Death is a Word (4 page)

‘Well, don’t you think it’s significant?’

‘Significant of what?’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Sheila. You don’t take just anyone to the Castle. It sounds like a
date
!’

‘Not necessarily so. I mean, they’re both used to what Dan would call fine dining. Where else would he take her?’ I said. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’

Rosemary laughed ruefully. ‘You think I’m being ridiculous?’

‘Well …’

‘It’s just that when she told me she seemed excited and, well, I remembered what you said about him, and I was worried for her.’

‘And as for it being a date, as you call it, he probably just wants to talk to her about Alan.’

‘You’re right, of course. It’s just that she’s family and I feel responsible for her.’

‘And even if it is a date, Eva’s perfectly able to look after herself. Here, have a biscuit.’

‘But she’s in a vulnerable state at the moment and
I would hate her to be hurt. Donald Webster is a bit too charming, if you ask me.’ She bit into the biscuit. ‘You said yourself there’s something fishy about him.’

‘I didn’t say fishy, exactly. But, honestly, Eva’s been out in the world long enough to know what’s what.’

‘Yes, of course, I’m being stupid. It’s just that I was taken by surprise.’ She took another biscuit. ‘What I’m not looking forward to is Mother finding out that he’s taking Eva to the Castle when he only took
her
to that place at Exford.’

A few days later, I was sitting in the Buttery when Eva came and sat down beside me.

‘Great minds think alike,’ she said as she put her cup of hot chocolate down next to mine.

‘The only thing on a horrible day like this! And I got a Danish pastry. I shouldn’t really, but I couldn’t resist.’

Eva has diabetes, has done for years, but it never seems to restrict her diet. That’s another thing Rosemary worries about.

‘Did you have a gorgeous pudding at The Castle?’ I asked. ‘I believe they do really super ones.’

‘Well, I did have a chocolate thing but it was quite small.’

‘Was it a good evening?’

‘Yes, it was.’ She smiled. ‘A really good evening.’

‘Did Donald want to tell you about Alan and their tight spot?’

‘For a bit, but really we just talked. He’s the most interesting man, been everywhere, seen everything, met the most extraordinary people.’

‘Like Alan.’

She nodded. ‘Oh, Sheila, I do love being down here – I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else – but sometimes, just sometimes, I do miss it all. For goodness’ sake don’t tell Rosemary, but I miss the – the
buzz
, not just Alan, though of course that’s the worst, but just the feeling of being at the centre of things, of conversations that aren’t just – well, you know …’

‘Parochial. You miss the great metropolis. Of course you do. And Donald comes from the same world.’

She nodded again. ‘Exactly.’

‘Well, good for you. Does he feel the same way? He seems to have settled down here very comfortably – all that stuff at Brunswick Lodge. I thought he might have become bored with it by now, but he doesn’t seem to be.’

‘No, I think he really has settled. He didn’t say why, but I think he was quite glad to leave South America.’

‘It sounds as if it must have been a great responsibility.’

‘That’s what I thought. He didn’t talk much about his actual job – I gather there’d been some major disagreement – but we had so much else in common, the time really flew by.’

‘Are you going to see him again?’

‘He said something about getting tickets for this thing at the Theatre Royal in Bath.’

‘That would be nice,’ I said, thinking that Rosemary would be quite hurt, remembering that Eva had turned down her offer of that particular treat.

‘Yes, it would be fun. It’s ages since I went to a theatre.’ I didn’t remind her that she’d been to several theatres with Dan and Patrick when she was in London, but, I thought, this was different. Looking at her animated face and the lively tone of her voice I decided that, yes, it obviously was quite different.

Thinking about it when I got home, I decided I was glad for Eva. It really had been a massive change of lifestyle for her and it was natural that she should be drawn to someone from her old world. I still wasn’t sure what I thought about Donald. Like everyone else, I had felt his charm, and, although I instinctively mistrusted it, I had absolutely no reason to do so. He was probably just a really nice, sociable man. But, then, he had risen to a very prominent position in a very large international corporation, and I felt, also instinctively, that really nice men didn’t achieve that
sort of thing. Those who did had other qualities, less agreeable. But, I reminded myself, Eva had lived in that world. As I told Rosemary, she was perfectly capable of looking after herself. And, really, it was quite natural that Donald, in a small town like Taviscombe, should turn to someone he had so much in common with. But, oh dear, if Eva did go out with, take up with – what was the suitable phrase? – Donald Webster, Rosemary
would
be upset, and I hated the thought of her being hurt by what she might feel was Eva’s desertion.

Donald must have moved quite swiftly because tickets for the Theatre Royal in Bath duly arrived.

‘It’s for the pre-London run of
Heartbreak House
,’ Eva told us enthusiastically. ‘It’s got a marvellous cast. It was so clever of Donald to get tickets, it’s pretty well sold out.’

‘How splendid,’ I said. ‘It’s such a gorgeous theatre,’ I went on hastily to cover up Rosemary’s lack of response, ‘and they have such terrific things on there and it’s not really that far away, but I never seem to do anything about it. Silly, really.’

‘Next time there’s anything special on, we must
all
go,’ Eva said.

Anthea had stopped badgering Eva to give a talk at Brunswick Lodge since Donald had proved an easier target.

‘South America is such a fascinating place,’ she was saying, ‘and we none of us know anything at all about it. It’s a real privilege to have someone like Donald, who held a very high position out there, to tell us all about it.’

‘He’s only going to talk about the country,’ Derek cut in. ‘More a sort of travelogue.’

‘Well, it’s all going to be most interesting,’ Anthea responded.

‘I didn’t say it wasn’t going to be interesting,’ Derek said. ‘Donald is a very interesting man and whatever he has to say will be worth listening to. Unlike that woman who went on about Corfe Castle, who you said was so wonderful. Hardly anyone turned up for that. We should have a full house for Donald and I reckon we could easily charge five pounds for him.’

‘With refreshments,’ Maureen said. And the conversation turned to who was going to bring what and wasn’t it time something was done about the tea urn.

Donald’s talk was, indeed, interesting, very lively and full of anecdotes and people crowded around him at the end as he most amiably continued to answer questions.

‘Well, really,’ Alison Shelby was at my elbow. ‘I don’t know when I’ve heard such a good talk! So interesting; it really brought it all to life, didn’t it?
Such an amazing place. Mind you, I can’t say I’d like to live there – give me England all the time – and the people! Well, I suppose it takes all sorts, but some of the things …’ She moved past me and managed to insinuate herself into the group around Donald where she continued her enthusiastic exclamations.

‘It was certainly very popular.’ A cool voice behind me. I turned and saw that it was Maurice Shelby.

‘It was,’ I agreed. ‘Most entertaining, and he really knew his subject.’

‘Indeed. Since he spent many years out there and travelled widely. His job seems to have taken him to many different places.’

‘Actually, he didn’t really mention his job,’ I said tentatively.

‘No, I suppose it would have been unsuitable to do so.’

‘You mean because it was a large multinational company – you think there may be a lot of things he can’t talk about?’

‘Possibly. I don’t know the terms of his contract, but I imagine there must have been some restrictions.’

‘I suppose so,’ I said reluctantly, ‘but I’d have thought in a talk like this it would have been all right to say something – just to give us a general idea of what he did exactly.’

‘Apparently he chose not to do so. And now, if you
will excuse me, I need to collect my wife.’ He glanced towards the group where Alison was still in full flow, moving purposefully towards her, and I reflected that Mr and Mrs Bennett still lived today. Certainly she had the remains of a certain kind of prettiness which accounted for the match, but their two daughters (who took after their father) had managed their marriages (one to a doctor who would, one day, certainly be a consultant, and one to a barrister who, one day, would inevitably be a judge) most competently themselves.

I went into the kitchen to help with the refreshments. Rosemary was buttering bread for sandwiches and I began to slice a cucumber.

‘What did you think?’ she asked.

‘Very good. Most entertaining.’

‘Not much about himself, though. Or his job – I should think that’s what most people wanted to know.’

‘Maurice Shelby thinks there may have been something in his contract that didn’t allow him to,’ I said.

Rosemary looked up, her buttery knife suspended. ‘That sounds sinister, you must admit. And it’s not as though he was going to tell us about secret formulas or whatever.’

‘Oh, I expect it’s just standard when you get to that sort of position. How much of this cucumber do you want?’

‘No, but you must admit—’ She broke off as Maureen came into the kitchen and began fiddling with the tea urn.

‘Wasn’t it a splendid talk?’ she said. ‘Such a pity Eva couldn’t make it. She’d really have enjoyed it.’ Eva was spending a few days in London with Dan and Patrick. ‘Though I suppose,’ she went on, ‘she’s probably heard most of it already, being as she’s
such
a friend of Mr Webster. Do you know, until we can get this thing fixed properly, we’d be better off boiling a couple of kettles.’

‘You see,’ Rosemary said later, ‘people are beginning to talk. Mother was saying only the other day that Vera Davis saw them having lunch together in Taunton.’

‘They’re friends, for goodness’ sake, why shouldn’t they have lunch together!’

‘Mother thought it was unsuitable – it’s not that long since Alan died.’

‘Well, you know what your mother and her friends are like.’

But Rosemary, who any other time would have laughed at the whole thing, seemed to be taking it seriously and I hoped that her concern for Eva wouldn’t make things awkward between them.

Eva rang me when she got back from London.

‘Sheila, have I done something to upset Rosemary?’

‘Not that I know of. Why do you ask?’

‘She’s being a bit distant, if you know what I mean.’

‘Oh dear.’

‘What?’

I took a deep breath. ‘I’m sure she doesn’t mean to be – it’s just that she’s worried about you and doesn’t know how to say anything.’

There was silence for a moment, then Eva said, ‘Is it about Donald?’

‘Yes, well, in a way. Her mother – well you know how old-fashioned she is – seemed to think—’

‘That I shouldn’t go out with anyone now I’m a widow.’ She gave a sort of laugh. ‘I’d forgotten what Taviscombe was like. People are talking?’

‘As you say – people in Taviscombe—’

‘And does Rosemary feel the same?’ she asked.

‘Of
course
not,’ I said hastily.

‘She doesn’t really like Donald, does she?’

‘No, it’s not that; it’s just that he’s rather different from people we’re used to down here.’

‘Oh, come off it, Sheila, you’ve been out in the big wide world!’

‘Yes, I have, but Rosemary is very Taviscombe orientated, you know that, and she’s not quite sure what to make of him. It’s just that she’s very protective of you – family and all that – and doesn’t want you to be hurt.’

Eva sighed. ‘Oh dear, I do hope things aren’t going to be awkward. I like Donald, I like him very much, and I really don’t want to stop seeing him. Do you think I should?’

‘Certainly not. Just tell Rosemary how you feel. Clear the air and everything will be fine.’

But soon after that, Rosemary had another thing to worry about.

‘That wretched man,’ she said, ‘has been pestering Eva again.’

‘What wretched man?’

‘Robert Butler – you know, the man who has the farm just down the road from her.’

‘Oh yes, I know who you mean. How’s he been pestering her?’

‘Well, you know he wants to bring water across her field.’

Eva has a fair-sized field behind the garden, it’s part of the property, and Rosemary has always been full of dire warnings about it – ‘You’ll have to see to the hedges, and who’s going to cut the hay? It’s going to be nothing but trouble.’

‘Is that such a big deal? I mean he’ll have to pay for it. Why does he need extra water anyway?’

‘It’s for a caravan park he wants to open.’

‘No! How awful.’

‘You see, I was right about that field. I did warn her to get rid of it straight away.’

‘If she had,’ I pointed out, ‘whoever bought it might have given permission straight away.’

‘That’s as may be,’ Rosemary brushed it aside. ‘It seems that field is the only way the water can be brought to the particular bit of his land that’s suitable.’

‘Has he got planning permission for this caravan park?’ I asked.

‘He’s thick as thieves with half the council so
that
won’t be a problem once he gets the water.’

‘Oh dear.’

‘He’s offered her a lot of money, but you know Eva, if she’s made up her mind about something. And there’s no way she’d want a place like that next door – think of all the traffic back and forth up the lane!’

‘She really could do without this hassle. But you’re right, she’ll stand firm.’

And when I saw her next she was quite determined.

‘It’s just the sort of situation Alan would have hated,’ she said. ‘I feel I’d be letting him down if I gave in, even if I wanted to, which I don’t!’

‘What does Donald say about it all?’ I asked.

‘Oh, he’s had to go to Chicago for a bit – something the company he worked for want to consult him about – I don’t know the details, but I think he’s likely to be away for several weeks.’

‘That’s a shame; I’m sure he would have been very supportive.’

‘Oh well, there’s nothing this Butler man can do as long as I keep saying no.’

Rosemary, when I told her about the conversation, pounced on the fact of Donald’s trip to Chicago.

‘I wonder what
that
’s all about.’

‘Something his firm wanted to consult him about,’ I suggested. ‘Something about the South American operation that he’d know about.’

‘It sounds a bit odd. I mean, they’ve got people out there, haven’t they, why do they need him?’

‘Presumably because it’s something connected with the time he was out there.’

‘It must be important,’ Rosemary continued, ‘if they’ve got him flying all the way across the Atlantic.’

‘I don’t think flying across the Atlantic is a very big deal to people like Donald.’

‘But,’ she persisted, ‘why would they ask him if he’d left under some sort of cloud?’

‘I don’t think that was the case,’ I said. ‘Eva said there’d been a disagreement.’

‘A
major
disagreement.’

‘Whatever. But there’s no reason to think it was anything sinister.’