by Jenny Lane
Rhianna tried to get her head round all this. “I still don’t understand why Letitia asked me to call myself Rhianna Soames.”
“I would think it’s just so she could identify you - like a password - if you see what I mean. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking straight…Now, I’ve arranged to pick up my wife from Wisteria Lodge, so how about leaving the car here and coming with me? I can collect you later. It might make the situation easier for the pair of you.”
Rhianna felt increasingly nervous as she approached Wisteria Lodge. Supposing it had all been an elaborate hoax – part of the post office raid and, somehow, she’d been implicated? She moistened her lips. What if Mrs Delroy didn’t back up her story? She had used a false name. Perhaps she could end up in a police cell.
But Rhianna need not have worried. The door was flung open by a still attractive woman in her sixties.
“Myra, this is Rhianna. She’s come to see Letitia.”
Myra Holt’s face creased into a smile. “Come along in, my dear, she’s expecting you.”
The moment Rhianna walked into the sitting-room she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that the elderly, frail little woman in the armchair by the fire was her grandmother. She was the spitting image of her father.
A surge of emotions hit Rhianna so that, for a moment, she was frozen to the spot. Myra gave her a gentle push.
“Rhianna oh Rhianna you came!”
“I’ll make some coffee,” Myra said tactfully. “Come along Tim, you can help me.”
And they were left alone.
There was a long pause and then Letitia asked softly. “Did you bring the things I asked about?”
For an answer, Rhianna delved into her handbag and produced her birth certificate. “And here is a photograph of my parents and one of the painting you were asking about.”
She passed them across to Letitia who studied them in silence for what seemed like eternity. Eventually, she looked up and nodded.
“If I had any doubts left in my mind they would be dispelled by now. That is definitely my son, Joseph Delroy, and you, my dear; you take after your father. You’ve got his eyes.”
Letitia looked long and hard at the photograph of the painting of The Woman in Blue. “So your father didn’t get rid of it,” she murmured.
“What is it with that painting?” Rhianna asked. “Have you any idea who it is?” Letitia nodded. “It’s Anna Soames, of course.”
Rhianna stared at her. “But until I came here, I’d never even heard of Anna Soames. What is the connection…?” she began mystified.
“Didn’t your father ever mention her to you?”
Rhianna shook her head. “No, but this morning, before I came up here, Tim Holt told me a little and he showed me the graves. He also mentioned Christina.”
“Ah, yes, Christina.” Letitia suddenly looked upset. “Christina was Anna’s daughter. She’s gone to Australia.”
“I see. Mrs Delroy, I need to ask you, why have you chosen to get in touch now? After all this time?”
Letitia looked at her sadly. “Couldn’t you bring yourself to call me, Grandmother?”
Rhianna swallowed. “It’s all so strange. It’s going to take time. Until a short time ago, I thought I was the end of the Delroy line.”
Letitia reached out and patted her arm. “I understand, dear. Then couldn’t you call me, Letitia, for the time being?
Rhianna nodded. It was a compromise. She was beginning to warm to this elderly lady.
Myra came back just then with a tray of coffee and biscuits and a promise to return for Rhianna in an hour or so.
After they’d gone, Rhianna said tentatively, “Yesterday someone said there’d been an incident here.”
Letitia Delroy nodded. “There was a prowler – lights in the grounds, things moved about in the summer house and worse than that.”
The elderly lady looked distressed.
Rhianna moved closer to her. “What happened?” she prompted gently.
“Someone let off fireworks. It frightened poor Tansy.”
“Tansy?” Rhianna asked, mystified.
“My little West-Highland terrier.”
As if on cue, Tansy, who’d apparently been asleep behind the sofa all this time, suddenly put in an appearance wagging her tail.
“Probably just some youths being silly,” Rhianna told her, patting the little dog. It certainly wasn’t much to go on.
Letitia nodded. “That’s what the police said, but I can’t help thinking there’s more to it than that. You see the other day; there was a dead crow in the porch.”
Rhianna looked blank. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I see the significance.”
“Tim would be annoyed with me for saying this but, in these parts, a crow can be a portent of misfortune.”
Rhianna was trying to make some sense of this, but was finding it difficult.
“Oh, dear, you’re going to think I’m just a foolish old woman, but since Tina left, I’m afraid I’ve become quite jittery.”
“Have you heard from Tina since she went to Australia?”
Letitia shook her head. “No, just a very quick phone call to say she’d arrived.”
There was a sudden loud rap on the door. Rhianna answered it to find two policemen standing on the step. One was the officer who had interviewed her the previous day.
“Rhianna Soames. I need to ask you a few questions.”
Rhianna smiled at him. “Fire away but I should tell you I’m not Rhianna Soames. I’m Rhianna Delroy.”
He stared at her frowningly. “But yesterday you said – you definitely told me you were Rhianna Soames.”
“Yes, I know and I’m sorry.”
She led the way into the sitting- room and produced her birth-certificate again.
“So, why on earth did you give me the name Soames?”
Letitia came to her rescue. “Oh, it was just a name I asked Rhianna to use. I needed to be sure, you see, that she really was my grand-daughter. It was like a password.”
The policeman looked unconvinced and Rhianna whipped a business card out of her bag.
“You can look me up on the website if you like or ring the gallery. My friend, Fiona Field, will vouch for me.”
“You’re an artist?”
She nodded, relieved that she seemed to be getting through to him at last. “Yes, our gallery’s at this address in Hertfordshire. That’s how Mrs Delroy tracked me down.”
He scratched his chin and said. “I don’t know what to make of all this. If you’re not Rhianna Soames then why did Mrs Blackett say you were?”
Letitia smiled. “That’s easy, I booked her in in that name – saved speculation and it seemed best until we got to know each other, but now, after what’s happened…I’m not so sure.”
“I’ve been told those men were asking for me by name at the post office,” Rhianna said worriedly, and shuddered.
The policeman rubbed his ear. “Yes, well, giving yourself a false name probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do in the circumstances. It seems those criminals might have thought you were someone else… Now, are you going to be around for the next few days, Miss - er - Delroy? We may need to question you again.”
Rhianna nodded. “Yes, I can be contacted at the White Unicorn if you need me.”
“Or here. You’ll be spending some time with me, won’t you, dear?” Letitia said quietly.
Rhianna nodded. Suddenly everything seemed surreal. How had she come to be in this situation with an elderly woman who claimed to be her grandmother? Had she made a dreadful mistake in coming here? But, she was sure there was a distinct family resemblance and, suddenly, she really wanted to believe that Letitia Delroy was her grandmother.
Chapter Three
“So, how did you track me down?” Rhianna asked Letitia, after the police had gone.
“I found your business card along with some cuttings about the gallery in a drawer in Tina’s room, after she’d left. To be honest, it gave me quite a shock. I knew
your father had died – I saw the obituary in The Telegraph which is how I found out about your existence.”
“But why would Tina have my card?”
Letitia shook her head. “I’ve been trying to puzzle that out and I don’t have an answer.”
A feeling of unease shot through Rhianna.
Seeing her expression Letitia said, “Perhaps Tina was worried about me being on my own. I used to have a cousin but she died last year. We were never a big family.”
“So what happened?” Rhianna asked. “I mean how come my father cut himself off from you?”
For a long moment Letitia didn’t reply and then she said in a quiet voice, “Sometimes in this life we have to make choices. Mine was between my husband and my son. In the end I chose Reg. It was the hardest decision I ever made.
“Joe took off and I never set eyes on him again. As I’ve said, I didn’t even know you existed until I read the obituary.”
It was obvious Letitia wasn’t prepared to say anything more and shortly afterwards Tim Holt arrived to pick Rhianna up.
“Myra’s invited you to supper,” he told her during the short drive back to the village. “They’re not doing hot meals at the pub until the kitchen’s refurbished. I’d love to know how you got on, but I’m due at a meeting shortly so you’ll have to keep me in suspense until this evening.”
“Thanks - that would be brilliant,” Rhianna told him gratefully.
As Tim parked at the side of the White Unicorn, she saw Lawrence Lorimer just getting out of his car.
“Wow! There’s a blast from the past!” Tim exclaimed.
“Do you know him?” Rhianna asked in relieved surprise.
“Absolutely. Lawrence used to live in Brookhurst – obviously, Letitia hasn’t said anything.”
“About what?” But Tim did not reply. He wound down the window.
“Laurie – long time no see!” he called out and Lawrence raised his hand in greeting and came across to the car.
Thanking Tim again, Rhianna slipped away and hurried into the pub. Going upstairs, she stopped to look out of a side window on the landing. She could see Lawrence still in conversation with Tim. She was curious to know what it was Letitia hadn’t said.
Rhianna wondered what she would find to do that afternoon. She’d brought her sketch book, but it was too chilly to stand about and so she decided to take some photographs. She could work from those at home and make a record of the village where her father had been brought up.
Collecting up her camera, she went downstairs again. She could have done with some lunch but didn’t want to run into Lawrence Lorimer. When she went into the bar there was no sign of him, however, and Lizzie and Irene Blake were tucking into a ploughman’s in the far corner.
“Come and join us,” they invited when they saw her hesitating.
She ordered a toasted sandwich and orange juice and took her drink across to their table.
“Lizzie’s feeling a bit lost today, as the post office is still closed, so I’ve brought her in here to cheer her up. Did you get to see Mrs Delroy?”
“Yes, we had a long chat. I met the vicar when I went in the church and he ran me up there. He’s invited me to supper tonight.”
“That’s nice. We’re quite a friendly bunch in this village really.”
“Did you - er - happen to know Tina Soames?” she asked casually.
Lizzie and her Irene exchanged glances. “Yes, we knew Tina,” Lizzie said. “Wait a minute, your name’s Soames, isn’t it? Are you related to her?”
“Oh, no, not so far as I’m aware,” Rhianna said. “I understand Mrs Delroy brought her up when her grandmother died.”
“Mmm, and that young woman gave her a really hard time. Gone to Australia now, so they say, and good riddance to her.”
Before Rhianna could ask her what she meant, Ron brought her sandwich and stopped to chat, mainly about the post office raid. When he’d gone Lizzie said, “You know, I’ve been thinking. I wouldn’t be surprised if that criminal yesterday thought it was Tina Soames who was staying at the post office. I mean - why would he be after you?”
Rhianna pulled a wry face. “That’s what I’ve been trying to work out. I haven’t got the remotest idea.”
This had confirmed her suspicions. It seemed far more plausible that the raiders were looking for Tina. It was an obvious case of mistaken identity, but how had they known someone by the name of Soames would be staying with Mavis Blackett? She kept coming back to Lawrence. She felt uncomfortable and wished Marcus was around so that she could talk it through with him.
Irene and Lizzie drew Rhianna a little map of the village and told her some of the best places to visit.
“You might find some snowdrops if you go along that path at the back of the village hall. Well, I suppose we’d best be going now. Nice to have seen you again.”
*
Rhianna had a productive afternoon. The countryside, although rather bleak at this time of year, was still worth photographing.
She took the path Irene had suggested and came across a mass of snowdrops, together with quantities of golden aconites nestling beneath a chestnut tree in a cottage garden. She could see for miles across the fields where, sheep were grazing. It was a tranquil scene.
Presently, she found the school and wondered if her father had attended it when he was a child. She realised she knew virtually nothing about his childhood. She became so engrossed in what she was doing that the time flew by. She was pleased with her afternoon’s work. When she next saw Letitia, as she still thought of her grand-mother, she would ask her about the places in the locality her father had visited.
Returning to the White Unicorn, she soaked in a leisurely bath. She hadn’t brought many clothes with her and wondered what would be suitable attire for dinner at the vicarage. In the end, she teamed a pair of black trousers with a peacock-blue embroidered top and, thinking it might be chilly, grabbed a jacket.
As she walked along the corridor towards the stairs, a floorboard squeaked behind her and a hand touched her shoulder. Stifling a scream, she span round to find Lawrence Lorimer standing there.
“Rhia I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you.”
Rhianna was trembling and catching her arms, he pulled her to him and held her for a moment. “It’s OK, Rhianna, I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured her.
Her heart was thumping wildly. She was aware of the warmth of his body against hers, the gleam of his green eyes – the fresh woody scent of his cologne.
“Wh-what do you want?” she almost whispered.
“Only to tell you that I’ve been invited to the vicarage tonight too and thought we could both go in my car.”
“Oh.” He felt her relax against him and gently took her hand.
“How did you know where I was?” she asked, aware of his fingers encircling her wrist, comforting and firm.
“I saw you walking along the corridor.”
“No – I mean how did you know I was in Brookhurst? You came here because of me, didn’t you?”
There was a small scar on his cheek and she wondered how he’d come by it. His green eyes sparked and she moved away.
“Yes, but I didn’t follow you, as you seem to imagine, nor did I have anything to do with the raid.”
“So why are you here?”
He hesitated. “I’d rather not discuss it standing in a corridor. Even the walls seem to have ears in this place. Rhianna you need to trust me.”
Her dark-blue eyes gave him a penetrating gaze. “Give me one good reason why I should?”
“Will you at least listen to me – give me a chance to explain before someone else does?”
She sighed. “Oh, very well.”
He led her back along the corridor to his room.
Reluctantly, she followed him inside and sat on the armchair. He perched on the edge of the bed.
“Letitia is one of the nicest people I know, generous and kind, but she is also gullible and, so when she tol
d me about you, I was naturally concerned for her and offered to see if I could find out whether you really were her granddaughter.”
“So you came to the gallery to check me out. But, why? What is Letitia to you?” she asked curiously.
“I’m very fond of Letitia. At one time, I was practically a part of her family and I’m still very protective of her. Even though I haven’t been around for the past couple of years, I’ve always kept in touch.”
“What do you mean, ‘you were part of her family?’” Rhianna asked, puzzled.
“Have you heard of Christina Soames?”
She frowned. “Not until this morning but, since then, that name has cropped up a number of times. So what is the connection between you and Christina?”
There was a pause during which Lawrence laced and unlaced his fingers and then he said, “For a short time she was my fiancée.”
Rhianna stared at him as things slowly began to slot into place.
“Right – now I’m beginning to understand. So do you know where she is? Because it seems as if she’s the person those criminals were looking for yesterday and not me.”
Lawrence sighed. “Yes, I realise that and I’m sorry you got involved, although I can assure you, I have absolutely no idea how this could have happened. It truly wasn’t down to me. I’m not in touch with Tina now, but she did have a number of dubious friends.”
“Letitia thinks she’s gone to Australia.”
He shrugged. “Who’s to say? She could be absolutely anywhere. The world’s a big place.”
He caught her hands in his. “Do you think we could begin again and be friends? After all, we both have the interests of Letitia at heart, don’t we?”
She nodded. “That’d be great. It’s better than being enemies.”
She gave a slight smile and he pulled her to her feet. Leaning forward he touched her gently on the cheek and her pulse raced.
“We’ll get through this together,” he told her softly.
A little shaft of fear shot through her.
“Get through what? What do you mean?”
“Oh, absolutely nothing – just a figure of speech,” he assured her, but she was not convinced.
