Page 217 of The Moon Sister
‘Oh, they’re in grand fettle, the lot o’ them. Still as antisocial as ever, but I did my best.’
True to form, the cats showed their displeasure at my absence by refusing to appear. Zara, however, eventually found Posy sitting in her favourite box and I tried to entice her out.
‘They really aren’t very rewarding to care for, are they?’ Zara said as we arrived at the back door of the Lodge. She opened it and we could clearly hear the sound of a woman sobbing inside.
‘No, they’re not. Is that your mum?’ I said, already on the balls of my feet, ready to take flight.
‘No, it isn’t,’ said Zara, stepping inside and beckoning at me urgently to come with her.
‘Really, I should be getting back to the cottage—’
‘Please, Tiggy, let’s find out who it is.’
I followed reluctantly a good few paces behind Zara as she turned along the corridor into the kitchen.
‘Oh Beryl, what is it?’ I heard her ask as I loitered unseen outside the door.
‘Nothing, my dear, nothing.’
‘But you’re obviously really upset about something. Tiggy’s here too, aren’t you?’ Zara called out to me, so I stepped into the kitchen.
‘I’ve just had a bad cold that’s made my eyes water, that’s all. Hello, Tiggy.’
‘Hello, Beryl.’ I could see her struggling to compose herself.
‘Now, Zara’ – she wiped her eyes – ‘perhaps you can go and find me some eggs from the pantry?’
‘Okay.’ Zara took the hint and shot me a confused glance before leaving the kitchen.
‘Beryl, what is it? What’s happened?’
‘Oh Tiggy, what a mess, what a mess . . . I should never have told him, and then he wouldn’t have come back and I wouldn’t have put the poor Laird in this situation. I rue the day I ever gave birth to him! He’s a bad lot through and through. I’ve only come up here to hand in my notice. I’ll be packing my things and leaving as soon as I can.’ She handed me an envelope. ‘Could you make sure the Laird gets this? He’s probably expecting it anyway.’
‘I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, Beryl,’ I said as I followed her along the corridor to the boot room, where she put on the sturdy snow shoes and the thick parka, hat and gloves she used to walk home.
‘Sadly, you’ll know soon enough!’
‘I . . . don’t you think you should stay and speak to Charlie? Whatever it is, he’ll be lost without you here.’
‘After what’s happened, he’ll be only too glad to see the back of me, Tiggy, and that’s a fact. I’ve ruined the Kinnaird family, and there’s no two ways about it.’ With a last agonised look at me, she left through the back door.
‘Wow, she’s really upset, isn’t she, Tiggy?’ Zara said, appearing beside me with the eggs as the door closed behind Beryl.
‘Yes, she is. She’s said she’s leaving.’
‘Well, she can’t. Kinnaird without Beryl is like, well, Dad without his stethoscope.’ Zara shrugged. ‘This is her house really and it always has been. Well,’ she looked down at the eggs, ‘looks like I’ll be making supper for me and Dad tonight, unless Mum turns up of course . . .’
As we walked back into the kitchen, we heard the sitting room door open and we peered out to see Charlie ushering a man in a tweed suit along the corridor.
‘Thank you for coming at such short notice, James. At least I now know the options,’ we heard Charlie say as they passed the door.
‘Well now, it’s not a good situation you’re in, but we’ll find a solution, I’m sure. Good day to you, m’Laird.’
We heard the front door close, then a huge sigh from Charlie before he walked back down the corridor towards us. Zara jumped out from behind the kitchen door.
‘Hi, Dad! We’re here. Who was that man?’ she asked him.
‘My solicitor, Zara. Oh, hello, Tiggy,’ he said, complete surprise on his face as he noticed me lurking behind her. ‘I didn’t know you were coming.’
