Lavender Lane (Larch Tree Lane #4)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Prue stood by the window, looking round her temporary home while her niece went upstairs and unpacked their things. She’d stopped using the walking stick once they were alone but still felt it necessary to carry the dratted thing round with her in case someone she didn’t know came to the door.

Zoe came down to join her, smiling happily. ‘It’s very cosy here. Thanks for offering me the job, Auntie Prue. The money will come in very useful indeed and I can do some of my studying online from that bedroom and stay out of your way. This place has a really good internet connection.’

‘Just make sure you don’t tell any of the friends you’re online with about what you’re really doing here, not anyone at all . And the fact that I pretended to need a carer must stay buried afterwards. Only for Ben and Arthur would I be pretending something like that.’

‘They’re a great pair of guys, not old in the head at all.’

‘That as may be but don’t change the subject on me. You must never, ever talk about what my friends and I have been doing here even after we’ve sorted everything out. If anyone asks, just smile sweetly and say you don’t know because you were studying and only here in case I needed help, which I don’t and won’t need,’ Prue warned her.

‘You’ve said that about six billion times and I did understand you on the first iteration.’

Prue’s smile vanished. ‘It could be life and death, Zoe, if we don’t take care, it really could, so you’ll excuse me if I go on about it.’

Zoe looked at her aunt very seriously. ‘I do know that. I have some idea about what sort of things you’ve done in your working life because Dad gave me a broad outline, and I admire you greatly. I’ll keep my promise never to speak of it, believe me.’

She relaxed visibly and smiled as she added, ‘And I’ll also keep quiet about the money so no one wonders where I got so much from. It’ll go straight into my savings for the holiday in Australia and New Zealand that I’m planning to take once I’ve finished studying for this degree. I shan’t waste a penny of it on frivolous stuff like fancy coffees and the latest fashion in clothes, believe me.’

‘Good for you.’

Zoe gave her aunt a big, rocking hug and whispered, ‘I won’t let you down, not now and not ever. I want to be just like you when I grow up.’

Which led to another longer hug, something Prue didn’t mind at all.

A short time later, Sean and Nina came down from the big house to welcome Prue and make sure she had everything she needed, then she settled into the comfortable armchair placed temptingly near the window. She had chosen a book to read from the small set of shelves that had greeted her from one corner of the room, but would still keep an eye on what was happening outside. Well, who wouldn’t be tempted into dipping into their favourite author’s latest book straight away. As she’d found in recent years, you were never alone when you could dive into a good story.

It had been agreed even before she set off for Lavender Lane that they’d not meet till the afternoon, on the pretence that she needed to recover from her journey here. She did tire more easily these days but not that easily, for heaven’s sake. Only in this little charade, like others they’d been involved in, you had to make sure every detail fitted the picture you wanted to project.

Her niece settled down at the other side of the sitting room looking out to the rear. She was fiddling around with her phone, as she often did, to check it was working OK. That might be more important than usual while they were here.

They had now, Prue hoped, covered all possible problems and she could have a little rest. She had decided she’d rather hold the meetings here than be wheeled to and fro in such a humiliating way. And if that was vanity, too bad.

Later, when the three friends were settled in Prue’s living room, she waved Zoe away and Norry went to sit outside at the back with a book. Prue had already arranged with her niece that she would go and sit outside under the tiny patio to the rear when Prue’s friends arrived. Good thing it was a sunny day.

This would serve a dual purpose, not only preventing Zoe from hearing the details of what they were planning to do next but also having someone placed to keep watch for any stranger lurking near the two trios of small cottages.

However, Norry didn’t go back outside to join Zoe. He hovered by the door, clearly reluctant to leave them and return later for his great-grandfather. In the end Prue watched him take a deep breath and say, ‘I’d rather stay here with you, if you don’t mind. I’m physically useful to help my great-grandad move around and I’m also interested in how you’re planning to proceed. I’d like to see in detail how you work out your tactics. And you know you can trust me not to reveal anything that’s discussed.’

After another deep breath and he added, ‘You see, I’m definitely going to do this sort of work one day myself and you can’t start too soon to get a feel for it.’

‘You’re right about starting early and I think you’ll do well at it,’ Ben said with quiet certainty, then turned to his friends. ‘Would it be all right for Norry to stay for this and for most of the other meetings from now on? We can trust him absolutely, I assure you.’

‘You didn’t need to tell us that,’ Arthur said with a smile at Norry.

The three oldies exchanged smiles with one another and Prue answered for them all by gesturing to a chair. ‘Of course we feel sure we can trust him. You didn’t need to tell us that. And it’s been obvious for a while where he’s heading long term. We watch out for likely younger folk. We need to keep an eye on our country, and on our little valley, not only now but for the future.’

She smiled at the younger guy who was looking in doubt about whether to join them for the rest of the discussions. ‘Why don’t you bring that chair forward and join the group properly?’

Norry did that, looking happy and alert. ‘Thank you for your trust. I won’t ever let you down.’

‘As we already said, we know that or we’d not have let you even linger this long,’ Prue said.

They settled down to discuss a suggestion Ben wanted them to consider very seriously indeed. He outlined his idea in more detail than previously and even though it surprised them at first, they were soon murmuring agreement.

‘Do you think Sean will agree to do it?’ Arthur asked. ‘If he will, so will others and that could be the main key to its success.’

‘It might take a little persuasion,’ Prue said, ‘but not much or I’d not try to do it. He’s ripe for a change of lifestyle, if a man ever was, and he could continue doing useful work here for our operatives.’

‘Does he get on well enough with Ilsa?’

‘Oh, yes. He couldn’t have done that sort of job for this long without being able to get on with just about anyone. But actually, I think he really does like her already – well, I’ve been keeping an eye on her and most people do get on well with her. She may be quiet but she’s highly intelligent and has a very decent way of interacting with the world.’

‘Yes, that shows clearly,’ Arthur agreed. ‘If you can’t recognise decent people by our age, you haven’t done much with your life, I reckon.’

They all nodded.

‘I’m quite certain she’ll not let us down,’ Ben said. ‘She doesn’t show her deepest feelings to many people and I’d guess she’s kept her own secrets for most of her life, probably since she was first taken into care. I’m pretty certain she’s dyslexic and that’s one of the main reasons why she didn’t want to study. I have a relative with that problem. But now that she understands the group better, and has shown her belief in what we do, we’ll be able to let her participate in other things after this project ends.’

Prue sighed and shook her head sadly. ‘She wasn’t treated well as a child by those who should have looked after her, was she? Imagine a ten-year-old child having to cope with a major bereavement then being shuffled from one place to another without much care for her feelings, only the care of her body.’

‘Well, we’ll make sure she benefits from our group’s contacts after she’s helped us with this project and help her make a more fulfilling life for herself. It’s one of the joys of my old age, helping youngsters who need a bit of extra help.’

‘Who’s going to tell her the details of this little project and ask whether she’s willing to be involved?’

‘It won’t matter which of us does that,’ Arthur said. ‘I’m sure she’ll agree. But first we need to check that Sean is on side for it – and I’m thinking that perhaps Nina needs to be included in the planning for this as well, now.’ He chuckled softly. ‘From the way they look at one another, she and Sean are well and truly together as a couple already and fortunately she seems to get on well with Ilsa too.’

‘I think you could be right there. Great to see, isn’t it? Nina is another good lass and is a credit to our group already. Laura was right: she was an excellent choice to inherit, don’t you think?’

‘I agree.’ Ben turned to the boy. ‘Now, back to you, Norry. We’ll still need to use you as a messenger lad at times, if you don’t mind, as well as involving you in what we’re doing and why. Could you please go and ask Sean and Nina to join us again now?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Promising lad, that,’ Arthur said again once he’d left.

‘We’ve fallen lucky with our younger folk, haven’t we? Looking at the future, I think we have some really good people on our side getting ready to take over one day when it becomes necessary. That makes me feel that good has an advantage even now over evil, both morally and practically, now and in the future. I don’t know about you, my friends, but I feel it’s particularly important in our sort of job to keep an eye on the succession planning.’

Ben sighed. ‘We give up a lot to do this sort of work, don’t we, and I wouldn’t have been part of it for all these years if I couldn’t have believed in it wholeheartedly.’

Prue said quietly, ‘Our group is fighting a minor part of the bigger war, but fighting evil with good has been an ongoing battle throughout the history of humankind, not simply counteracting evil with weapons and, sadly, the spilling of blood but replacing it with more worthwhile beliefs, however you dress them up.’

He suddenly stopped and looked embarrassed. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to batter the ears of the converted.’

‘I’ve always admired the way you’ve stayed enthusiastic for all those decades about what we do,’ Prue said quietly.

They nodded, then waited quietly for Norry to re-join them. Quiet times were important too, in renewing the spirit.

Norry came back shortly afterwards and was soon followed by Sean and Nina, who didn’t seem to realise they were holding hands as they approached the cottage.

Prue and Ben were both betrayed into sentimental sighs at the sight.

When everyone was seated, Arthur said quietly, ‘I think I have a good plan for the future use of Lavender Lane. As I hinted last time, this will need your involvement, Sean, and to a lesser extent, yours, Nina.’

‘I’d be delighted to hear more about that and to help as needed,’ Sean said at once.

Nina nodded. ‘So would I.’

‘What if we were to become a place where the personal and family backgrounds of our senior staff are sorted out and not just ignored after they finish their service? I should think lost family members could sometimes be found and whole families reunited. Or at least the odd distant relative located. Or even, perhaps, adoptive families created and helped get together.’

He waited a minute for that to sink in then said, ‘It’d be a good thing to do, surely, before people leave active service to go into retirement and need to pick up a mainly private personal life once again. There have been too many cases of PTSD in people who’ve left the service.’

‘Why would our officials suddenly divert their resources to doing that?’ Sean asked bluntly. ‘We’re not exactly lavishly funded as it is.’

‘To find improved ways of helping our people ease into retirement, which isn’t always an easy thing for those who’ve had our sort of active life.’

Nina joined in. ‘I think it’d be an excellent service to set up. I’ve read quite a few articles recently that finding their way back into civilian life can be a problem for some of the people who leave the armed forces.’

Sean nodded. ‘And perhaps we can sell it to the senior echelons that how the game ends should not only morally be a part of pastoral care but will save money in the long run. Ned’s case is a good example of the rehabilitation of physically injured operatives who need longer-term attention. But there can be a social and psychological need too as you can see with him.’

‘He seems to be starting to find his way. He relates well to Ilsa, as if they’re on the same wavelength, and if a man like him can accept the sort of sympathetic input she’s offering, then others will value it too, I’m sure.’

‘Do you have someone in mind to organise this?’ Sean asked.

‘We have someone in mind to set a shining example as the first person to join in, and that’s you, Sean. After which we’ll look into how best to organise it with your expert advice.’

‘But I think we’re going to have to deal with the technology side of things. We’re way out of touch here.’

‘It’s a pity my elder son isn’t here,’ Nina said sadly. ‘Brandon would be perfect for that job. I came to England originally to live near my sons and then both moved away. The other son, Kit, didn’t plan to leave but he was headhunted and couldn’t resist the offer made to him about a job in New York.’

Arthur looked at her. ‘Give me his details. I’m not promising anything but if your son is as promising as you think, we might be able to do some headhunting ourselves.’

Ben looked at them. ‘In the meantime perhaps we can go back to our little experiment in pulling families together. What do you think, Sean? Would you give it a try, as an experiment?’

He sat quietly contemplating the proposal for several seconds then looked across at Ben. ‘But I don’t need rehabilitating. I’ve managed perfectly well. And I don’t have any lost relatives I need to find and cosy up to, either.’

Nina intervened, taking his hand. ‘Let them tell you all the relevant details so you can understand all that they are proposing, and then you can decide if you want to go along with the idea. I think everyone is better for having a family of some sort and it is a lack in your life.’

He looked at her in shock then back at Ben.

‘We thought you might pretend you’ve found a lost cousin or niece or whatever relationship you think best,’ the older man said quietly. ‘We’re at the stage where we’ll probably learn a lot more about how to manage this sort of interaction by observing it in action rather than by merely talking about it and reading articles in psychology journals.’

There was dead silence and Sean didn’t speak till Nina nudged him again.

‘Why use me to play the part?’

‘Because you’re here and about to retire, and because you really have lost touch completely with most of your relatives. It’s all very convenient and would help us enormously if you would agree to participate in this project.’

Sean leant back in his chair, arms folded, scowling. ‘And where are you going to find a lost niece for me?’

‘We have someone right here: Ilsa.’

He looked stunned for a few moments, then protested. ‘But she and I aren’t related.’

Nina grabbed his hand and gave it a little warning shake. ‘They know that. Shut up and let them tell you how they’re planning to do it. And I might say that I personally would like to see something done to help people like that brave young woman find a way into a happier life. I wish we could find her a relative. And I wish you had a relative or two as well.’

He scowled at her. ‘What makes you an expert on families?’

‘I know what it’s like to lose touch with people I care about because both my sons went off to lead their own lives, and all I get now is the odd email. I might as well be alone in the world most of the time. But at least I’ve experienced family life and am hoping against hope that my family will come back together again, that my sons will eventually settle down.’

He stared at her, surprised at her vehemence, then noticed the tears in her eyes and gave her a sudden hug. ‘Sorry for snapping at you, love.’

‘It’s all right. The idea took you by surprise.’

‘It certainly did. Ilsa is a nice lass, I’ll grant you that. And she’s making a big difference to Ned. But—’

‘But she’s one of the loneliest people I’ve ever met when it comes to friends and family of her own, and she’s so brave about coping with it. She never complains but she’s had a lot to endure that it’d be quite reasonable to complain about in the way the system has treated her emotionally.’

He nodded slowly as this sank in. ‘I don’t think I ever saw that as clearly. You’re right.’

‘People aren’t able to make good long-term relationships when they’re moved about so often, as she was in both foster homes and the army. Or as you have been. Life was particularly cruel to her, though. You’ve had it much easier. That accident jerked her suddenly off her preferred path as an adult.’

She let that sink in and noticed that everyone else was looking thoughtful so continued, ‘I like her and I’d already begun to wonder whether anything could be done to help her, and maybe should be done, even if it was just me keeping in touch, acting like a sort of aunt.’

She gave a little nod as if to say that she’d finished and fell silent, folding her arms and staring round at them with an air of defiant challenge as she waited for her remarks to sink in.

‘I’ve not had much to do with her,’ Prue said thoughtfully. ‘I must get to know her better after hearing how well you think of her, Nina. What’s more, I don’t like to think of one of our people being called loneliest and bravest at the same time. It doesn’t seem fair that those officers managing her have let that happen.’

‘I’ve chatted to her a few times recently,’ Nina said. ‘She’s been on her own in the world since the age of ten – ten! – and although she was taken into care, from what she says they only looked after her physically. She found a sort of family substitute in the army, though that’s not like having a real family, and then that accident and the resulting injuries took even that path away from her.’

She looked across at the three oldies. ‘I’d been hoping but now I’m intending that when this project is up and running I shall find her some niche that will give her the equivalent of a home. I’m sure we could do it better as a group for people who have been detached from family contacts if we set our minds to it.’

‘I agree. And I too have begun to hope that we can find somewhere Ilsa can fit in permanently, possibly helping to run this place, or some other job that suits her skills.’ Arthur smiled happily round at his companions.

After a moment or two, Sean nodded slowly. ‘It’s inconceivable that we wouldn’t want Ilsa to stay on here after this project ends, and as an important part of the team because she’s so efficient.’

‘I agree, Sean,’ commented Nina. ‘So perhaps you and she can pilot our experiment. You’ll have to be genuinely sympathetic if you get close enough that she reveals underlying sadness. And of course you’ll give her a hug or two as part of getting closer. Unless you have some objection to hugging people other than me?’

‘No. I don’t. It’s a natural human reaction to some situations.’ Sean said. He hesitated then added, ‘Though unlike some people who seem born multi-huggers, I don’t do it often.’ He smiled across at Nina as he added, ‘Only when my affections are genuinely and deeply engaged.’

‘There you are then. You seem to be halfway there in your understanding before you even get into building a new relationship between yourself and Ilsa. Which you are going to do, aren’t you?’

He hesitated, looking thoughtful, then nodded.

After a few moments of silence, Nina lifted the mood by saying, ‘I can vouch for how skilful he is when he sets his mind to hugging someone. See.’

She gave Sean a big hug and plonked a kiss on first one cheek then the other.

‘I dare you to hug me back in front of them all,’ she whispered.

‘You sneaky devil,’ he muttered back but returned the hug with every appearance of pleasure, then stepped back and looked at the group of oldies. ‘All right, then. You’ve caught my interest. When do I start and what exactly do we start with?’

Arthur winked at Nina and then at Sean. ‘Let’s move on with our plans, shall we?’ he suggested.

There was a lot of nodding.

‘We need to find ways to start doing some normal social activities that people enjoy with relatives they care about,’ Ben said quietly. ‘We thought at first we might find Ilsa a project at one of the bases reasonably close to here but actually, why don’t you just ask her to go for a walk with you so that you can chat without interruptions?’

‘She won’t mistake that for me propositioning her?’ Sean asked, suddenly sounding anxious.

‘She’ll know exactly how things stand because of course we’ll be briefing her as well as you on the possibility of forming a sort of adopted relationship before you actually go for the walk. And she’ll have seen you and Nina. There’s no mistaking how you two feel about one another.’

‘Just so that you know,’ Sean said sharply, ‘I don’t have any close relatives at all, so how are you going to explain our connection to others? I can’t see people accepting that she’s a niece – maybe some sort of cousin would be more credible?’

Arthur nodded. ‘I think you’re right there. There are all sorts of cousins; you could even take your pick about which level of relationship to call it.’

‘Hmm. Yes, that’d definitely be more flexible.’ Sean was still looking worried. ‘There’s another thing.’

‘Go on.’

‘However hard I try, I may not do this as well as I’d like to. I’m not brilliant with small talk, never have been.’ He looked sideways. ‘Except with Nina.’

She shot him a quick sympathetic look then turned to the group of oldies. ‘I could go with him and help. I’m good with people and as I’ve already said, I’d be genuinely happy to get to know Ilsa better. I already like what I’ve seen of her. She won’t mistake us for genuine lost relatives if she’s been properly briefed, I’m sure. Nor will she think Sean is propositioning her if I’m part of it all.’

She turned to her partner. ‘If you’re struggling for the best way to do something, I could either nudge you into action, Sean, or you could simply follow my example in the small ways people behave towards strangers. Just think: if we could do this properly, we could make a big difference to future generations of retiring personnel. Stop them getting depressed and feeling lost and alone in civilian life.’

His tone was mocking and perhaps just a little too acid. ‘What? Set up a lonely hearts club?’

Her voice was calm and quiet. ‘Loneliness isn’t good for people, Sean. And Ilsa has had more than her fair share. You have too.’

He ran one hand through his hair, leaving it tangled. ‘Well, I’ll give it my best shot and perhaps with your help I can manage not to put my foot in it too badly. I’ve always considered losing touch with family as the price people like me have paid for the privilege of serving our country.’

‘And maybe this new project would set an example so that we could help people like you to come out of the shadows afterwards and form new relationships. After all, that’s what you’ve been doing with me, isn’t it? Making a new relationship? And doing it rather nicely in my opinion.’

As she took hold of his hand and gave him one of her beautiful loving smiles, he stared at her as if that hadn’t fully struck him before, then said, ‘You’re easy to care for. I feel very lucky to have met you, my darling, and I hope and pray you feel the same.’

‘Don’t look so worried. I’m extremely glad we did meet and I do feel the same way about you, have done right from the start. But as I’ve learnt more about your sort of life, I have worried at times that the army is creating people who don’t seem able to connect closely with anyone after they retire.’

He frowned, listening to her carefully. She was good with people, better than anyone he’d ever met. He was so lucky that she cared for him.

She seemed to understand when he was ready to continue their conversation. ‘I watch people all the time, you see; they’re so fascinating. I’m going to write novels one day.’ She flushed slightly. ‘I’ve had a few short stories published already. People-centred stories with warm, happy endings.’

‘And I reckon you’ll do it well, lass,’ Ben said. ‘I don’t know how young folk write novels; they’ve so little experience of life compared to someone like you.’

She nodded and beamed at him.

There was silence and Ben looked at Nina. ‘You go with him, lass, guide him and Ilsa both.’

It was such a fragile bubble they were creating, looking for a better way of treating the operatives who were about to retire. Ben prayed it would work, even if it wasn’t perfect. He couldn’t imagine life without his family, especially young Norry. And although he supported the lad’s ambitions, he didn’t want Norry to end up a total loner either. It was too high a price to pay. He could see that so clearly now.

Sean cleared his throat. ‘So, how are we supposed to go about this?’

‘We’ll just ask her to come for a walk with us, then we’ll tell her about this discussion and see what she thinks. No need to complicate matters, is there? The simple truth of the situation may be enough to make her want to form a personal connection with us.’

‘Ought we to hold our discussion in the library or somewhere?’ Sean worried.

‘No. I’m sure she’ll think better out of doors. And so will you.’

Ben smiled at her. ‘You’re right. We hadn’t planned for you to be part of it but I’m beginning to think that you can help our venture in several ways, Nina.’

‘There’s just one other thing,’ Sean worried. ‘What if Ilsa doesn’t want to get involved?’

‘She will,’ Nina said confidently.

Sean was startled. ‘Can it be as easy as that to make a start?’

‘Yes, it can. Let’s go and find Ilsa, take her out for a walk up the hill and speak to her about it now. The oldies will probably have said something to prepare the way.’

When Nina and Sean had left, Prue and Arthur both looked at Ben. ‘You’re a cunning devil, Ben, far more than most people realise.’

Norry opened his mouth to ask what they meant but Ben shook his head at the lad and mouthed the word ‘Later’, so he didn’t say anything.

Ben shot Prue one of those boyish grins and said, ‘I think this is important in several ways.’

‘I do too. And I’ve no doubt whatsoever that it’ll all work out as you’ve planned. Things usually do when you set them up. And we have Nina as well this time. She really is superb with people. No wonder Laura left Lavender Lane to her.’

He put one finger to his lips. ‘Let’s pour an early glass of wine and enjoy a chat. I think we can leave the natural human instinct to bond with other humans to take over from us now and win the day.’