Family Secrets (13 page)

“Going
well, isn’t it?” Fiona said when she and Rhianna met up briefly in the kitchenette as they replenished the plates of food.

“Fantastic!
It was an inspiration. Well done, Fiona!”

“Oh,
I’m not just a pretty decoration, you know. I have my uses, Rhia.”

Rhianna
laughed. “You certainly do and to prove it, you can grab these plates whilst I get some more wine. At this rate, we’re going to have to send out for more!”

The
decoupage group were thoroughly enjoying themselves and, during the course of the evening, a number of visitors signed up for the art course after Easter.

Half
an hour before the evening was due to end and people were beginning to drift away, the gallery door opened and a very striking woman in a cherry-red coat appeared in the doorway. She was tall and elegant and her blonde hair was beautifully styled. She looked about her for a moment and then made a bee-line for Lawrence. Fiona nudged Rhianna’s arm.

“Who’s
that?”

But
Rhianna didn’t reply. She could make an accurate guess as to who the woman was and watched as she kissed Lawrence full on the mouth.

Matthew
joined them. “Who’s that woman draping herself all over Laurie?”

“Probably
his girlfriend,” Rhianna said in a tight little voice.

Mathew
looked at her open-mouthed. “But I thought that was…I mean I assumed it was you.”

“Not
a good idea to assume Matt.” Rhianna told him rather sharply and he turned pink with embarrassment.

“I
don’t remember Laurie saying he was bringing a guest,” Fiona said. “Come on Rhia let’s go and find out who this female is.”

She
virtually propelled Rhianna across the room.

“Hi,
Laurie, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”

Lawrence’s
expression was unfathomable as he said, “This is Christina Soames. Tina, these two ladies own and run the gallery. Fiona Field and…” He hesitated slightly, not looking at Rhianna, “Rhianna Delroy.”

Tina’s
mascaraed lashes fluttered. She extended a red-tipped hand briefly.

“So,
you’re Rhianna. I’ve heard so much about you. We meet at last. When I learnt about Laurie’s little shindig, I simply had to come.”

“Yes
, how exactly did you hear?” Lawrence asked coolly.

“Oh,
you didn’t think you could keep it a secret, did you, darling? Tish told me, of course...Laurie’s work is quite a coup for your gallery - hope you two appreciate it.”

“Oh,
we certainly know his worth,” Fiona assured her.

“Well,
let’s take a look at these masterpieces of yours, darling. Have you got anything new or are they all of Brookhurst?”

Tina
took his arm and he led her across to his paintings. Rhianna stood stock-still, gazing after them, feeling a physical pain.

Fiona
touched her arm. “Don’t let her get to you, Rhia. It doesn’t sound as if Laurie invited her. She just took it in her head to come.”

“I
- I just can’t work out why Letitia would have told her,” Rhianna said dully; feeling as if her heart had plummeted into her shoes.

“That’s
if she did - now it’s been a fantastic evening up until now - so, don’t let that woman put the kibosh on it. I’m going to get you a coffee. You’ve gone as white as a sheet - anyway, now you’ve met her. You were bound to one day, seeing as she’s still in touch with your grandmother.”

Rhianna
knew Fiona was right. Looking across the gallery she could see Lawrence standing with Tina by his side as they chatted with a couple of last minute visitors to the gallery.

Tina
had tucked her arm possessively through his. Even from that distance, Rhianna was forced to admit that she was an extremely elegant, attractive woman and could quite see why she would be appealing to men.

Rhianna
sighed, knowing she had been foolish to think Lawrence could have had any feelings for her. He’d merely been toying with her affections - amusing himself until Tina resurfaced.

Fiona
returned with two cups of coffee. They sank thankfully onto a couple of chairs.

“And,
just for the record, Rhia - Tina might have blonde hair and blue eyes - but there the resemblance ends. I don’t think she looks a bit like you.”

After
Tina had taken a critical look round the gallery, she came swanning across to Rhianna. Fiona had gone off to chat with someone about her sculptures.

“Laurie’s
so talented, don’t you think?” Tina asked, perching on the edge of a stool.

“He
certainly is.”

“Of
course, it was Reg Delroy who taught him most of what he knows - did he tell you that?” Her voice was silky smooth.

“Something
like that.” Rhianna felt trapped. Tina was fixing her with a look that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Tina’s
ice-blue eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you hoping to gain from befriending Letitia?”

“I’m
sorry, I haven’t the remotest idea of what you’re talking about.”

“Oh,
but I think you do. She’s an old woman and she had this wild idea of being reunited with her grand-daughter, but now she realises her mistake… It’s best to leave the past alone, don’t you think, before too many skeletons rattle out of the cupboard.”

Rhianna
suddenly knew for certain that it had been Tina who had phoned her that evening and a tiny shiver trembled down her spine. There was something about this woman that unnerved her.

“It
was you, wasn’t it?” she challenged her.

Tina
frowned. “I beg your pardon - what are you talking about?”

“It
was you who phoned me a while back - trying to warn me off. Well, it won’t work. My grandmother and I get on very well and I’ve no intention of letting you get in the way of that.”

Tina
gave a short laugh. “Indeed - I know far more about Letitia than you’re ever likely to. She looked you up on a whim. Now she’s satisfied her curiosity, but you’re clinging onto her like a leech.”

“You’re
being intolerably rude,” Rhianna told her, endeavouring to keep her cool. “This is my gallery and - if it weren’t for the fact that you’re Laurie’s guest - I’d ask you to leave.”

Tina’s
eyelids flickered. “That’s fine. I’m just waiting for Laurie to finish his conversation and then we’ll be off. He’s giving me a lift, as my friends have gone on elsewhere. You needn’t kid yourself that I’d have been here if it hadn’t been for Laurie - these little dos bore me stiff…Oh, and there is just one other thing. I think you’ve got something that belongs to me.”

“I
think that’s highly unlikely,” Rhianna told her, taken aback.

A
tiny smile hovered at the corners of Tina Soames lips. “Well, let me refresh your memory. I believe you have a portrait of my mother, Anna Soames, in your possession. It was painted by Reg Delroy and it’s called
Portrait
of
a
Woman
in
Blue
.”

“I
know the picture you’re referring to but what makes you think it belongs to you?” Rhianna asked, meeting her gaze steadily.

Just
for a moment, Tina looked uncertain and then she said, “My grandmother told me. Your father took it with him when he left
Wisteria
Lodge
, but it belonged to my mother. It was a gift from Reg Delroy. That was the main reason why Letitia got in touch with you - to ask you to return the painting.”

Rhianna
decided to make no comment about that. She thought it best not to say that Letitia had been adamant that she held onto it.

Tina
looked around and saw Lawrence still chatting to one or two remaining visitors. She attracted his attention by waving her hand at him and, as she did so, Rhianna caught sight of the large emerald engagement ring on her finger, flashing as the light caught it.

Lawrence
was coming towards them, but he got waylaid by an elderly gentleman. Tina took the opportunity to say,

“Lovely
ring, isn’t it? Laurie and I were engaged before, you know. We had a lover’s tiff, but now we’ve resolved our differences. Letitia was made up when I told her we’d got together again. Thought I’d let you know - just in case you’d misunderstood his friendship towards you. He always was a mug for blondes.”

“Well,
may you both be very happy,” Rhianna told her.

There
was a triumphant look on Tina’s face as she said, “I’ve absolutely no doubt of that - we were before. Our relationship was idyllic.”

“What
a pity it didn’t stay that way,” Rhianna said tartly and moved smartly out of the way as Lawrence made to join them. She didn’t want to face him, so she busied herself collecting up the empty glasses and took them into the kitchenette. When she returned to the gallery he’d gone.

“Where
did you shoot off to?” Fiona asked. “Everyone’s gone now.”

“Good
- I hope Laurie’s taken that woman with him.”

“He
was looking for you to say, goodbye. He thought it was a marvellous evening.”

Rhianna
sniffed. “I’m sure he did. Well, he’s just lost my vote, bringing that dreadful woman here.”

“Yes,
that was unfortunate, but I honestly don’t think it was planned.”

“She’s
flaunting a large emerald ring and says she’s back with Laurie again.”

Fiona
raised her eyebrows. “You’ve only got her word for that, Rhia. She was probably trying to wind you up.”

“Well,
she’s certainly succeeded. I was enjoying myself until she turned up,” Rhianna said bitterly.

“Perhaps
you should let Laurie explain.”

Rhianna
wrung out the dish cloth viciously. “You know what, Fi? At this moment, I don’t care if I never set eyes on him again.”

“Well,
that’s unfortunate because I’ve invited him to my engagement party tomorrow and I can hardly uninvite him, can I?”

Chapter Twelve

Rhianna had a restless night and, in the end, decided to get up early and make a start on clearing up at the gallery. Fiona wasn’t coming in until later that morning, as she needed to sort out things for the party.

Rhianna
began washing the stack of glasses which she needed to return to the off-licence. After that, she swept the floor, wiped the surfaces and restored the gallery to its usual pristine condition. Her heart was heavy but, for Fiona’s sake, she knew she had to make an effort.

When
she could bring herself to do so, she would ring Letitia and tell her how the evening had gone.

Halfway through the morning, the gallery phone rang and Letitia’s voice said, “Oh, good, I was hoping you’d be there. How was the evening? I know you said you’d ring, but I couldn’t wait to find out how it had gone.”

Rhianna
told her briefly - not wanting to go into any detail.

“The
thing is, Rhianna, I think I might have put my foot in it. You see Tina rang me again and I let it slip about Laurie’s exhibition.”

“Yes,
I know - she turned up last night.”

Letitia
gasped audibly. “She did? I wondered if she might take a look, but quite thought she’d come another time…How did you - was it all right?”

“Not
really. It seems she and Laurie are back together again - did you know?”

There
was a long pause.

“Are
you sure, dear? Only I’ve already spoken with Laurie this morning and I certainly didn’t get that impression from him.”

“Perhaps
he didn’t want to tell you right away. Tina was wearing her engagement ring last night, so I don’t think there was any mistake.”

There
was silence at the other end of the phone and then Letitia said, “Describe it to me, Rhianna.”

“Emeralds
and diamonds. She made a point of telling me she and Laurie had been engaged before, but, of course, I knew that already.”

“Yes,
but that wasn’t the ring Laurie bought for her. The ring that she was wearing belonged to her mother.”

“Really?”
A glimmer of hope shot through Rhianna, to be dashed almost immediately as she remembered something. “Then why was she wearing it on her engagement finger?”

Letitia sighed. “Oh, I don’t know, but trust me, Rhianna. Last night was the first time Laurie had set eyes on her in over two years. I’m so sorry if I caused you any problem. It just sort of slipped out about Laurie’s exhibition.”

“Oh,
not to worry. Tina could easily have found out by looking on the internet… Is she intending to visit you?” Rhianna asked casually.

“She hasn’t said so. Tina is very unpredictable. Laurie doesn’t even know where she’s staying.”

“That’s
odd. I thought he gave her a lift home last night.”

Letitia
laughed. “Is that what she told you? He gave her a lift to the station in St Alban’s - went out of his way to do so.”

“Oh
, perhaps, I misunderstood,” Rhianna said, feeling slightly more hopeful again.

“Letitia - Tina asked me about the picture of Anna Soames. Said it belonged to her mother and that my father had taken it when he left Brookhurst.”

“I’m afraid Tina believes that to be true, because it’s probably what her grandmother told her. Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry you’re being faced with all this.”

“I
don’t like the portrait, Letitia. I don’t want there to be any bad feeling and would be more than happy to give it to Tina - whether or not it was hers.”

“I
wouldn’t do that for the moment, Rhianna, if I were you,” Letitia advised her. “I’d hold on to it. Keep it safe and don’t say where it is. Tina can be rather impetuous. Sometimes she says things in the heat of the moment that are - well a little exaggerated.”

“Yes
I see.” Rhianna decided not to say any more about the portrait.

“I took a lot of photographs of the exhibition. I’ll print them out and bring them to show you next time I visit.”

It
wasn’t until her grandmother had rung off, that it suddenly dawned on Rhianna what she’d said about the engagement ring Tina had been wearing. Letitia had said it had belonged to Anna Soames. Who exactly had Anna been engaged to, she wondered. There was so much to think about that her head was whirling.

Rhianna
took another look at Lawrence’s paintings, loving the serene feeling of the landscapes. He’d encapsulated the tranquillity of Brookhurst.

She
sighed. She didn’t know what to believe about his relationship with Christina Soames. She desperately hoped that her grandmother was right, when she said she didn’t think they were back together again. She so wanted to believe it, but somehow, she wasn’t convinced.

Fiona
burst into the gallery just then and Rhianna knew she’d have to stop moping and put on a cheerful face for her friend’s sake.

*

The engagement party was in full swing. There was no sign of Laurie, and Rhianna, chatting to Lucy and her other friends, wondered if he’d decided to stay away. Her emotions were in such turmoil that she didn’t know whether to be relieved or sorry.

“So
where’s this gorgeous hunk, Fiona’s telling us you’re going out with?” Lucy asked her now.

“Laurie
might be gorgeous; he might be a hunk, but I’m not going out with him. We’re just friends because he knows my grandmother - that’s all. As for knowing where he is, I haven’t got the remotest idea.”

“He’s
here,” said a voice behind her and a grinning Laurie came to stand beside her. Everyone laughed and she was forced to join in.

“Sorry I got held up - the traffic was horrendous.”

After
a few minutes, the group moved off in search of refreshments. Lawrence took her arm.

“I
thought we were more than just friends, Rhia. You and I have got some serious talking to do.”

“What
more is left to be said?” she demanded, shaking off his arm impatiently. “You’ve made it clear that you’re back with Tina Soames and I don’t go in for threesomes.”

He
stared at her. “I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick…”

He
put a casual arm about her waist and led her outside the hall into the bar which was less crowded.

“I could do with a drink and I’m sure you could.”

They
took their drinks to a table in a corner. She knew she had to face up to whatever he was going to tell her and there was no escape.

“Rhianna,
Tina and I parted company over two years ago. I received a very puzzling phone call from Tish - after she’d spoken with you this morning. Something to do with an engagement ring Tina was wearing.”

“I
thought - that’s to say that Tina led me to believe…”

“Rhia,
I am not about to get re-engaged to Tina. She, no doubt, flogged the ring I gave her. The one she was wearing was definitely her mother’s. The problem with Tina is that she loves to play games. I’m afraid to say she can be both calculating and manipulative.”

He
saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

“Rhianna,
you mustn’t allow Tina to get to you. Looking at things from her angle for a moment, it’s understandable she’s going to find it difficult to get her head round the situation. After all, until recently, she was the only one in Letitia’s family and now you’ve turned up.”

Rhianna
nodded, but she found it hard to feel any sympathy for Tina.

“Now,
I’ve met her and spoken with her - I’m almost certain it was her who phoned me that time. I challenged her with it and, of course, she denied it. I’m sorry, Laurie, but just for a minute - seeing you together - I thought you were back together again.”

He
sighed, wishing he could find some way of convincing her.

“Oh,
Rhia - when are you going to learn to trust me? Until you do, how can our relationship progress?”

“The
problem is, Laurie…” She met his green gaze steadily.

“Yes?”
His jade eyes had a dangerous glint in them.

“You
shouldn’t be such a gorgeous hunk!”

He
burst out laughing and leaning across, kissed her swiftly on the mouth.

“That
was to seal our friendship and more besides,” he said softly.

Rhianna
kissed him back, her heart beating wildly, and he caught her hands between his. The contact was electric.

He
gave her a devastating smile. “You’re looking very lovely tonight. That colour really suits you.”

She
smiled back, pleased that she’d chosen to wear the silky, peach-coloured dress. It was a favourite of hers and it suddenly didn’t matter that she’d bought it for a date with Marcus. Tonight she was with Lawrence.

“So,
have we straightened it all out?” he asked, his fingers gently encircling her wrist.

“There
is still the question of the portrait,” Rhianna told him. “Tina feels it’s hers and, in a way, I agree with her. I think I might know why my father took it when he left Brookhurst, but I don’t want to go there just now.”

“No
, you’re dealing with far too much as it is. Tish mentioned the picture - it’s something that obviously bothers her. Be patient, for a while longer, Rhia. Keep hold of it for the time-being and I’m sure that - in a short while - we’ll both learn all there is to know about it… Now, shall we go and join the party?”

It
was a good party and Rhianna suddenly realised she was glad she’d come.

Lawrence
proved to be a very sociable person and got on well with her friends and Fiona’s family. He and Dave struck up an immediate rapport. He rose to Fiona’s challenge of a dance and twirled her round the floor, matching his steps to hers in a series of complicated movements - much to everyone’s admiration.

“I
think you’ve been holding out on us,” Lucy told Rhianna when she caught up with her over the refreshments. “I’ve been watching you two and I can’t believe you’re just friends. Ah-ha you’re blushing!”

“OK,”
Rhianna admitted, “We’d had a bit of a misunderstanding involving his ex- fiancée - who turned up at the exhibition yesterday. We’ve sorted it out, but, it’s early days yet and, after Marcus, I’ve no intention of getting too serious, too soon, so I’m taking things very slowly.”

“Well,
don’t hang about too much or you’ll give him the impression you’re not interested and lose him,” Lucy advised. “Why don’t you bring him to my wedding next Saturday?”

“Oh,
Lucy, I’m not sure…”

“Tell,
you what – I’ll ask him. Keep your fingers crossed that he’s free.”

*

“Guess what,” Lawrence said presently, as he whirled Rhianna round the dance floor. “Your friend, Lucy, has just invited me to accompany you to her wedding next Saturday.”

“She
told me she was going to ask you - so can you…?”

“Absolutely,
if that’s OK with you, Rhia?”

“I’d
like that,” she told him with a delighted smile and she knew that she meant it.

The
evening went by on wings, until glancing at his watch, Lawrence said, “Regretfully, I’ve got to be making a move. I’ve promised to collect our neighbours from the airport in the wee small hours. My father had completely forgotten he’d agreed to do it, until after he’d arranged to go to my brother’s this week-end, so I’ve offered to step in.”

Rhianna
realised what a lovely man he was - so caring and thoughtful. She wished he could have stayed, knew that every minute she spent with him was precious, but it had been a lovely evening and she hoped there would be many more.

As
they parted company, he caught her in a passionate embrace that left her senses reeling.

She stood on the hall steps waving him goodbye and felt a warm glow of contentment spreading through her. She knew now, without a shadow of doubt, that she was in love with Lawrence and, suddenly, her world seemed a brighter place.

*

Rhianna felt a little nervous at the prospect of meeting Lawrence’s parents. They had arranged to visit the gallery on Thursday morning. She needn’t have worried; they were a delightful couple in their sixties. Ralph Lorimer was like an older edition of his son. Mary Lorimer was a friendly, talkative lady with neat brown hair and a warm smile.

They took a long time wandering round the gallery chatting to both Rhianna and Fiona. Rhianna could tell that they were proud of their son and had a good rapport with him.

As
they sat over coffee, Rhianna felt completely at ease.

“This
is just as you’ve described it, Laurie. I’m so glad we came,” Mary Lorimer said. “And it’s lovely to meet the pair of you. We’ve heard so much about you. Katie can’t wait to come here again. She’s told everyone at school she’s got an uncle who’s an artist.”