How Laura Lewis Met Richard Brown

Chapter Nineteen

Richard pushed open the door to Cedar House care home after being buzzed in by Hazel who was sitting in her goldfish bowl, ear glued to the phone.

No change there then.

He was surprised to see her on a Sunday. Someone must have phoned in sick.

Hazel didn’t look at Richard or even smile at Henry as they passed by.

Clutching Henry’s hand, Richard strode along the corridor and stopped abruptly outside the day room, wondering if his grandmother was in there, engrossed in a book.

His eyes quickly swept the room.

No sign of her.

She must be in her room.

Richard’s heart sank a little. He’d hoped she was feeling a little bit better. That she would be up, dressed and annoying the other residents.

He wondered what version of Gertie would greet them today. Perhaps he should have left Henry with Tracey, as she’d suggested? But Richard had refused, telling her over the phone that Henry really needed to spend time with Gertie. Who knew what the future would bring? But right now, he had an uneasy feeling that was proving difficult to quash. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Too late now.

Richard turned away from the day room and made his way towards Gertie’s room.

They bumped into Linda as they rounded the corner.

‘Hello, Richard, and hello, Henry.’ Linda cooed at Henry as she bent down to ruffle his hair.

‘Hello, Mrs Linda.’ Henry rewarded her with a wide smile.

‘Hello, Linda. How’s things?’ Richard asked. His usual greeting.

Linda offered her usual reply. ‘Oh, you know, we keep plodding on.’

But Richard could tell she was happy in her job. Her quick smile and perceptive eyes returned the question to him.

‘I’m fine. It’s Gertie who’s got me worried,’ he said.

Linda nodded. Touching his arm, she spoke quietly. ‘Come find me after you’ve visited her, then we can have a quick chat if you like.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Richard said, before adding, ‘So, no Laura today? She’s not on shift?’

Linda narrowed her gaze, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth, keeping it in check.

Richard wondered why she found this so amusing. He was only wondering if she’d be looking after Gertie too.

‘It’s her day off,’ Linda said. ‘She’s back in tomorrow.’

‘Okay, thanks. I just thought that I might bump into her.’

‘You’re not the only one who asks after her,’ Linda said with a wry smile. ‘She has plenty of admirers.’

Richard felt his face beginning to warm. He shifted his gaze towards his son and cleared his throat before speaking. ‘I was only asking after her in a purely professional way, nothing more,’ he said.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted saying them. How long had he known Linda? She would see straight through that comment. He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh.

‘It wasn’t a criticism at all. Just a heads-up, that’s all.’ She looked over at Henry, pulling on Richard’s arm, having grown bored of this adult conversation. ‘I’ll let you get on, but come find me later on if you like.’

‘Thanks, Linda.’ Richard was grateful for the chance to escape to the comfort of Gertie’s room. ‘See you later then.’

Henry gave a quick wave and followed his dad down the corridor.

Linda called after him. ‘Richard.’

Richard stopped and turned around. ‘Yes?’

‘It would really be a good thing, you know,’ Linda said, with a huge grin. Chuckling under her breath, she strode away in the opposite direction.

* * *

Although Gertie was in bed, she was sitting up with the help of several plump pillows. Richard thought she looked fairly comfortable and not in any visible pain. But then his grandmother was good at hiding how she really felt. She never wanted him to worry.

‘How are you really feeling? Are you in any pain?’ Richard asked for the second time.

Gertie tutted and silenced him with a wave of her hand, just as she’d done when he was a little boy.

‘I’m fine. Stop fretting. I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about you and this little one.’ She cuddled Henry closer to her and kissed the top of his head.

‘Nana Gertie, do you have biscuits in your room?’

Gertie smiled. ‘Of course I do. I’ve always got my secret stash, especially when a certain someone forgets to bring me any.’ This was said with a pointed look in Richard’s direction.

‘I’m sorry, been so busy. I did buy some packets but left them on the kitchen table.’

‘Oh, I’m only joking with you. I’ve got enough to last me through a zombie apocalypse.’ She laughed.

‘What are zombies?’ Henry asked, having squirmed his way out of Gertie’s grasp.

‘Oh, never mind that. You need to find the biscuits,’ Gertie said. ‘Go look in the bottom drawer over there, Henry.’

Henry leaped off the bed and within seconds had opened the drawer and retrieved the biscuit tin.

‘Why is it in there?’ Richard asked.

‘Why is what in where?’ Gertie asked, not quite meeting his eye.

‘The biscuit tin. You usually keep it on the dresser.’

‘I moved it,’ Gertie said. ‘For safekeeping.’

‘Safekeeping?’ Richard asked. Was this a symptom of her illness? Forgetfulness, memory loss? But no, it couldn’t be. Gertie was still as sharp as she had ever been. She’d put the biscuit tin in the chest of drawers for another reason. A simpler one. She wanted to keep it safe. But from whom?

‘Bring it over here, love.’ Gertie gestured Henry over to the bed.

‘Is everything really okay?’ Richard asked, watching Gertie open the lid. ‘Anything you want to tell me?’

‘Not really, it’s just a hunch I have — no proof, so I can’t tell you at the moment.’ She looked up at him. ‘Oh, don’t look at me like that.’ She tutted. ‘I’m not going crazy. It’s just something that me and Laura are working on, that’s all.’

Now, Richard was even more confused. ‘What are you two working on?’

Gertie shook her head and handed Henry two custard creams.

‘Thank you,’ Henry said after he’d taken a bite.

‘Oh, Richard, don’t look so worried. Laura isn’t really helping me. I just told her my plan and what I was going to do, that’s all. Nothing for you to worry about.’

Richard very much doubted that, but he decided to let it go.

‘I think there are some colouring things in the basket over in the corner, Henry. Would you like to draw me a picture?’ Gertie asked.

Henry’s eyes lit up. He ran over to the wooden basket and started to pull out sheets of coloured paper and colouring pencils.

Settling himself on the floor, he began to draw.

‘Would you like a biscuit, love?’ Gertie asked.

Richard shook his head. ‘No, thanks.’ He had to think about his slowly expanding waistline.

Gertie put the lid back on the tin. ‘So, what’s going on with you, then? Any news? Nothing exciting ever happens here.’

Richard gave Gertie a knowing look. She was always in the thick of any gossip that happened in Cedar House. In fact, she was the one who often created it.

‘Nothing new really,’ Richard said. ‘Just work. It’ll soon be half term, though. It’ll be nice to spend some quality time with Henry.’

‘Oh, yes, that’ll be nice. You should go somewhere for the half term. Book a holiday cottage or something.’

Richard kept quiet. He had no intention of doing any such thing. He wanted to stay here in Buttermarsh and keep a close eye on Gertie.

‘What’s been happening here then?’ he asked. ‘You always have some gossip to share with me.’ He winked.

Gertie laughed. ‘Well. Laura told me all about your date. She told me things that you didn’t tell me.’ Gertie wagged her finger playfully at him.

‘What things?’ Richard couldn’t believe she was going on about this fictitious date again. What on earth had Laura told her? Had she made stuff up?

‘Oh, don’t look at me like that, Richard Brown. She just told me that it was nice chatting to you and that she was looking forward to your second date.’

‘Laura said that ?’ Richard’s voice squeaked. ‘Really?’

‘Well, no, not exactly. But I could read between the lines.’

‘Gran,’ Richard said, unable to hide his exasperation. ‘What happened was that there were no free tables. The only available seat was at Laura’s table, so I asked if I could join her.’

‘To share a meal,’ Gertie added.

‘W-well, yes, I suppose so.’

‘And sitting and sharing a meal together is the definition of a date,’ Gertie said.

Richard almost shrieked. ‘It wasn’t a date.’

Gertie sighed as she slowly shook her head. ‘Well, whatever it was, it sounded lovely. You really must do it again.’

‘No, no, you don’t. I know exactly what you’re doing with this whole matchmaking business of yours, and I just won’t fall for it.’

‘So, when are you going to ask her out on a proper date then?’ Gertie asked, ignoring him, unable to hide her look of mischief.

Richard clamped his lips together. He wasn’t going to play this game.

Time to change the subject.

‘Let me fill you in on what Henry’s been up to.’

* * *

After saying goodbye to Gertie, Richard and Henry took a detour to buy some sweets, bread and milk from the village shop on their way home. As they left the shop, Richard spotted Laura crossing the road towards them.

Her large canvas bag was slung over her shoulder. Richard could see a French stick poking out of the top, like a Roman sword.

Despite the fact that the weather was dry, Laura was wearing bright-yellow wellington boots. He didn’t think he’d seen her wearing them before. They suited her. She stepped onto the pavement.

‘Hello,’ Richard said. ‘Been shopping?’ He directed the question to the shopping bag and then felt instantly foolish. What was it about this woman that made him so nervous?

Laura answered with a smile and a small chuckle. ‘Yep, bought some supplies for my tea. Been anywhere nice?’ Laura looked down at Henry.

‘We went to see Nana Gertie in the home. She gave me biscuits and I made her a picture.’

‘Oh, that sounds lovely.’ Laura bent down so that she could see him properly. ‘I’m sure that Nana Gertie will show it to me when I see her tomorrow.’

Laura stood back up and looked at Richard. ‘How was she? Causing trouble in the day room?’

‘No, no, she was in her room, in bed. She’d been reading.’ Richard was unsure if he should mention that Gertie had spoken about working with Laura on something. After a few seconds he decided that he might as well tell her.

‘She was fine, well, tired-looking, but normal Gertie if you know what I mean. I still can’t get any truth out of her about how she’s really feeling, but I spoke to Linda after our visit and she told me that all is as expected and not to worry. So, I’m not worried about that, but there was something that she said which seemed a little unusual.’ Richard stopped to draw breath. It actually felt good to say these thoughts out loud.

He felt Henry, now restless, pull on his arm, wanting to go home.

Richard pulled out a bag of sweets and handed them to his son. ‘You can eat three sweets while I have a quick chat with Laura.’

Henry grabbed the bag.

‘What did she say?’ Laura asked, now frowning.

‘She told me that you were working on something together, that she had a hunch. She had hidden her biscuit tin in a drawer.’

‘Oh,’ Laura said. ‘I know what this is about. Didn’t she tell you about finding Hazel in her room?’

Richard shook his head and his jaw clenched. ‘No, she didn’t tell me that. What was Hazel doing in her room? Cleaning?’

‘No, she wasn’t cleaning. Gertie found her looking through her books. She thinks she was snooping.’

‘Was she? She’d better not have been.’

‘I think she was snooping too. Gertie obviously doesn’t trust her and I trust Gertie, so she’s on surveillance. Keeping tabs on what she gets up to. She’ll tell me if she finds anything out.’

Richard looked at Laura more closely. She believed his grandmother. Believed in what she had seen. Others would have rejected what she’d said as pure fantasy. The ramblings of an old woman.

Laura was proving to be a woman who was good at her job and at reading people, but Richard still couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was a hidden side to her.

‘I don’t trust Hazel and I believe my grandmother. You’ll let me know if she uncovers something?’ Richard asked.

Laura nodded. ‘Of course I will.’

Richard looked down at Henry, whose mouth was full of chewy sweets. He took the bag from his son’s tiny hand, knowing that Henry had eaten more than three sweets as it felt much lighter.

‘Well, I’d better let you get on,’ Laura said.

Richard nodded. ‘Yes, better get this little one home.’

He noticed the flash of disappointment that crossed Laura’s face before it was replaced with a too-wide smile that didn’t quite reach the eyes.

‘Well, I’ll probably see you at the home on your next visit,’ she said.

‘Yes, you will.’ Richard turned to Henry. ‘Come on then. Let’s get you home. Say goodbye to Laura.’

Henry shot Laura his cutest smile before saying, ‘Bye, Laura. My nana Gertie is psychic.’

Richard froze. How did Henry know that?

He watched Laura as she tried her best to suppress a smile.

‘Yes, I have been told about Gertie’s psychic abilities,’ Laura said, turning her gaze to Richard and offering him a shrug.

Richard had no idea what to say, so he just shrugged back. He shook his head as if to say the things kids hear .

Richard was surprised that she laughed in good humour. She didn’t seem shocked at the thought. What had Gertie told her?

‘Bye, then,’ Laura said.

‘Bye, Laura,’ Richard replied. He opened his mouth to say more but stopped himself. Instead, he stood there, gripping Henry’s hand as he watched her walk away, her yellow wellington boots fading into the distance.

It had been on the tip of his tongue to ask her out for a drink.

Gertie’s words rang in his head with the fact that Laura was all alone, going home to an empty house.

But the moment had passed.