Page 36 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
‘She was used to presiding over dinner parties when her husband, Brad, was alive, so although she is unlikely to say anything, as long as no one expects her to talk, she’ll be fine.’
‘Her condition must make everything very difficult,’ I said.
‘It was all right when she was married, because her husband was outgoing. Big, brash, good-hearted and happy to talk for both of them.’ She smiled. ‘I think Brad adored her cooking, too – she’s very domesticated.’
‘I remember you telling me you had a poet friend stayingwith you and I had vaguely heard of her, though I don’t read a lot of poetry.’
‘Nor me. Anyway, since she wasn’t coping on her own after Brad died, I invited her here for a long stay.’
‘That was kind.’
‘Not really, because she’ll do all the cooking! I’m not much of a cook. And if I’m away, she can help Derek look after my dog.’
‘Which dog?’
‘Rory, my Irish wolfhound – he’s in the kitchen, hoping for titbits. Have another Martini,’ she added hospitably.
‘I’d better not, because I haven’t had much to eat today,’ I said.
Just then, the front door knocker echoed resonantly through the house like the crack of doom, making me jump.
‘They don’t make doors like that any more,’ Honey said. ‘That must be the others.’
14
Associations
Honey returned with three newcomers – or rather, two, plus one oldcomer, in the shape of Thom. Actually, he didn’t look all that familiar, now I came to take a good look at him, with his long hair framing a face that was still handsome but older and more melancholy.
I looked away quickly when he glanced at me and Honey introduced me to a tall, pale, willowy, young woman with feathery, platinum-blond hair, light grey eyes and a rather cool and reserved manner.
‘Garland, this is Pearl Morris.’
‘Hi!’ I said, thinking that never had a name suited someone more.
But she smiled in a friendly way and said, ‘Welcome to Pelican Mews, Garland!’
‘Pearl owns the second-hand bookshop on the far side of the entrance to the mews – Fallen Idle,’ Honey said.
‘Fallen Idol?’ I queried, wondering if I’d heard right, and Pearl spelled it out for me.
‘My late husband thought it up; it tickled his sense of humour. The shop fronts on to the square,’ she added, ‘but mycottage is behind it, in the mews, right next to Simon’s hat workshop and flat.’
She gestured to the tall, sandy-haired man standing next to her who, I had noticed, had been watching her with an air of dog-like devotion in his faded denim-blue eyes.
He started when he heard his name and gave me a boyish grin. ‘Simon Speller – I’m the Hetty of Hetty’s Hats – and very pleased to meet you,’ he said, and I found myself returning the smile, because there was something very appealing about Simon.
‘I noticed the signboard,’ I began, but before I could ask him how he came to be Hetty, Honey had lugged forward the elephant in the room in her usual impetuous way.
‘Of course, I don’t need to introduce you to Thom, since it appears you already know each other,’ she said blandly, and I gave her a look that she met with feigned innocence.
‘I did know Thom, but that was a long time ago.’
‘You’ve met before?’ Simon sounded surprised. ‘You mean, when he was Ivo—’ He stopped dead and looked guilty. ‘Sorry, Thom, I forgot I wasn’t supposed to mention that.’
‘It doesn’t matter. Garland knows, and I’m sure everyone locally does, too, so it’s no big deal,’ Thom told him.
‘I used to work for a large firm of theatrical costumiers in London, so our paths were bound to cross,’ I explained, shrugging, and left them to draw their own conclusions, although I caught Thom’s dark amber eyes fixed on me with an unfathomable expression in their depths and looked away quickly. ‘Of course, I had no idea he was living here, and he didn’t know until I arrived that I was the new museum curator.’
