Family Secrets (5 page)

The
hospital was in the opposite direction from the
Drunken
Duck
and Rhianna offered to drive the elderly lady. Lawrence said he needed to do a couple of hours work on Ron’s website that afternoon and sent his regards.

Rhianna
decided she would catch up with him later and put things straight. There was no way she was going to allow him to go on thinking that she wanted to take advantage of Letitia. It sickened her to think that he had such a low opinion of her. A pity she thought, just as she was really beginning to enjoy his company.

*

Mavis had been moved to a medical ward. She was sitting in a chair reading the newspaper when they arrived. She greeted Letitia affectionately and looked enquiringly at Rhianna.

“
This is my granddaughter, Rhianna,” Letitia told her proudly. “I told you her name was Rhianna
Soames
but it’s really Rhianna
Delroy
.”

She explained briefly and Rhianna took Mavis’ hand and told her how sorry she was about what had happened.

“But
Irene tells me if it hadn’t been for you I might have been lying on that floor for hours and poor Lizzie was quite helpless to do anything.”

“I
can’t help blaming myself,” Letitia told her friend. “If only I hadn’t used the name
Soames
. I’m almost certain those men thought it was Tina.”

“Now, now, Tish. It’s no good speculating. It was more than likely just opportunists.”

“Then
why did they ask for me?” Rhianna asked.

Mavis
shrugged. “I have no idea. It’s all a bit of a mystery, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m well on the mend - so you really mustn’t worry about me, either of you.” She indicated the vase of colourful blooms on the locker.

“And thank you for those lovely flowers, Rhianna. So thoughtful of you…I’ve got an unexpected holiday with my son and daughter-in-law - so that can’t be bad, can it?”

Rhianna
continued to think there was more to the raid than opportunists but decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

“Did
they take a lot of money?” Letitia wanted to know.

“Fo
rtunately only about three hundred pounds. It could have been a great deal worse. I’ve been worrying about how folk will get their pensions and benefits, but apparently, Mr Jones is going to help out until I’m fit enough to come home. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t put you up, dear. I’d have liked a bit of company.”

“Well, I’ll be coming to see my grandmother again,” Rhianna told her.

“But
she’ll be staying at
Wisteria
Lodge
next time round with me. Irene Blake has offered give me a bit of help around the house.”

Mavis
nodded approvingly. “Well, I’m sure she’ll do a better job than that other girl you employed. What was her name?”

“Sandra.
Oh, she was alright - just a bit dizzy. I just wish I knew what had happened to her.”

“Wasn’t
she related to those tenants of yours in the cottage?”

“That’s
right. The chap, Dylan, was her brother.”

After
they’d been there about half an hour, Mavis’ brother and wife turned up and Letitia took this as a signal to leave. It was late afternoon by the time they arrived back at
Wisteria
Lodge
. Rhianna declined Letitia’s offer of a cup of tea and arranged to see her the following day. There was something she needed to do.

Lawrence
was not in the bar and Rhianna marched upstairs and knocked purposefully on his door, hoping he was in. The door shot open and he stood there looking preoccupied.

“Oh,
good, I needed to have a word with you, Rhia.”

“And
I wanted one with you,” she told him, firmly.

He
stood back and she charged into the room.

“I
need to make one thing absolutely clear, Lawrence Lorimer,” she began.

He
folded his arms. “Go on.”

She
took a deep breath. “I could see what was going through your mind when we were having lunch and I was talking about the gallery and how we have plans to expand it one day.”

She
could see she had taken the wind out of his sails.

“Right
– so you’re a mind-reader are you?” he asked in a dangerously calm voice.

He
wasn’t going to browbeat her. She drew herself up to her full five feet four inches and met his cool green stare.

“Don’t
be ridiculous. I could tell that you disapproved of the conversation – no doubt thought I was hoping that Letitia, at the very least, would offer me a loan. Go on that’s what you were thinking, wasn’t it?”

His
green eyes narrowed. “If you say so. Perhaps it had crossed my mind. After all, Letitia’s got a reputation for being a soft touch. Tina and her friends cheated her over and over and I have no intention of standing by and letting it happen again.”

She
gripped his arm furiously. “How dare you judge me on such a short acquaintance! You know absolutely nothing about me.”

His
eyes blazed. “Exactly, but I do know Letitia Delroy far better than you. She only wants to see the good in people and, as I’ve told you before, I don’t want to see her get hurt ever again.”

She
swallowed. “I have absolutely no intention of…You’ve misread the situation. She asked me about the gallery. I was telling her. What was I supposed to do – lie?”

He
looked at her uncertainly, wondering if he had misjudged her.

“No
- no, of course not. If I’ve misconstrued things then I’m truly sorry.”

And, suddenly, she was in his arms and his fingers were gently stroking her hair and then caressing her face and throat.

For
a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the closeness. She felt safe and secure. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers, smell the freshness of his cologne, but then as his face moved towards her and his lips brushed hers, she came to her senses and pulled away.

“What
do you think you’re doing!” she demanded angrily and pummelled his chest. “You men are all the same; think of one thing as being the cure for everything. Well, I’ve got news for you! You’ve picked on the wrong person!”

“So,
I see. Well, that’s told me,” he said, frankly stunned by her reaction. She had behaved like a wildcat. “I’m sorry. I’ll mind my manners in future.”

The
fight went out of her and tears trembled on her lashes. She shook her head as if to shake them away. “You needn’t think you’re the only one recovering from a broken relationship,” she said and made for the door just as someone knocked on it loudly.

“Lawrence,
are you there?” came Ron’s voice. “Can you come? There’s been a development concerning those raiders.”

“I’m
here as well - so you can tell both of us,” Rhianna told him, whipping open the door and staring at him expectantly.

Ron’s
pale blue eyes were bulging with excitement.

“They’ve
arrested that couple from your grandmother’s cottage, Rhianna. It probably explains why Sandra left - the girl who helped her round the house. She was the fellow’s sister. Anyway, I reckon the police will be wanting to question Mrs Delroy and thought you might like to warn her, Lawrence.”

“We’ll
both go,” Rhianna said, before he had a chance to reply. “Give me five minutes.”

She dashed to the bathroom and splashed water on her face and ran a comb through her hair. She needed to look composed.

Lawrence was sitting on the window-seat on the landing waiting for her. It was as if the episode between them hadn’t happened. There were more important things to think about for the moment and they had to put their own differences to one side.

*

“The police have just phoned,” Letitia told them when they arrived. “You’ve no idea how relieved I am to see the pair of you. Whatever is going to happen next?”

Over
copious cups of tea the story was pieced together. The police officers were very patient with Letitia who was visibly shaken.

“Sandra
was a willing enough girl and did her job to the best of her ability but after she’d left, I suddenly discovered several things had gone missing. Nothing of that much value - just trinkets - but it was upsetting all the same. It explains how those – those people knew Rhianna was going to be staying at the Post Office. Sandra must have overheard me talking on the phone to Mrs Blackett.”

“Our
belief is she thought it was Christina Soames you were talking about,” the police officer said quietly.

Letitia
sighed. “Tina, well, yes, the thought had crossed my mind, but she’s in Australia and anyway, what would they want with her?”

“That’s
what we’d like to know, but she obviously knew them,” he said sternly. “She was seen visiting them at the cottage. I have to tell you, Mrs Delroy that Christina Soames hasn’t arrived in Australia. We actually have reason to believe she’s still in England, so if you do hear from her, please get in touch on this number.”

After
the police had gone, Letitia sank onto the sofa and Tansy jumped on her lap. Letitia stroked her absently.

“Whatever
do they want with Tina?” she asked tiredly. “Oh, Laurie, it never stops where that young woman is concerned. Whatever has she got herself mixed up with now?”

“It
might not be anything,” he said soothingly, “just that she obviously knew those two at the cottage and it was apparent they were anxious to find her for some reason.”

It
sounded weird to Rhianna and, even as Lawrence uttered the words, she could tell that he was unconvinced. He was obviously just trying to placate Letitia.

“That
Sandra must have known what was going on. That’s obviously why she left. I wonder what sort of state they’ve left the cottage in. I’ll have to get all the locks changed, won’t I, Laurie?” Letitia said worriedly.

“Now,
you’re not to worry about all that. We’ll take a look tomorrow and sort things out, won’t we, Rhianna?”

“What?
Oh, yes, of course, although probably the police will be taking a look too so we might not get the opportunity.”

Lawrence
nodded his head. “Ron is absolutely in his element. There’s never been so much excitement in Brookhurst and it’s drawing in the punters.”

Letitia
suddenly brightened. “Well, stay and have some tea now that you’re here. Mrs Dalton gave me such a lovely lemon drizzle cake when she visited the other day. There’s ham and bread in the fridge. I’m sure you could make a few sandwiches, Rhianna.”

Rhianna,
glad of an opportunity to escape went off to the kitchen. If Ron thought he was having a lot of excitement he ought to be in her shoes. She didn’t seem to have time to sort out one situation before the next one arose.

She
busied herself making sandwiches and finding a plate for the cake. She was beginning to feel a little foolish regarding Lawrence. She knew that the problem was that she was extremely vulnerable and that it would be all too easy to rush headlong into another relationship and get hurt all over again.

Lawrence
was a devastatingly attractive man. She had to concede with Fiona on that point. She was aware of a certain magnetism; those green eyes that changed with his mood, the touch of his hand on hers and the rich chestnut hair falling over his forehead. To say nothing of his physique!

She
pulled herself together sharply. No, she would not allow herself to get involved. It would only lead to more heartache. If she’d let him kiss her, she knew there would be no turning back. It would be like being sucked into a whirlpool from which there was no escape and she had no intention of letting that happen.

The
subject of her thoughts appeared in the doorway at that moment.

He
saluted. “Reporting for duty, Ma’am. I’ve been sent to carry in the plates.”

She
had to smile. “It’s all ready. She indicated the laden tray. “I’ve just got the tea to make.”

“It’s
years since I ate a proper Sunday tea,” he told her, a twinkle in his eyes. “Sorry you’ve been forced to endure even more of my company.”

The
colour tinged her cheeks. It was now or never.

“No,
I’m sorry, Laurie. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just that everything’s happening so quickly.”

His
expression softened. “I know and you are finding it all a bit much. Well, let’s hope we can sort things out quickly at the cottage and then I suspect you’ll be wending your way home.”

She
nodded. “Fiona’s trying to organise some workshops and she’ll need my input. It wouldn’t be fair for me to leave her too long. There’s the online business as well.”