Lavender Lane (Larch Tree Lane #4)

Chapter Fourteen

Sean woke feeling refreshed and extremely hungry. He saw that the door of Nina’s room was open and no one was lying in the mess of crumpled bedcovers so went straight down to the kitchen. A shower could wait till later.

He found Nina and Ilsa in the middle of eating scrambled eggs on toast with every sign of relish and the mere sight of the food on their plates made him feel ravenous.

‘Any more eggs around?’ he asked at once.

Nina smiled at him from the other side of the table. ‘If you wait till I’ve finished this, I’ll scramble you some, but if you want them more quickly, you’ll have to do your own.’

‘I can whip some up quickly,’ Ilsa offered, starting to get up.

‘You’re in the middle of eating your own breakfast. Stay where you are.’

‘Well, there are some lovely fresh eggs in a box in the pantry.’ She pointed towards a door at one side of the kitchen. ‘In the meantime there’s tea in the pot not long brewed. Pour yourself a mug while you’re waiting. I used the big teapot so there should be plenty left still.’

‘Good thinking. I will grab a drink but I’m absolutely desperate for food and am quite capable of scrambling eggs or even cooking a three-course meal for that matter.’

He was about to start work when their other guest came slowly in to join them and eased himself into a chair at the table.

They all gaped at Ned, sharing surprised looks because no one had expected him to be able to get up and move about on his own without help for another day or two.

He looked challengingly back at them from the chair. ‘I need to start walking about. I had a little practice earlier, with Ilsa’s help. This is my first go at doing it completely on my own. Little and often is the best way to go, don’t you think?’

‘As long as you don’t overdo it,’ Sean said. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘You know what? I think I am, for the first time in ages.’

Sean studied him and decided he wasn’t going to faint on them. ‘Then I’ll make enough scrambled eggs for you and me both. I was just about to start cooking. Can I get you a mug of tea while you’re waiting?’

‘If it’s not too much trouble.’

Sean poured them both a drink, then proceeded to prove that he could indeed cook and the two men were soon eating with every sign of relish.

‘This is so good. It’s a while since I’ve enjoyed any food.’ The invalid beamed down at his completely empty plate. ‘Thanks, Sean. That was great. Unfortunately I can’t offer to help you clear up yet.’

‘You’re welcome. Have you had time to choose a name yet? No worries if you haven’t but it makes it easier to include you in the conversations.’

‘Yes, I have. What do you think of Ned? And Langley for a surname.’

They all murmured approval and Nina asked, ‘No middle name?’

‘Definitely not. Middle names are more trouble than they’re worth and they give enemies a way of identifying you more easily.’ He scowled into the distance as he said that, as if remembering something unpleasant.

When they’d finished breakfast, Sean helped clear up then studied the two women and took a unilateral decision to share the rest of the information about what they were involved in with Ilsa as well as Nina. He’d go over it from go to whoa just to make sure everything was clear. Ilsa didn’t know anything more than the bare details officially but had, he was quite sure, worked a lot of the details on her own. Stupid she was not! It was one of the things he liked best about her.

And he felt their new employee deserved more than just a basic outline as he had been instructed. In fact, he was beginning to suspect that he’d fallen lucky to have her on his team because she too seemed very smart.

He studied her for a moment or two longer. He liked her steady, honest way of looking at the world and the bright intelligence in her eyes. He had a feeling she might come in very useful if there was trouble. A woman who’d been in the army should be able to look after herself better than most in difficult situations anyway.

He turned to Ned, who was looking rather tired now but hadn’t yet shown any sign of wanting to go and lie down again. He didn’t suggest Ned leave them either. The chap probably knew a lot of what was going to be revealed about this place after his own experiences, possibly even more than Sean himself did.

He took a deep breath and said, ‘I think you all ought to know what’s going on. If you feel you can contribute something else to the total picture, stop me and do that. As far as I’m concerned, we’re all members of a team. First, I think we all understand that this work is very confidential indeed.’

Ilsa was the first to nod agreement.

He waited till they had all sat down in more comfort in the next room to say, ‘I have a few things to tell you all about this place and to warn you about too. And this must stay in absolute confidence.’

He began by explaining the history of Lavender Lane, which had been used by the government as a sanctuary for many years, and prior to that the family living there had offered sanctuary to people in trouble as well. ‘As far as the general public is concerned, this is a convalescent home and indeed it actually is mostly. But it can be more than that, if needs be. We’re about to bring some pretend invalids here, some oldies who’re happy to help. We’ve had to do that before actually.’

‘How do you work out what lies you tell these people?’

‘We use whatever story will fit the general situation at the time. In addition, we have historical records to refer to, showing what approaches have worked well before.’ He smiled reminiscently. ‘I once heard a very experienced older man say you can tell any lie you like and as long as you stick to it, there will be some people in the world who’ll believe it. We seem to have been proving him right in our little corner of England for a good many years and saving the lives of some of our wounded heroes and heroines at the same time.’

He paused and let that sink in, then asked, ‘How did they find you when you were out in the field, Ned? It can be useful to know what exactly has gone wrong.’

‘Because of a weakness in the main system that a certain high-placed gentleman allegedly on our side insisted wasn’t at all likely to affect the situation in the present circumstances. He declined to authorise the money needed to deal with it, on the grounds that it’d cost too much. He also accused me of being unrealistic when I mentioned it as a likely problem if it wasn’t dealt with before I started and said he’d put other less expensive measures into place and I could trust in his experience.’

He looked angry as he added, ‘When I got back, I suggested to the head of my department rather forcibly that precautions be reconsidered as a matter of urgency and he and his team backed me. I gather the gentleman in question has had a sudden desire to retire and the system has now been changed drastically.’

He continued to scowl as he added, ‘No single person, however powerful, will be able to stop necessary steps being taken from now on.’

Ned glared down at his arm, which was still heavily bandaged, and muttered, almost as if talking to himself, ‘I’m lucky to be alive, but I wish I could give him a taste of what it’s like to be hunted and not know who to trust.’

Sean waited a minute or two for the furiously angry look to fade from his companion’s face, then continued. ‘We shall all have to be particularly watchful from now on till we’re sure interest in this area has completely faded.’

‘Are we watching for something or someone in particular?’ Nina asked.

‘Not exactly but we should always keep our eyes open for newcomers to the area who don’t seem to fit in round here, people who don’t join in socially perhaps or don’t have recognisable sources of income. A few members of local families have been keeping watch on newcomers to the district on their own account for most of their lives, they care so much about their valley.’

‘Do they know about how Lavender Lane is used?’ Ned asked.

‘One or two of them do and the descendants of these families have helped protect it for decades. When help has been needed they’ve stepped up to the mark and sometimes made a huge difference. You’ll probably meet one or two of them at some stage because some of the oldies will be coming in here as convalescents.’

He paused to let that sink in, then waved one hand as if to indicate their immediate surroundings. ‘We can summon up much tighter safety precautions here than normal if required. Developments in electronics have made that easier for our generation in some ways and harder in others. We’re about to do a refit on all the systems here, another thing that a certain gentleman at head office slowed down implementation of.’

He turned to Nina. ‘You’re the first person for ages who isn’t from one of the local families. But Laura was utterly convinced that you’d fit in well and I think you have done already.’

‘Thank you for saying that, Sean. I’ll try not to let you down.’

‘I’m already quite sure you won’t.’ He paused for a moment, then changed the subject slightly. ‘This is an interesting little town, a world of its own in some ways. How do you feel now about living here and owning a refuge like Lavender Lane, Nina?’

‘Honoured.’

He nodded in what looked like satisfaction.

‘My sons have shown me they have busy lives of their own so I know I can’t rely on their company at this stage in their lives. I was feeling a bit lost as to what to do with myself before all this happened.’ She waved one hand to indicate their surroundings.

She paused then said thoughtfully, ‘It’s not fashionable to say that you’re patriotic but I am and I feel an affinity for Britain even though I’ve spent nearly all my life in Australia until now. The Commonwealth still means something to me, so I care about the work being done here at my new home. I may not be descended from the original family who owned this place, but I can still carry on their admirable traditions, can’t I?’

He nodded and smiled approvingly at her, then turned to the other woman. ‘And what about you, Ilsa? Does what goes on here put you off working with us?’

‘On the contrary, it makes it sound far more interesting. I certainly didn’t find working in a shop all that meaningful. I stayed there mainly because I love living in this valley and like everyone else, I need to earn a living. I’m beginning to think, no, I’m quite sure now, that I was clinically depressed for a time.’ She gave Nina a very warm smile. ‘Actually, I agree with you about one thing. I too like the thought that this new job has an underlying value to our country, something I was proud of about the work I did when I was in the army.’

‘You must have been extremely upset when you couldn’t re-enlist.’

‘I was. Still am,’ she added gruffly. ‘I’m not one for a sedentary life, either.’

‘One of my grandfather’s sayings was: if someone locks a door in your face, find a window and climb in through that,’ said Sean.

Ilsa grinned and added, ‘I wish I could have met him. He sounds to have been a wise person.’

‘Yeah. I was lucky to have had his guidance as a youngster. But think about the future this way now: you may be able to care about and contribute enough to what we’re doing here to stay on at Lavender Lane in a more permanent capacity. When we find a capable person like you we tend to grab them, bring them into the team and look after them.’

The glowing look Ilsa gave him at that compliment, and her over-bright eyes didn’t need words to say how much what he’d said meant to her.

It was Nina who asked, ‘What do you mean by saying you grab them?’

‘We do whatever is needed to keep them happy to stay with us, so that we can have the benefit of their skills. Training can be made available if needed, and indeed it will be given priority if it can improve on skills useful to what we do in places like this.’

He didn’t say it but there were one or two refuges tucked away in the countryside.

He waited, watching her carefully, then added, ‘Or you could help us here for a while, Ilsa, do the work well, then we could give you references that would help you to get a job with a private security firm, for instance.’

She stared at him, open-mouthed. ‘I hadn’t even thought of that possibility. How stupid of me! Though I’d rather stay here. I’m quite sure of that already.’

‘You’ve been in steady employment for most of your life, have faced big setbacks and still got here to join us without the help of a supportive family, so you can’t be stupid in any way.’

She looked at him with tears now welling out of her eyes, trying and failing to blink them away. ‘How kind you are, Sean, you and Nina both! You’ve been very tender with my feelings, too, even though you hardly know me.’

She frowned and stared into her memories for a few moments. ‘I think part of the reason I’ve been narrow in my views is because of the limited experiences I had from when I went into care as a child. The people responsible for us focused on physical care, and I can’t fault them for that, but not so much on the mental and emotional development of us children – at least that’s how it worked in my time and I can understand that now when I look back.’

‘You’re quite a perceptive person,’ Nina said.

‘I’ve been driven inwards by my life. I didn’t see much of the normal world locally, let alone life further afield. Nor did I get the chance to try a wider range of activities than were available at the schools I attended. You needed extra money to go on trips and to add extra lessons like special coaching in sports.’

She sighed and added, ‘The activities on offer seemed to be so different each time I was moved to a new school, that I was mostly behind the others in coping with their world.’

‘Must have been difficult,’ Nina said quietly.

‘It was.’

‘We all do our best with what life hands out to us,’ Sean said. ‘ Your own best is all you can guarantee. No one can ever achieve the best possible outcomes in every single situation they meet, so one of the prime pieces of advice I’d give you, and others, is don’t expect miracles of yourself, just do your very best. And actually you seem to me to have done pretty well so I shall look forward to working with you and extending your skills.’

Ilsa’s voice was husky and she had to swallow hard before she spoke. ‘Thank you, Sean.’

He nodded, understanding her feelings. No one should go through life without praise for effort as well for real achievements. Like some of the other people he’d met over the years, Ilsa seemed to him to resemble a thirsty plant that had not been offered enough water to produce its best blooms. And it always made him feel good to mentor people who were so avid to learn generally as well as to succeed here and there in the wider world.

He knew he wouldn’t be allowed to work in the field again himself should he and Nina become formal partners or even get married, as he hoped might happen. And anyway, he’d been seriously considering retiring from too active a life before he got much older on the principle that he’d done a lot and should go while the going was good.

It occurred to him that he could work to prepare others for some aspects of the work that he was particularly good at and perhaps he could keep an eye on this place as part of his remit. With Nina. Both activities would be highly satisfying to him and to the organisation he was part of.

He realised they were all waiting for him to continue, so went on to discuss some aspects of the security systems here. The residential cottages would definitely need updating electronically as quickly as possible.

Nina sat staring into space and frowning, then after a while she took advantage of a pause in the conversation while they got themselves mugs of coffee to say, ‘Whatever else we do, we need to buy a pile of groceries and have them delivered. There are no stores of any type of food here and not only do I have a distinctly healthy appetite, Sean, you have an even better one. We can’t forget the practicalities of daily life.’

He looked at her ruefully. ‘You’re right.’ Then he stared at the others. ‘Anyone enjoy cooking regularly? Or even good at it?’

Nina shrugged. ‘I enjoy cooking sometimes but not all the time. I’d never take a job as a cook.’

‘I’m very average,’ Ilsa said. ‘I haven’t had much practice at cooking for a group like a family.’

‘I can cope if I have to,’ Ned said.

Sean grinned. ‘We’ll check out takeaway places while we’re out as well, then, though I’m a bit fussy about what some of them call food. I like to eat reasonably healthily.’

‘I eat a lot of salads,’ Ilsa said. ‘Easy to put together and extremely healthy.’

‘Barbecues aren’t too difficult to manage once I’m better,’ Ned offered.

Sean cut off the discussion about food. ‘Well, we’ll leave that for another time. Do you have any more questions or are we done here for the time being?’

‘I don’t have any questions,’ Ilsa said. ‘I need to check that the cottages are being properly cleaned.’

Ned sighed loudly. ‘Unfortunately I’m feeling rather sleepy again.’

‘I’ll come and help you get settled, then,’ Ilsa said at once. ‘I bet you’ve left your bedcovers in a tangle again.’

Sean watched her stand with hands on hips and saw how Ned gave in to her quiet insistence and gradually let her take over. She was proving even more capable than he’d expected at dealing with people, not ordering Ned about but chivvying him gently and, from what Sean had seen so far, rather effectively as well.

The poor chap was looking tired but at the same time he was looking better in some ways, more relaxed perhaps to be out of a purely hospital environment. He certainly didn’t have the white, washed-out look that sick people could sometimes show the world.

‘Since we need food urgently, Nina and I will go into town straight away. Will you two be all right here on your own?’ Sean wasn’t surprised when they responded with slightly surprised expressions and nods.

‘Of course we will,’ Ilsa said.

‘I’ll look after her,’ Ned said with a grin.

Another good sign, that joking, Sean thought.

Once they were alone in the car, he waited to start it and asked Nina, ‘What do you think of those two?’

‘I think they’re going to make good employees, or team members, or whatever you like to call them. And also they seem to get on quite well, so they might become genuinely good friends or even more.’

‘Better friends than we’re becoming?’

She flushed slightly. ‘We agreed to take things slowly.’

He laid one hand on his heart and said, ‘Am I not doing that?’

‘No, not at this moment! You’re pushing me.’

‘I’m just teasing you and nudging you a little, that’s all. And I’m enjoying doing it.’

The warm smile he gave her as he followed that by blowing her an elaborately flourishing kiss made her flush even though he didn’t say anything else suggestive.

She took a deep breath and said, ‘Stop that, Sean. I’m out of practice at flirting and we genuinely need to buy some food.’

‘Be warned. I’m happy to form a friendship with you, but only as I wait to see whether a closer relationship will develop. And if I have any say in it, that will happen. I hope it’s the same for you.’

‘I’m a bit out of practice, but all right, I will admit that I agree. But we shouldn’t really think of ourselves so much while we’re dealing with this problem.’

His smile faded. ‘Unfortunately you’re right. But afterwards?’

‘Might be fun.’ She imitated his action by blowing him a flourishing kiss like his own.