‘Let’s just sit here until the rain eases off.’
Neither of them moved and although troubled by what had almost happened, and what it might mean, she felt aware of a still centre of peace within her.
28.
Cooper, the Australian man, was still preying on her mind, as was the fake contract. Louisa felt uneasy about both so, in the morning, after Leo dropped her off and before walking the dogs, she asked Ashan to come to the main sitting room. Fortunately, her ankle hadn’t been twisted and was hardly bothering her now, and she prowled the room as she waited, watching the slanting sun layering the floor in stripes of light. The whole room seemed to sparkle, but it was one of those times when she wished Elliot was with her: times she still couldn’t prevent arising, no matter how much she struggled against them. And what had happened with Leo, and the fact she had wanted him to touch her so much, only made her feel more unsettled. She felt starved of physical contact, but in her mind she was still a married woman and, despite everything, it wasn’t easy to just switch that off.
She didn’t ask Ashan to sit, but gazed at him from where she stood. It upset her to think somebody in her household might be to blame but she had to ask the question.
‘Look, Ashan, you’ve been with us as butler for years.’
He nodded and gave her a broad smile. ‘Ten years, Madam, and houseboy to your father before that.’
‘And during your time as butler you have looked after us well, for which I thank you.’
He made a slight bow. ‘It is my pleasure.’
She sighed before broaching the subject. ‘I’ve got a little problem and I wonder if you can help me. You’ve always assisted me, and my father before me, in choosing new staff. Haven’t you?’
‘Yes, Madam. Glad to do so.’
‘So, I have a question for you.’
‘Madam.’
‘I wondered, is there anyone here you don’t fully trust?’
He frowned as if to say the question bothered him. ‘Some I know better than others, but I trust them all.’
‘Well, I need you to keep your eyes open. I fear somebody may be passing on information about what I’m doing. Can you manage that?’
‘Certainly, Madam. That would indeed be a worry.’
‘And I don’t have to say we must keep this strictly between us.’
She dismissed him and then sat for a while considering the members of her household and hoping there wasn’t one she couldn’t trust. The cook had been with her father long before moving with her after her marriage. He’d had a kitchen boy under his charge who was a bit slow but very cheerful, but now he had the French girl, Camille, who had proved indispensable. There were two further houseboys who took care of cleaning and serving, one was a nephew of the cook and the other had been with her for about six months. There was also a part-time housekeeper and a laundryman. Only Ashan, Camille and the cook lived in. There was a gardener too, but he was rarely privy to her whereabouts.
While the rain held off she collected the dogs and set off to visit Himal, a Sinhalese builder she had used before, to ask for a quote for the refurbishment of the Print House. As she walked she threw a ball for the dogs. Usually Bouncer jumped on it first and wouldn’t return it, but today Tommy caught it and brought it to her to be thrown again. They played while the street was quiet, then she put them back on their leads.
When she reached the builder’s yard, she quickly found Himal. Though not the cheapest, he was both trustworthy and reliable and he’d successfully added a whole new floor to her house. In his office, she unfolded her plans and laid them on his desk. While he bent his head and pored over them, she pictured the emporium in her mind’s eye: a gleaming glittering palace of exquisite sapphire jewellery and fascinating objects, an Aladdin’s cave of opportunity.
‘As you see, I want to keep the upper galleried area to display artwork, and then turn each downstairs room into an area selling specific goods. But I do need to keep the costs down.’
He glanced up at her with an intelligent expression. ‘Do you know if any of the walls are partition?’
‘No. Will it matter?’
‘It might. I’ll need to see. But really, it seems a question of cleaning the glass and the floor, making sure everything is sound and giving the whole place a lick of paint. Is there electricity?’
‘Yes. The building will need fitting out, of course. I thought jak-wood cabinets to keep costs down but beautiful Ceylon ebony counters.’
‘I have excellent carpenters,’ he said as he scratched his head. ‘I’m sure we can keep the costs down while maintaining the quality you want if the building is sound, but, as I said, I’ll have to give it the once-over. Can you let me have the key?’
She gave him the key and asked when he might be free to make a start.
‘In a month or so, I reckon.’
He agreed to get the quote to her within the week and she left feeling happy things were getting organized and, at long last, her glittering dream was about to become a reality.
Two months passed by slowly. Louisa still thought about Elliot, but gradually she found herself waking with a lighter heart. Household tasks began to interest her as much as they had always done, and she enjoyed long walks on the beach. She had accepted Himal’s quote and work was now well underway. She had also finally put the Australian man and De Vos to the back of her mind. No one had come back to her so far.
In less than a fortnight, they would be celebrating the annual Galle summer ball held at the New Oriental Hotel. Most of the rubber planters attended, along with their wives, and Louisa had enjoyed being out with Elliot on such a romantic occasion. It had always been special to them. This year she would have to go with her father.
She thought back to the previous year and remembered that although they had been getting on well, Elliot had disappeared for nearly an hour during the evening. When he finally returned, he’d made some excuse about chatting to an old friend and she’d felt a little annoyed. It had seemed slightly odd at the time, though not of any real consequence. Now she wondered if Elliot’s debts had already begun back then.
The agreement she and Leo needed to sign to allow her to export his cinnamon had finally arrived after a tediously long delay. She hadn’t set eyes on Leo since the trip to Colombo, and she couldn’t work through the complexity of how she had felt about him then. That she felt something, she couldn’t deny, even now, and she wondered if it might be safe to ask him to accompany her to the ball. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea and, although nervous at the thought, she was also aware of a tingling feeling of pleasure. After taking a deep breath, she laughed at how youthful it made her feel and decided she would do it. But because she was still faintly aware of an inchoate desire to get back at Elliot, she knew she had to be clear about her motivation in asking Leo. She walked back and forth, turning it over, but decided anything that made her feel as if she was moving forward couldn’t be wrong.
She was just checking her hair in the hall mirror when a knock at the front door broke into her thoughts. She didn’t wait for Ashan and, opening the door herself, was surprised to see a stranger standing there, a fair-haired man.
‘Can I help you?’ she asked, wondering if he might be some kind of salesman and wishing she’d let Ashan answer.
The man looked a little uncertain as he began to speak. ‘I’m sorry to intrude. But I’m looking for Margo Reeve. I was told in Colombo that she’s staying with you.’
Louisa frowned. ‘Is she expecting you?’
He glanced down at his feet and twisted his hat in his hands.
‘I’m William Tyler. She may have mentioned me.’
Louisa’s hand flew to her mouth and she instantly felt protective of Margo. ‘Oh … Well, I suppose you’d better come in. I’m Louisa Reeve, by the way.’
‘Very pleased to meet you. I hope you’ll accept my sincere condolences, Mrs Reeve.’
‘Thank you.’
She took him through to the
sitting room and then went in search of her sister-in-law, who turned bright pink when Louisa told her William had arrived. Her lips parted in astonishment and her eyes, darting about the room before they settled on Louisa’s face, betrayed her nerves.
‘Oh, my God. What shall I say to him?’
Louisa couldn’t help smiling. ‘That depends on what he wants.’
She went ahead of Margo to the sitting room and, at the door, began to move off.
‘No, please stay,’ Margo whispered and put a hand on Louisa’s arm to keep her there.
‘Are you sure?’
As soon as they were inside the room William got to his feet. ‘Margo, I …’
Margo didn’t go up to him but stood still and Louisa could feel the tension between them. Though the room was silent, outside the birds were making a racket and the gardener was mowing the lawn. Louisa listened to one of her dogs barking at the mower and glanced about the room, itching to make her escape.
‘Margo, I really think I –’
‘Stay. William can’t have anything to say to me that he can’t say in front of you.’
‘Actually, Margo,’ he said. ‘I do –’
‘I want her to stay,’ Margo interrupted, in a firm tone of voice.
Louisa nodded and gestured towards the sofa and chairs. ‘If that’s what you really want, but shall we sit rather than just all standing here. I’ll ring for some refreshment.’
William sat on an easy chair and Margo perched on the edge of the furthest chair she could find. Louisa watched intently as Margo stared at the ground, seemingly unable to look at him for even a moment. Then she summoned her courage.
‘What do you want, William?’ she said, finally meeting his eyes, but with a catch in her voice. ‘I can’t imagine you’ve come all this way for nothing.’
He seemed to hesitate. ‘I could have written.’
‘Yes.’
‘I had your parents’ address. When I went there, your father told me you were here. I’m so very sorry about your brother.’
She bowed her head and blinked to stop the tears. ‘Please don’t be nice to me.’
There was a short silence.
‘I wanted to see you.’ He paused and hesitated again. ‘Because Deirdre has asked me for a divorce.’
Margo got to her feet, the colour draining from her face. ‘Because of me?’ she said, struggling to take it in.
He shook his head. ‘Not directly, but she says she wants to cite you as co-respondent.’
After a sharp intake of breath, Margo’s eyes widened. ‘But that’s awful.’
‘It is. But don’t you see what this means?’
Margo gazed at Louisa with a pleading expression. Holding her hands palms up, Louisa shrugged and couldn’t help feeling bemused.
‘It means we can be married eventually. If you’ll still have me,’ he said, now with a purposeful look, all hesitation gone.
Margo sat down again abruptly, her breath ragged. ‘My mother will have a fit.’
‘Does that mean you agree?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
He gave her a warm, genuine smile, half in encouragement, half in hope. ‘Please, Margo. Think about it. This could be our chance.’
With a deep sigh Margo gazed at her hands in her lap. She turned them over and then, glancing up, smiled back, but it was a nervous hesitant smile. ‘Tell me everything.’
‘What do you want to know?’
‘Why did she decide she wanted a divorce? Did you tell her about me?’
‘Not until after she raised the subject of divorce. What I told you was true. We haven’t been happy for years. Now she has inherited some money and wants to move back to her hometown in Devon.’
‘She didn’t ask you to go with her?’
‘No. She knows I need to be where my work is. All my clients are in Kent.’
‘Where would we live?’
‘Do you mean you’ll consider it? I’m afraid your name will be dragged through the mud.’
She blinked rapidly as if thinking. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Margo, my darling.’ He paused. ‘You must know what you mean to me.’
She nodded, but to Louisa it looked as if Margo was close to tears. She went over to stand behind her and placed a comforting hand on her sister-in-law’s shoulder.
‘Have you missed me?’ William said. ‘I’ve missed you every minute you’ve been gone.’
‘Look,’ Louisa said, and squeezed Margo’s shoulder, ‘I’m going to see what’s happened to Ashan. I think you two should discuss this by yourselves. You don’t need me playing gooseberry. And Margo, don’t let what Irene will say influence you.’
‘You think I should agree?’
‘I think we all have to take our chance of happiness when we can.’ And with that she left the room. Poor Margo, she thought, as she went to speak to Ashan; it was a tough decision. Being cited as co-respondent would be miserable and everyone would know her business, but if she did indeed love William, as he claimed he did her, maybe it was the right thing to do.
29.
His smile when he saw her was startling, lighting up the rugged angles of his face. She opened her mouth but ended up swallowing her words.
‘Come on in,’ Leo said.
He stood back to give her room to pass. They went upstairs into the comfortable but slightly shabby room littered with books, several oil lamps and some candles.
As she stood just inside the threshold, she again struggled to keep the past where it belonged. Fed up with Elliot living in her head, she glanced at Leo and, when he smiled at her so generously, Elliot’s ghost faded. Relieved, she gazed at Leo’s gentle dark eyes, and although he was still smiling she glimpsed a trace of something she hadn’t spotted before. Sadness, possibly. She wasn’t sure.
‘I’m pleased to see you,’ he said. ‘It’s been a while.’
‘Yes.’
‘So?’
She pulled out an envelope. ‘I have the agreement for you to sign. Sorry it’s taken so long.’
‘You could have posted it.’
‘Yes.’
‘But you came.’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’ He held out a hand to take the contract. Feeling the warmth of his skin as he brushed her fingers with his, she longed to respond but instead drew her hand away, then sat in a chair and nibbled at her nails.
‘Louisa,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I overstepped the mark.’
‘You didn’t,’ she said in a low voice, remembering how she had felt when he had touched her cheek in the fisherman’s hut. She glanced out of the window as the sun came out briefly from behind the clouds. She could recall the exact moment she had known she would marry Elliot, and the way those early days had always seemed sunny. They’d been sharing an ice cream at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo and when he wiped a smear of it from her cheek she had felt so certain. Now she had lost the ability to rely on her emotions but, despite being wary, there did seem to be something compelling between her and Leo. As she lifted her head and looked at him, she silently acknowledged how much she wanted to get to know him.
‘What are you thinking?’ he said. ‘At times I feel I know so little about you.’
‘I’m thinking, if you sign it now I’ll take it back with me, and then send it to my manager.’ She lied, of course, couldn’t begin to say what had really been on her mind.
He opened the envelope and drew out the agreement, reading it carefully before going across to the coffee table. While he was doing this, she thought about William and Margo. If there was one thing Elliot’s death had taught her, it was that life had to be lived and love still mattered. But it was different for her because she still needed answers, and that muddied everything.
He glanced up at her and she felt a sudden burst of happiness. Then he signed.
‘All done.’
She nodded.
‘So, how have you been?’
It was so quiet she could hear the bea
t of her own heart. ‘I wish I could be free.’
‘You’ll get there,’ he said. ‘There’s no rush.’
She stared at her feet. ‘Sometimes I’m so afraid.’
‘Of?’
‘Anything. Everything. The past, the future. The husband I didn’t know.’
It was true. She had been living with a low level of anxiety almost every day since Elliot died.
‘You know you can talk to me.’
She nodded again, but not wanting to say more about how she was feeling about Elliot’s death, she changed the subject. ‘How is Zinnia?’ she said, and could tell he was disappointed she hadn’t confided in him more fully.
‘It’s also okay not to talk,’ he said. ‘As for Zinnia, she’s in a bad way again, I’m afraid.’ She could see the concern in his eyes and realized, despite his focus on the plantation, he was genuinely worried for his cousin.
She hesitated before speaking. ‘Can I see her?’
‘I thought you didn’t want to.’
‘I think perhaps I must.’
‘If you’re sure.’
‘I hate the thought of it – well, of her, I suppose – but I think I have to see her in the flesh. Apart from one fleeting moment, I’ve only ever seen her in her paintings.’
‘If you’re sure.’
She sighed. ‘I’m not sure of anything.’
There was a short silence during which she couldn’t look at him.
‘How is she coping with Conor?’ she eventually asked.
‘Barely at all. He comes up here a lot, but it’s not satisfactory. I do my best – but he needs attention I can’t give him, and nor can she now.’
‘He has lost his father.’
Leo nodded.
It was terribly sad, and yet she hadn’t forgiven Elliot for having a son and she couldn’t help how that affected the way she felt about Conor.
‘Will Conor be there?’
‘He’s down at the sheds with the cinnamon peelers.’
‘Good. In that case let’s go now. I’ll just put the papers in the car.’
Leo pulled on his boots and they first went to her car and then he led her down to Zinnia’s house via a short cut. She listened to animals scratching in the undergrowth and slapped the swarms of flies from her face.
The Sapphire Widow Page 18