A Crowded Coffin(2)

‘Oh, thank God. You’re sure?’ the pretty blonde said as she emerged from Harriet’s affectionate hug, still pale though some of the tension had clearly drained away. ‘But if you’re not here to tell me bad news, then what are you doing here?’

‘I’ve come to meet Sam. Do you know my cousin, Sam Hathaway? He’s a canon at the cathedral. Sam, this is Edith Attlin, my very distant relative and erstwhile pupil. Of course,’ she added with a grin, ‘that was before I retired and found myself busier with village life then ever I was as a headmistress. I’m sure you must have met her a long time ago because Edith’s grandfather is Walter, from Locksley Farm Place.’

Sam Hathaway looked relieved at Harriet’s news about Walter, but he made no comment as he shook hands with the new arrival.

Edith gave Sam’s hand a perfunctory pump. ‘This is going to be very cheeky but could I hitch a lift, please? I have to get home straight away. I was going to get a taxi, never mind the expense, but if you’re heading my way….’

‘Of course you can have a lift, but what on earth are you doing here?’ Harriet was leading the way to the car park. ‘Your grandfather is doing remarkably well, in the circumstances, so do stop panicking.’

Her expression lightened and, blue eyes twinkling, she added, ‘I rang your grandmother first thing and she said that, according to the hospital, he’s recovering in leaps and bounds and is anxious to get home. I think she translated that as meaning he was driving them mad. Now, where did you spring from? Nobody said anything about expecting you.’

They reached the car, an immaculate, original Mini. ‘My VW Golf died so I thought I would put my mother’s car back on the road. She had it from new and it’s still going strong,’ Harriet explained as Edith clambered into the back seat and Harriet tucked assorted bags around her.

Sam, with a rueful look at the leg room, folded up his long body like a penknife and slotted himself into the front passenger seat. Harriet ignored his grunts as he settled himself, and as she drove back towards the motorway, returned to her question. ‘Where have you sprung from anyway, Edith? You weren’t on Sam’s flight from Belfast, surely?’

‘No, I came home via Amsterdam. It was the quickest way I could get back from the States. We landed earlier but there was a problem with picking up the luggage.’ She leaned forward. ‘You’re really sure Grandpa’s all right? The message I got was that he’d been run over and rushed to hospital. Gran insisted he wasn’t in danger and that I was to stay put, but I couldn’t. I just had a few loose ends to sort out, which took a day or so, and after that I got the first possible plane out.’

Sam twisted round to look at Edith, his eyes showing his concern. He opened his mouth to ask questions, but as Harriet tanked over him, he sat back, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgeways.

‘Your grandmother was quite right; he’s shaken and uncomfortable but he’s going to be fine, honestly. How long can you stay?’

‘I’m home for good,’ Edith said briefly, her face still taut with anxiety.

‘Really?’ Harriet glanced back at her. ‘I thought you were happy earning shed-loads of dollars in Hollywood as the very upmarket English governess to the brats of the rich and famous. Film stars and directors and so forth.’

‘I was, until my latest employer suggested I might like to consider becoming his fourth wife, even though he was still apparently happily married to his third one. Unfortunately she overheard him proposing and things got a bit out of hand, to say the least.’ Harriet looked surprised and Edith shrugged. ‘Like I said, it was awkward, so I packed my bags and camped at a friend’s house while I said my goodbyes. I’d actually handed in my notice anyway, which is probably what prompted his suggestion, and packed up ready to leave, so I was able, pretty much, to hop on a plane when I got the phone call about Grandpa. Anyway, I haven’t been home since Christmas and I do worry about them, so it seemed a good time to make a break.’

‘Yes, well.…’ Harriet took a sharp corner at a risky gallop ignoring Sam’s sharply indrawn breath as she did so. ‘About your grandfather, Edith. As I told you, nobody’s worried about him long-term, but a broken collarbone and bruising at his age is always tricky so they decided to keep him in hospital for a day or so, purely for observation.’

Sam nodded, concern furrowing his brow, while Edith looked pale and anxious as she asked, ‘Are you sure that’s all, Miss Q? What happened? I never got the whole story from Gran.’