Lavender Lane (Larch Tree Lane #4)

Chapter Twenty

Ilsa went to greet Ben and check whether anything else was needed for his comfort.

As she had when dealing with Arthur, she quickly decided that this man was another who must have been quite an important person in his time.

And she liked the sturdy independent air of young Norry and his friend Rahim, not to mention the bright, eager expressions on their faces. What’s more, the two of them seemed mature beyond their years in the way they interacted with the old man and discussed the situation and he treated them as equals. In fact, it was lovely to see how well the three of them got on.

She wished she’d had that sort of relationship in her younger life, but as usual she didn’t let herself linger on the regrets about her own situation because there was nothing she could do to change what had already happened. You couldn’t pull relatives out of the sky for the future, either, could you?

As Arthur had done, Ben was studying her as if he could read her nature in her face, and he didn’t attempt to hide his interest. He was polite but it didn’t take her long to decide that she wouldn’t like to try going against anything this man wanted her to do, either.

This wasn’t to say, however, that there wasn’t an underlying kindness to the way he spoke to everyone, herself included. In fact, he and Arthur were very much alike in that too. They were both really pleasant to deal with as well as having that subtle air of authority in the way they spoke, somehow.

Ilsa had learnt in the army to manage on less sleep when needed and thank goodness! It was her guess that this ability was going to come in useful if this job gave her the disturbed nights she was already half expecting.

She set her alarm for earlier than usual the following morning so that she could supervise the provision of breakfast for the oldies. She’d also need to keep an eye on the work being done to Prue’s cottage, which needed a few details finishing off to be sparkling clean and looking appealing.

Prue arrived just after eleven o’clock accompanied by her niece, Zoe. She hobbled slowly and stiffly into her home, using her walking stick, stared round it then turned to smile at Ilsa. ‘It all looks fine, dear, thank you. Where are Ben and Arthur staying?’

Ilsa pointed out the two nearby cottages and told her who would be in each.

Prue winked at her. ‘I think I can just about manage to totter that far without a wheelchair.’

Ilsa didn’t contradict her but something in her expression must have given away her knowledge of these people’s actual health condition and a little gurgle of laughter escaped Prue.

‘You’re aware of the true situation, I see. Good. I shan’t need to pretend with you. And since I don’t really need help, perhaps you’d show Zoe where to take our luggage then carry on with your day. She’ll unpack for me and I’ll settle here near the window until the others are ready for a chat and perhaps lunch together. You might call in and suggest they come over to greet me when convenient.’

‘How about you have lunch here together at about one o’clock. There is a table with leaves that we can use.’

Prue nodded. ‘Yes, the boys and I will enjoy that.’

Boys indeed! Ilsa thought. One guy was in his nineties and the other in his mid-eighties. She went to order them a meal, arranging to have a bland lunch sent in this time with items people weren’t usually allergic to. Someone would surely have told her if these people had any serious dietary problems but you couldn’t be too careful.

After that she reckoned she’d earned a little quiet time so spent a peaceful hour with an early lunch for herself and yesterday’s newspaper to enjoy. She loved finding out what was happening in the wider world.

She helped deliver their meal, gave them time to finish it in peace then went back to check that they were all right, not to mention asking what types of food they liked best so that she could make some more interesting meal plans for them in future. She’d have to check that there were relevant food supplies in the pantry at the big house afterwards. She prided herself on getting every single detail of whatever she was organising correct.

As she reached the first pair of cottages, she glanced through the windows. All three oldies had gathered at Prue’s and even before she got to the door she realised that they were speaking so quietly she couldn’t even sense their tone of voice, nor was their rather minimal body language any clue to how they were really feeling. It seemed as if they were making doubly sure of their privacy.

As she approached the front door, Prue looked up, saw her through the glass panels of the upper part of the door and tapped Arthur’s arm. ‘We have a visitor.’

When she opened the door, she smiled and beckoned to Ilsa. ‘Do come in and join us. Your arrival is well timed because we were just saying it might be useful to speak to you about something.’

Ben gestured to a chair so she pulled it up and sat down with the group, thinking yet again that not all senior officials were as polite as this to their underlings.

‘I hope you don’t mind if we ask you some rather personal questions, Ilsa?’

She didn’t mind but it puzzled her why they’d bother. People running things didn’t usually have the slightest interest in the personal background of their casual helpers and attendants.

‘We’d be interested to hear more about your family, if you don’t mind us asking. The little I’ve found out shows that you have a distinct lack of any close relatives, which may mean you’d be both free and willing to help us with something. What happened to your immediate family?’

‘I don’t mind you asking but there isn’t much to tell. My parents died in a car crash when I was ten. No one ever told me the details of how that happened and there wasn’t any information about other relatives in their possessions, so I was taken into care and moved from one foster family to another over the years. I didn’t remember my parents ever speaking about any relatives and of course ongoing foster parents knew even less about my family than I did.’

Arthur looked at her in surprise. ‘There were no birth certificates or other official papers to indicate where you come from?’

‘No, nothing at all. Later, when I was older, I asked about that but the foster mother I had then only shrugged and denied knowing anything. Even when I went to the first foster home, I never saw any possessions that might have belonged to my parents, that’s for sure, only my own clothes and schoolbooks.’

‘How sad. The authorities should have left you some mementoes.’

She shrugged. ‘Sad things happen. I was looked after well enough physically, I’ll grant the carers that. By the time I was old enough to wonder and make serious enquiries about my family, I was with my fourth foster parents and naturally they knew nothing whatsoever. And the person who’d organised my care originally had left her employment with the local authority and moved overseas, so couldn’t be contacted.’

It had upset her, Ilsa admitted to herself, and she still considered it to have been done inefficiently and cruelly too, but it was too late to do anything about it by then.

‘When I left school I went into the army, which felt like a family in some ways.’

‘What made you think of doing that?’ Ben asked.

‘I’d been in the cadet corps at school. I wasn’t the only one there without close relatives.’ That had comforted her. A little, anyway.

‘We saw the army service listed in your CV, but we weren’t sure why you hadn’t stayed in the military if you were happy there. Can I ask you that?’

‘I wanted to try a broader slice of life than foster families and the army. And my commanding officer would keep pestering me to train as an officer. I didn’t feel ready for that and I don’t like studying. Anyhow, I knew I could always re-enlist if I decided the army was the best place for me.’

‘And then you were seriously injured in an accident and couldn’t go back. Hard luck, that. How are you now physically?’

‘All right as long as I don’t overdo things that involve that weaker leg taking a lot of pressure.’

‘I must say I haven’t seen any signs of a limp so the leg must cope all right with normal everyday life.’

‘It does. There are no hidden health secrets there, I promise you.’

‘Thanks for putting up with our nosiness.’ Ben looked across at his friends as if to hand the conversation over to one of them.

It was Arthur who took over, smiling at her. ‘Can we consider the present situation here in Lavender Lane now?’

She nodded. This was a rather strange conversation, jumping to and fro in ways that surprised and confused her. She really couldn’t see why they were interested in her remote family background. Surely all that mattered now was that she did the tasks they needed her for efficiently?

‘We’ve been discussing an additional strategy for disguising the special work we do here, and making it look like just a convalescent care facility. Would you be willing to do something rather unconventional to help your country?’

She stared for a moment then nodded slowly. ‘Willingly. As long as it doesn’t involve breaking the law or hurting someone, of course.’

‘No, no! Nothing like that. We thought you could pretend to find a long-lost family member here and we’ll use that sort of thing in an ongoing way to keep distracting people as to the secondary purpose of this place.’

‘I can do that though I can’t see how that would help our country.’

‘It’d help in a small way here in Lavender Lane, which is occasionally useful to the authorities in ways we’ll explain later.’

‘Well, it’d be nice to help a bit more than I do now, I must admit, and to do something different.’ She waited but they didn’t go into further details then and Arthur nodded dismissal with another of his pleasant smiles.

‘We’ll talk further about this later, Ilsa. Could you ask Sean and Nina to join us this afternoon at about three o’clock to give us time to talk about the details? We’ll need to run our basic idea past them now we’ve spoken to you, then discuss the details of how best to organise this strategy, so we’ll get you back in to help us plan things once it’s been approved.’

Her puzzlement must have shown because he gave her an apologetic look and added, ‘I’m sorry to take so long to sort this out but it’s a delicate step and it has to be done just right, so we want to test it out. You know how careful one has to be with red tape sometimes.’

She nodded. Anyone who’d served in the forces was only too aware of that.

‘And please don’t mention this to anyone.’

As if she would go around blabbing about anything she did at work! As if she had anyone close enough to blab to them!

Ben said, ‘Perhaps you could keep the injured guy company while we have our little chat with the others. Ned, he’s calling himself now, I believe?’

‘Yes, Ned.’

‘Recovering well, is he?’

‘Oh, yes. He’s got the right attitude about his health and is very determined not to remain an invalid. And actually he’s very pleasant to be with.’

‘Good for him. I’m sure it’d help keep him cheerful if you could spend some time with him, except for when you’re getting food and drink for us all, of course. He’ll benefit from the company of someone closer to his own age and it’ll make him feel more normal.’

‘All right.’ That made sense though not much else did at the moment. And she was rather disappointed about what exactly they wanted her to do here. It didn’t sound as if there would be anything particularly interesting about this new situation.

She glanced quickly round before she left, checking that all the arrangements for their physical comfort were in place because she didn’t want Sean and Nina seeing anything, however tiny, that they could find fault with. Then she left the oldies to it. She wished there were more to do to occupy her time.

As she walked slowly back up to the big house to pass on their message, she couldn’t help wondering what they were actually up to. They were playing their cards close to the chest, making it hard to guess anything at all, even for her and she was usually good at solving puzzles.

The most baffling aspect of all was how they could wish to involve her in what they were planning if it was such hush-hush stuff. She was such an ordinary person compared to them, compared to anyone, really.

Still, if she could help even something minor to happen smoothly without any hassles, it’d be something worth achieving, wouldn’t it? She liked the thought of that.

And in the meantime, she really would enjoy spending time with Ned.

Sean looked up as Ilsa came in to join them in the casual meals area near the kitchen to get a drink of chilled water. He waited till she’d rinsed the glass out and put it to drain then asked, ‘Everything all right?’

‘Yes. But the oldies want to run something past you and Nina this afternoon and wondered if you could join them later.’ She looked at the clock. Just over an hour to go till then.

‘Only Nina and myself? Not you as well this time?’

‘No, not me. They suggested I go and chat to Ned.’

‘We’re free now and could go down to talk to them straight away.’

‘They’re not quite ready for you yet, though. I think they need to discuss the details of their idea first.’

‘What did they want to talk to you about? Do you mind me asking?’

‘They were asking me about why I left the army and what I wanted to do with my life.’

He thought about this for a moment then shrugged. ‘They’ve got a reputation for shrewdness and for working out quirky solutions to difficult problems, so I’m certain that if they have a suggestion about our situation it’ll be worth all of us listening to their ideas. They probably wanted to pick your brain about some of the practical details. Details can make such a difference to the success of small jobs and you’re good at getting them right.’

That compliment pleased her. ‘Yes. I suppose that’ll be it.’

She hesitated then risked commenting on the three oldies, since he had done so, ‘They’re an incredible trio, aren’t they? Very sharp and alert. That stands out a mile.’

Nina stopped working on her laptop, looking down at it with a sigh. ‘No word from my sons. Their idea of keeping in touch is usually a two-line email or text.’ Then she shrugged and went back to the previous topic. ‘As to the oldies, I’ve only just met them, but that was my impression too. I wonder what exactly they’re planning to do?’

By that time Ned had set down the book he was flicking through to join in the conversation. ‘I’ve been wondering about that as well ever since you told me about them.’

Ilsa glanced at him. He was sitting in a far more normal and upright position now, and seemed to be looking more alert all the time, every hour or two even. But he was still clearly wary of what was happening around him even when it didn’t sound like it included him. And who wouldn’t be when they’d escaped death so narrowly?

His question was aimed at her. ‘They just want to chat to Nina and Sean next? Did they mention seeing me at some stage?’

This was clearly worrying him but she could only tell him the truth. ‘I’m afraid not.’

He stared at the other two. ‘If the plans concern me, I shall want to know more about the situation before I agree to do anything else. I’m sick to death of being kept in the dark and then expected to jump in at some deep end or other when ordered.’

He was looking distinctly grumpy now, Ilsa thought, and hid a smile. That was a good sign that he was recovering. He was probably fed up to the teeth of being an invalid, and it’d hit an active person harder than one who lived a sedentary life. Hanging round doing nothing would drive her mad.

When she turned back to look at Sean, he too was frowning, then he stared at her and said abruptly, ‘I hope they’re not making too detailed a set of plans for doing whatever it is before they’ve run it all past me to check that it will be allowed.’

‘They sound more like the sort of people who make the rules than meekly obey ones set by others,’ Nina said.

Another pause, then Sean said, ‘Look, it’s a bit unorthodox to ask this, Ilsa but did you overhear anything that might hint at what sort of an idea they’ve come up with?’

‘No. And I’m still wondering why they were asking me about my family background at one stage. It surprised me because I don’t really have one. They said they liked to know about the people they worked with, but it still seemed a bit strange to need to know details about someone in as unimportant a position as me. As I was only ten when my parents were killed I don’t remember much about my family background at all.’

‘That must have been hard,’ Nina murmured.

Ilsa shrugged. What could you say? Done was done, and she always tried to focus on the future, not the past.

‘Is Prue in on this secrecy as well as the two men? I’ve met her before and always considered her a particularly level-headed person,’ Sean said thoughtfully.

‘Yes, but I could tell from her expression today that she too thought whatever it was to be a good idea.’

‘I think I’d better go straight down and tell them it could be a waste of time to discuss the details till they’ve run the basic idea past me. I am still in charge of running this place, after all, and if something goes wrong it’ll be my head on the chopping block.’ Sean stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back so that it nearly fell over.

Ilsa moved to hold her arm out and bar him from leaving. ‘I was hoping I wouldn’t have to say this, sir, but I think they must have been expecting you to get a bit annoyed about the situation because they said to remind you that if you go marching down there straight away they may not be ready to share their ideas with you yet.’

He stopped dead and scowled at her.

She spoke coaxingly. ‘Also, we’ve got this place particularly well protected from scrutiny by outsiders, but I was taught that you can never be per cent certain and if anyone is watching, we don’t want them to wonder what’s upsetting you. It shows in your face that something is.’

‘Damn you, you’re right. I was reminded of the same thing by an expert only last year at a refresher course. She said 99 per cent secure is possible for a new building – perhaps – but nothing in life is ever per cent perfect or secure.’

Ilsa didn’t move, watching as he turned away from the door. ‘And this house was built a long time ago so it has a lot more nooks and crannies than a modern one would have,’ she pointed out softly.

‘Bringing it into the digital age and upgrading security are on our list of things that need doing,’ Nina said.

He’d stopped moving and was standing motionless, breathing deeply. She guessed he was forcing himself to control his anger at being excluded from these preliminary discussions, but from what she’d heard, these oldies had in their time been both famous and highly respected in the upper echelons of national security and she’d bet they went their own way once they’d decided on something. She was good at reading where the real power lay in situations, she knew, and that ability had helped keep her out of trouble at times.

Now looking calmer, he turned back to her. ‘I apologise. I’m really sorry to have put you in the difficult situation just now of having to stop me, Ilsa. But the fact that they’ve now gone into a huddle and are planning something in detail has still got me worried. We’re in a very delicate situation here and at a crucial stage too in sorting things out at a higher level for the future, I suspect.’

‘It won’t hurt to wait an hour or so to speak to them, Sean,’ Nina said gently.

The two of them might have been alone in the room for a few seconds, the way they looked at one another, Ilsa thought enviously. If that wasn’t love sparking between them, she didn’t know what was. Lucky them!

Then he confirmed her guess by reaching out to give Nina’s hand another of those quick but still intimate squeezes. ‘No, I suppose not. I’m a bit on edge about it all, perhaps not thinking as clearly as usual. Look, I might as well use the time till I go and meet up with the oldies by getting back to Elizabeth next door and sorting a garden matter out with her.’

‘Oh?’ The two women stared at him with even Nina looking a bit puzzled now. Ilsa was glad when she asked bluntly, ‘How is Elizabeth involved in this?’

‘She isn’t yet. But she’s a gardening guru, apparently. I’ve not been talking to her about what those oldies are discussing but I’ve been told that if I can, I should foster the lavender plants that give this place its name. It’s a minor matter and apparently fairly straightforward, but they’re well known in this valley. Anyway, it’ll make a nice change from what I’ve been doing lately.’

They all looked a bit confused now, so he explained. ‘The authorities have promised to let her and the gardening group sort the outside out for us. I told her she could come round for a quick look as soon as I could slot the visit in. She’s worried about the lavender bushes because apparently these are a rather rare old species and she and her gardening friends will be happy to help preserve them. They apparently need regular attention to trim them and plant replacements of the same sort because they’re not long-lasting plants as individuals.’

Ilsa couldn’t see how this minor detail mattered, especially at the moment, and exchanged mystified glances with Nina.

‘They assure me that the bushes look spectacular when they’re in bloom and they attract horticulturalists from all over the area.’

Nina was still looking at him in bewilderment. ‘Are you sure that’s worth dealing with just now?’

He shrugged. ‘I know nothing about gardening so I may as well pick her brain and it’ll only take a short time to nip next door. There’s nothing happening at the moment and you and I are going to be responsible for the maintenance here once we’ve sorted this mess out so it won’t hurt to make a start.’

When he’d gone, Nina said, ‘We haven’t been together all that long but I know him well enough already to understand that when he gets that look on his face, it means he has to do something active or burst with frustration. My older son, Brandon, is a bit the same.’

‘Men!’ they both said at once and smiled at one another.

‘Want a mug of coffee while we wait for His Majesty to return from next door?’ Nina asked.

‘I’d love one.’

As she waited for Nina to make the coffee, Ilsa thought again how much she liked these people. And she felt as if she’d grown closer still to Nina in this brief exchange of views about men.

She hoped that lasted. She didn’t have any real women friends at the moment and there weren’t many other staff here to mingle with. She’d cope, of course she would, but she’d rather not have to endure total loneliness outside working hours.

Sean walked slowly along the path that ran down the edges of the gardens, staring at the lavender bushes that gave the facility its name. He also glanced at the other plants, trying to remember their names. He was no gardener and wouldn’t have known any but the most common ones of all if his neighbour hadn’t pointed out one or two to him.

Elizabeth had insisted it was his duty to make sure these heritage plants didn’t come to any harm, and he supposed she was right.

They looked OK to him at the moment, not wilting or anything, but what did he know? He’d have them checked by an expert as soon as things settled down and in the meantime she sounded to know what she was talking about. She might even be an expert.

‘I like to make sure it doesn’t need any special attention, just a quick check,’ she’d said. ‘After all, the garden has suffered a couple of years of neglect. We did replace one or two dying plants last year, though. We didn’t think anyone would mind.’

‘Definitely not. Very public spirited of you.’

He strolled down to the little-used front gate, which was the quickest way to go next door on foot. He’d suggest to Elizabeth that today might be a good time for her to take a preliminary whizz round. A rapid one, strictly no more than twenty minutes and it’d have to be done at once or not till another day.

He smiled, amused that he was the keeper of a heritage garden when he’d never done any grubbing in the dirt in his whole life. Good thing he had a neighbour who knew what she was doing because even Nina didn’t know much about English plant species since most of her gardening had been done in Australia.