AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The gold bangles on Belinda’s arms clinked when she waved her hand. ‘Oh, he’s notoriously hard to pin down and, as I say, he doesn’t like anyone who’s not from here. It’s taken him ages to get used to me and I’m Devon born and bred! I moved to the village from Exeter over twenty years ago.’
‘Actually…’ Lettie hesitated, weighing up her misgivings about involving nosey Belinda even more in her business. ‘Someone suggested that Corey Allford’s grandmother might be a good person to talk to.’
‘Florence? Yes, that’s a very good idea. She’s lived here for donkey’s years, since she was born, I think, and she must be heading for ninety. You’re in luck because she’s far more civil than Claude and she happens to be here at the fete. I saw her a while ago in the castle ruins. You might catch her if you hurry.’
‘Thanks, Belinda.’ Lettie smiled, glad of the older woman’s help. ‘That’s kind of you.’
‘You’re welcome. And good luck with tracking down Claude. I’ve put him on the rota to help with clearing up the village hall after the whist drive next Saturday but I sometimes think he’s avoiding me.’
Liam opened his eyes wide, making Lettie bite her lip so she wouldn’t giggle.
Belinda, oblivious to Liam, carried on: ‘Talking of the whist drive, there’s Fiona, who I want to provide the food. It’s definitely her turn but she’s almost as hard to get hold of as Claude.’
With that, she bustled off.
‘Gosh, she’s a force to be reckoned with, isn’t she?’
‘Always.’ Rosie laughed. ‘But she knows her stuff, and the village would probably collapse without her. Florence is a good bet, actually, to find out more about your great-aunt. She’s very petite, sometimes walks with a stick and has lots of white hair. You can’t miss her.’
Buoyed by Belinda’s assertion that Florence was more civil than Claude, Lettie walked across the wooden bridge that spanned the moat and stepped between the ruined walls of what must have once been a huge hall. Her imagination went into overdrive, picturing heroic knights in armour and ladies in elegant dresses, huddling around the fireplace on cold winter nights.
If only walls could talk. She brushed her fingers across the stone and felt a shiver go through her. The past was swirling all around this roofless hall that was now open to the elements. Had Iris felt it too when she’d played here as a child?
The sounds from the fete were muted in here. Lettie picked up a lolly wrapper that had been blown into a corner and placed it in her pocket. Its modernity seemed jarring in such an historic place.
‘Visitors do leave their rubbish about, spoiling Heaven’s Cove. It’s good to see that you have more thought for the environment.’
When Lettie spun around, an elderly woman, with a shock of white hair, was leaning on a walking stick and watching her. Lettie would have mistaken her for a ghost from days gone by if it weren’t for her trousers and the lifeline alarm on her wrist. The woman was short, curvy and rather frail-looking – the opposite of tall, angular Iris.
‘Hello. Are you Florence Allford?’
The woman tilted her head and regarded Lettie inquisitively. Her eyes were such a pale grey, they held almost no colour at all. ‘I am. Do I know you? You seem somewhat familiar.’
‘I’m sorry to bother you. We’ve never met but I was told that you might be able to help me with some family history research. Belinda said you’ve lived here all your life.’
‘Belinda’s talking aboutmenow, is she?’ The woman smiled. ‘Why don’t we sit down and you can tell me what it is you’re looking for.’
Lettie followed Florence to a low piece of the wall. The old woman settled down on it and sat with her hands resting on the top of her walking stick and her chin on top of them. ‘Tell me more.’
‘My family lived here a long time ago and I’m trying to find out more about them.’
‘Did they, indeed? What was their—’
A man’s voice suddenly boomed across the ruined room. ‘What are you doing? Stop talking to her.’
Lettie glanced up in alarm and groaned when she spotted Corey hurrying towards her. That was the problem with tiny villages: it was impossible not to bump into the people you most wanted to avoid.
When Corey reached them, he stood protectively next to the elderly woman. A flush was rising on his cheeks, above the dark stubble covering his chin.
‘How dare you ambush my gran like this? We’ve already told you and your colleague that we’re not interested.’
Lettie vaguely registered that Corey was looking totally hot in tight jeans and a black sweatshirt before annoyance kicked in.
‘Simon isn’t my colleague,’ she said testily.
‘So you claim, but you were sitting with him last night and now here you are with my grandmother. I know what you’re up to.’
‘I’m not up to anything.’
