The Visconti House by Elsbeth Payne

Author:Elsbeth Payne [Edgar, Elsbeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781921977053
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Published: 2014-08-14T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

When eleven o’clock the next morning came, Leon was not there. Isabella had managed to persuade Laura’s parents to let them take off one board – Hugo had looked and said that he could easily replace it. Laura had found the tools. Everything and everyone was ready but Leon did not arrive.

Laura went out to the gate and looked down the empty road, trying to work out what to do. She’d had an uneasy feeling all along that he would not come.

After they had waited almost an hour, she jumped up. “I’ll go and get him.”

She grabbed her jumper, pulling it on as she left the kitchen and, as soon as she was through the garden, started to run. Why had Leon said he would come if he didn’t mean to? Just what was he so worried about?

She reached Mrs Murphy’s house and was about to fly through the gate when she caught sight of Leon. He was not alone. To her surprise, he was with the dishevelled man she had seen in town on the long weekend and they appeared to be in the middle of an argument.

It was not Harry and Isabella that had stopped him from coming, she realised – it was something else all together and she had stumbled right into the middle of it. It was too late to retreat. Both Leon and the man had turned to her.

“I can’t come, Laura,” Leon said sullenly. “You go on without me.”

“Leon, what’s all this about?” asked the man.

“Nothing.” Leon now looked directly at Laura, a plea in his eyes. “Go on without me.”

“We can wait,” said Laura. She had not understood until that moment just how much she wanted him to be there when they pulled off the board. “Isabella and Harry aren’t leaving until this afternoon. It won’t be the same without you. We’ll wait.”

“No.” Leon was adamant. “I’m not coming. You go ahead.”

“Not going where?” asked the man, looking from Leon to Laura.

“Nowhere,” said Leon. “It doesn’t matter. Goodbye, Laura.” His eyes were still fixed on her face but the plea was stronger.

Laura backed away, recognising the finality in his voice. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not now, at any rate.

“Goodbye,” she said and started up the hill.

This time she did not run. Her feet dragged, her thoughts a mess. What was going on? The man must be Leon’s father – he looked so much like him. But why were they arguing and why was Leon so distressed? Laura picked up a stone and began tossing it from one hand to the other. How long had Leon’s father been at Mrs Murphy’s? And why hadn’t Leon said he was there?

When she arrived home, Isabella was sitting on the back step, sipping coffee. “So we scared him off completely, did we?”

“No, it wasn’t you.” Laura shook her head. “Not today, anyway.” She sat down next to Isabella and began drawing in the gravel with a stick. She could still see Leon’s father clearly in her mind.

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