The Island

by Mary Grand

  ‘I did, but it was worth it. I’ve done it a few times.’

  Juliet shrugged. ‘Well, I hope she appreciated it. Mum gets up to the odd concert, but the rest of us haven’t heard her perform for years.’

  ‘Well, you should! She’s amazing.’ He gave a smile. ‘You know, I had quite a crush on her in my teens, she was always a bit out of my league though.’ He threw away the words with a laugh and then looked around. ‘It’s gone well today. It’s not easy having a funeral in August when the island is so packed.’

  ‘It’s all a bit crazy. I was surprised how crowded it was down at Brook. I suppose it’s good for the tourist industry.’

  ‘Yes, the weather has been brilliant.’ He moved closer, spoke in a quieter, more intimate way, ‘I love your hair by the way, it suits you short.’

  Her cheeks burned. ‘Thanks, like your beard as well.’

  At that moment, Ed, who had been collecting glasses, came over to them.

  ‘Wotcha, Gabriel,’ he said, slapping Gabriel on the back. ‘When this crazy month is over, me and you need to go and have a decent night out.’

  ‘I think I’m getting too old for all that now,’ Gabriel replied.

  ‘I refuse to go under, but you know I’ve not got down to Cowes once this year.’

  ‘It’s time you settled down, Ed.’

  ‘I could say the same to you. Still, you must be raking it in up there now.’ Ed grinned at Juliet. ‘Good to see you home, even at such a sad time. Have you been enjoying your travels? I can barely get over to the Rose Bowl to watch the cricket, let alone get all the way to China.’

  ‘It’s been great thanks,’ said Juliet, ‘but it’s always good to come home.’

  Juliet glanced over at the pub and noticed Anwen entering.

  Following her gaze, Ed said, ‘I’ve seen a fair bit of her here lately; she has some strange friends, not that I’m including Cassie in that of course. I know they’re quite close. You really wouldn’t know she was related to Rhys would you.’

  Before Juliet could reply, she saw Maddie come out of the pub and start making her way back to join them.

  ‘Goodness, the queue for the ladies!’ she complained when she reached them.

  Ed smiled at her. ‘It’s good for business though. Right, best get back to work.’

  As he left them, Maddie said to Gabriel, ‘I saw the chap from the bakers inside. Didn’t you want to speak to him about the delivery?’

  ‘I do, but I’m not going in there, I can’t stand the crowds. I’ll give him a ring.’

  Juliet’s mother came over to them. ‘Thank you so much for coming, Maddie.’

  ‘It is a privilege,’ replied Maddie. ‘We are fortunate to have such wonderful children to stay by our side. If you need anything, please ask, you know how much I admired Ian, we shall all miss him.’

  ‘Thank you, Maddie, that is very kind.’

  Maddie put her hand on Gabriel’s arm. ‘I wonder if we could go soon, I am finding this heat quite exhausting.’

  ‘Of course,’ he replied.

  Maddie smiled at Helena. ‘I am sorry to have to leave a bit early but thank you so much for inviting us and remember, we are always here if you need us.’ She kissed Juliet’s mother on the cheek.

  Gabriel smiled at Juliet. ‘I’ll be in touch then?’

  She gave a shy smile and watched them walk away.

  ‘Maddie really would be lost without Gabriel, wouldn’t she?’ Juliet’s mother said.

  ‘You’re right. But I can’t help feeling he’s rather allowed her to take over his life. He has always wanted to travel, explore, experience life, and yet he is stuck here, and as far as I can see, he will never be able to leave.’

  ‘I think Gabriel is very content with his lot,’ replied her mother. ‘He loves it up there just as much as Maddie, and they are running a very successful business.’

  Before Juliet could respond, Barbara, the woman who ran the local shop, came over to speak to her mother.

  ‘It was a lovely service, Helena. How are you keeping? I know it’s difficult but do try to get out for the odd walk, and make sure you eat regular meals, even if they are small.’ Barbara glanced at Juliet ‘Are any of the girls going to be with you?’

  Juliet’s mother nodded. ‘Cassie, Rosalind and Juliet are all with me at the moment, and of course Mira is never far away.’

  ‘Of course, it’s lovely when they stay on the island, isn’t it? I am glad our Ed stayed. Us mothers and our children, eh! Your Mira is doing a good job here. Her and Rhys work hard; people in the shop say how kind he is, how he’s always there for them. I’m glad they settled here and, let’s face it, there are worse places to live. Now, let me know if there is anything we can do. If you can’t face the supermarket, give me a ring and me or Hubby will pop round some groceries.’

  ‘Thank you, Barbara.’

  ‘Remember, and I mean this, I’d like to help. Right, I’d better get back, it’ll be busy at the shop. Take care, Helena.’

  Barbara bustled off.

  ‘Barbara is amazing, she has enough energy for an army,’ said Juliet’s mother fondly.

  ‘She must have been a great nurse before she gave up to help her husband at the shop.’

  Juliet’s mother looked out into the distance. ‘She’s right though, there are far worse places to live. It’s just too perfect a day for a funeral, isn’t it? Remember going for early-morning swims with your dad?’

  ‘I do, me and Dad were talking about it in the hospital. I’d take a packet of crisps, play on the beach while he swam. I loved that. It’s a good memory.’

  ‘Ah memories. And yet I feel he’s still here. I don’t mean like a ghost; I feel him everywhere. Is that wrong?’

  ‘Of course not, Mum. I feel him as well, particularly in the workshop.’

  ‘I’m glad you do…’ Her mother paused.

  Juliet could see the exhaustion on her face. ‘Listen, it’s been a long day. I think we should go home, don’t you?’

  As most people had left already, and the few that remained had moved onto alcoholic drinks and looked set for the rest of the afternoon, her mother agreed. Juliet found Cassie and Rosalind and, together with Mira and Rhys they left.

  Juliet put her arm though her mother’s as they walked along the road. At the junction, Mira and Rhys turned right and walked back to the vicarage while the others walked down towards the village.

  They walked along in silence, and Juliet reflected on the day. She had always believed funerals were a rite of passage, a time to say goodbye, to lay things to rest. However, Rhys’s eulogy had been disturbing. He was clearly still very upset and burdened by what her father had told him.

  Juliet’s mind went back to her own conversation with her father. She’d been shocked at his insistence that, given the right motive, anyone could kill. The words seemed so unlike her father, usually so gentle, so forgiving. But then he’d said he was warning her. Why would he think he needed to do that?

  The only person who could give her any answers had to be Rhys. She had to know the truth now, she had to find out what her father had said.

  6

  After they had returned home, Cassie and her mum went into the living room and sat reading through cards, but Juliet could see Rosalind was restless and suggested they go for a walk.

  They were planning to go down on the beach, but as the tide was in, they walked along the cliff tops. There was at least a breeze up there and fewer people. You could also see the coastline, the meeting of land and sea. It reminded Juliet that the island had boundaries; if it wanted to it could keep them all captive.

  Rosalind’s mind was clearly on other things. ‘Funerals are weird aren’t they – like sad weddings. And the wake always feels so awkward, doesn’t it? I didn’t know how to behave, people kept asking me how work is going, have I been to Cowes, things like that.’

  ‘People don’t know what to say half the time.’

  ‘Gabriel was looking well though.’ Ros
alind gave Juliet a knowing grin.

  ‘I didn’t notice,’ joked Juliet.

  Rosalind picked her lip. ‘So, Mum still wants to do the coming home meal next Saturday – I was surprised, it always seemed more Dad’s thing than hers.’

  ‘I know, but it matters to her as well.’

  ‘To be honest, it always seemed odd to me when I was a child that Mum and Dad made such a fuss about a date a week after my birthday. None of my friends had a celebration for the day they came home from the hospital.’

  Juliet put her head to one side. ‘That’s because their dads were probably with their mum’s when they were born or would have seen the baby within hours. Our dad had to wait a whole week.’

  ‘I know. It seems to me Mum took quite a risk going off with Cassie when she was so heavily pregnant.’

  ‘Cassie had really wanted Mum to go up with her, it was more than a course wasn’t it, there were auditions and things. Anyway, you did come early.’ Juliet laughed. ‘You always were in a rush.’

  Rosalind grinned. ‘I guess I was.’

  The main thing is to make sure you keep next Saturday free,’ said Juliet. ‘After all, it is your twenty-first as well, you need to celebrate it with family as well as your friends.’

  ‘Okay, okay, don’t worry, I’ll be here. I’ll make sure I’ve next Saturday free, no going out with friends, no working.’

  Juliet frowned. ‘Oh, yes, Mum said you worked some Saturday evenings now, waitressing or something? She said it paid well which surprised me – where is that then?’

  ‘Oh, some posh hotels, that’s all.’ Rosalind looked away.

  ‘I didn’t think anywhere paid much for waitressing.’

  ‘For God’s sake, Juliet, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, I think we need to get back, we shouldn’t leave Mum for too long.’

  Juliet was shocked and hurt; she wasn’t used to being pushed away by Rosalind.

  They walked back in silence.

  Later that evening, they sat down to a simple tea of cold chicken and salad. They were all quiet, and Juliet was aware of how much of their time over the past few days had been spent talking about the funeral. The passing of the day seemed to mark the end of one stage of mourning, as if now they had to start to find ways to join the world again.

  ‘Maddie was asking me what would happen to the garage, Mum,’ said Juliet.

  ‘She wouldn’t want to buy the land, would she?’ said her mother. ‘I know it’s close to them, but she always wanted to expand the other way. But the vineyard is such a huge business now, it’s her life.’

  ‘It’s so impressive what she has achieved up there,’ agreed Rosalind.

  ‘I think Harry and Gabriel’s father would have preferred it to stay the farm he grew up on,’ said Cassie.

  ‘I was surprised he allowed it to be transformed into the vineyard,’ replied their mother. ‘Clarence loved the farm; it had some beautiful old woodland back then. I used to play up there when I was a child.’

  ‘So, you knew the family when you were young?’ asked Juliet.

  ‘Oh yes, I was good friends with Clarence when we were in our teens. Of course, he went off to boarding school, but we went out a few times when he came home. Then I met your dad, and Clarence married this lovely girl from over in Ventnor. It was so sad when she died so young. Poor Harry was only about six I think.’

  ‘Hang on, Maddie wasn’t Harry’s mother?’ questioned Juliet.

  ‘Oh no,’ replied their mother. ‘Not long after his first wife died, Clarence went to France on holiday, met Maddie and she came back with him. She had Gabriel and created Laurent Vineyard. When you see what she accomplished, the vineyard, the winery, the shop and everything, all from scratch, well it’s very impressive.’

  ‘What an amazing woman,’ said Rosalind.

  ‘Depends how you look at it,’ said Cassie. ‘I happen to know Maddie’s family was broke. So, to my mind, she snapped up a grieving, rich man and came back and turned his farm into a vineyard.’

  Juliet was startled at the venom in Cassie’s words and looked at her questioningly, but it was their mother who replied.

  ‘Whatever the truth if it,’ continued their mother, ‘Maddie has done miracles up there and she’s been incredibly successful.’ Their mother moved deftly onto a change of subject. ‘Now, about the garage, I guess I will have to go up and check out the fridge and things, there must be milk going off in there.’

  ‘I can do that, Mum,’ said Juliet. ‘I could go up this evening if you’d like?’

  ‘Oh, you don’t want to do that after such a long day.’

  ‘It’s okay, the walk will do me good.’

  ‘Let me run you up there then, but I’ll not come in.’

  ‘I can walk, it’s not far.’

  ‘No, I think it would be good for me to face it. The road to the garage leads on up to the Downs where Dad had his accident. I’m going to have to drive up it at some point, and I’d appreciate the company.’

  ‘But you don’t have to do it today.’

  ‘I’d like to.’

  Juliet could see this was something her mother really wanted to do and gave in.

  Her mother smiled gratefully. ‘Good, we’ll go after tea.’

  After they’d finished eating and cleared up, Juliet’s mother fished a bunch of door keys from the dresser drawer.

  ‘This big old rusty one is for the front door, if you can call it that. See that brass key ring? It has your grandpa’s initials on it; your dad used the same key as his own father.’ She handed them to Juliet, and they went out to her mother’s car.

  The garage wasn’t far. They drove down their road, turned right onto the main military road and then, as they approached the entrance to the car park at Compton Bay they turned into a steep narrow country road.

  As they drove, her mother spoke softly. ‘I’ll need to speak to someone about the garage. It’s so run-down; I don’t think anything in there has changed since your dad’s father ran it. I went into a garage in town the other day to pick up a part for Dad and I couldn’t believe it. The reception was like a hotel! Marble floor, coffee machine, comfy chairs. They had a window where you could watch someone mending your car.’

  Juliet laughed. ‘Dad would have hated that.’

  ‘He would, but it made me realise how old-fashioned your dad’s place was.’

  ‘But it didn’t matter. He was working on his own, and he just had his regulars.’

  ‘I know, but he was a clever man. He should have done more.’

  They passed the turning for the vineyard on their right, and then a little further on they reached the garage on the left.

  ‘Do you mind if we carry on up the road, please?’ asked her mother.

  ‘Of course not,’ Juliet replied.

  They drove on; the road became increasingly bumpy, and her mother went slowly, trying to avoid huge potholes and thick tracks of mud left by tractors. Without warning, she pulled into a passing place and Juliet instantly knew why.

  She looked over at a stone barn on her right, set back off the road. There were no flowers, no signs of what had happened there.

  ‘He had driven down here,’ said her mother, ‘and then lost control. I hate driving around here. If you don’t drive carefully, it can catch you out.’

  Together they got out of the car and went over to the barn. Juliet held her mother’s hand. They saw a rabbit chewing grass, a buzzard swooping over the field. Nature carried on. In the hedge, Juliet saw a few red poppies which she picked and laid against the wall of the barn. They stood together in silence for a short time, and then quietly got back in the car.

  Her mother smiled at Juliet. ‘Thank you, love, I was dreading that, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s odd, isn’t it, you’d never know anything had happened there. Come on, I’ll take you to the garage now.’

  They drove to the top of the road, turned around and back down towards the garage. It looked even more dilapidated than before.
/>   ‘Are you sure you don’t want to come in?’ said Juliet.

  ‘No, not today love.’

  Juliet saw a flash of pain on her mother’s face. ‘I understand. Leave me then, I’ll enjoy the walk home.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Of course, it’ll do me good.’

  Juliet’s heart was racing and it surprised her – she hadn’t expected to feel nervous. She opened the front door and went in. The garage was dark and cold, functional. She put on the lights, which flickered to life.

  To one side of the main garage, she saw a small blue Fiat Panda parked alone.

  She waited until she knew her mother would have time to drive home and then rang her.

  ‘Oh gosh, yes, Dad told me when he came home the day of the accident that Walter had left his car with him. It needed an MOT, and they were off on holiday, Dad was going to see to it, but of course he never did. I know he said they’d gone until September or something, so there was no rush. Anyway, it’s probably best just left in there for now, isn’t it?’

  ‘I think so; I was just checking.’ Juliet rang off and went into the tiny room her father called his office.

  In there was one scruffy, oil-stained chair, some paperwork but no laptop on the desk – her father must have taken it home. On the wall was a small pegboard with one set of car keys hanging up, with a luggage label on. Those must be the keys to the blue Fiat.

  Behind her, there was a small fridge, and she took out a carton of milk, poured the remainder down the sink. There were a few mugs, a jar of coffee, but her father’s old flask that he refused to update was missing, and then she remembered he had taken it to the Downs the night of his accident. She saw a new box of chocolate beans and the biscuit tin, old and tatty now, but it still had the vague outline of owls painted on it. Juliet had made it for her father when she was in her teens. She remembered drawing the birds, painting them, and then wrapping the picture around the tin. She had carefully covered it and her father had taken good care of it. She picked it up, put it in her bag.

  Glancing in the bin, she saw the usual debris: the wrapper from the packet of biscuits, paper and bit of string, an old envelope with writing on it and something green sticking out. She’d need to come up with a bin liner sometime, sort this out.