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Chapter23
‘Well, you’re certainly moving up in the world,’ Lili said, pausing work and leaning on her spade. Abigail had wandered into the garden at lunchtime and told her the news.
‘What about The Potting Shed? Do you think you’ll still find time in your busy schedule as accountant extraordinaire of Somerville Hall to come back and look at the accounts of a lowly flower shop?’
Abigail smiled. ‘Of course I will.’
‘I’m so excited for you,’ Lili said.
Abigail had known her friend would be pleased for her, especially when she found out it could become permanent. She knew Lili wanted her to stay in Suffolk. Abigail didn’t want to burst her bubble by telling her she didn’t want a permanent position.
Lili’s smile faded. ‘You won’t accept the permanent job, will you? You’re just here to find out about the family.’
Abigail didn’t deny it.
They both turned to look up at the impressive house. Lili squinted in the afternoon sunshine. She held up a hand to her face. ‘Hey, is that the son, Oliver, standing at the study window?’
Abigail had already pointed out to Lili the window to the room where she would be working. She followed Lili’s gaze. It was the study window. ‘Yes.’ He spotted them and disappeared from view. ‘We’re working together. He’s showing me the other accounts too.’
‘Sounds cosy in that little study.’
Abigail shot her a look.
So did Joss, who had just walked up to Lili to ask her something and had overheard their conversation. He’d also heard on the staff grapevine that Abigail was now working with Lord Somerville’s son.
‘The room is quite large, actually.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Joss said, grinning.
‘Will you two just stop.’ Abigail wasn’t smiling or joking.
Lili turned serious, and so did Joss. ‘We’re just winding you up. I know you’ve got a long road ahead of you with losing Toby.’
They all fell silent for a moment.
Joss broke the silence. ‘Lili, I wanted to ask about this over here …’
Abigail watched them wander off to a patch of dirt the gardeners had just dug up. As she did so, her eyes flicked to the house and back to the study window. Oliver was there again, standing at the window. Catching her looking his way, he sat down at his desk. Abigail could see his broad shoulders and his back in the window. She frowned at him. What was his problem? Was he spying on her during her break?
‘Right, I’ve set them to work again.’
Abigail turned at the sound of Lili’s voice.
‘Have you visited his parents and sister yet?’
‘Whose?’ Abigail asked vaguely, her mind elsewhere.
Lili sighed. ‘Toby’s.’ She followed Abigail’s gaze to the house.
‘If you really want to find out the connection between your husband and the Somervilles, go see his parents. What about that theory that his mum may have had an affair with Lord Somerville? She was a single parent before she met his stepdad, so it’s quite conceivable. And she was living in that cottage, Daphne’s cottage. It’s too much of a coincidence. Don’t you see? That would make Toby Daphne’s nephew and would explain why they lived there until his mum met someone, and why Daphne put the cottage into a trust for him. She was his aunt.’
‘There’s just one problem with that scenario, Lili.’
‘What?’
Abigail had only met Lord Somerville twice. She hardly knew him. But it was obvious that he was still in love with his dead wife. It just didn’t seem conceivable that he’d had an affair. She told Lili about the episode with the painting and the fact that he’d kept the house, and their bedroom, just as it was before his wife died.
‘Okay, that’s creepy.’
