The Forget-Me-Not Sonata(103)

‘I had a sleep this morning,’ Audrey replied. ‘I feel much better. Besides, it would be a shame to waste such lovely weather sleeping all day.’ She laughed lightly then gave a nervous cough for no reason. Aunt Edna narrowed her blue eyes and looked into the radiant face of her niece. She certainly didn’t have the countenance of a woman bereft of her children. On the contrary, her eyes shone and her cheeks blushed. But it was her hair that most struck her aunt, for it was no longer pulled into a defiant bun but tumbled over her shoulders in those lustrous corkscrew curls for which she was so admired. For a moment Edna thought that perhaps she had been reunited with Cecil, but then she only had to watch the way Audrey and Louis behaved to know that her luminosity had nothing whatsoever to do with her husband. Suddenly everything made sense. Louis had left because of Audrey not Isla! It was obvious now with hindsight. After all, Isla had never been interested in men. Besides being too young for love, love hadn’t sought her out. Edna recalled Audrey’s tormented piano playing and Louis’ music that drove everyone to distraction at the Club. She hoped that she was the only person with the perception to work it out.

Audrey poured the tea which Mercedes had laid out on the table and told her aunt about Colehurst House and how much the twins were enjoying it there. Edna was reassured to see the light in Audrey’s eyes suddenly dim with sadness as she spoke about them. ‘Leonora loves Saggy Rabbit, she won’t go anywhere without him. I believe she even takes him into class with her.’

Aunt Edna chuckled. ‘Is that allowed?’

‘Oh yes, it’s a wonderful school,’ said Audrey, watching Louis out of the corner of her eye. He was standing on the veranda, gazing at her with an expression of great tenderness. She felt herself inflate with excitement and was relieved when Aunt Hilda and Nelly appeared through the garden gate to give her an excuse to laugh.

‘Audrey,’ called Aunt Hilda joyously. ‘Lovely to have you home.’ Audrey was taken aback by her aunt’s uncharacteristic warmth, but then remembered Nelly’s infatuation with Louis.

‘Hello, Nelly,’ she said, kissing her pasty cheek. ‘I believe the whole of Alicia’s class enjoyed your dulce de leche.’ Nelly laughed nervously and smiled at Louis, having not heard a word of what Audrey had just said to her.

‘Do try a piece of cake, Hilda,’ Edna exclaimed. ‘Nelly, come and sit over here with me.’ Nelly’s small eyes darted from her aunt to Louis and then back again. Louis was still standing on the veranda and looked as if he had no intention of sitting down. She pulled a timid little smile and perched awkwardly on the edge of her chair next to Edna. Audrey played ignorant of her cousin’s intention and sat opposite her.

‘Isn’t it marvellous that Louis has returned to Hurlingham?’ said Hilda, not thinking to ask Audrey how the twins were. It was plain that she had only come to visit in order to push her unmarried daughter beneath Louis’ nose.

‘Yes, it is,’ Audrey replied carefully. Aunt Edna sipped her tea, wishing her sister would realize that it would take a very generous-spirited man to fall in love with Nelly and an even more generous-spirited one to put up with Hilda as mother-in-law. Hilda and Nelly were inseparable these days. Wherever Nelly went, Hilda followed in the shadows like a vampire, desperate to settle her daughter’s future before the light of day revealed her advancing years and denied her what was every woman’s right. In Hilda’s opinion Louis couldn’t have returned for the sole reason of paying his respects to Isla’s remains, buried ten feet in the soil, no, she maintained that he had come back in search of a wife. If he couldn’t have Isla, her cousin would have to do. Hilda pursed her lips together in order to restrain her ambition and cut herself a thin sliver of cake.

‘Louis,’ she said, with a dry smile. ‘You must come and see us more often. There’s no point wasting away in a house where there are no unmarried girls to entertain you. Really, Audrey and Cecil must be very dull company.’ She laughed but her joke had fallen flat. ‘Oh dear, I don’t mean that at all,’ she stammered. Nelly shot her a furious look and Audrey buried her face in her teacup to hide her amusement. Louis wanted to laugh as well but controlled himself so as not to offend the shy spinster who smouldered quietly in mortification.

‘Have some more cake,’ Aunt Edna suggested, holding up the knife.

‘You know, I think I will,’ said Louis, wandering over to sit beside Audrey. ‘Mercedes is a fantastic cook. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so well, even at the Club.’