The Woman from Paris(52)

“Into the witch’s cavern,” said Tom.

“Don’t listen to Tom, Phaedra. She’s a little brisk, but her heart is in the right place,” said Roberta.

“I’m not worried. Of course she should want to meet me. I’m very happy, actually.”

“Shouldn’t I go with her?” David asked his mother.

“She didn’t demand your presence as well,” Antoinette replied.

“What are you, her shadow?” asked Tom.

“I feel responsible,” David replied. “It was I who convinced Phaedra to come and stay. I’ll feel very bad if she gets a mauling from Grandma.”

“Why would she?” Roberta asked.

“You’re right, why would she?” David replied. “You and she get on extremely well, there’s no reason Phaedra won’t, too.” He smiled at Roberta, who gazed back suspiciously.

“She’s really very sweet underneath,” Roberta added.

“I don’t doubt it,” said David. “None of us has ever tried to look underneath.”

“Now would be a good time to start. She needs her family more than ever.”

David listened as Phaedra had told him to do, and to his surprise he found that on this occasion, at least, Roberta did make sense.

Phaedra followed Antoinette up the stairs. She gazed at the wall where the Frampton suite of sapphires and diamonds shone out from its oily canvas. “You have a beautiful house,” she said.

“When I married George, we lived in the dower house where Margaret lives now. It’s a very pretty Queen Anne house, light and airy, with big windows and high ceilings. There are none of these dusty old portraits and knickknacks collected over generations. I have to admit that I preferred living there. I felt it belonged to me. I don’t feel this house belongs to me. I’m the caretaker, making sure that all these exquisite things last for future generations of Framptons. When we moved in, I wasn’t allowed to change anything. I would have loved to change the dining room and redecorate the drawing room. The only room in the house that I redecorated was our bedroom. I think it’s important to make a house your home. You can’t live in a museum. But George was aware of his heritage and insisted that it remain the same. Now he’s gone I could do whatever I like with it, but I won’t. George wouldn’t like it.” She laughed sadly. “I’ll keep it like this to honor him.”

“You have to think of yourself, Antoinette.”

“I can’t change the habit of a lifetime.”

“You can change a habit any time you want.” Phaedra smiled at her. “You only have to overcome your fears, and that’s not really very hard if you put your mind to it.”

“I’ve never thought . . .”

“You lived for George, but now that he’s no longer here, you have to live for yourself. You have to do all the things you wanted to do when you were married, but couldn’t because you were being a good wife and mother. But you’re neither. You’re you. This is the perfect time to do something for your own selfish pleasure; otherwise, you’ll get lost in memories and duty and you might never find yourself again.”

“I’m not sure Margaret would be happy for me to change the place.”

“Have you ever asked her?”

“No. But she didn’t change a single thing when she lived here.”

“But it’s your place and you have to live in it. I think George will think very differently now he’s in spirit. Things that seemed so terribly important while he was down here will no longer hold any importance at all, because material things only have value in our material world. I’m sure he’ll be delighted with whatever you choose to do, so long as it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone.”

“You’re very sure he’s in . . . in spirit.” That word felt strange to Antoinette.

“Oh, I know he is.” There was no quiver of doubt in Phaedra’s voice.

Antoinette stopped just outside Margaret’s bedroom door and sighed. “I wish I had your conviction.”

“It’ll come if you want it to. Just focus on something beautiful, like a flower or the stars at night, and you’ll feel a sense of something greater than yourself.”

“Really? Is it that easy?”

Phaedra nodded. “It really is.” She was so convincing, Antoinette found herself ready to try.





11


Phaedra knocked on the door. “Come in,” Margaret called out. Antoinette hesitated as Phaedra entered and closed the door behind her. She felt a wave of apprehension, as if by allowing Phaedra into Margaret’s clutches she might lose her. Antoinette stood a moment, listening through the wood, but the voices were so low she heard nothing but the thumping of her own fretful heart.