A Few Days in Endel: A gripping romantic suspense tale with twists and turns by Andrews Lucilla & Gordon Diana

Author:Andrews, Lucilla & Gordon, Diana [Andrews, Lucilla]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: romantic mystery, romantic thriller, romantic suspense, mystery and thriller, twists and turns, British thrillers
Publisher: Wyndham Books (Romantic Suspense)
Published: 2019-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Lunch was even more atmospheric than breakfast. We all seemed to be watching each other and waiting for anticipated conversational cues to which could be made anticipated replies. It reminded me of one of the formal all-female lunches in Spain to which I had often been invited by Spanish friends while Charles was working. We had all sat round watching our waistlines and taking it in turns to sigh over the sadness of a woman’s lot, indigestion, the pains of labour and the impossibility of outbidding the American service wives for servants. Sooner or later someone always announced, ‘We are here to suffer.’ Someone else then made the correct reply, ‘We shall be happier in Paradise.’

June would have been absolutely at home at those luncheon-parties. The chicken was too tough; the apples were too tart; Mr. Yates was bound to overload his bill; Murdo was certain to be incapable of good work tomorrow owing to the monumental hangover with which he would return tonight.

David said, ‘At least it’s a glorious day. Warm enough for spring.’

‘Too warm,’ retorted June. ‘We’ll get a mist.’

Robert managed to catch my eye. That was no simple matter as I was consciously avoiding looking at him. ‘I’ve press-ganged David into lending me a hand at the farm this afternoon. I won’t ask you along, Rose, as we’ll be toting fodder bales. What are you girls going to do? Retire with the Sunday papers?’

June said she thought that a lovely idea. I kept my views to myself until the men had gone. ‘Would you mind if I took a walk? I feel I must have air.’

‘Oh my word, you are an energetic body! You really want to walk? Today? After Dolly?’ She stressed, in case I had missed her point.

I said the only way to get over falling off a horse was to get straight back on and went up for my coat and boots leaving her to think me insensitive as well as trite if she so chose. Her remark left me thinking that whatever else life had done to her, it could not have yet removed in death anyone of real importance to her. After my mother and in another way, after Charles, I was an old hand. If I didn’t walk round Endel today, I’d never walk round Endel again.

June was waiting in the hall. ‘Where’ll you go? Not the farm?’

‘Somewhere in the other direction.’

She was still watching from the front door when I reached the gates. I couldn’t face the sea-road. I was looking round vaguely, when I noticed the cross on the spire of St. Mary’s, Midstreet, glistening in the sunshine. The church was roughly three miles from Endel on the St. Martin’s side, which lay away from the farm. It was so isolated that services were only held there on the first Sunday in the month. This was the last, so I aimed for it.

The footpath to the church ran over the land on which Midstreet village had stood. It was the lowest and most desolate stretch of marsh in the area.

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