Page 65 of A Curious Ending

Julian frowned at her. ‘Aren’t you going to deal with your staff?’ he said pompously.

‘Of course I am,’ Lara said seriously, ‘I’m going to give that “town girl” a raise.’ Julian started to speak, but Lara cut him short as she spotted Joe approaching with two cocktail glasses.

‘And now I’m going to have a drink,’ she said, walking away.

Chapter 33

‘Have I missed something?’ Joe asked, as he passed her a martini.

Lara tried to explain a bit of what had happened, but although Joe smiled he also appeared confused. He just didn’t seem to find it funny. ‘I guess you had to be there,’ Lara ended up saying, thinking she would save the story to share with Sarah, Kate and Abby. ‘I think I enjoyed it so much because I know it would have made Lady Porter laugh,’ she said by way of explanation.

‘Yes, the old girl did have an odd sense of humour,’ he said sympathetically. Lara bit off the next thing she was going to say, frowning slightly. She hadn’t really wanted Joe’s sympathy. And Abby was right, she wished he wouldn’t call Lady Porter, ‘old girl’. This reminded her that, maybe instead of scoring points over Julian Armstrong she should have been trying to find out if he was a murderer. Just then she spotted Abby sailing towards her, obviously bursting with news.

As the main body of guests started to move towards the ballroom where dinner was about to be served, Lara excused herself from Joe and headed across to meet Abby. Knowing she could not be seen chatting to herself without raising a few eyebrows, Lara bent down to adjust her shoe and let Abby do the talking.

‘I have just overheard a most interesting conversation between Richard Porter and Mr Honeybourne. It seems Mr Honeybourne has now had the opportunity to view all of Dr Patil’s paintings…’ she hurried on, noting the pained expression on Lara’s face, ‘…and he has informed the Honourable Richard that they are not a valuable collection.’

‘That man is unbelievably greedy,’ Lara commented, recalling the immense wealth outlined in Lady Porter’s will that Richard and Pinky were to inherit.

‘He is also extremely suspicious. I think we might have a falling out among thieves. The Honourable Richard is still suspicious about the large amounts that left his mother’s account and keeps implying that Jason knows more than he is saying.’

Lara drew a thoughtful breath but before she could say anything Abby continued, ‘Oh, and Jason, in turn, is deeply suspicious of you. He saw you arrive this evening and was not best pleased.’

‘Then I suggest we keep a careful eye on Mr Honeybourne,’ Lara said.

‘And on you,’ her companion said dryly.

Having now seen Jason Honeybourne silhouetted against the firelight, Abby couldn’t help feeling that the outline was very similar to the person she saw following Lara home after the theatre.

As the large entrance hall was now nearly empty, Lara made her way to the ballroom and found the table she, Kate and Sarah were to be part of. They were seated with the team from the wine company and the owner of the wine shop and his wife. Before they sat down, Lara brought Sarah and Kate briefly up to date with Richard and Jason’s conversation. She thought she would save the tale of Becky’s magnificent performance for later.

‘I’ve never trusted Jason,’ Sarah confided.

‘I’ve never trusted his hair colour,’ Kate added.

The meal passed pleasantly. Everyone at the table made an effort to be friendly and by the end of the supper, all were convinced that theirs was the best table in the room to be on. During the short speeches, Lara took the opportunity to look around and locate people she knew. Richard and Pinky were on a table with local dignitaries. Jason was on the Chamber of Commerce table and Lara spotted Joe on a table with what she thought was one of the county’s farming families. Lara could not see Julian, but as ever, she could hear where he and his friends were by the cat calling and overly loud laughter. She just hoped Becky did not have to serve them. She was reassured to see that on the occasions she did spot Becky working her way around the room, she had Abby by her side. There was no sign of Dr Patil. Perhaps Abby had been right and he was not in the mood for dancing. Certainly, thinking of the man she had seen shuffling from Honeybourne Antiques, she could not imagine him enjoying this evening.

As the meal drew to a close and people started to mingle with friends from other tables, Lara decided to test the water with Richard and Pinky. She started moving towards their table, keeping a look out for Abby. All the other guests had wandered away, but Richard and Pinky were still sitting at their table. Richard was checking something on his phone while Pinky dug holes in the sugar with a spoon. Occasionally, she would look disconsolately about her before going back to her excavations.

‘Ah… I see that Mr Porter has seen you approaching,’ Abby said quietly, appearing at her side.

Richard Porter was indeed staring at Lara. ‘Good evening,’ she said smiling at him and nodding to Pinky. ‘I just wanted to let you know I’ve been to visit Gillmore House to look at Lady Porter’s vases and have taken two small glass rose bowls and an old china tea caddy I found under the sink, I hope that’s okay?’ She and Abby watched Richard narrowly to see if there was any response at the mention of the china.

‘What?... Oh, yes, Miss McGregor. I hardly recognised you…’ Richard paused, looking too long at Lara’s figure while reaching up to smooth his hair. ‘Yes, I am sure that’s fine.’ Pinky barely moved. However, both Lara and Abby sensed she was tense and waiting. Not at all pigeon-brained, Abby thought for the second time.

‘I wonder if the real will that Lady Porter wrote will ever see the light of day?’ Lara said thoughtfully but forcefully. ‘Now, that would be interesting, wouldn’t it?’ She looked Richard in the eye and just before she turned, ready to drop her final grenade, ‘And as for that fraudulent power of attorney…’ she shook her head, smiling maliciously. Richard and Pinky Porter sat as if turned to stone. Lara was well away from the table when the argument began. Luckily, Abby was sitting across from the Porters, her chin resting on her folded hands.

Lara crossed the room to where she could see Becky collecting coffee cups and had a brief word with her. ‘You were fantastic, Becky,’ she said admiringly and then told her about Jessica’s treatment of her when she was waitressing at the theatre.

‘I’d heard,’ Becky said, ‘Kate told me about it.’ She smiled at Lara then went back to collecting crockery, just as Abby appeared by Lara’s side. ‘Well, I believe it would be appropriate to say that you put a tiger among those two pigeons,’ she said, looking extremely satisfied. Lara drew her into a nearby alcove to find out more.

‘Pinky kept shouting – I am surprised you didn’t hear her – that it was all his fault. Richard however was apoplectic with rage at the thought that anyone knew about the new will his mother was trying to make.’

‘I thought that might get him going.’

Abby continued, ‘Yes, I think the Honourable Richard deserves a few sleepless nights. However, the most interesting thing was something that Pinky said – she was insistent he had promised that what they had done wouldn’t come out and finished by saying, “you and that bloody will.” She left the table taking a bottle of wine with her and I believe is now consuming it on her own in the bar.’

Lara stared at Abby, a crease between her brows. ‘That sounds pretty damning.’ She looked around her. ‘We need Sarah,’ she declared.