she’s heard nothing good of you, so will think the worst of you. And the undertakers are still here. And since I shall still be living in Swindon, I’d rather not have people gossiping about our family.’
He shrugged and put down his suitcase. He’d do almost anything for his cousin. Besides, a corpse couldn’t say spiteful things to you. ‘Well, if you think I should …’
‘I do.’
Mildred took his hand, as she had when he was a child, and led him into the dining room. A highly polished brass and mahogany coffin with a cloth over one end sat on two trestles covered in black velvet. She lifted the cloth and there his mother lay, dressed in her usual black silk, with an old-fashioned lace cap on her white hair.
Well, at least this time she wasn’t glaring at him. In fact, she looked so peaceful he’d hardly have recognised her. He didn’t want to linger, so stepped back, averting his eyes. ‘Cover her up.’ His voice was harsh. He couldn’t help that.
‘We’ll wait in here for a minute or two before going into the sitting room,’ Mildred said.
‘You always were good at keeping up appearances.’
‘I prefer not to upset people and you should too.’
‘Why? I doubt I’ll ever be coming back to this house again, perhaps not even to Swindon. My mother always said she was going to leave everything to the church. She should have left it to you for taking care of her. You ought to have a halo to wear as well.’
‘I did my family duty, that’s all.’
‘I hope she was grateful.’
Her tone was brisk and matter-of-fact. ‘Of course she wasn’t.’
‘No, of course not. So … where are you going to live now if the church takes the house?’
‘I’m going to get married and live with my husband.’
Alex stared at her in shock. ‘You’ve been courting? You never said a thing about that.’
‘It was better to keep it secret. Your mother would have thrown a fit of hysterics if she’d had the slightest suspicion.’
‘What’s his name? How did you meet him?’
‘It’s Edwin Morton, your mother’s lawyer. She was always calling him in to change her will, so he came to the house quite often. She grew a little forgetful and would sometimes get up and leave us to walk round the garden, so he and I would chat as we waited for her to remember he was here. He’s a widower, a couple of years older than me.’
She blushed. ‘We’re not going to wait to get married, because I’ve waited long enough. Edwin is getting a special licence and it’ll just be a quiet wedding.’
Alex gave her a big hug. ‘I’m really happy for you, Mildred, and I wish you well. If anyone ever deserved to be happy, it’s you. You’ve had years of caring for bad-tempered old women: first your mother, then mine.’
‘My mother was only bad-tempered when the pain was bad, and even your mother didn’t give me too much troublebecause I knew how to manage her. But that life is all in the past now. Alex dear, can you stay for a few days?’
‘I wasn’t going to but I can if you wish. Why?’
‘Two reasons. The main one is that Edwin and I want you to be one of our witnesses at the wedding. And secondly, there’s the reading of the will.’
‘I told you, Mildred, my mother won’t have left anything to me.’
‘She did mellow somewhat towards the end, and I’d guess she’s left you some keepsake or other.’
He frowned at her. ‘Do you know something about her will?’
‘No. Edwin would never betray a client’s trust. All he would say was that you had an interest and should stay for the reading of the will. I’ve had a bedroom prepared for you here.’
He looked round and shivered. ‘This house has such unhappy memories.’
‘Then let’s see if we can make some better ones tonight. We haven’t had a good chat for ages.’
‘I’ll stay if they take the coffin away. The thought of her lying down here … No, I couldn’t face that, wouldn’t be able to sleep. Do you think I’m being
He shrugged and put down his suitcase. He’d do almost anything for his cousin. Besides, a corpse couldn’t say spiteful things to you. ‘Well, if you think I should …’
‘I do.’
Mildred took his hand, as she had when he was a child, and led him into the dining room. A highly polished brass and mahogany coffin with a cloth over one end sat on two trestles covered in black velvet. She lifted the cloth and there his mother lay, dressed in her usual black silk, with an old-fashioned lace cap on her white hair.
Well, at least this time she wasn’t glaring at him. In fact, she looked so peaceful he’d hardly have recognised her. He didn’t want to linger, so stepped back, averting his eyes. ‘Cover her up.’ His voice was harsh. He couldn’t help that.
‘We’ll wait in here for a minute or two before going into the sitting room,’ Mildred said.
‘You always were good at keeping up appearances.’
‘I prefer not to upset people and you should too.’
‘Why? I doubt I’ll ever be coming back to this house again, perhaps not even to Swindon. My mother always said she was going to leave everything to the church. She should have left it to you for taking care of her. You ought to have a halo to wear as well.’
‘I did my family duty, that’s all.’
‘I hope she was grateful.’
Her tone was brisk and matter-of-fact. ‘Of course she wasn’t.’
‘No, of course not. So … where are you going to live now if the church takes the house?’
‘I’m going to get married and live with my husband.’
Alex stared at her in shock. ‘You’ve been courting? You never said a thing about that.’
‘It was better to keep it secret. Your mother would have thrown a fit of hysterics if she’d had the slightest suspicion.’
‘What’s his name? How did you meet him?’
‘It’s Edwin Morton, your mother’s lawyer. She was always calling him in to change her will, so he came to the house quite often. She grew a little forgetful and would sometimes get up and leave us to walk round the garden, so he and I would chat as we waited for her to remember he was here. He’s a widower, a couple of years older than me.’
She blushed. ‘We’re not going to wait to get married, because I’ve waited long enough. Edwin is getting a special licence and it’ll just be a quiet wedding.’
Alex gave her a big hug. ‘I’m really happy for you, Mildred, and I wish you well. If anyone ever deserved to be happy, it’s you. You’ve had years of caring for bad-tempered old women: first your mother, then mine.’
‘My mother was only bad-tempered when the pain was bad, and even your mother didn’t give me too much troublebecause I knew how to manage her. But that life is all in the past now. Alex dear, can you stay for a few days?’
‘I wasn’t going to but I can if you wish. Why?’
‘Two reasons. The main one is that Edwin and I want you to be one of our witnesses at the wedding. And secondly, there’s the reading of the will.’
‘I told you, Mildred, my mother won’t have left anything to me.’
‘She did mellow somewhat towards the end, and I’d guess she’s left you some keepsake or other.’
He frowned at her. ‘Do you know something about her will?’
‘No. Edwin would never betray a client’s trust. All he would say was that you had an interest and should stay for the reading of the will. I’ve had a bedroom prepared for you here.’
He looked round and shivered. ‘This house has such unhappy memories.’
‘Then let’s see if we can make some better ones tonight. We haven’t had a good chat for ages.’
‘I’ll stay if they take the coffin away. The thought of her lying down here … No, I couldn’t face that, wouldn’t be able to sleep. Do you think I’m being
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