2010
Enervated from lack of sleep, but at the same time excited by what she might have deduced, Natalie waited until dawn and went for a walk. A sea mist cooled the air and helped her to wake up sufficiently for the working day ahead. That evening Natalie, as had become a habit, opened the kitchen door cautiously before entering. All was as she had left it and she hummed along to IslandFM while cooking supper. Another lovely evening to eat outside.
Half an hour later, stretched out on the terrace, Natalie rang Jeanne to tell her about her dream.
‘Oh my God! To think of all that happening between those walls and no-one knowing! A bit like my gran, I guess.’
‘Yes, I thought the same. Families and their secrets, eh? Obviously, it’s only guesswork at the moment, but the pieces of the jigsaw are slowly fitting into place. Stuart and Tabby are in for a big surprise!’
‘For sure. Will you say anything to them?’
‘Not yet. I’d like to be more certain of the facts first, if possible. It’s rather a biggy to tell people their father wasn’t who they thought, isn’t it? Even though they never met either of the men.’ Natalie paused, wondering how she could broach the subject with Stuart. Tricky.
‘By the way, I phoned Mr Ayres, but his housekeeper told me he’s away until next week and will pass on the message to call me. Do you think you can cope with waiting?’
‘I suppose so. As long as nothing else happens to spook me.’ Natalie felt a stab of disappointment. Now she had finally agreed to seek help from the vicar, she had wanted his divine intervention. Now.
Friday and Saturday slid by without mishap and on Sunday Natalie set off to her parents for lunch. She stopped to pick up a bunch of scented lilies for her mother.
‘Hi, Mum. You’re looking well and that colour really suits you.’ She kissed Molly, whose outfit of a warm peach blouse and skirt gave her a gold-like aura.
Her mother’s eyes crinkled.
‘Why, thank you, darling. It’s sweet of you to say, your father rarely comments on my clothes. Are these for me?’ She indicated the lilies.
‘Sure, shall I put them in water for you? And where’s Dad?’ Natalie filled a vase for the flowers and peered through the window in search of her father.
‘He’s just popped down the road to the garage to buy some cream for the pud. He’ll be back soon…oh, here he is, what good timing.’
Peter walked into the kitchen holding a pot of double cream.
‘Hello, sweetheart. Can your old father have a kiss?’
Natalie sank willingly into his embrace. A real bear of a man, she always felt safe in his arms, no more so than now when she was being haunted, mentally and physically.
‘Hi, Dad, good to see you both. What’s on the menu today?’ She sniffed the air, but couldn’t smell anything cooking except potatoes.
‘We’re having a treat. Nick set up some lobster pots and he had a good haul yesterday and dropped off three large ones for us, ready cooked. So lobster salad and new potatoes it is.’
‘Yummy! You know how I love lobster,’ she said, grinning.
Her parents smiled indulgently. Even as a child she had asked for lobster whenever they went out to restaurants and had to be told, gently but firmly, it was too expensive.
Minutes later the food was on the table outside and a bottle of white wine reposed in its chilled blanket. Between mouthfuls of food, Natalie described in more detail the events of the previous weekend and Molly’s ears pricked up every time Stuart was mentioned. Natalie knew there’d be further questions. And there were.
‘Sounds wonderful! The setting must have been idyllic for the wedding. Did you and Stuart enjoy your time together?’ her mother said, eyebrows arched.
She knew it! ‘Yes, we did, thanks. But if you want to know if it’s serious between us, it isn’t. Not yet, anyway. We’re just good friends.’
Peter rolled his eyes.
‘For heaven’s sake, Molly, leave the poor girl alone. I’m sure if she has anything to tell us on the romantic front she will, without being badgered by you.’
‘It’s all right, Dad. I know Mum’s keen to see me married off, like Phil. Which reminds me, any more news on the new baby?’
Her mother, who had looked sheepish, brightened, and said all was proceeding well with the pregnancy and Phil was bringing the family over later in the summer.
‘Great! I look forward to seeing them all.’ Natalie hoped to impress her brother with her choice of home. Which reminded her…
‘Mum, Stuart and his mother are keen to find out more about the old lady who disappeared, Olive. I think you mentioned someone in La Societé Guernesiaise knew the Fallas during the war. Could you ask them if they’d be happy to talk to Stuart?’
‘Of course. I can’t remember off the top of my head who it was, but I’ll ask at the meeting next week and get back to you. It must be odd for Stuart to know so little about his family.’ Molly sipped her wine, her forehead creased in thought.
‘Have there been any more dreams or disturbances?’ her father asked.
‘Not really, no.’ Natalie crossed her fingers against the lie. She hated being untruthful, but it was better than them gathering her up to bring home. She’d have some stick for it once the whole story came out, for sure.
The evening was warm and Natalie threw open the windows when she returned to the cottage. Trapped weary flies buzzed against the glass. As the windows opened they flew out, taking their irritating noise with them. Natalie took a glass of chilled wine outside with her and settled, contentedly into a chair. She’d enjoyed the lunch, stretched over several hours and it had been good to spend time in her old home. It held many happy memories and she smiled as she recalled some of the mischief she and Phil had got up to, particularly when joined by the tomboyish Jeanne. They’d been quite a threesome! Natalie frowned as she considered how lucky she had been compared to poor Jeanne, losing her parents so young. She couldn’t imagine how awful it must have been. Her mind switched to Tabby, and her unhappy childhood, brought up in poverty in this very building. Or, rather, its original incarnation. Sipping her wine, her mind dwelt on the inequalities of life and her heart went out to Jeanne and Tabby. At least they had both since found love, happiness and success in their lives.
A fly buzzed around her head, distracting her train of thought and she flapped it away in annoyance. Her eyes were drawn to the pile of earth to the side of the garden and remembered, with a smile, that Matt would be starting work on the pond the next day. She couldn’t wait for the finished result, wanting to hear the sound of water splashing over the strategically placed rocks forming a mini-waterfall. She hadn’t yet decided whether or not to have a few goldfish in the larger, bottom pond, but they’d add interest and colour. Something to think about. She stretched and stood up. Time for a spot of television before bed.
Natalie hadn’t been in bed long when she was startled by a noise coming from downstairs. Her heart pumped adrenaline through her body as she debated what to do. She’d stupidly left the downstairs windows open so perhaps an animal or a bird had got in. Burglaries were rare in Guernsey, she told herself, pushing her feet into slippers and wrapping a cotton dressing gown around her naked body. If only Stuart were home! She’d have phoned him, but…looking for a heavy object, she picked up the rubber torch which could perform dual duty if necessary. Her heart pumped wildly in her chest as she crept to the bedroom door and pulled it open, inch by inch. To her surprise, the landing and downstairs were flooded by moonlight. She hadn’t remembered it being a full moon…she was further shocked to see the stairs were different, made of stone and not in the same place. Oh my God! What was happening? Was this a dream? Pinching herself, the pain told her it wasn’t. She felt her mouth go dry. Was she about to walk into the past again?
Fear tugged at her mind and she hesitated. Then another sound came from the direction of the kitchen. Like something being dragged. Definitely not a bird, then. Taking a deep breath and willing herself on, Natalie tiptoed down the uncarpeted stairs and found herself in a strange hall. Cheap sepia prints hung on dingy painted walls and the moonlight flooded through a window she didn’t recognise. Somehow she’d become part of a time-warp! Her mind reeled. How…? Licking her dry lips, she told herself she couldn’t come to any harm, if it really was the past. She was only an observer. Not entirely convinced, she forced herself onwards to the kitchen as the sound of dragging grew louder. Her heart was thumping wildly as she arrived at the door and stood transfixed with horror by the scene in front of her.