just to pass the time of day, or do you want something?”
“I want something. I would like you and Roy and Gus to come to lunch next Sunday to meet some old friends of mine from Thornwell. Are you free?”
“Of course we’re free! What else might we be doing? It’s very kind of you Deirdre,” she added, her voice warming up slightly. “But I expect you’ve got an ulterior motive?”
Deirdre rolled her eyes to heaven, took a deep breath and said that her only motive was to have some good friends to a jolly lunch, and that included her cousin Ivy and Roy and Gus. “Would you like to have a word with Gus? I think he wants to fix a date for our next EW meeting?”
“Our what?”
“Enquire Within. It’s a bit of a mouthful, so I thought I’d shorten it to EW. Here’s Gus.”
“Morning, Ivy. How’s things? Ah, yes. You’ve already told Deirdre how things are. Right, well, I’ll get down to business. Can we fix a meeting for tomorrow morning? Up here at Tawny Wings? Would you like Deirdre to fetch you? The forecast isn’t good.”
Ivy said shortly that a little rain wouldn’t hurt them and any excuse to get away from incarceration would be welcome. “About eleven o’clock, in time for coffee? We haven’t got anything new to report, but maybe something will come up before tomorrow. Me and Roy are pursuing lines of enquiry. Isn’t that what the police say?”
THESE LINES OF enquiry were in fact enjoyable sessions between the two of them and Alwen Jones. Roy and Alwen delved into their memories of the local past, and Ivy prompted them with skilfully directed questions. After Deirdre’s call, Ivy joined Roy and Alwen in the lounge. They had more or less claimed a corner as their regular territory, and the other residents steered clear of them.
“Morning, Ivy,” said Alwen. “Did you sleep well?”
“I always sleep well,” Ivy replied, “owing to a clear conscience and a cup of warm Horlicks.”
Roy smiled at her. “I bet you look lovely when you’re asleep, Ivy dear,” he said daringly.
“Cold cream on me face, and a couple of hairnets to keep neat and tidy,” Ivy replied acidly, but she could not keep from smiling at him. “Guaranteed to put off anybody thinking of taking a look!” she said.
“That’s enough of that, you two,” Alwen said. She was becoming used to the sparring couple, and could see that a deep attachment was growing between them. She felt a pang of jealousy, and chided herself for bothering with such things at her age.
“Deirdre’s invited us to lunch next Sunday, Roy,” Ivy said, taking a biscuit from the plate on a small table at her side. “Is that coffee cold, Alwen? Perhaps I should order some more.”
“Let me do it for you,” Roy said. “This has been here some time. You were late down, Ivy. Titivating, I expect. I know what you ladies get up to. And how kind of Deirdre. I shall look forward to that. Now then,” he continued, “where were we? I think you were telling us, Alwen, how you managed to train as an infant teacher and look after the girls and run a house at the same time?”
Alwen settled back into her chair. They were on safe ground here, and she happily launched into a story she edited as she went along. “It was a case of necessity, Roy,” she said. “As you have discovered, my husband had left us and emigrated to Australia. I have to admit that the marriage never really worked, although we both tried hard.” And that’s a lie for a start, she said to herself. William had never tried because he was hardly ever at home to attempt a reasonable relationship with her and the girls.
“Why did you marry him, then?” Ivy put her head on one side and smiled a false smile.
“I fancied him,” Alwen said baldly. “He was very good-looking and could be extremely charming. It was purely a physical attraction.”
“It happens,” Roy said, and risking a sharp rebuke, patted Ivy’s hand.
“Roy!” said Ivy, but she did not
“I want something. I would like you and Roy and Gus to come to lunch next Sunday to meet some old friends of mine from Thornwell. Are you free?”
“Of course we’re free! What else might we be doing? It’s very kind of you Deirdre,” she added, her voice warming up slightly. “But I expect you’ve got an ulterior motive?”
Deirdre rolled her eyes to heaven, took a deep breath and said that her only motive was to have some good friends to a jolly lunch, and that included her cousin Ivy and Roy and Gus. “Would you like to have a word with Gus? I think he wants to fix a date for our next EW meeting?”
“Our what?”
“Enquire Within. It’s a bit of a mouthful, so I thought I’d shorten it to EW. Here’s Gus.”
“Morning, Ivy. How’s things? Ah, yes. You’ve already told Deirdre how things are. Right, well, I’ll get down to business. Can we fix a meeting for tomorrow morning? Up here at Tawny Wings? Would you like Deirdre to fetch you? The forecast isn’t good.”
Ivy said shortly that a little rain wouldn’t hurt them and any excuse to get away from incarceration would be welcome. “About eleven o’clock, in time for coffee? We haven’t got anything new to report, but maybe something will come up before tomorrow. Me and Roy are pursuing lines of enquiry. Isn’t that what the police say?”
THESE LINES OF enquiry were in fact enjoyable sessions between the two of them and Alwen Jones. Roy and Alwen delved into their memories of the local past, and Ivy prompted them with skilfully directed questions. After Deirdre’s call, Ivy joined Roy and Alwen in the lounge. They had more or less claimed a corner as their regular territory, and the other residents steered clear of them.
“Morning, Ivy,” said Alwen. “Did you sleep well?”
“I always sleep well,” Ivy replied, “owing to a clear conscience and a cup of warm Horlicks.”
Roy smiled at her. “I bet you look lovely when you’re asleep, Ivy dear,” he said daringly.
“Cold cream on me face, and a couple of hairnets to keep neat and tidy,” Ivy replied acidly, but she could not keep from smiling at him. “Guaranteed to put off anybody thinking of taking a look!” she said.
“That’s enough of that, you two,” Alwen said. She was becoming used to the sparring couple, and could see that a deep attachment was growing between them. She felt a pang of jealousy, and chided herself for bothering with such things at her age.
“Deirdre’s invited us to lunch next Sunday, Roy,” Ivy said, taking a biscuit from the plate on a small table at her side. “Is that coffee cold, Alwen? Perhaps I should order some more.”
“Let me do it for you,” Roy said. “This has been here some time. You were late down, Ivy. Titivating, I expect. I know what you ladies get up to. And how kind of Deirdre. I shall look forward to that. Now then,” he continued, “where were we? I think you were telling us, Alwen, how you managed to train as an infant teacher and look after the girls and run a house at the same time?”
Alwen settled back into her chair. They were on safe ground here, and she happily launched into a story she edited as she went along. “It was a case of necessity, Roy,” she said. “As you have discovered, my husband had left us and emigrated to Australia. I have to admit that the marriage never really worked, although we both tried hard.” And that’s a lie for a start, she said to herself. William had never tried because he was hardly ever at home to attempt a reasonable relationship with her and the girls.
“Why did you marry him, then?” Ivy put her head on one side and smiled a false smile.
“I fancied him,” Alwen said baldly. “He was very good-looking and could be extremely charming. It was purely a physical attraction.”
“It happens,” Roy said, and risking a sharp rebuke, patted Ivy’s hand.
“Roy!” said Ivy, but she did not
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