‘At least at first,’ Lara adds. ‘And when you’re ready for guests, you can send them up to their rooms and maybe hire one of the local girls as chambermaid, or ...’ She pauses to wave her open palms in a gesture similar to jazz hands. ‘Or, during the Easter holidays, Hannah and I can stay in your apartment, and I can take guests up and help with their rooms.’
Tears overwhelm me yet again. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ I gasp. ‘Thank you.’
‘Stop doing that with your hands, Mum, it’s weird.’
This time, Hannah is part of the group hug.
6.
‘Ready?’ Lara asks.
‘Definitely,’ I say and smile, although I’m far from sure about it. On the one hand I can’t wait to get out of the hospital. But on the other, I’m nervous about returning to The Rookery. And my trepidation is not just about managing a three-storey guesthouse in hilly, cobblestoned Haworth while dependant on crutches and a wheelchair.
What would I find there? And, more importantly, what would find me?
‘Can I push?’ Hannah asks.
‘Only if you’re careful and don’t go too fast.’
‘Okay!’ She gets behind my wheelchair, grabs the handles, and throws her weight behind her push, but I don’t budge.
‘You need to take the brake off, Hans. Here, now try.’
‘Thanks, Mum.’ She squeals as we career across the room.
‘Yeah, thanks Lara,’ I say, hanging on for dear life.
‘Don’t worry, Auntie Verity, I won’t crash you, I’m getting the hang of it!’
‘Oof,’ I say as my knees bang into the door. ‘Maybe let Mum get me out of the room, then you can do the straight bits.’
‘Okay.’
‘Sorry, Verity,’ Lara whispers in my ear as she manoeuvres the chair on to a more productive course.
‘It’s fine,’ I say, uncontrollable laughter spilling out of me. ‘I haven’t ridden the dodgems for years!’
‘They’re not that easy to control, you know.’ Lara just manages to avoid another bump.
‘Me now!’ Hannah says.
‘Verity?’
‘Why not? This is the most fun I’ve had in months!’
‘Don’t encourage her, Verity. We’ve got a long walk to get out of here.’
I clutch the armrests again, as Lara grabs the handles to help Hannah retain control and avoid us crashing into the nurses’ station.
‘Whoa,’ the man sitting there says. ‘Looks like you’ve got an awkward one there.’
‘She’s doing her best,’ Lara defends her daughter.
The nurse smiles. ‘I meant the chair. Let’s see if I can find you a better one.’
‘Oh. Yes please. Thank you.’
I don’t have to see Lara to know she’s bright red and refusing to look at Hannah. She won’t hear the end of this for a very long time.
‘Here, try this one. Do you need a hand transferring?’
‘No, I should be okay, thanks,’ I say and use one of my crutches to lever myself up to my feet, then back down to sit in the new chair.
‘This one’s much better, thank you!’ Hannah sings out as she pushes me – now in a straight line – down the corridor.
Lara is strangely quiet as I hang on, and I breathe a sigh of relief when we reach the lift doors with no further mishap.
‘I said not so fast, Hans,’ Lara pants as she catches us up.
‘This isn’t an awkward one, Mum. I didn’t bump Auntie Verity into anything with this one,’ Hannah replies as the lift pings and the doors open.
I’m face-to-face with William. His face drains of colour but he tries to smile.
‘Hi,’ I say.
He nods.
‘Hello Verity,’ Vikram says from his position at the controls of William’s wheelchair. ‘How are you feeling?’
They both glance at Lara and Hannah, then look back at me in my chair, trying to hold on to my crutches as well as the armrests.
I shrug. ‘Getting there. Well, you know.’
William nods. ‘Going home?’ he asks.
‘Yes, not quite sure how I’ll get on though.’ I smile and nudge the crutches. ‘You?’
‘Not yet.’ He lapses back into silence and the lift doors start to close.
‘Oops,’ Lara says and William sticks his leg out to halt the doors.
‘Come on, William, we’re holding them up.’
William doesn’t look at me again as Vikram pushes him past us and we take their place in the lift.
‘Well, that was awkward,’ Lara says once we start our descent.
‘He’s still not the proper William,’ Hannah says.
‘What do you mean, Hans?’
Hannah lifts her shoulders exaggeratedly then drops them again in response to her mother’s question, but remains silent.
***
I remain quiet on the journey home. Lara does her best to distract me, but I can’t forget the way William’s face paled at the sight of me, nor the stilted words – I can’t call it conversation. At least I saw William rather than Harry, but who did he see? Me or Martha?
‘Verity.’
I startle out of my reveries and look at Lara, then out of the window – we’re parked outside The Rookery.
‘Sorry, Lara, lost in thought.’
For answer, she smiles, lays a gentle hand on my forearm, then gets out of the car and walks around to open my door and hand me my crutches.
‘Thanks.’ I haul myself out of the car and catch hold of Lara as one of my crutches slips on the wet cobbles.
‘Welcome home. What do you think?’
I look up at the new voice. ‘Jayne, what are you doing here?’
‘I’ve taken a week off work so I can help you settle back in.’
I smile at her then look up at the façade of The Rookery and freeze.
‘Don’t you like it?’
‘I told you we should have waited until she was home,’ Lara says.
‘It’s supposed to be a surprise – a welcome home, but if you don’t like it, we can get it redone,’ Jayne says.
I stare at the signage, at the three rooks above the lettering. ‘Three for a funeral,’ I say.
‘What?’
‘One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a funeral.’
‘No Verity. It’s one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl,’ Lara says.
‘I’ll google it,’ Jayne says, ever practical. ‘Come inside and sit down. I know you have to keep walking, but you’re also not supposed to overdo it.’
‘I thought Vikram put those pigeon spikes on all the window ledges,’ I say.
‘Only upstairs and the roof edge,’ Jayne says. ‘He says no birds will roost on the ground-floor window ledges, there are too many people about. Now come on, stop worrying, and come inside before you fall.’
I force a smile on to my face.’ I can’t wait to see what you’ve done inside,’ I say as I negotiate my way up the steps and through the front door.
‘There’s wheelchair access at the side,’ Lara says, ‘but this is what most people will see when they come in for the first time. We wanted to give you the full effect.’
I stop as the feeling of foreboding that overtook me outside diminishes. To my relief, the reception area is laid out exactly as I’d envisaged and arranged with the build team, with desk before me, a lounge area to my left, and open-plan dining room to my right.
The wallpaper is a tasteful gold and pale blue pattern; classy without being chintzy, and I grin at Jayne, already looking quite at home behind the reception desk.
Before I can speak, Lara has bustled me to the new downstairs guest room, and I sit on the bed in relief.
‘You look exhausted, Verity.’
I nod. ‘That trip took a lot out of me.’
‘Your strength will come back.’ Lara rubs my arm in reassurance. ‘Have a rest and come back out when you’re ready. We
’ve ordered you a wheelchair from Amazon, and it should arrive tomorrow, will you be all right on crutches for today?’
‘I’ll manage. Thanks, Lara,’ I say as she leaves me in peace to recover, and I look round to take in the room.
They’ve done a fantastic job, and have stuck to my visions for the décor, but it doesn’t feel quite right.
I haven’t chosen the wallpaper or the furniture. I haven’t placed it. Nor have I chosen the curtains, bedding, carpet – even though I may well have made the same choices as my friends.
I sigh. I’m being ungrateful and know it.
Jayne and Lara have done an amazing job and I’m extremely lucky to have them. If they hadn’t taken it on, the build would have stopped, I’d have nowhere habitable to stay and would not be able to start renting rooms out to guests for months yet.
I give myself a mental shake, then clump to the bathroom on my crutches. I eye the grab handles and rails with a mixture of relief and distaste; hating that I need them, yet grateful that they’re there.
It’s only temporary.
I turn to exit, and see rows of small toiletry bottles arranged neatly on the windowsill and shelf above the sink. The samples to test. I peek into the shower cubicle. Yep, at least a dozen bottles of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. I giggle to myself – Lara clearly enjoyed that job!
***
When I’m ready, I make my way back to Reception, where my friends are waiting for me. I give them a big grin. ‘I don’t know how to thank you both.’
‘Do you like it?’
I nod. ‘It’s perfect. You even remembered what I said about wallpapers.’
‘Of course we did.’
‘It was ages ago.’
‘You know our Jayne,’ Lara says. ‘Never forgets anything, just files it away in that head of hers.’
‘And you’ve been grateful for it on more than one occasion,’ Jayne retorts as she taps a computer keyboard. ‘Ah, here we are.’ She scans the screen. ‘You might want to sit down.’
My heart sinks. What now? But a seat is a good idea at this moment and I limp to the nearest armchair as Lara dashes around the desk to check out the screen for herself.
I catch a look between the two women as I sit. ‘Just tell me,’ I say. ‘Whatever it is, just say it.’
‘Well, you’re both right. About the rooks. The modern version of the nursery rhyme is one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy, and it counts the birds you see, whether magpies, rooks or crows.’
‘But,’ I prompt.
‘But there’s an earlier version. The one you quoted outside, Verity.’
‘How much earlier?’
‘Do you know any other lines?’ Jayne asks in lieu of answering my question.
‘Er, let me see. One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a funeral, four for birth. Umm, five for Heaven, six for Hell, seven for the Devil, his own self.’
‘If seven’s for the Devil, what’s a whole flock of them for?’ Lara asks.
‘Parliament,’ I correct. They ignore me.
‘Well,’ Jayne says. ‘There are a couple of older versions as well, but that one ... That one, according to Wikipedia ...’ she tails off.
‘Just say it, Jayne.’ I think I know what she’s going to say and feel almost resigned to it.
‘The one you just recited was published in a book of proverbs and popular sayings—’
‘When?’
‘1846.’
‘When Harry and Martha lived,’ I say.
‘Hmm.’
‘It means nothing,’ Lara says, hugging a tearful Hannah. ‘It’s coincidence, that’s all. It’s a common verse and there are all sorts of versions.’
‘Yes, well said, Lara,’ Jayne says. ‘We’re letting fear and imagination take over. Enough of that. Lara, will you get the champagne? It’s time to celebrate Verity’s homecoming, not worry about creepy old nursery rhymes.’
7.
‘Off to bed now, Hans,’ Lara says. ‘They’ll be here soon.’
‘Aw, can’t I stay up a bit longer, Mummy? Say goodnight to Mo and Vikram too?’
Lara rests her hands on her hips and regards her daughter with pursed lips. ‘All right. But just half an hour.’
Jayne and I exchange a glance at the theatre of Hannah’s bedtime routine.
‘An hour.’
‘Half.’
‘Half an hour, then TV.’ Hannah grins, knowing she’s won when the knock at the door interrupts negotiations and her mother winks at her.
‘I’ll get it,’ Jayne motions at me to stay on my chair. She’s been warning me all day not to overdo it. And whilst frustrating, I’m beginning to appreciate her concern. We’ve been preparing for tonight all day, and every muscle in my body hurts. I’m looking forward to a fun, relaxing evening with my friends.
‘Evening,’ I say, greeting Vikram and Mo with a smile.
Mo crosses the room to Lara to give her a quick kiss, then crouches in front of Hannah.
I crane my neck to look behind Vikram, but no one else is with them. I’m not surprised at his absence, only at the sense of loss I feel.
I glance back at Mo as Hannah erupts into giggles, and my smile becomes genuine once again as I catch the glance that passes between Mo and Lara. I haven’t seen Lara look so happy for a very long time.
I turn my attention back to Jayne as she asks Vikram, ‘No William?’
He shrugs. ‘We invited him, and he may turn up.’
‘Or he may not,’ Mo butts in.
Vikram pushes his lower lip up in a scowl. ‘Aye. It’s hard to know with him at the moment. But if he don’t turn up, he’ll be missing out by the smell of it.’
‘A proper roast,’ I say, trying to ignore the subject of William. ‘Roast Yorkshire lamb, veg and potatoes, homemade mint sauce, the works. What would you like to drink?’
‘Don’t you dare wait on them, Verity. They know where the kitchen is, they can help themselves.’
‘Should do, we built it,’ Vikram jokes and points Mo toward the kitchen door.
‘You’re not the boss tonight, Vik, it’s your turn to get the drinks in,’ Mo retorts. The uneasy formality collapses and the atmosphere lightens.
Jayne goes with him to choose a bottle of wine for us and I wonder if they’re trying to hide something from me. I give myself a mental shake – being stuck inside for so long is playing with my head, they probably just want a moment alone.
‘I’ve basted the lamb,’ Jayne says when they emerge laden with glasses and bottles. ‘It’s nearly there so I’ve taken it out to rest while the veg and spuds finish off.’
‘Thanks, Jayne,’ I say as I accept a glass of red.
‘How are you feeling, Verity?’ Vikram asks. ‘I can’t see any crutches, are you getting about easier?’
‘Yes, thank goodness! I still need crutches on the stairs, but I can walk on the flat now without too much pain. I just need a stick by afternoon, and I’m getting stronger every day.’
‘You’ll be back to normal in no time,’ Lara says.
‘Yes, it’s scary, though, just how quickly muscles deteriorate, and how hard it is to get back into condition.’
‘You’ll be fine once you’re open,’ Mo says. ‘Running up and down all those stairs all day will get and keep you fit.’
I laugh. ‘You can say that again!’
‘Have you had any more thoughts about when to open?’ Vikram asks. ‘You were hoping to be up and running soon.’ He flinches at Jayne’s elbow jab then realises what he’s said and gives me an embarrassed smile with gritted teeth. ‘So to speak.’
I laugh again. ‘Very true – in all sorts of ways! I’m taking up Lara’s offer of help, and am planning on a soft opening just after Easter, no fuss. Hopefully if I start slowly and build, I’ll be able to manage.’
‘That sounds sensible. Shame though, I was looking forward to a big opening party.’
‘We can always have one of those later in the year – midsummer or something,’ Lara says.
‘Has anything else ... odd ... happened?’ Mo asks.
‘No, thank goodness. All quiet.’
‘That’s good,’ Vikram says. ‘Maybe it’s over.’
‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘Hope so.’
‘I’m going up to my room now, Mum. ’Night, everyone,’ Hannah says.
‘Of course, Hans. Just remember, half an hour of TV, then lights out.’
Hannah nods, wends her way around the room to bestow goodnight kisses, then disappears up the staircase.
‘Is she all right?’ Vikram asks.
Lara sighs. ‘Not really. She was scared when Verity and William were in the hospital, but she’s dealing with it. I’ll go up and check on her in a few minutes.’
No one knows what to say, and we all jump at a knock on the door.
Vikram shoots to his feet. ‘I’ll get it.’
‘Mate, you made it!’ he exclaims, then stands aside to allow William access.
He moves a few steps forwards, then stops, looking unnerved at being the centre of attention. ‘Hi,’ he says. ‘I-I thought it was time ... and with the lads being here too ...’ he tails off again after glancing at Vikram and Mo.
‘Welcome, William,’ I say and get to my feet. ‘It’s good to see you. What would you like to drink?’
‘Black Sheep if you’ve got it, please.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Jayne says. ‘I need to check on the veg anyway.’
‘Come and sit down, mate,’ Vikram says. ‘What’s that?’
‘Oh, I thought, well ...’ William stops, then looks at me. ‘It’s a housewarming present. I started working on it months ago, before ... well, you know. Before you even bought this place. I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it before, but, well, you know ...’
He turns the large picture frame and I gasp, then stare at the painting. I’m standing at the top of a stone flight of steps. Steps I recognise. Steps that are no longer there, but once rose up the wall to my back to the weaver’s gallery. The last image Harry would have seen.
Parliament of Rooks Page 26
