Music Macabre by Sarah Rayne

Author:Sarah Rayne [Sarah Rayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2019-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Roland had been concerned to hear that Phineas Fox had been in touch a second time, and that Loretta had agreed to meet him at Linklighters this coming Sunday morning.

He thought about it after Loretta left for the restaurant. She had spent the afternoon cleaning out cupboards and washing shelves – she always had so much energy, it often made Roland feel quite tired. He had offered to help with the cupboard-cleaning and shelf-washing, of course, but she had brushed the offer cheerfully away, saying she was better working on her own. Later, she had gone off to Linklighters, saying that Saturday nights were always busy, so Roland was not to expect her until late.

Roland noticed she had on another new outfit. It looked expensive, but then everything Loretta bought and wore was expensive. Roland had been shocked to discover how much she spent on clothes. When he had asked about this once, in the early days of their marriage, careful to explain that he was not being pinch-penny, but that he was worried as to whether such things could be afforded, what with all the outlay for the restaurant, Loretta said she intended to attract to Linklighters customers who were smart and prosperous, which meant that she had to look smart and prosperous. People responded to that kind of thing, and you could not look smart or prosperous in cheap clothes.

After she had gone, he ate his supper off a tray. He did not mind being on his own for the evening, which tended to happen at least four nights out of seven. Apart from anything else, it meant Loretta was not forever flopping down on his lap while he was watching TV, or writhing against him in the minuscule kitchen while waiting for the potatoes to boil.

He did not mind if he had to make his own supper, either – he had cooked for Mother each evening anyway in the last few years – but he had not often had to do that since their marriage. On Sundays, when the restaurant was closed, Loretta often had what she called a freezer day and made huge casseroles or lasagnes and pasta dishes, which she froze in batches and which had only to be reheated. Sometimes she brought food back from Linklighters as well; dishes that could be brought across London in a taxi, and stowed in their own fridge or freezer. Tonight, Roland had a Linklighters meal of jugged hare, which had not gone very well in the restaurant and was going to be taken off the menu, with a cider syllabub to follow.

As he washed up the plates later, he could not stop thinking about Phineas Fox. Was there really anything in Linklighters’ past sufficiently disreputable or spicy to attract publicity to the restaurant and consequently to its owners? Phineas Fox seemed to think there might be, and Loretta was clearly hoping so. She did not care if she and Roland were dragged into the light; in fact she would help with the dragging.

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