The following afternoon, Grace’s partner, John Whittingham, called at Primrose Cottage to meet Hetty and Lottie, prior to overseeing Grace’s body being returned up-country where after her cremation he planned to have her ashes scattered in the village in Derbyshire where she had grown up. He told the sisters that he had briefly contemplated having her ashes scattered in Cornwall near to her ancestors but decided under the circumstances that that was a very bad idea. He also wanted to pass on a cheque to the sisters to pay for damage caused by the fire. He told them that Grace thought if she were to have written them a cheque herself they might have rejected it, whereas if it came from him they’d be more likely to accept it as he could explain the depth of her remorse. This request she made of John in her very last letter written shortly before she took her life.
When he was gone, Hetty and Lottie, touched by the affection John clearly had for Grace, went out into the back garden and sat beside the pond. The early September evening was warm and towards the west a spectacular sunset dominated the sky for as far as the eye could see.
“The nights are really drawing in now, aren’t they?” Hetty said.
“Yes, and before we know it the Christmas Wonderland will be up and running again and we’ll have been here for a whole year.”
“And what a year it’s been.”
“What was it that Grace told us on the day we put the plants in the pond? About dragonflies, I mean.” Lottie asked.
“If a dragonfly lands on you it is seen to be good luck,” said Hetty, “and, oh yes, I remember, if you see a dragonfly in your dreams or one suddenly appears in your life, that means that you need to take care because something in your life is hidden, or the truth is being kept from you. Something like that.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought,” sighed Lottie, “and it’s true, isn’t it? Because Grace was keeping something from us.”
“But we haven’t seen a dragonfly yet,” reasoned Hetty.
“Not a real one, no, but don’t forget Grace’s brooch.”
“How could I ever forget Grace’s brooch?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Lottie turned her head and when she saw movement from the corner of her eye, she instinctively glanced down to the pond. When she realised what the movement was, she gasped and shook Hetty by the arm. “Look, Het,” she whispered, “Look at the waterlily.”
Hetty blinked in surprise for on the waterlily a beautiful blue dragonfly rested on the largest leaf.
“What! A dragonfly…at night…surely not. I mean….”
As her voice faded the dragonfly rose and swooped majestically over each of the new pond’s plants. It then drifted upwards above the glistening water, its colours radiant in a fading beam of sunlight. With a swish and a swoop it then flew down and settled in turn on the arm of each sister. Neither spoke as it then rose, flapped its delicate wings and flew off into the sunset.
THE END
The Suitcase In The Attic Page 20
