by Jenny Lane
After a while she got up to check something on the computer and discovered that she had an e-mail message. It was from Jack and had obviously been there for several days. If only she’d thought to check before.
I’M SORRY KATIE.YOU MUST BELIEVE ME. I HAD NO CHOICE. I’LL CONTACTYOU AGAIN SOON, J.
Katie made a swift decision not to tell Lyall or Shelley, wrote the message in her diary and deleted the e-mail. She was a trusting girl and was convinced, deep down, that there had to be some simple explanation for the way in which Jack had behaved.
If only he would ring and explain things then, perhaps, she could, at least, try to understand what had happened and attempt to talk things through with him.
‘Are you OK, Katie?’ Shelley asked in concern, as she went back into the workshop.
‘Oh, I’m just a bit tired,’ she replied, a shade too brightly. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’
She went across to look at the designs Lyall was working on. They were certainly impressive, very colourful and professional. She could not wait to see the finished products.
Katie forced her attention back to the task in hand, knowing that she could not afford to slack, not only because of the time factor, but also because the materials were too expensive to waste.
Eventually, she lost herself in her work, which she loved, and had fashioned several items by the end of the morning.
She excused herself from joining the others for lunch, making the excuse that she had a slight headache, and returned to Lavender Cottage. The post had been and she recognised Jack’s handwriting on an envelope with a frustratingly indecipherable postmark. In trepidation, she ripped it open. The message inside was brief and to the point and backed up what he had said in his e-mail.
KATIE, PLEASE DON’T THINK TOO BADLY OF ME. I’M IN TROUBLE AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT. WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD FRIENDS AND I’M SURE I CA TRUST YOU. JACK.
Katie sat staring into space. She supposed she ought to contact the police, but what good would it do at this stage? And then there was Aunt Alice to consider.
In a way she wished Jack would make a clean break so that she could pick up the pieces and begin to get on with her life again, but he seemed intent on involving her and playing on her emotions. She could not imagine what sort of trouble he had got himself into, but it was obviously serious.
She had been sitting there for about ten minutes when there was a tap on the door. It was Lyall looking concerned and, in spite of herself, an odd little frisson danced along her spine. She longed to confide in him, ask his advice, but something made her hold back. Instead, she asked coolly, ‘Aren’t I allowed any peace?’
Startled, his dark eyes flashed. ‘Oh, I can see you’re in a mood. I just knocked to see how you were, but I know when I’m not welcome. I’ve brought you some lunch, but I rather wish I hadn’t bothered if that’s your attitude. Fine, I’ll leave you in peace then!’
And, before she had a chance to say anything, he was gone. Curiosity, made her lift the tea-towel covering the tray, and she discovered one of Dylan’s chicken salads neatly arranged on a plate covered with cling film, together with a crusty roll. She felt embarrassed at her outburst after Lyall’s kindness and, surprisingly, tucked in with a healthy appetite, thoroughly enjoying the food.
After coffee, she wandered back along the lane, feeling much better equipped to face the afternoon. But Lyall was not there, only Shelley humming away to herself in the usual chaotic muddle that she liked to work in.
She looked up briefly. ‘Lyall had to go into Sevenoaks for some reason. He’s nice, isn’t he?’
‘Don’t be fooled by his charm. We know very little about him.’
Shelley shot her a surprised glanced, but wisely said nothing. For some reason Katie found herself in a steaming mood and knew that it was because Lyall had gone off on a mysterious assignation, and that she had been used to Jack keeping her informed of his movements when they were working on a project.
Team work was important at times like this. She sighed, realising that she was being unreasonable. After all, Jack was hardly keeping her informed now, was he? So what did it matter?
She worked hard for the next few hours and, just as she thought they had seen the last of him for the day, Lyall reappeared. He looked appraisingly at their work and said, ‘Well you two have certainly made great headway today. Now where do you suggest we keep all this?’
Katie gaped at him. ‘Well in the safe, of course. Jack’s hardly likely to try the same trick twice. Besides, I honestly believe he’ll pay us back when he can.’ Lyall gave her a piercing look. ‘Your faith in him is touching, Katie. I would hate to disillusion you, but I think you can say goodbye to any idea you might have of recompense. I’ve yet to find a thief who repays his victims.’
‘And you know a lot of them, do you?’ she asked pointedly.
‘My you do have a tart tongue today!’
He studied one of her pendants. ‘How long do you suppose it will take you to make enough for the exhibition?’
‘We’ll need to work all the hours that God made in order to be ready, and that means we won’t be able to keep our usual outlets supplied, so we’re going to lose trade that way.’
‘Have you thought about borrowing items back just for the exhibition?’
‘How do you mean?’ she asked, puzzled.
‘Surely you must have some local customers who would be more than willing to lend you the items they’ve purchased. They’d probably be tickled pink to know that their jewellery was going to be exhibited.’
‘But just imagine the insurance complications if we did that,’ she pointed out.
He shrugged. ‘It was just a thought. Was Jack in charge of organising the exhibition?’
‘No, we made joint decisions on important issues. I’m still convinced there’s some perfectly rational explanation for the way he’s behaved. It’s just so out of character, isn’t it, Shelley?’
Shelley nodded. ‘Seemed a decent enough bloke to me. Anyway, I’ve got to be off now. See you tomorrow, guys.’ For a few minutes, Lyall busied himself at the back of the workshop, but then he came and sat at the bench. ‘There are one or two things we need to sort out before too long, if we’re going to proceed with this project,’ he told her pleasantly.
Katie set down her tools. ‘Such as?’
‘It all seems rather casual and haphazard here at present. I had thought there would have been more of a system.’
Katie bridled. ‘How dare you come in out of the blue and start criticising. We all got on well enough in the past. We were beginning to make a reasonable go of things.’
‘Look, I don’t think you can object to my making one or two suggestions for improvements, seeing as I’m putting up some money. You’re hardly in any position to get uppity.’
‘Meaning that if we don’t go along with what you suggest, you’ll withdraw your support, I suppose! Well, so far as I’m concerned you can go ahead and do just that! We’ll find some other way of keeping this show on the road!’
And, sweeping up her belongings, she flounced out of the room, locked her jewellery in the safe and left the workshop, not even bothering to look in his direction again. If she had done, she might have seen that, far from being annoyed, he was grinning to himself.
* * *
Katie hadn’t been in long when the phone rang. She picked it up and Faye’s cheerful voice said, ‘We’re expecting you round for supper tonight, Katie.’
‘You’ve done nothing but feed me since I’ve been back. It’s kind of you, but I was planning to have an early night.’
‘Nonsense, you’ve got to eat! Anyway, we’ve got a proposition to put to you and we’d rather tell you in person. We’ll see you around seven-thirty then.’
Knowing better than to argue, Katie thanked her friend and went upstairs to get ready. She showered, changed into black trousers and a red tunic and caught back her newly-washed hair with a scrunchie.
It was only a short walk to the
cafe. Faye greeted her warmly, apron tied about her ample waist. ‘Come along in. Dylan’s just sorting out some wine.’
There were four places set and, seeing her enquiring glance, Faye said, ‘I’ve invited Lyall to join us, hope you don’t mind. Oh dear, I can see from your expression that you do. Did something happen in London that I ought to know about?’
Katie shook her head, wishing she hadn’t accepted the invitation. It would be awkward having to make polite conversation, after their recent heated exchange. ‘Everything’s just happening too quickly. I can’t get my head round it. When I went away I left Jack in charge of the workshop and now he’s gone and Lyall’s come on the scene wanting to change everything. I don’t feel as if I’ve had a chance to get to grips with the situation. How do I know if he’s genuine?’
‘Oh well, I’m sorry if I’ve dropped you in it. I thought you two were getting on OK. I’m being absolutely honest, though, I’ve got to admit that I’ve never really trusted Jack. He’s an amiable enough character, but rather too smooth for my liking, whereas Lyall is much more straightforward.’
Katie stared at her friend in surprise. ‘What makes you say that? He’s an unknown quantity as far as I’m concerned. For all we know, he might have forced Jack out so that he could take his place and get his hands on our business and Aunt Alice’s family heirlooms.’
Faye laughed. ‘Don’t be so melodramatic, Katie! You know as well as I do that Aunt Alice doesn’t have any family heirlooms, otherwise why would she resort to taking in a lodger?’
‘She gets lonely. She told me so. Anyway, what makes you think Lyall’s any different from Jack? He’s probably got his eye to the main chance too.’
Faye folded some table napkins. ‘Oh, it’s just an instinct. Actually, my main motive for inviting him here tonight was to see if we can find out a bit more about him. Satisfied?’
Katie, knowing that she was giving her friend a hard time, pulled herself together. ‘Sorry, Faye, but you know the old saying, “Once bitten, twice shy.” It was such a shock finding Jack gone like that. My whole world seems to have turned topsy-turvy all over again. I mean, who is Lyall and how come he turned up so conveniently? It’s all such a puzzle.’
‘Well, young Shelley doesn’t seem to have your doubts. She’s raving about him, thinks he’s really talented and going places.’
Before Katie could make any comment, the doorbell rang and, a few minutes later Dylan came into the room with Lyall, who was clutching a bottle of wine. From the surprised look on his face, he hadn’t expected Katie to be there either, but his greeting was friendly enough.
As usual, Dylan and Faye had surpassed themselves with the meal. The crown roast of lamb was succulent and the vegetables cooked to perfection.
After some general conversation, Faye said, ‘I bet you find it strange being back in England, Lyall.’
‘Yes, it’s taken some getting used to. My sister tells me that my little nephew keeps asking her when I’m coming back.’
‘You’re an uncle?’ Katie could not hide her surprise.
Lyall looked amused. ‘Yes, is that so improbable?’ He turned to the others.
‘Katie seems to think I came down in a flying saucer on the village green and sent Jack away in my place!’
They laughed at this and Katie coloured furiously. ‘Looking it at from my angle, is it any wonder that I’m so sceptical? I go off for a couple of weeks holiday, leaving Jack in charge and I return to find he’s gone, Aunt Alice is away and you’re here instead.’
‘But I would have been here whether Alice Mason and Jack had gone away or not,’ he pointed out reasonably.
Dylan carved more meat and offered it to them. When their plates were replenished, he asked casually, ‘So what made you choose this neck of the woods to live in, Lyall? Why Lyndhurst?’
‘Ostensibly, because I felt like a change from city life. Before going to Australia, I did freelance graphics mainly in advertising, but the company I did most of my work for has been taken over and the new people have brought most of their staff with them. Fortunately, I’ve still got a number of other contacts, but I fancied diversifying and so, when I learnt about Katie’s business enterprise, it seemed a golden opportunity to take up my other great interest —ceramics.’
Faye cleared the plates and, a few moments later, returned with a sumptuous-looking tiramisu and some apricot tartlets.
Katie studied Lyall as he shared a joke with Dylan. If her friends were prepared to accept him, then why couldn’t she?
‘I’ve told Katie I’ve got a proposition to put to her,’ Faye said.
Katie wished Faye would not be so open about everything in front of Lyall.
She still couldn’t help thinking that, somehow, there was a connection between Lyall’s arrival in Lyndhurst and Jack’s sudden departure. She looked up to find three pairs of eyes watching her expectantly and said brightly, ‘This dessert is wonderful, Faye. OK, fire away, I’m intrigued.’
‘Dylan and I have been discussing the situation and we’d like to help if we can, at least in the short term, while you’re going through such a rough patch. So how would it be if we waived the rent on the workshop, with the proviso that we take a commission on all sales for the time-being, rather than just what we sell in the shop?’
Not for the first time, Faye and Dylan’s generosity took her breath away. She was so fortunate to have such good friends.
She swallowed. ‘That’s a very generous offer, Faye, but I feel it’s only fair to point out that Lyall has already offered to put some money into the business.’
‘I know, he’s told us. That needn’t make any difference. We just want to see the business expanding, not disappearing like Jack. After all, from a purely selfish motive, we’ve got a vested interest, because we can sell your jewellery over and over again in our shop, as you well know.’
Something occurred to Katie, and she felt she had to voice her thoughts. ‘So what if Jack decides to come back?’
There were startled looks all around the table. ‘Jack’s gone, Katie,’ Dylan said gently, ‘and the sooner you accept that fact and get on without him the better.’
Without telling them about the e-mail and letter she had received, she couldn’t make them understand and, for the time being, she thought it would be more prudent to keep that piece of information to herself.
‘All the same, just supposing he straightened himself out and did manage to return to pay off his debts. What then?’
‘I’d assume you’d contact the police, if he had the gall to show up here. Katie, surely you wouldn’t take him back?’
‘Until he’s had a chance to explain then I’m not prepared to judge him. I’ve known Jack for the best part of a year and, during that time, he’s been a good friend and colleague, as I’m sure Shelley will testify.’
Faye could see that her friend was more upset than she had admitted at Jack’s disappearance and, always the peacemaker, said soothingly, ‘Well, we’ll just have to see what transpires, but I wouldn’t hold your breath, if I were you, love.’
There was a silence and then Dylan got up to fetch the coffee. They moved into the sitting room and Lyall came to sit beside Katie on the sofa. She inched away from him, determined not to lose her head just because he had good looks.
They spent the rest of the evening talking about general issues concerned with the village and, presently, Katie got up to leave.
‘I’ll walk you home,’ Lyall offered.
‘There’s no need,’ she assured him and intercepted a puzzled look from Faye.
‘Oh, but there most certainly is. I wouldn’t allow you to walk off in the dark when I live practically next door.’
Reluctantly she agreed, then thanked Faye and Dylan for a lovely meal and set off beside Lyall. The path was dimly lit and, as they crossed the narrow lane, he took hold of her arm and she felt as if his fingers were burning into her flesh. Having seen her into the cottage, he muttered goodbye and disappeared int
o the darkness and she realised that she had enjoyed the evening more than she cared to admit.
The next morning, Katie decided to make an early start at the workshop. To her surprise, she found Lyall already there, hard at work. He looked up and grinned. ‘Great minds think alike, eh? Coffee’s on.’
For a time they worked in companionable silence. Her silver jewellery required a lot of concentration. At present, she was engrossed in chasing putting a simple line decoration on a bracelet.
Lyall said, ‘I’m going for a leg stretch. I won’t be long and then we’ll have coffee. By the way, where’s Shelley this morning?’
Katie explained about Shelley supplementing her income by working in the local pub in the evenings and often having to do chores for her family before setting out in the morning. He left the workshop to return a few minutes later clutching a bulging carrier bag.
‘Croissants. Dylan’s heated them up for us. I only had a scratch breakfast and suspect you did, too. We could do with a microwave in here.’
Shelley put in an appearance just then and, over coffee and croissants, Lyall said, ‘We really need to talk, guys, about this venture of ours. It’s necessary to see if it’s all going to come together, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, it’ll all be all right on the night,’
Katie assured him, sounding more confident than she felt.
‘Hmm, but I still think we need a proper plan,’ he insisted. ‘What’s your opinion on this, Shelley?’
Shelley seemed surprised that he had asked her. ‘Me? Oh, I’m happy to leave the decision making to you and Katie. I just want to get on with making my jewellery.’ And with this remark, she got up and went into the back room.
