Underbelly (4 page)

“
So the grandmother, the mother and the daughter all looked very similar?” Reverend Stuart said, trying to get his head around his outlandish claim.

“
There is nee grandmother or mother, there ne’er was.”

Reverend Stuart spent 20 minutes with Billy before joining Fathers’ Rossi and Sciali outside. Father Rossi’s enquiring eyes asked for a progress report and Reverend Stuart said, “I’ll have to spend more time with Billy in the future. He can’t help you, I’m afraid. He believes that Laura is older than her years.”

“
That is helpful,” Father Rossi said, not dismissing Billy Beckett as mad, unlike the Reverend. “I know you have other things to attend to today, my friend. Tonight I will tell you all that we know about Laura Spencer and our mission.”

“
None of the guests have arrived yet, we could talk now,” Reverend Stuart suggested eagerly, his curiosity building to a crescendo.

Father Rossi shook his head. “We will leave you to prepare for them. Come, Umberto,” Father Rossi said and they took their leave from him to visit the two Catholic homes in the village.

A car approached Laura’s home mid-afternoon, earlier than she had expected. She put her book down, giving up on researching about the Essenes for the day, and she went outside to ‘greet’ them. Sylvia was there, sitting in the front with the driver, having directed him to the estate, and she waved at Laura from the car, Laura forcing herself to stiffly wave back. The back was cramped with four female passengers and they opened their doors first, keen to get out, swiftly followed by Sylvia. The driver opened his door and stood by it as he courteously asked Laura where he should park the vehicle. She was indifferent and told him it was fine where it was. Sylvia handled the introductions, presenting Tony and Kate Horsfield, their eldest daughter Pamela, their youngest daughter, Elspeth, and her future daughter-in-law, Alice. They seemed friendly enough, especially the parents and Alice.

“
Don’t worry, we’ve billeted you with a fellow Sassenach,” Sylvia joked to them.

“
I hope you don’t have to put up with this all the time,” Tony said sympathetically to Laura.

“
She’s a hermit so she escapes it,” Sylvia said, still joking but going too far and starting to earn Laura’s ire.

“
I would be too,” Tony said cheerfully to Laura.

“
I’m going to leave you to it, and I’ll see you later, right,” Sylvia said, giving Alice a hug before she walked off. Tony asked her if she wanted a lift and she scoffed at the idea, saying that the Scots were hardier people than the English and that the walk back to the village was a leisurely stroll to her.

Kate talked to Laura, complimenting her on her estate and recounting a bland story of their long trip as her eldest, mousy daughter stood next to her silently. Laura made the requisite small talk, watching as Tony unloaded the bags.

“
Come on then, add some more bags to the packhorse,” Tony said to Alice and Elspeth, already carrying several, his fingers splayed as he gripped some heavy bags with just one finger.

“
Dad, we can carry some ourselves or do it in return trips,” Alice said, trying to wrest some from his fingers before he did himself an injury.

“
For goodness sake, Tony, let us take some else you’ll bang them off every door frame in this poor woman’s house,” his wife said, laughing a little and covering her eyes. She smiled at Laura and said, “What do you do with them?”

Laura was not in the mood for company, but she was not angry with the Horsfields who seemed pleasant enough and she played along. “They have their uses.”

“
Thank you, Laura. Appreciation, Kate,” Tony said to his wife, pretending that he thought Laura had praised him. “It’s not so hard to do.”

“
I apologise, Tony, I’m chastened,” Kate said, struggling to stifle her laughter.

“
If only that was true. Where do you want these bags then?” he asked Alice.

“
Your show of strength is commendable, Mr Horsfield, but the only problem is that all of the bags you’re holding at extreme angles have to go through a single door, not aircraft hangar doors,” Laura said dryly, taking three from him and carrying them effortlessly, leaving him with four. “Follow me,” she said commandingly.

“
Yes ma’am,” he said, sensing that despite a standoffish veneer, Laura was game for a laugh.

“
Do you want me to follow him to tell you if he scuffs any doors?” his youngest daughter, 14-year-old Elspeth, said mischievously.

“
That sounds like a good idea to me,” Laura said, “and if he does he can sleep in a place with nice, wide doors.” The barn was only a few kilometres from the house and it was apparent that that was where she meant. Elspeth liked this idea but her fun was spoilt by her mother saying her name quietly and shaking her head at her. Laura talked seriously to Tony when they were inside, showing him the rooms they could choose from. She still called him Mr Horsfield and he told her to call him Tony and said, hoping he hadn’t offended her, “I’ve been calling you Laura. Do you prefer Miss Spencer?”

“
Laura’s fine, don’t worry about it. Your family are welcome to...”

They both heard a creak and Tony knew that Elspeth was lurking around somewhere, eavesdropping on them. “They’re monsters. I wanted a boy and I was cursed with three girls. Elspeth’s the worst, a right horror.”

Elspeth put her head around the corner, sticking her tongue out at him.

“
You can’t stick it out up here, it’ll turn blue and drop off in this weather,” Tony said, teasing her.

“
He scuffed every door,” Elspeth said to Laura.

“
Very bad. I’ll let you decide what should be done with him,” Laura said to Elspeth’s glee and she ran outside to tell the others what she’d done, her mother a little annoyed with her until Elspeth promised her that Laura wasn’t really cross.

“
Cheers for that,” Tony said, jocosely. “Cheers for this too, by the way, all joking aside. How much do I owe you?” he said, reaching into his wallet.

“
It’s all right. I have no food to give you, and you’ll understand why, so your family stopping here doesn’t cost me anything so I don’t want any money.” Did she really say that? Money was always useful and she’d spent enough on her last guests, but she found herself automatically refusing. She’d have taken the money from the wife and she knew it – maybe big-mouthed Goody Chapman was right, maybe she was lonelier than she realised. She certainly missed Grey, their friendship stronger than ever since his crush evaporated and his romantic aspirations were transferred over to Germaine. Tony was not unattractive to her, loosely resembling Walter Pidgeon and possessing a cheery manner not dissimilar to Grey and, crucially, he had more miles on the clock, a very important factor.

“
I can’t inflict my brood on anyone without paying some compensation. Your bathroom will be occupied for hours on end; your ears will be chewed off. You’re subjecting yourself to torture so you have to let me…”

“
Based on that description I might have second thoughts.”

“
Did I say they were bad? My mistake, they’re a charming lot, angels. Come Saturday you’ll be begging them not to leave.”

“
We’ll see.”

The Horsfields were by no means a raucous family, though Laura was certainly aware that they were there. She provided a very light snack for them and then went about her business, tending to her garden. The family readied themselves to have tea with the Chapmans in the village and to meet the vicar who would conduct the ceremony; Tony came out to see her before they went and asked her if it was safe to meet all of the locals, to which Laura joked that if he wanted to befriend them just to mention Culloden and Edward I. He appeared to take her seriously and she shouted after him that Bannockburn and Robert Bruce would probably go down better, and he winked at her as he walked to the car where Elspeth was honking the horn impatiently. She could bear their company for three days.

They returned at around seven, four packed cars pulling up at the manor. Sylvia Chapman let herself in and explained to Laura what they had decided on, her house seeming perfect for the bridal shower while their men tore up the village. As a stream of women entered her house Laura could feel her blood boil and she lied and said she had a migraine and would go to bed and leave them to it. She began to walk up the stairs when Alice and Kate Horsfield ran after her, apologising for the intrusion, which wasn’t their idea.

“
We’ll leave,” Alice said. “We tried to tell Sylvia that it wasn’t a good idea.”

The girl was pleasant and Laura said, “I don’t mind, but I do have a migraine and I need to lie down. If I feel better later I’ll come down and join you.”

“
Can I get you anything for it?” Kate offered.

“
I’ll be fine, thank you. If I don’t come down later, have a good night.”

Three days. Less than that really; a few hours tonight, all day tomorrow and then a few hours the next morning and she’d have peace again. Her temper was abated by the fact that her guests were bearable – it was just the people they brought with them who were not so tolerable. She only stayed in her room for a little while, not wanting to create a bad impression, and she told her guests that she’d taken a pill which would hopefully work and was given some old wives remedies by several women who promised her that they always worked. Ewan Chapman was there, having driven one of the cars, and he was waiting for Tony who was getting changed ready for his night out. Ewan asked Laura about Grey, having been a guest at his wedding (they were both friends with Stuart Lambert) and she told him that he’d left Ravensbeck for good to explore his home country.

“
He won’t get far,” Sylvia said. “He’s still on crutches, isn’t he?”

Laura shook her head. “He’s fully recovered now.”

Another villager, Sylvia’s sister-in-law, Mary, praised Laura for her kindness in looking after Grey, which led to a few uncomfortable moments as it was asked why he hadn’t been shipped back to America when he was wounded. Laura didn’t answer, instead putting her hand to her brow. Three of Alice’s friends had been picked up from Aberdeen station and were gushing over her as Elspeth gushed over them, but even though Alice was involved in another conversation she still stuck up for Laura, telling the other women that she had a headache and softly asking them to leave her be.

“
Yes, but my cousin’s girl was seeing an Australian boy and when he lost his arm he was took all the way back there, at the height of the troubles,” Mary said.

“
James wanted to stop here,” was all that Laura was prepared to say on the subject, Kate intervening and saying that she felt it was the perfect place for a soldier to recuperate, praising Laura’s home and also the area, changing the topic to how much she loved what she’d seen of Ravensbeck. Tony came down and saw that Laura still looked glum and he asked her how she was, asking her if she wanted the tablets he always used. She shook her head, telling him that she’d already took a tablet, and he offered her some remedies that always worked for him (hangover cures but it was essentially the same ailment).

“
We’ve already had this conversation, Tony,” Kate said.

“
I think that’s their way of telling us it’s time to leave, Ewan,” Tony said, Ewan very keen to make a move for his stag night in the village. His army buddies had just arrived and he wanted to be with them, Alice begging him to wait for her dad and winning out. She went with Ewan to the doorstep and made him promise again to keep an eye on her father.

“
They’re not after him, it’s me who’s got the target on my back.”

“
While you’re conscious look after him. They’re not going to do anything too stupid, are they?”

“
I expect so. I’ll be at the church on time, don’t fret,” he said dourly, as was his manner, Ewan sounding dour even when he was happy and Alice could see that he was anticipating the wedding as keenly as she was.

With the men gone and a small amount of alcohol consumed (Alice declined despite Sylvia’s forceful attempts to ply her with drink, though her friends drank plenty in her stead), inhibitions were loosened up. Laura decided to have a drink herself and tried to make the best of it, grateful that her house had only been commandeered for the bridal shower rather than for the men’s revelry, which would be far livelier. Four guests arrived together a little later, Margaret Lambert one of them. She told Laura that she needed to speak with her and Laura took her into her study for some privacy.