And then it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps guilt had been partly responsible for Tom’s grief. In the weeks before the accident, I’d spotted him and Judy having secret assignations in the woods – Judy’s flame-red hair had been a bit of a giveaway … Maybe that was what had made Judy seem a bit shifty while I was asking her questions, too?
‘I’m not sure we can add much more to what happened than you already know,’ Cameron said. ‘But fire away with the questions if you want to.’
‘OK.’ I turned to a fresh page. ‘Cam first. You were in the kitchen most of that evening, weren’t you?’
‘Yes, I didn’t go out at all, since you were collecting empty glasses and Lulu was clearing in the restaurant. I prepped some vegetables, then after that I was scraping plates, washing pans and stacking the dishwasher.’
‘So you never saw Harry and the others at all that night?’
‘No, though I do remember you coming in from the beer garden with some glasses and saying that Harry, Cara and Simon were there, and though the other two were friendly, Cara had snubbed you.’
‘She usually did. I expect a sixteen-year-old was below her notice.’
‘Then you said you were leaving early and you’d walk up by yourself, because you were worried about Patch,’ Cam continued. ‘That was it.’
‘And you said goodbye to me on the way out,’ Lulu said. ‘Then not long after, there were sirens going past and eventually someone told us what had happened.’
‘Later that night, when I knew you’d been taken to hospital and weren’t expected to survive, I phoned Lu up …’ Cam said. Then he smiled at me. ‘We’re so glad you did, though!’
‘To backtrack a bit, Lulu,’ I said, ‘that night, you’d taken the food out to Harry, Simon and Cara, hadn’t you?’
‘Yes, but they’d come into the bar to get their drinks – or rather, Harry had. He was the one with the cash and, as you know, he liked to drink. Mum said he’d had quite a lot, but she wasn’t worried about him driving, because she knew Simon was teetotal and always drove. She thought the vodka and tomato juice was for Cara.’
‘I suppose she was too busy in the bar to really give it much thought anyway,’ I suggested. ‘You weren’t out in the beer garden while I was leaving, were you?’
‘No, unfortunately, or I’d have been able to see the car park. You just said you were going early and you’d see me next day. And I said I hoped Patch was OK … though, actually, we all knew he was really old and on his way out.’
‘True, but I just wanted to be there, really,’ I agreed. ‘Harry and the others must have gone to the car just before I set out for home, since Cara was already in the back seat when I got there. Harry was standing by it and Simon sitting in the front … presumably feeling drunk, or sick, or both at that point.’
‘The police tried to find any witnesses to what happened next, but there weren’t any,’ Cameron said. ‘The midges were out in force and everyone who’d been in the beer garden had gone into the pub.’
I closed the notebook. ‘I don’t think that gives me anything new, just makes it a bit clearer. Apart from telling me about Simon trying to see me in hospital, Judy and Debo didn’t really add much either. Perhaps none of the other people on the list will, but I have to try. So I’m going to be pretty busy, what with starting up my mail-order clothes business and trying to sort out the kennel finances, too. Did I tell you I’d taken that over? They’re in a big mess.’
‘No, but I can imagine, and it’s probably going to take you ages,’ Cam said.
‘Oh, I don’t know, I think I’ll be able to get on top of it quite quickly. And once I’ve filed everything, sorted out all the bills and persuaded Debo to let other rescue charities rehome any dogs without major problems, it’ll be a much tighter and easier-to-run operation.’
‘Good, because I’ll need you and Cameron to help me with the Regeneration Scheme,’ Lulu said.
‘I’ll do my best, but I’ll have to go home in a minute. Judy’s invited Rufus Carlyle for tea this afternoon, in the hope we can soften him up a bit about the kennels.’
‘His manners seemed abrupt, but he was reasonable about the right of way, once he knew all the facts,’ she said.
‘Yes, but he was totally horrible to me when we first met. Did Lulu tell you about that, Cam? He seems to think I killed his half-brother while drink-driving.’
‘Yes, and I thought it was pretty mean. But he obviously doesn’t know what really happened.’
‘I’m not sure I entirely do, either,’ I said wryly. ‘Anyway, we’ll see what Mr Rufus Carlyle is like this afternoon and then, after that, I might have time to start sorting out the studio into my business hub. The first batches of clothes I ordered will arrive from India any minute and I’ll have to figure out where I’ll keep all my stock.’
‘If you need more space, you can use the storeroom at the back of the gallery,’ Cameron offered. ‘I’ll need only about half of it and it’s dry and warm.’
‘That would be wonderful! Thank you, Cam.’
‘What about Kieran?’ Lulu asked. ‘You haven’t mentioned him again, but surely he’s rung up to apologise by now, or at least sent you a text? One minute you’re about to get married, the next you’re not even talking to one another!’
‘He did ring yesterday while I was out, but I don’t know if it was to apologise or not, because apparently Judy tore him off a strip before he got the chance.’
‘He’s probably on his way up to abase himself in person by now,’ Cam suggested.
I felt a pang at the thought of seeing him, but it was more a remembrance of how I’d have once felt, rather than how I really wanted to feel now.
‘I don’t think so. And he couldn’t persuade me to live anywhere else but here in Halfhidden now, because I’m here to stay.’
When I left, they were working out how to get the ghostly photographic effects for the brochure and postcards. Cameron had suggested, with his attractive crooked smile, that it might give the right effect if Lulu posed in various locations wearing a diaphanous white Victorian nightgown.
He appeared to have been totally immune to our charms for all these years, but he had a definite teasing gleam in his blue eyes now when he looked at Lulu.
Despite Cam’s flaxen fairness, willowy frame, eloquent thin hands, sensitive face and a predilection for arty velvet or white linen suits, I couldn’t imagine how Guy could ever, even for a single moment, think he was gay. Certainly no woman ever made that mistake, for he had his own, very definite appeal.
Chapter 11: Charming
Rufus must have arrived by way of the kennels, for the first we knew about it was when Sandy threw open the kitchen door with a crash and shoved him in, using a firm hand between the shoulder blades and the words, ‘The bloke from the house.’
‘Oh, thanks, Sandy,’ said Debo. ‘Would you like some scones or cake to take back with you?’
‘Nah, got HobNobs and fig rolls in the shed,’ she said tersely, then left and, with surprising stealth, Babybelle appeared in her place.
‘She can’t keep away from you, Izzy darling,’ said Debo. Then she turned her huge grey eyes on Rufus and gave him her famous and irresistibly puckish grin. ‘I’m very happy to meet you at last, Rufus! I’ve heard so much about you.’
He didn’t look noticeably softened by the grin and replied slightly ominously, ‘I’ve heard quite a bit about you, too.’
‘Debo, you and Izzy take Rufus through to the sitting room and I’ll make the coffee – or tea, if you’d rather?’ Judy asked Rufus.
‘Coffee is fine.’
Debo and I picked up the cake stand and tray and led the way through. I tried to shut Babybelle into the kitchen, but short of squashing her face in the door, it wasn’t possible. She and Rufus, both large solid creatures, padded with disconcerting quietness after us.
Debo exerted her charm, which just naturally oozed to the surface in the presence of an attractive man … and there was no den
ying that he was attractive, in a taciturn, sombre sort of way. Anyway, I’d seen his muscular torso clad only in a wet T-shirt, so I knew some of his hidden charms.
When Judy had brought in the coffee, they plied him with finger sandwiches, miniature scones and chocolate butter-cream fairy cakes. Babybelle, firmly rebuffed while attempting to help herself to these delicacies, retired behind my chair to sulk and drool, but I was just glad she wasn’t doing it over my feet, like at breakfast.
Rufus ate and drank whatever he was offered (so Judy’s speculation about his being a vampire was evidently wrong), but said little, until suddenly he turned his sea-washed green eyes on me and remarked sardonically, ‘You’re very quiet in your corner, Miss Eyre!’
I jumped, startled at how closely attuned he seemed to have been to my thoughts, not to mention his familiarity with the novel, but replied primly, ‘I’m always quiet, for I know my place, Mr Rochester,’ and he grinned, which all at once made him look younger and less formidable. It was just a fleeting thing, though, gone so fast I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it or not.
‘Izzy tells us that you two had already met before last night … but didn’t perhaps get off on the right foot?’ Debo said pointedly, recklessly tossing a slight spanner into the charm offensive, which in any case hadn’t seemed to be softening him up in the least. Judy must have changed her mind and told her what happened at the Spring.
‘You can hardly be surprised that I wasn’t delighted to discover who she was, given the circumstances.’
‘You mean, the circumstances of her having killed your half-brother while drink-driving?’ she suggested, with deceptive sweetness.
‘Well, from what I understand from Dan Clew—’ he began.
‘I’m afraid Dan is not a reliable source of information,’ Judy interrupted. ‘In fact, he’d tell any lies to try to turn you against us. He attempted it with Baz, but got nowhere, and now he’s at it with you.’
Rufus wrinkled his brow over that wonderfully Roman nose. ‘You’re saying it was a lie and that Izzy wasn’t driving?’
‘Izzy was driving, but she was only sixteen and certainly not drunk,’ Judy said.
‘Sixteen?’ he repeated blankly.
‘Yes, and of course, she shouldn’t have been driving at all, but Harry must somehow have persuaded her into it. She had serious head injuries after the crash and can’t remember anything about it.’
He looked at me. ‘Dan said Harry and his friends got drunk celebrating their exam results at the pub and you were the one who insisted on driving them back to Sweetwell.’
‘But I was two years younger and never part of Harry’s crowd,’ I told him indignantly. ‘In fact, I was only at the pub that night because I had a part-time job clearing glasses and plates. I left to walk home a bit earlier than usual … and I don’t remember anything after I saw Harry and two of his friends in the car park, so I’ve no idea what on earth possessed me to get behind the wheel.’
‘We know you wouldn’t have done it if Harry hadn’t talked you into it,’ Debo said. ‘It really wasn’t your fault.’
‘That’s right, Harry really brought it on himself,’ Judy said, and then explained to Rufus about Harry thinking it would be funny to spike teetotal Simon’s drink.
‘It had more of an effect on Simon than Harry expected, and he was afraid to drive back himself because his father had said if he got any more points on his licence, he wouldn’t get a sports car for his birthday,’ I said.
‘Yes, it all came out at the inquest,’ Judy agreed. ‘But the poor boy certainly paid for his silly prank.’
‘I suppose that changes things a bit,’ Rufus admitted slowly. ‘Sorry,’ he added grudgingly to me.
‘That’s all right. You weren’t to know Dan was twisting everything.’
‘No, I wasn’t – but then, there’s what you said about Fliss – my mother – too.’
‘Don’t mention that vile woman’s name in my home,’ Debo snapped, ceasing to loll elegantly against the sofa cushions and sitting bolt upright. ‘You tell her that if she ever comes anywhere near the Lodge again, I’ll set the dogs on her.’
Rufus looked taken aback by this sudden fierceness. ‘I don’t suppose she will. She only dropped in the once because she was staying not far away with friends. She never mentioned that she’d been anywhere near the Lodge.’
‘She certainly had! She showed up with Dan Clew while Debo was away,’ Judy told him. ‘I didn’t let her in the house, of course, but she said if all the kennels and runs that were outside the garden boundary weren’t removed immediately, they’d be bulldozed and taken to the tip.’
‘I never even mentioned the kennels to her!’ Rufus protested.
‘Dan got her on side pretty quickly, then,’ I said. ‘He certainly never misses a chance to get back at us.’
Debo belatedly recalled her charm offensive and gave Rufus a warm smile. ‘Well, I’m sure you’ve taken after Baz in character, rather than your mother. You even have his colouring, too, though you’re much taller.’
‘Izzy thought I was Harry, when we first met.’
‘Only for a second! You’re not really like him … though I suppose it’s hard to say how he would have turned out by now.’
‘Yes, and it’s hard to discover you had a brother you’ll never get the chance to meet,’ he said.
‘But at least you met Baz, and he must have really taken to you because he left you everything,’ Debo said brightly. ‘Lucky you!’
‘Actually, I only spent one week with him and not a lot of bonding went on. I was still in shock after finding out the man I’d always thought was my father wasn’t. And now Hugo Carlyle is thinking of suing Fliss for all the maintenance and school fees he paid out for me, not to mention the deposit to start up my own business.’
‘I suppose finding out you’d been an impostor all your life must have been quite traumatic,’ Judy said thoughtfully.
‘More of an unwitting cuckoo in the nest. Hugo Carlyle married after I was born and has three children, so he’d have spent the money on them instead, if he’d known. He hasn’t spoken to me since it all came out … and I thought he was quite fond of me, in his own way, even though his wife wasn’t,’ he added bitterly.
‘Baz must have liked you,’ Debo pointed out. ‘He didn’t have to leave you everything.’
Rufus shrugged. ‘He didn’t leave me everything. He told me that since I looked like a Salcombe and blood was thicker than water, I’d inherit the estate. But the house in the Bahamas and any other assets went to the family who’d looked after him there.’
‘Yes, but as well as Sweetwell you got the Lodge, Spring Cottage and the tied cottage in the village that Dan occupies,’ Judy said.
‘Dan doesn’t pay rent, it goes with the job. Same for Spring Cottage – so long as there’s a male Tamblyn to occupy it, apparently.’
‘You can toss Dan out on his ear any time you like and no one will mind, but there have always been Tamblyns looking after the Spring and there always will be,’ Judy said firmly.
‘But Dan told me there’s only Tom left in the male line, because his sisters, Myra and Lottie, and their children don’t count.’
‘It’s totally outdated, all this male inheritance stuff,’ Debo said. ‘Lottie married a Ross, but she insisted on Tamblyn being Cam’s middle name, and of course he’ll take over the cottage and look after the Lady Spring eventually.’
‘He’s just moved in anyway, since his grandfather’s gone to live with Lottie. They’ve sort of swapped places,’ I told him.
‘But technically, he’s not a Tamblyn, he’s a Ross,’ Rufus insisted.
‘He’s Tamblyn enough,’ said Judy, with an air of finality. ‘There have been Salcombes at Sweetwell since some buccaneering ancestor was given the estate by Elizabeth the First, and Tamblyns were already looking after the Lady Spring even then.’
‘Dan says …’ Rufus began and then stopped, perhaps at last perceiving that all his local inform
ation was coming from the same, possibly untrustworthy, source.
‘I can imagine everything that Dan says,’ Debo said. ‘Did he tell you that Baz had always promised he would leave me the Lodge?’
‘But he did – you’ve got it for life.’
‘No, he meant he’d leave it to me outright, to give me security. And he loved dogs and often gave me a donation to keep things going, so I thought he might have left me some money in his will too … But then, I expect he thought you would keep up the good work,’ she added hopefully.
‘I suppose Dan had something to say about that, too?’ I guessed, reading Rufus’s expression without difficulty.
‘He did indeed. He said that Debo and her dog rescue charity bled Baz dry for years and he was too soft-hearted to ask her to clear the overflow of kennels off his land, or stop loose packs of savage dogs roaming round the house, terrifying Myra.’
‘That was only once – and Myra likes dogs,’ Debo said indignantly. ‘She called to tell us where it was and Judy collected it within minutes. That one was all bark and no bite anyway, and it’s been rehomed now.’
‘But you do have to admit that the kennels have got out of hand. It looks like a shanty town, and being right next to the drive it’ll hardly give the right impression to my customers when they arrive,’ Rufus said quite reasonably. ‘Nor would incessant barking, or loose dogs with uncertain temperaments roaming around the estate.’
‘It’s usually only one or two dogs who escape at a time, and actually, they haven’t done it so much lately,’ Judy said, then she frowned. ‘Now I come to think of it, it’s usually around the weekends, too. That’s odd, isn’t it?’
‘How do they get out?’ I asked. ‘I can see that Babybelle just has to lean against the netting till it’s flat and then walk over it, but what about the others?’
‘The bigger ones often do the same, but I think sometimes a fox must get them overexcited and they fling themselves at the gates,’ she said. ‘They’re only secured with cheap hook-and-eye latches that Tom bought in a job lot, so they probably just bounce out.’
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