A Stranger in Honeyfield

by Anna Jacobs

  ‘Would you mind?’

  ‘Of course not.’

  But she worried all the way there that Spencer might pursue her and ended up running flat out. He must know where she was living.

  What was she going to do?

  The next day Harry turned up unexpectedly and found Georgie at home on her own, as Penny had gone into the village to sew for the troops.

  Georgie felt suddenly shy. She and Harry had been writing long letters and now she felt she knew him better, so she should have been more at ease. But though he was tall and strong, with a healthy air to him, she wasn’t attracted to him, and she didn’t know why.

  ‘Come in,’ she said, feeling awkward. ‘Penny will be back in an hour or so.’

  After a few minutes of stilted conversation, he reached across the table to take her hand. ‘Don’t we know each other well enough now for you to relax a little with me, Georgie?’ he asked with one of his sweet smiles.

  ‘Yes. I don’t know what’s got into me. I’m a bit on edge because I saw Spencer in the village yesterday.’

  ‘I don’t like the sound of that. He must be following you. Why else would he come to such a small place? Perhaps it’s time for you to look for somewhere else to live.’

  ‘I agree. I don’t want Penny getting hurt because I’m here. But where shall I go? Spencer’s very clever, and I think he could trace me anywhere. He’s very persistent when he wants something and he’s as bad as my mother for wanting me to marry Francis. I can’t work out why they were both so eager that I do it.’

  ‘I think you’d better stay in the house for a few days. I’ve got a couple of important meetings coming up in London, but after that I’ve got a few days’ leave before they send me somewhere else. I could help you find somewhere to live, if you liked.’

  She nodded, but after he’d left she began to worry and in the end, she packed some things together in case she had to get away at a moment’s notice. She’d go to Bella’s landlady first and beg her help.

  In fact, she’d leave in a day or two at most. Thank goodness she had some money. She could afford to hide in a hotel for days without poking her head outside it.

  The trouble was she’d go mad with boredom. She was already fretting at having so little to do, because Penny had a very capable woman who came and ‘did for her’ so there was nothing for Georgie to do in the house.

  Why did life have to be so complicated?

  Chapter Six

  Bella went to wait in Matron’s office for the lawyer, surprised how on edge the older woman seemed. She kept looking out of the window and when a car arrived, she exclaimed, ‘There’s Mr Marley at last! I think that’s his son-in-law driving him. He was apparently invalided out and now walks with a limp, poor chap.’

  She went to the door, turning to say to Bella, ‘You’d better stay out of sight in my office. We’ve agreed that I’ll pretend Mr Marley is a relative of mine in case anyone is watching.’

  A few moments later, her voice came clearly from outside, ‘There you are, Cousin Gilbert!’

  It seemed to Bella that the older woman was rather enjoying the excitement.

  She heard a brief murmured conversation, then Matron came back alone, saying tersely, ‘Go back to your lodgings, Jones, and tell anyone who asks that you’re going out for a nice long walk. Head towards the village and wait for us under that big oak tree near the pond. Mr Marley suggests we all drive over to visit the cottage in Malmesbury first, to see what condition it’s in. I hope you don’t mind me coming too.’

  She didn’t wait for an answer but rushed on, ‘Oh, and wear your ordinary clothes, not your uniform, with a hat you can pull down to conceal your face. Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up!’

  Bella rushed across the grounds to her lodgings, which were only a few hundred yards away. She trusted her landlady so told her the truth, that she had to go out with Matron and to tell anyone else that she’d gone for a walk.

  All this cloak-and-dagger business made her feel more not less anxious, she thought as she flung on her everyday clothes. If people as sensible and down to earth as Matron and Mr Marley thought it necessary, then she too had to take the danger very seriously indeed. The thought of what else the Cotterells might be planning sent a shiver down her spine.

  It only took her a few minutes to walk to the tree from her lodgings and she waited in the shade, standing well back from the road.

  It wasn’t long before a car pulled up and Mr Marley got out to open the rear door for her. She was more used to opening doors for herself and could perfectly well have got in without help, but that would probably have made him feel uncomfortable.

  ‘This is Walter Fowler, my son-in-law.’ He glanced round, as if to make sure no one was watching. ‘We were just saying it might be a good idea for you to slide down in the back seat and stay out of sight till we’ve left the village, if you don’t mind.’ He didn’t wait for her agreement but closed the door and went back to his own seat.

  His son-in-law muttered what could have been a greeting, then set off again.

  Bella felt silly as well as uncomfortable as she crouched on the floor, her face close to Matron’s sturdy calves, once hidden under longer skirts but now revealed in the new shorter skirts that were in vogue.

  She was glad when Mr Marley said, ‘It should be safe to get up now, Miss Jones.’

  It was only an hour or so’s drive to Malmesbury, which was near the border between Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, but it seemed longer to Bella.

  Matron and Mr Marley enjoyed a lively discussion about the progress of the war, starting off with the sinking of HMS Hampshire at the beginning of June. It had hit a mine off the Orkneys and sunk. Sadly, Lord Kitchener had been on the vessel, which most people considered a tragedy. Why his death was more tragic than those of the mainly younger crew members, Bella didn’t know, but people kept on saying that. On the recruitment posters for the armed forces, Kitchener looked distinctly grumpy to her.

  Walter concentrated on his driving and spoke only in monosyllables.

  Bella didn’t attempt to join in the conversation, either, and was glad when they left her in peace. It was as if Matron understood that she was finding it hard to think straight at the moment. She wasn’t used to big dramas in her life.

  The ‘cottage’ in Malmesbury turned out to be a semi-detached three-storey villa, much larger than Bella had expected and situated in a row of similar, well-kept dwellings. It had a neat little garden in front and a bigger one behind.

  Mr Marley unlocked the front door and paused on the threshold looking puzzled, then called back, ‘Someone has been here since I last visited the cottage. I distinctly remember leaving those papers in a pile on the hall table and now they’re scattered all over the floor. Walter, will you please stand near the front door while I inspect the place, in case someone’s still inside? And I think it’d be prudent if you ladies stayed in the car.’

  ‘What next?’ Matron muttered.

  Bella was beyond words.

  Mr Marley came out a few minutes later and walked across to the car. ‘The whole house has been ransacked. Nothing seems to have been damaged, but I can’t tell if anything has been taken because I’ve only visited it once. I asked Mr Perry to remove any valuables, and I can only hope he’s done that. Perhaps Walter should go for the police and we can wait in the garden.’

  Bella felt suddenly impatient. ‘Well, since no one’s there at the moment, I don’t see why we shouldn’t go inside, as long as we touch nothing.’

  Matron looked up at the sky, which was overcast. ‘It looks like rain. It can’t hurt to take shelter inside, surely, Mr Marley?’

  ‘Cousin Gilbert,’ he corrected. ‘I think we should keep up the pretence. And perhaps you’re right.’ He waved one hand. ‘Go ahead and explore your house, Miss Jones. We’ll wait for you in the hall.’

  Bella had gone all over the house by the time the police arrived. It was bigger than anywhere she’d ever lived before. Her
mother would be over the moon to live here, but to Bella, the place had an unhappy feel to it. She didn’t know why, but something about it made her shiver. She stood in the doorway of each room in turn, taking in the old-fashioned décor, with heavy velvet or brocade curtains, flowery wallpaper and carpet squares covered in writhing flower patterns and surrounded by dark parquet flooring, dusty now after the months of neglect.

  Furniture and ornaments were crammed in everywhere. Her eyes felt tired just looking at them all.

  When she’d finished she joined the others in the hall, where Mr Marley and Matron were chatting like two old friends as they waited for the police.

  ‘I’ll ask Walter to call at Mr Perry’s place of business next because he knows more about the house and its contents than I do. He’s been keeping an eye on it since Miss Gordon died. Philip was wondering whether to live here himself after the war but he didn’t like the house, I don’t know why.’

  Philip hadn’t mentioned that plan to her, not even when he asked her to marry him. It had all happened so quickly. In four short months they’d met, fallen in love and then she’d lost him. The inheritance from Miss Gordon mustn’t have mattered to him or he’d have spoken of it. He’d gone to university and had studied engineering, but hadn’t finished his degree because of the war. He wanted to do something connected with motor cars after the war ended because he was sure they were the coming thing.

  Mr Marley turned as his son-in-law returned.

  ‘The police are coming shortly,’ Walter said.

  ‘Good. Mr Perry’s office is nearby, just at the end of the next street. Perhaps you could go there and ask him to join us? Explain what’s happened here.’ He glanced at Bella and added belatedly, ‘Is that all right with you, Miss Jones?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Do whatever you think best, Mr Marley.’ She waited till Walter had driven off to say, ‘I agree with Philip. I’d not like to live here.’

  Her two companions looked at her in surprise. ‘It’s a very commodious house in a good street,’ Matron protested.

  They’d think her foolish if she told them the house felt unhappy, so she merely said, ‘Yes, but much too big for me.’

  ‘That’s your choice, my dear Miss Jones.’ Mr Marley began to pace up and down the room. ‘I wonder how the burglars got in. There’s no sign of broken windows or doors being forced.’

  He fell silent as they all considered the most obvious reason there might be for that.

  ‘What can they have been looking for?’ Matron wondered aloud.

  ‘The lady’s valuables, I should think. But I’m sure Mr Perry has those in safekeeping. Perhaps we should have the locks changed immediately, though. Someone must have a key to the place.’

  And that could only be the Cotterells, Bella thought.

  Walter came back to report that Mr Perry had immediately agreed to come to the house and also offered to go with them later to show them the house in Honeyfield, because he knew the village well. If they didn’t mind waiting for him to speak to the police, that was.

  ‘I think that’s an excellent idea,’ Mr Marley said at once. ‘Dear me, this is all turning out to be very complicated, isn’t it?’

  A policeman arrived at long last on foot and Mr Perry came shortly afterwards in his car. He confirmed that the house hadn’t been in this state two days ago.

  Mr Perry seemed a pleasant man of about thirty, Bella guessed, with a kind expression on a face that managed to be attractive in spite of a rather large nose.

  ‘They must have been after Miss Gordon’s valuables,’ Mr Marley said. ‘But as I told Miss Jones, there was nothing of value here to be taken since you were looking after all the silver and Miss Gordon’s jewellery.’

  He turned to Bella. ‘You will be entitled to keep those, even if you sell the house, my dear young lady.’

  Bella knew she would rather sell them but it seemed rude to say so. She couldn’t imagine wearing jewellery valuable enough to be locked away for safety, or using silver items in everyday life. She’d be forever polishing them.

  This whole situation continued to feel unreal, like a confusing nightmare.

  The policeman said he couldn’t see much chance of catching the intruders and they didn’t seem to have taken anything, so it wasn’t an urgent matter. But of course, he would report the facts to the sergeant when he got back and they would keep their eyes on the house in case something happened.

  He left it to them to arrange how to set the place to rights, strolling off down the street as if he had all the time in the world.

  ‘Not very helpful, was he?’ Mr Marley said. ‘Can you find someone to tidy up the house, Mr Perry?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Do you still want me to come to Honeyfield with you?’

  ‘If you can spare the time, I’d be much obliged.’

  ‘I’m happy to help in any way I can. I don’t have appointments with any other clients today. I shan’t even be going home to lunch because my wife and son are out at a friend’s.’

  ‘How is your little son?’

  Mr Perry’s face lit up. ‘Stephen is thriving and his half-brother and -sister adore him. We hope to give him a sister soon, though of course you can’t choose which sort of child you’ll get and whichever it is will be loved.’

  ‘Congratulations. Please give your wife my regards.’

  ‘I will. Now, I’ll lead the way in my car, shall I? I’ll probably go on to visit Honeyfield House before I come back. I’m one of the trustees there.’

  ‘Honeyfield House?’ Mr Marley queried. ‘Is that someone’s country mansion?’

  ‘It was once. Now it’s a convalescent home for women who have no one else to help them. It’s one of the charities run by the Greyladies Trust, set up by distant relatives of mine to help women in trouble. My wife and I keep an eye on the place. She used to be the supervisor there when it was first set up.’

  Bella liked the loving way he spoke of his family and also the idea of a place for women in need. It seemed to her that Honeyfield would be a more attractive place to live in than this cluttered house in Malmesbury. She was looking forward to seeing it.

  It was a small village, more of a hamlet, really, Bella thought. And pretty. She stared round as they drove slowly through it, trying to take everything in at once. The most important thing was to find somewhere safe to live, more important than anything else to her after that attack on her car.

  Was the cottage here safe? How could you tell?

  She liked the looks of the village, she had to admit. Most of the houses were built of a beautiful, grey-gold Cotswold stone. They were cosy-looking, a mixture of large and small, with neat gardens and windows sparkling in the sunshine.

  There was a small church and a few shops opposite an open space, which Mr Marley called the village green, though it wasn’t very big, just a long narrow strip of grass. The village school was at the end of the green and children were shrieking and running round in a small playground. It’d be good to have a school so close later on.

  A woman came out of a cottage and stood staring at them, as if wondering what they were doing here.

  Mr Perry, who was in the leading car, raised one hand to greet her and she narrowed her eyes for a moment to squint at the car, then smiled as if she’d suddenly recognised him and returned his wave.

  He turned into a short street beyond the school at the northern edge of the hamlet, away from the main road that had brought them here. There was the same mixture of houses in the street, with the one next to the end looking unoccupied and ready to fall down in the next big storm. Mr Perry stopped his car outside the house next to it, which was set across the end of the street.

  As they pulled to a halt behind him, she saw curtains twitch at a couple of nearby windows. People were usually nosey about what was going on in their street, but they’d become more suspicious of strangers since the war began. Bella hoped this might work in her favour and help keep her safe.

  Good neighbours always kept
an eye on one another. If she lived here, they might include her too, even though she would be a stranger to them at first. She didn’t want to live anywhere without neighbours to talk to and was already wondering how she’d fill her days after she left the VADs. She’d been busy all her life.

  Mr Perry unlocked the front door and pushed it open. ‘Why don’t you go in first?’ he suggested to Bella. ‘Get a feel for the place.’

  ‘Thank you. I’d like that.’

  ‘Good idea!’ said Matron. ‘First impressions are so important.’

  The front door led into a hall about two yards wide. To the right was a decent-sized living room, and though the furniture was dusty and the room quite dim with the curtains drawn, when she pulled one back, afternoon sunlight streamed in. She felt a sense of peace and welcome. It was very different from the Malmesbury house.

  When Matron and Mr Marley came into the house behind her, she asked, ‘Whose is the furniture?’

  ‘Yours, now. All this has come to you by a rather twisted route, has it not? The lady who owned the cottage was a very close friend of Philip’s aunt and the two saw each other regularly, staying overnight when they visited. Miss Thorburn lived here all her life, was born here, even.’

  ‘I can’t imagine only ever living in one house,’ Bella said.

  ‘Do the Cotterells know about this house?’ Matron asked.

  ‘Not as far as I’m aware. I didn’t tell his parents anything about it because he’d intimated to me that he wanted his affairs kept strictly private from them. His mother can be a bit …’ He paused, searching for a word and came up with, ‘Officious.’

  One point was particularly important to Bella. ‘So Mrs Cotterell doesn’t know about this place in Honeyfield?’

  ‘As I said, I don’t think so. And I don’t intend to tell her, or anyone in my firm. My partner deals with legal matters for her and her husband, and Mr Shadwell was assisting him. I attended Philip’s funeral alone because my partner wasn’t well.’