Lavender Lane (Larch Tree Lane #4)

Chapter Sixteen

After a few more minutes’ silence, he said in his quiet way, ‘If no one has any other suggestions or thoughts, we could all have a lazy time for the rest of the day and catch up with the newspapers.’

They did just that or simply watched the latest news on a rather old-fashioned TV in the casual sitting area attached to the kitchen.

They ate an evening meal together but as they were finishing, Sean said, ‘Put your crockery on the draining board, but come back to the table because we need to talk about something else now.’

He waited till they were all seated again to start. ‘I’ve been reading about some of the ways they’ve approached keeping up the appearance of a simple convalescent home here and I think we can get this house set up to support that quite credibly without too much trouble.’

‘Will it really do that, do you think, Sean?’ Ilsa asked.

‘It has done before. We’ve never tried to hide the fact that we have a convalescent home here, just concealed the special people for whom it’s also been set up. Some of them need a longer convalescence and must hide here for a while. They’re usually fairly safe because of the fact that others use Lavender Lane openly.’

He paused again, glad to see how carefully they were listening. ‘We work on the principle that the more people who’re here, the harder it is for anyone pursuing our special invalid to figure out whether we’re doing anything other than looking after a few people who need to convalesce. Though, actually, I’ve got the beginning of a small idea that I might toss into the pot later for occasional use. I’ll tell you more about this idea once I’ve worked out how best to implement it.’

He looked round and the others nodded slightly but no one seemed to want to make any comments at this stage, so he continued. ‘Some of the people we bring in regularly are old friends and employees who live locally. They used to meet here every month for a drink or two and a social gathering away from their families. They’ve pretended in the past that their families are the ones who need a little respite since they care for them full-time for most of the year.’

‘I know how to organise looking after ambulatory patients,’ Ilsa said quietly. ‘I did it for a while, dealt with the admin and practical equipment side of things I mean, not their medical treatment, obviously.’

‘Good. That experience will be really useful here.’

There was silence as the others considered the situation, then Ned asked, ‘Who are these special people you’re bringing in, Sean? And why do you trust them so absolutely? I hope you don’t mind my asking but I’ve nearly been killed once and am still recovering from the injuries I sustained then. Someone I’d trusted was involved in betraying me and I definitely don’t intend for that to happen again if I can help it.’

‘I haven’t met these people personally yet,’ Sean admitted, ‘but it was marked as proven in my briefing notes that people from certain families in the town have helped out several times during the past few decades and proved their loyalty. When our side set up a convalescent home that offered genuine respite care, and other secret care, these people risked their lives on more than one occasion to come here and act as patients.’

He waited for that to sink in before continuing. ‘Unfortunately, that had to remain a secret and was absolutely unofficial, so they couldn’t be given the medals they deserved. Various times locals have helped in that way are mentioned in the diaries kept at the big house, I gather.’

He looked at Ned. ‘Since you’re still not fully recovered, you won’t be available for action in setting anything up, but perhaps you could read some of the more recent diaries and see if we can learn anything useful from them about how best to set about this? It’d be a real help if you’d take that chore off my shoulders. I’d not like to miss something helpful by being in a rush.’

He saw Ned brighten a little at being given a truly useful task that was within his present reduced physical capabilities, and gave him a quick smile before going back to continue his original explanation to the group.

While doing that he couldn’t miss the intent way Ilsa was watching Ned. She looked across and gave him a tiny nod as if to show approval. How had a woman as intelligent and sensitive as this one had her skills overlooked? Why was she not already working at a higher than basic level? He set that aside for later detailed consideration but would bear it in mind as he continued to work on his present task.

He ended by telling them, ‘I’m going to slip out after it gets dark and visit the people I mentioned. I have their phone numbers so I’ve let them know I’ll be coming tonight. I’d rather go there to meet them in person and see their reactions as I ask whether any of them are able to help us once more. I’ll also ask them to explain exactly how they did things last time. No need for us to reinvent the wheel, is there?’

‘No need at all,’ Ilsa was the first to agree.

‘This is a very complicated situation, isn’t it?’ Nina looked at her companions one by one and they were clearly in agreement, still looking thoughtful.

‘It is at the moment but once we’ve got things in place, Lavender Lane should be relatively easy to run, and we’ll be able to offer genuine convalescent shelter to locals as well as to occasional special people. At the present time, however, I want to alert all of you to the urgent need there is for us to conceal the fact that Ned is staying here as one of our special guests.’ He smiled at Ned. ‘Obviously, we need to look after you until you’ve recovered properly and I think there are enough of us to do that OK.’

‘I’m sure you will. What happened to me in the field was a very rare glitch. We don’t often encounter traitors. How about I shave my beard off now? I grew it to look different while I was on this project and anyway, I found it too much trouble to shave every day then. I kept it for the same reasons when I was so ill.’

‘I was going to suggest that.’

‘I’ll do it for him,’ Ilsa volunteered. ‘It still needs care taking in the area near the lower facial scar.’

‘Yes, you do that. But nothing will happen to anyone who comes to recover here when I’m on watch, except over my dead body, whether it’s you being targeted or anyone else, Ned.’

Sean looked very fierce as he let that sink in, then he relaxed a little and glanced at his watch. ‘Right, then. If you’ve no more questions, I’ll go and visit our local contacts next.’

He was gone so quickly, he left them sitting in frowning silence for a few moments as they mulled over the situation.

‘I wish he hadn’t left so quickly. I’d have liked to ask him a couple more questions,’ Nina said.

Ilsa nodded agreement. ‘So would I now that I’ve had time for the idea of the hidden use of this place to sink in. But since it’s only eight o’clock I think I’ll go and make a start on cleaning the first cottage. I’m not ready for bed yet.’

‘No, don’t even think of doing that,’ Nina said quickly. ‘None of us should do anything away from this house and especially not on our own at the moment. Cleaning would involve moving around the grounds in the dark as you go in and out of the empty house and cottages.’

‘I’m quite good at taking care of myself,’ Ilsa said quietly.

‘No. You’d be too vulnerable. We’ll be able to move around more freely once we’ve got other people we trust staying in some of the cottages. I think it’s good that Sean has people he can bring in.’

She didn’t know how she was so sure they should stay together, since she didn’t have any experience of such dangerous situations. She decided she was going to follow her instincts, which didn’t usually lead her astray.

Ilsa sighed. ‘Yes. I suppose you’re right. But I shan’t be able to settle till Sean comes back safely.’ She looked at the other woman. ‘He’ll tell us the details of what he arranges, won’t he? I hate being kept in the dark about details till the last minute when I’m involved in something, especially when I might have to make arrangements for those very details.’

‘I certainly hope he will because I too want to find out what to expect and I’ll be happy to do my bit to help. And Laura must have thought I could cope or she’d not have left this place to me.’ Nina looked round the kitchen area and added, ‘I was so lucky to inherit. I fell in love with this place on sight.’

‘Who wouldn’t?’ Ned said. ‘It has such a welcoming feel to it.’

‘I’m glad you think so.’

It was a moment or two before Nina said anything else. ‘While we’re waiting, you and I could finish cleaning out the other cupboards in here, Ilsa, especially the higher ones that are hard to reach. We’ll need to remove two years of dust and possibly a few mice droppings or worse.’ She grimaced at the thought of that.

‘I’m happy to clean all those cupboards for you. I like to keep busy.’

‘No, we’ll both do it. I prefer to share both the pleasant and the unpleasant jobs. That’s only fair.’

They both turned to study Ned, then Ilsa said firmly, ‘You need to take another nap before you read those diaries, Ned. You’re looking drowsy again.’

He scowled at them but she ignored that. ‘Leave looking after him to me, Nina. I’ll help him get ready for a rest.’ She grinned. ‘And at the moment, I’m the stronger one.’

‘I’m not a child to be put down for naps!’ he snapped.

‘Then stop behaving like one. You know sleep will help you get better more quickly than anything else at this stage.’

‘Well, I’m fed up to the teeth of sleeping. It feels as though I’m wasting my life.’

Her voice became soothing. ‘I know. But you’re convalescent now, not ill. And the good news is that your tetchiness proves to me that you’re definitely getting better. Only, we need you to recover as quickly as possible, so please put up with the naps and give in when you need one. You’re not drowsing off for long, are you?’

It was his turn to stare. ‘How did you know I was feeling sleepy, Ilsa? I thought I’d hidden it.’

She looked at him in surprise. Now he’d mentioned it she too wondered how she’d felt so certain, why she seemed to be so attuned to his body and its needs. ‘I could just tell, somehow. Come on. Let’s get you settled.’ She held out her arm.

After another scowl, he took it with obvious reluctance. ‘This is only to help me keep my balance,’ he said as they started moving. A minute later he stopped to ask, ‘You’ll wake me if I’m still asleep when Sean comes back? I’m part of this.’

‘Yes, of course I will.’

‘Promise.’

‘I promise faithfully,’ she said loudly and emphatically, crossing her heart in a mock gesture. Then she chivvied him into visiting the cloakroom before lying down again. She even tucked him in and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, saying with a teasing smile, ‘Be a good boy for Mummy.’

He grabbed her wrist and said in a low growl of a voice, ‘Just wait till I’ve got my former energy back. You won’t know what’s hit you, Ilsa Platt. And I definitely won’t be calling you Mummy!’

The look in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine, though she tried to hide her reaction. But when she rejoined the other woman in the kitchen, Nina grinned at her. ‘From the way he looks at you, he really likes you.’

‘Funny way of showing it, getting all grumpy on me.’

‘What’s more, I think you like him too.’

Ilsa shrugged and began to rattle pans rather loudly about as she rearranged them in a cupboard next to the cooker.

Nina didn’t continue that conversation but she was still smiling as she went across to start clearing out one of the big cupboards. It was so nice to see the potential between those two, something positive and normal brightening.

Like Ilsa, she was eager to see exactly what Sean had arranged and hear his new idea so found it difficult to settle down to work. She kept pausing in the cleaning to listen for his car coming back.

It seemed a long time till she heard it.