Page 41 of A Curious Ending

‘Sweet little fishes,’ Abby provided helpfully.

Joe laughed. ‘You’re the oddest girl, Lara McGregor. You haven’t been hanging out with Kate by any chance?’

‘You know Kate?’ Lara asked.

‘Yep, she does my hair,’ Joe said, running his hand through his shaggy thatch. ‘Look, I have to go. You won’t say anything about it will you?’

Lara shook her head.

As he turned, he paused. ‘Are you going to the Estate’s Christmas Ball this year?’

‘Did someone mention a dance?’ Abby pirouetted neatly on the spot.

‘What?’ Lara was miles away but the mention of the Christmas Ball brought the prospect of Julian and his crowd to mind. Each year the biggest local landowner threw a ball for the town in support of his favourite charity. Julian and his friends always attended in force. ‘God no!’ she said before she heard Abby’s sigh of exasperation. Covered in confusion she looked at Joe. ‘Are you going?’

‘Yep. Most of my clients go, so it’s quite good to get a chance to chat to them.’ He left it at that. As Joe walked on towards the house he was shaking his head.

Abby knew exactly how he felt. She also reflected to herself that the young man had not actually declared whether he was related to Lady Porter or not. And had she believed him when he had said he was happy not to receive a fortune in her will? On that point she was undecided.

They found Mrs M in the pantry sorting the silver. ‘Master Richard wants all of this counted before they move in,’ she said, giving Lara an eloquent look. ‘I wonder if he’ll search me before I leave?’ she added.

‘Did Penny call you about the vases?’ Lara asked.

‘Would that be Pinky?’ Abby enquired.

Lara resisted the temptation to take a swipe at her again.

‘Yes, that’s fine,’ Mrs M replied. ‘Would you like a coffee before you have a look at them?’

Lara accepted gratefully and followed Mrs M to the kitchen. Quite a lot had changed since they were there last and there were a number of packing boxes scattered around the room. Beside one of them stood a pile of books, some old lace tablecloths and a pestle and mortar.

Abby moved over to study the table linen. It was a bright crisp white and the lace edging was particularly fine. She drew from her apron pocket a white linen handkerchief bordered with similarly fine lace work. She then took to studying the pile of books, which from where Lara stood appeared to be a mixture of cookery books and children’s books.

‘Are you having a sort out before you leave?’ Lara asked.

‘Yes, these things belong to me, and there are some bits and pieces that her Ladyship wanted me to have. Not that his nibs likes that,’ Mrs M smiled grimly, as she filled the kettle.

‘Did Lady Porter leave you any of her china?’ Lara asked, adding, ‘I can remember seeing a pretty set with birds and Chinese scenes on when we had tea once.’ Lara thought as she said this what an accomplished liar she was becoming.

‘I know the one. No that stays with the house. There’s almost a full set of that one,’ Mrs M informed her.

‘I just wondered as I think it might be quite valuable.’ Lara had looked up Meissen on the internet that morning and she thought Abby might be right about the value of a full tea service.

Mrs M stared at her intently for a moment but just said, ‘Is instant okay? We’re running low on filter coffee.’

‘Oh, fine,’ Lara replied. She tried another tack. ‘I was in Honeybourne Antiques yesterday and happened to see something similar out the back. Do you think Jason could have bought some of the pieces from Lady Porter?’ she enquired.

‘You’d have to ask him that,’ was Mrs M’s cagey reply. She then added, ‘Lady Porter did deal with Honeybourne. She bought and sold a bit through him. But if you ask me I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.’

‘As I thought,’ Abby reflected aloud, ‘an astute as well as a capable woman.’

‘Do you think he could have got his hands on some of her china?’ Lara asked.

‘I wouldn’t put it past him,’ Mrs M conceded. ‘But no, I would have noticed if any of that particular set went missing, as I’m the one that washes it and puts it away.’

‘How many pieces are there?’ Lara enquired, accepting a cup and saucer from Mrs M. It might be instant coffee she thought, but nothing would persuade Mrs M to serve coffee in a mug.

‘There’s a tea pot and matching milk jug, a sugar bowl, and let me see, five plates, five cups, but only four saucers. So almost a full set. There was a tea caddy, but I think that might have got broken,’ Mrs M said, counting them out.