were hung several interesting oil paintings. Whatever his taste in clothes – today Jason was wearing bright butterscotch trousers – Abby thought you could not fault Jason’s eye when it came to antiques and art.

In a few moments he had returned to the shop, the door to the back rooms firmly shut behind him. He handed the jug to Lara who began to slowly arrange the flowers. The shop felt unnaturally quiet and Lara realised she was holding her breath and her hand was trembling.

Jason sidled up to her. ‘Do I make you nervous, Miss McGregor?’

Lara started. ‘No, not at all, and do please call me Lara. It’s just that I suddenly wondered if this was an expensive jug?’ she tried to make her voice sound light and normal.

‘It’s a Dresden piece, not a particularly fine example and later than the key period, but never the less I would expect it to sell for around £250.’