Henri told her about his life in Paris. In return Mattie told him about Katie taking over A Good Yarn and a little of her life – that to her ears sounded so ordinary compared to his. But Henri was an attentive and interested listener.
‘And family? You have some?’
‘A brother and two nephews. I would have loved children, but I never married so it never happened.’ Mattie stared reflectively out at the Mediterranean sea as it glistened in the moonlight. ‘But Katie is like a daughter to me.’
‘You are lucky in that at least,’ Henri said. ‘Cecile never wanted children, so we never had any. It is something I regret but,’ he shrugged his shoulders, ‘c’est la vie.’
Henri insisted on escorting her to her cabin and gave her a gentle goodnight kiss on the cheek as he left her.
‘Katie warned me about shipboard Lotharios,’ Mattie said, looking at him.
Henri laughed. ‘I’m French. It is the custom. Bonne nuit.’
Once in her cabin, Mattie slipped off her shoes, opened the veranda door and sat for some time simply looking out at the moon shining over the Mediterranean and listening to the noise of the sea as the ship made its way. She sighed contentedly. A perfect end to a wonderful day. And this was just the beginning of her holiday.
TEN
After a restless night when sleep eluded her, Katie was up early. With Mattie away she’d got in the habit of walking Bert out to Gallants Bower before breakfast in the morning but the break-in at the shop last night changed things. She was desperate to get down to A Good Yarn, start the cleaning up and see what was actually missing.
‘Sorry, Bert,’ she said now, clipping his lead on. ‘It’s straight to the shop this morning. We’ll have a longer walk later.’
The mess, if anything, looked worse in daylight and Bert, trying to get to his usual basket under the counter without treading on things, looked up at her as if to ask what was going on.
Stifling a sigh, Katie went through to the clubroom where everything was equally chaotic – furniture turned over, books on the floor, tea and coffee thrown everywhere. Standing there trying to fight back the tears she didn’t protest when Leo arrived and took her in his arms.
‘Hey, Tiggy, we’ll get it sorted.’
‘What if the club members had left their work here? It would have been ruined. Why?’
Leo shrugged. ‘Maybe somebody wants to put you out of business before you start properly.’
‘Blackawton cousins?’
‘Could be. I’ll do some asking around and see if I can uncover anything. What time is Trisha coming in?’
‘Later. She told me last night she couldn’t come in this morning.’ Katie’s voice trailed away. ‘You don’t think?’
‘Nice kid but she’s with Ron’s grandson and if it turns out Ron is involved….’ Leo let the sentence hang in the air.
‘I’ll have to sack her, won’t I?’ Katie moved out of the circle of Leo’s arms.
‘Maybe, but don’t jump to conclusions just yet. Right, I suggest we start operation clean-up in the shop.’
As they went through to the shop, the door was pushed open and a policeman entered. ‘Made a bit of a mess in here, haven’t they? Anything missing?’
‘Hard to tell at the moment,’ Katie said, moving behind the counter. ‘But the till is empty.’
‘Much in it?’
‘Just the daily float of twenty pounds,’ Katie said. ‘That’s all I ever leave.’
‘Gather they got in through an open window?’ the policeman said. ‘So no signs of a forced entry. My guess? It’s kids looking for drug money, didn’t find enough and trashed things just for the fun of it.’
‘It’s all right to start clearing up, isn’t it?’ Katie asked. ‘I don’t want to destroy any evidence but I do need to get the shop open.’
‘You go ahead. Doubt it’s worth waiting for the fingerprint boys. They may call in to take a look at the window. Drop a note of any items that you discover are missing into the station and we’ll take it from there. But don’t hold your breath,’ he added, as he turned to leave. ‘Too much of this kind of thing going on these days.’
Katie sighed. ‘Better get to it, I suppose.’ She looked at Leo. ‘I can manage. You don’t have to stay. I’m sure you’ve got lots of farm things to do.’
‘Nothing that won’t keep for a couple of hours.’
‘Thanks. Best make a start on the shop. Leave the clubroom till later, I think,’ Katie said.
As they worked together sorting things out, Leo said, ‘You need a burglar alarm.’
Katie placed a damaged tapestry kit on the pile of things she was hoping to salvage and sell on cut-price. ‘Well at least the flat is nearly finished. As soon as Mattie gets back I’ll move in. Living on the premises will be far more of a deterrent than a burglar alarm.’
‘Katie Teague, if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. You on your own here, coping with burglars, doesn’t bear thinking about. No. I’ll organize an alarm system for you and I insist you stay at Mattie’s until it’s up and running.’
‘Leo Cranford, stop bossing me about. You know I’ve always planned to live upstairs. It’ll be sooner rather than later now.’
The shop door pinged and Trisha appeared. ‘Hi. I’m sorry about this morning. Had to go into college for a face to face with the head of the department. Hey, what’s been going on here?’
‘Break-in last night,’ Leo said. ‘Hadn’t you heard?’
Trisha shook her head. ‘No.’
‘About last night, Trisha,’ Katie said. ‘Why were you so late joining us at the hotel for dinner?’
‘I told you. Gary needed me to help him with something his granddad insisted could only be done last night. Actually I think he was jealous at the idea of me going out to dinner with the Empreys.’
‘You were with Gary and his granddad?’ Leo asked.
‘Yes. Why? Oh, I get it. You think Ron turned this place over because he wants to get his hands on it – and you think I had something to do with it. Thanks a bunch.’ Trisha turned and flounced out of the shop, banging the door behind her.
Katie sighed. ‘That went well.’
From the very first day of her holiday Mattie embraced the laid-back atmosphere on board. Her whole purpose in life for the ten days of her holiday was to enjoy herself, and the crew on board – who were ready to pander to her every need – made sure she did.
The days seemed to go on forever, stretching into the distance like long-ago childhood days with no adult worries to hamper simple enjoyment. The cabin was always immaculate whenever she returned to it, the towels were changed every day and each evening the bed was turned down and a luxury chocolate placed on her pillow. A perfect end to the day.
Her days all started with a leisurely breakfast, sitting on her private veranda watching the sea and planning her day’s activities with the aid of the daily bulletin she found in her cabin every evening. So many ideas. The days they were in port offered a selection of excursions but if she elected to stay on board, she could get fit, learn photography, inspect the kitchens and have a cookery lesson, play bridge or bingo and even learn to scuba dive. Or, she could choose to do nothing more energetic than take a book out of the well-stocked library and sit on deck, reading.
Today though, she planned a swim before attending a lecture in the theatre on ‘Saving the World’s Bees’, and then a visit to the shopping mall was on her agenda. It had dawned on her last night that the few clothes she’d brought with her were not enough for all the on-board socializing that went on, so she planned to treat herself to at least two new outfits, maybe a dress, a top and possibly a pair of shoes. Secretly she’d also promised herself to try on the pair of cream palazzo trousers she’d seen in the boutique at the end of the mall – so different from her normal style but they did look elegant.
After her shopping she was meeting Henri and another couple for lunch in the Rendezvous Bar on the top deck. Ah, Henri. Thoughtfully she put th
e bulletin down on the table. He really was a dear and seemed to have taken it on himself to be her guide and companion for the holiday.
Mattie poured herself another glass of orange juice. She knew she looked a different woman to the one who’d stepped on board such a short time ago, but underneath she was still the same ordinary person she’d always been. If it hadn’t been for the cancellation she would be in a cabin somewhere in the bowels of the ship, a long way from this luxurious deck where both she and Henri had suites.
On a ship as large as this one, she doubted that their paths would ever have crossed. They certainly wouldn’t have met at the captain’s table – an honour she knew was not extended to more modest passengers.
But they had met and she was pleased to have his company – so much of the socializing was new to her but with Henri at her side it was easier to cope with. Mattie knew he’d automatically travel first class wherever and however he went. He’d laughed when she’d told him about the cancellation and that he shouldn’t think she normally had first-class suites – first-class anything really.
ELEVEN
Katie was at home giving Bert his evening meal when Leo rang.
‘That auction I told you about is tomorrow afternoon. Can you get away for an hour or two?’
‘Yes. It’s one of Trisha’s days for working.’
‘Still working for you, then?’
‘She came and apologized for flouncing out and begged to stay,’ Katie said. ‘I told her she could, but under no circumstances was she to talk about the shop to either Gary or his granddad. She’s promised not to, so hopefully….’ Katie sighed. ‘The thing is, I really need her – especially while Mattie is away.’
‘Pick you up at about 12 then,’ Leo said.
‘That early?’
‘Viewing opens at 11.30. Auction starts at two o’clock. You’ll need to have a look around first.’
‘Not sure I can leave Trisha on her own for that long,’ Katie said.
‘Sure you can. She’ll cope. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Easy enough for Leo to say Trisha would cope on her own for several hours, Katie thought, ending the call. But if she wanted to go to the auction there was no alternative, with Mattie away, and she did need to get some furniture organized for the flat, ready for her to move in next week.
‘You’ve got my mobile number,’ she said to Trisha the next morning. ‘Any problems, ring and I’ll come straight back.’
‘There won’t be any problems,’ Trisha said.
‘Can you remember to give everybody one of the Knit in Public leaflets, please?’ Katie said, indicating the pile on the counter. ‘Need to start drumming up interest.’
‘Will do. Now go, Leo’s outside. Have fun.’
Sitting next to Leo as they drove down narrow lanes in the countryside behind Dartmouth, Katie pushed worrying thoughts about leaving Trisha in charge for so long to the back of her mind.
‘Is there a catalogue or anything for this sale?’ she said.
Leo shook his head. ‘No. It’s all very low-key – doubt there will be any valuable antiques.’
As they joined the queue of cars waiting to park in a field next to the large country house where the auction was, Katie said, ‘Might be low key but there certainly seems to be plenty of interest.’
‘Lots of nosy parkers, I expect,’ Leo said, looking around. Once they’d parked they followed a sequence of blue arrow ‘Entrance’ signs and found themselves by a pair of weather-beaten wrought-iron gates at the head of a rhododendron-flanked drive.
The Georgian house that came into view, as they rounded the last of the bends in the drive, had once been a beautiful house. Now run down, a sad looking air of desolation hung around it.
‘Do you know what’s happening to the house?’ Katie asked. ‘Has somebody local bought it?’
‘Developers again,’ Leo said briefly.
‘Oh, that’s a shame. It would be lovely to restore it properly,’ Katie said. ‘Can’t wait to see the inside.’
‘You go ahead,’ Leo said. ‘I want to look at the stuff in the barn. I’ll find you in there.’
The old wooden front door, with its black studs and iron hinges, was open and Katie could see people milling around in the marble-tiled hallway where an imposing wooden staircase dominated the large open space.
Trestle tables with boxes of books and miscellaneous assorted things were scattered around with people rummaging through before moving on.
Once inside Katie wandered from drawing room to dining room to kitchen, marvelling at the size of the rooms. In its heyday the house must have been very grand indeed. Austere family portrait pictures still lined the walls either side of the staircase and the drawing room, with its four full-length windows overlooking a terrace, was full of religious oil paintings.
Katie was standing looking out over the terrace where lichened eagles with outspread wings were still defiantly guarding the worn and weed-strewn flight of stone steps leading down to an unkempt lawn, when Leo found her.
‘Found anything you want yet?’ he asked.
‘Haven’t started to look properly,’ Katie confessed. ‘I was daydreaming about what the house must have been like in its heyday.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve spent months in the past looking for authentic houses like this to use for film and TV costume dramas. Too much to hope, I suppose, that the developers keep it in period. They could earn a lot of money with it then.’ She turned to Leo. ‘Right. I must concentrate. That bookcase would fit in the alcove and that gate-leg table would be useful too,’ she said, pointing towards the back of the room. ‘I quite like this picture,’ she said, crossing over to look at a watercolour. ‘Sailing in the Dart,’ she said, reading the inscription on the frame. ‘1925.’
‘Been upstairs yet?’
Katie shook her head.
‘Come on, then,’ Leo said.
Dutifully, Katie followed Leo up the wide staircase and into the first bedroom they came to. Katie laughed as she saw the huge four-poster bed that virtually filled the room. ‘I’ll pass on that, I think.’
By the time the auction started, Katie had earmarked several of the lots but despaired of being lost in the crowd surrounding the auctioneer.
‘You’ll have to bid for me,’ she told Leo. ‘At least he’ll see you.’
Within an hour Leo had successfully bid on a bed, a pine chest of drawers, an easy chair, the coffee table, the bookcase, the sailing picture, a box of miscellaneous bits, a square of carpet and a bundle of material that Katie had found in a corner. She’d lost out on a few things – including a fridge and a scarlet rug she’d imagined under her coffee table but on the whole she’d found more than she’d expected to.
‘Right, you go and pay for this lot,’ Leo said. ‘I’ll fetch the car and trailer.’
Leo was waiting for her by the time she’d paid for everything and together they started to collect and load the stuff into the trailer. Leo enlisted the help of a couple of porters for the bed and other furniture and the trailer was soon loaded.
‘Are you ready for this lot in the flat?’ Leo asked as they turned onto the Dartmouth road heading home. ‘Space in the barn if not.’
‘Can we take it to the flat, please,’ Katie said. ‘The bedroom is ready for the bed and the drawers. The attic room is almost finished so the other bits and pieces can go straight up there, even if we just put them in the middle of the floor.’
Trisha was waiting for them when they got back and gave a hand carrying stuff indoors.
‘Busy afternoon?’ Katie said, as they manhandled the bed-frame up the stairs.
‘No more than usual,’ Trisha said. ‘Couple of the club members came in for an hour. Oh, I did sell the last of that blue Debbie Bliss wool.’
‘Should be some more in this week,’ Katie said. She watched Leo screw the bed base together and then push it into position against the wall.
‘I’ll order a mattress tonight off the internet. Once that arrives I can move in.�
�� She smiled at Leo, daring him to give her one of his ‘stay up at Mattie’s’ lectures.
TWELVE
The evening before the ship was due to moor in Cannes Bay, Henri mentioned the Ile St Honorat excursion again, as they strolled along the promenade deck after their now-routine nightcap together.
‘We go together yes? It will be my pleasure to be your guide and show you the island.’
‘Is it really worth a visit?’ Mattie asked. ‘I was thinking I’d skip it and do the shopping trip in Cannes itself instead.’
Henri shook his finger at her. ‘Non. Shopping you can do in Monaco when we get there. You and I will both refresh our souls on St Honorat, ready to face the real world again next week.’
‘OK you win,’ Mattie said, wondering why Henri thought she was in need of refreshing her soul. Was it something she’d said or did she look tired and world-weary?
The first thing that struck Mattie the next day as she and Henri stepped ashore from the motor launch that ferried them and a few of their fellow passengers from the cruise ship, was the sheer tranquillity on the island. Even the air smelt different. It was hard to believe that across the bay the frantic life of the French Riviera was in full swing.
‘If we’re quick we may just catch the end of the morning service,’ Henri said, indicating a pair of high wrought-iron gates at the head of a path leading towards the abbey.
Obediently Mattie followed Henri along the path with its columns and formal flower bed, where signs sternly ordered ‘Silence’ from everyone. Entering the dimly lit chapel and standing at the back, Mattie listened as the monks effortlessly performed their morning ritual chants before slowly leaving, the long skirts of their white Cistercian order flapping around their legs.
Mattie and Henri stayed still for several moments, both lost in their own thoughts and savouring the centuries-old special atmosphere that surrounded them.
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