Chapter 28

 

Julia was calm, but Edith saw that it was a surface calm.

She spoke more quickly than usual and didn’t sit still, constantly re-arranging books on the coffee table, fiddling with the curtains, ringing for tea.

“You’ll be a bit better when tomorrow has passed,” Edith said, not altogether sure whether it was an appropriate thing to say, but needing to say it, all the same.

“You’re right, Edith. I just keep telling myself that I need to get myself and the children through the next twenty-four hours. John’s sisters and brothers-in-law, particularly Angus will help. It will help too, you being there, Edith and you taking the service, Henry. I can’t tell you both how reassuring that is.” Her voice shook and once again she got to her feet and bent down to stroke the snoozing dog on the hearth rug.

Edith’s heart went out to her and now they were going to have to add to her worry.

Before either she or Henry could speak, however, Julia left the dog alone and came to perch on the arm of a chair opposite Edith’s.

“The funeral tomorrow, Henry.”

She hesitated and Edith saw a tremor in her hand as she reached up and pushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

“Yes Julia?” Henry’s voice was gentle and Edith thought once again how absolutely suited he was to his role.

“What we discussed, Henry; the hymns and the reading, just as I…we…want it, nothing else, please.”

Edith frowned, not having any idea what Julia could be talking about.

“I had a telephone call from a Sir Eric Chapman wanting to deliver some sort of eulogy in the middle of the service. It took me a while to figure out exactly who the man was. I thought he was an old army comrade. A fellow officer; in which case, maybe I might have considered it. But he wasn’t. He belonged to this New Party or whatever they call themselves.”

Henry spoke, sounding concerned.

“How much did you know about these political interests of his, Julia?”

She sighed. “Little, if anything. I wish I’d paid a lot more attention, now though. I was just glad to see him full of life, though it did worry me too. I was glad that it wasn’t because of another woman–I think that was the case, anyway. I really paid no attention on the few occasions he tried to tell me about his political beliefs.”

She turned her glance on Edith for a second, then focused on Henry again.

“Do you think this politics had something to do with his murder? Inspector Greene seems to thinks so, if his line of questioning is anything to go by.”

“I don’t think it can be discounted,” Henry said.

“I haven’t heard anything particularly bad about this new party, but there will be some who won’t like it.”

Edith almost spoke, but held her tongue…not liking something and being prepared to kill someone because of it were poles apart–well, they were in peace time, at any rate.

The longer they were here without mentioning Daphne’s disappearance and John Sheridan’s arrival in Harrogate, the more uneasy she was feeling.

“We have to tell you something, Julia. Please don’t get angry with me, at least listen before getting angry.”

She told her about the telephone call from Daphne, her non-appearance and then the arrival of her husband.

“Oh God,” Julia wasn’t angry, but she was in absolute despair and Edith’s heart lurched in sympathy. If Daphne Sheridan had been in front of her at that moment…surely the police could actually do something? Surely an irrational, drama-seeking woman couldn’t just be allowed to invade something as sensitive and fraught as a funeral party and cause a scene?”

She could see Julia make an effort as once again, she got up and moved across to the window.

“Thank you both for coming to see me. It can’t have been easy; I suppose I should be grateful to the man. What an absolute nightmare though.”

Edith was thinking about asking the question when Henry did it for her.

“Have you said anything to the boys about their father and Daphne?”

Julia winced and for a second, put her hands over her eyes and rubbed so hard, Edith thought she must be trying to cause herself some pain, maybe to deflect from the mental torment she was going through.

“No, I haven’t and I know that’s cowardly of me.”

Edith gave an involuntary little cry of dissent, but Julia continued.

“No, Edith, I should have done something, particularly now, when it’s looking likely the bloody woman will actually turn up.”

Julia sat back down on the arm of the chair and Edith noticed that she had definitely lost weight.

“But, when it came down to it, I chickened out. I even thought of asking a man, Angus, I thought, my brother-in-law. A man, at least just being there would it help, maybe? What do you think? Either of you?”

Henry answered.

“I can see why you think that. They’d feel able to express themselves maybe and perhaps you’re right about their uncle Angus. He’s a calm and kind man and is close enough but not too close, not like you.”

Julia nodded and looked momentarily restored as if something, at least, was falling into place.

Henry continued. “You can’t do it now before tomorrow, Julia. Well, you can, of course, but I don’t advise it. Let tomorrow be their day to say good bye to their father not hampered by something like this.”

Julia nodded and a strange silence filled the room for several seconds. Edith thought it was a mixture of suspended tension and support for Julia. Out of the blue, she wondered what Archie would make of all of this. She pushed the thought away. He would be at the funeral tomorrow in his role as local doctor and family friend. What he and Julia spoke about now was none of her business.