Page 88 of A Curious Ending

‘A leopard doesn’t change its spots,’ Lara said vaguely, smiling in Abby’s direction. ‘And I know she was fluffy most of the time, but sometimes she could be pretty determined and I began to think she wasn’t so…’ Lara searched for the word.

‘Pigeon-brained?’ Abby supplied.

‘Yes, but murder?’ Sarah queried. ‘Do you think it was all because of Julian?’

‘’Fraid so,’ Lara said, as one who knew how all-consuming a Julian Armstrong infatuation could be.

‘You would never have killed for him though, Lara,’ Abby said from the sidelines.

‘I got it completely wrong,’ Kate stated. ‘I started to think it was something to do with blackmail. I knew how Lady P liked to gossip.’

Lara shook her head. ‘Mrs M told me something about that as I was leaving tonight. When Lady Porter got ill, she started taking out money for her. She didn’t want to include her sister in the will, but she wanted her left with more than the cottage and a small pension.’

‘Ah, so that’s what she meant by looking after her real family,’ Sarah commented.

‘Makes sense,’ Kate agreed. ‘Has she sold her cottage?’

‘I think so,’ Lara said, ‘but she was pretty vague about her plans. I don’t suppose she’s had much time to think about what comes next.’

‘What do you think is going to happen to Pinky?’ Sarah asked.

‘No idea,’ Lara admitted.

‘I would suggest that the Honourable Richard Porter will prove to be a better husband than he was son. Or that Pinky proved to be as a wife. I imagine he will get the best legal advice for her and what time Penny Porter spends in prison, at least she will have peace and quiet to paint,’ Abby reflected.

Lara could not share this with her friends but she did say, ‘I think it’s sad that the aunt who he clearly despised would have saved him from prison, but the wife who he clearly loved would have hung him out to dry.’

They sat in silence for a while sipping wine.

‘What was it with India and Lady P?’ Kate eventually asked. ‘I didn’t really get that.’

‘Oh, I think an imaginary place to hide. Somewhere that felt safe,’ Lara suggested. ‘Now when I look back, she told me tales of India and fed me Pink Gin when I was having a horrible time with Julian. I think for Lady Porter it represented an escape and she wanted to share that with me.’

‘I miss her,’ Kate said sadly.

Sarah and Lara nodded.

‘Her Ladyship is very proud of you all,’ Abby commented, smiling serenely at the women around her.

Lara knew she ought to feel surprise, but then nothing really surprised her about her Kindred Spirit anymore.

Having said goodbye to her friends, Lara returned to the sitting room to find Abby reading the final page of Far from the Madding Crowd.

At her entrance, Abby rose, smoothed her skirt and adjusted her hat. ‘Now, I really must be going.’

‘What, going, going?’ Lara said suddenly appalled.

‘Yes, I am afraid so,’ Abby said smiling at Lara and trying to look and sound a lot more matter-of-fact than she felt.

‘You’ll want to see Mum before you go. We could have a supper to say goodbye,’ Lara said. She sounded desperate even to her own ears.

‘I hate goodbyes, Lara,’ Abby told her.

Lara had always known Abby was going to leave. Often she had wished she would disappear and never come back. But now she was not going to see her again, she viewed the prospect with a rising sense of panic. ‘But we don’t know what’s going to happen with Mrs M yet,’ Lara said, anxious to think of anything to detain Abby.

‘Oh, I think that bird has flown,’ Abby said, speaking figuratively and literally.

‘How do you know?’ Lara asked suspiciously.