The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies

Author:Dinah Jefferies [Jefferies, Dinah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241980750
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2018-04-04T23:00:00+00:00

28.

Cooper, the Australian man, was still preying on her mind, as was the fake contract. Louisa felt uneasy about both so, in the morning, after Leo dropped her off and before walking the dogs, she asked Ashan to come to the main sitting room. Fortunately, her ankle hadn’t been twisted and was hardly bothering her now, and she prowled the room as she waited, watching the slanting sun layering the floor in stripes of light. The whole room seemed to sparkle, but it was one of those times when she wished Elliot was with her: times she still couldn’t prevent arising, no matter how much she struggled against them. And what had happened with Leo, and the fact she had wanted him to touch her so much, only made her feel more unsettled. She felt starved of physical contact, but in her mind she was still a married woman and, despite everything, it wasn’t easy to just switch that off.

She didn’t ask Ashan to sit, but gazed at him from where she stood. It upset her to think somebody in her household might be to blame but she had to ask the question.

‘Look, Ashan, you’ve been with us as butler for years.’

He nodded and gave her a broad smile. ‘Ten years, Madam, and houseboy to your father before that.’

‘And during your time as butler you have looked after us well, for which I thank you.’

He made a slight bow. ‘It is my pleasure.’

She sighed before broaching the subject. ‘I’ve got a little problem and I wonder if you can help me. You’ve always assisted me, and my father before me, in choosing new staff. Haven’t you?’

‘Yes, Madam. Glad to do so.’

‘So, I have a question for you.’

‘Madam.’

‘I wondered, is there anyone here you don’t fully trust?’

He frowned as if to say the question bothered him. ‘Some I know better than others, but I trust them all.’

‘Well, I need you to keep your eyes open. I fear somebody may be passing on information about what I’m doing. Can you manage that?’

‘Certainly, Madam. That would indeed be a worry.’

‘And I don’t have to say we must keep this strictly between us.’

She dismissed him and then sat for a while considering the members of her household and hoping there wasn’t one she couldn’t trust. The cook had been with her father long before moving with her after her marriage. He’d had a kitchen boy under his charge who was a bit slow but very cheerful, but now he had the French girl, Camille, who had proved indispensable. There were two further houseboys who took care of cleaning and serving, one was a nephew of the cook and the other had been with her for about six months. There was also a part-time housekeeper and a laundryman. Only Ashan, Camille and the cook lived in. There was a gardener too, but he was rarely privy to her whereabouts.

While the rain held off she collected the dogs and set off to visit Himal, a Sinhalese builder she had used before, to ask for a quote for the refurbishment of the Print House.

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