Silent Truths (18 page)

For the next five minutes, as they strolled along the gravel path that dissected the lawn, then ducked beneath a passiflora-covered pergola and wandered in through the beds and banks of chrysanths, begonias, dahlias and laburnum trees Beth found herself being schooled in all matters horticultural and arboreal.

‘I had no idea you knew so much about gardening,’ she remarked after a while.

‘I don’t really,’ Leonora confessed. ‘Just a few little tips I’ve picked up here and there. They come in useful when one is touring gardens, as one frequently does.’

Beth smiled and thought of how satisfying it would be to rub dirt in ‘one’s’ smug little face.

‘You know,’ Leonora said, placing a hand on her arm, ‘I really am sorry for what you’re going through. It must be perfectly ghastly.’

‘I think it’s probably worse for Colin,’ Beth responded.

‘Of course.’ Leonora’s grip tightened a fraction, then she turned to stroll on, stopping finally to admire a walled enclave of vivid blue delphiniums. ‘Giant Pacific Hybrids,’ she murmured, touching her elegant fingers to the petals. ‘Quite lovely.’ She glanced at Beth. ‘The PM sends his regards. He’s very distressed about what’s happened.’

Beth had no problem believing that, though didn’t doubt for a moment that the concern was much more for himself than for his old and loyal friend Colin Ashby.

‘He wants you to know that if there was anything he could do …’

The unfinished sentence hung in the air, its regret as empty as its effect.

‘Of course he’s counting on you to remain discreet,’ Leonora said.

‘Discreet about what?’ Beth enquired.

Leonora turned to face her. ‘Just discreet,’ she responded. Then holding her eyes, ‘I do hope I can be frank with you, my dear,’ she said, continuing to perk and prissy the flowers.

‘I’m sure you will be,’ Beth replied sweetly.

Leonora’s smile was as unshakeable as the sunlight streaming down in thick, misty bands through the trees. ‘Please understand,’ she said, starting to move on, ‘I’m not only here because of Colin’s long friendship with my husband and the Prime Minister, I’m here out of concern for you, my dear.’

Beth didn’t bother to answer.

‘It’s important for you to realize that you have
friends who care,’ Leonora said. ‘Of course, publicly we must be seen to keep a distance, but privately I want you to know that we’re here for you.’

Beth’s smile was suitably grateful, while inside she was already tying herself up in knots trying to work out where this was going.

‘It’s just too awful,’ Leonora murmured, ‘this situation that poor Colin finds himself in. Too awful. We’ve been so worried about him. I do hope he understands that. We’re all so very fond of him. You too, of course. We’ve known each other a long time and friends really must stick together, don’t you think?’

Beth wished she had the courage to ask just what Leonora’s definition of sticking together was, but since the last place she wanted to be was on the wrong side of this woman, she took the safer option and refrained from comment.

‘Yes, of course you do,’ Leonora answered for her. ‘And I’m sure you understand how very difficult it is for us to do anything to help Colin at this time, though of course we want to. We’ve discussed it over and over, but it’s just too, shall we say, delicate a situation for any of us to become embroiled in. You do understand that, don’t you?’

Beth nodded obediently.

Apparently satisfied, Leonora paused to coif a particularly vibrant rhododendron bush. ‘Forgive me for asking,’ she said, ‘but do you have any idea
why
he killed the girl?’

Though startled by the abruptness of the question, Beth’s cheeks immediately flushed with
anger. ‘You’re assuming he did,’ she retorted. ‘He says he didn’t.’

Leonora nodded. ‘Of course, I’m sorry,’ she responded. ‘I suppose I was just going with the evidence, but I’m sure there’s much more we don’t know about yet, isn’t there?’ Her smile was benign as she stood back to admire her little bit of handiwork. ‘Isn’t there?’ she repeated, when Beth didn’t respond.

‘Not that I’m aware of,’ Beth replied. ‘But in your position, it’s possible that you know more than I do.’

Leonora’s laugh was like delicately sprinkling glass. ‘But you’re his wife, my dear. I’m sure you’d be kept more informed than any of us.’

As they both knew how absurdly false that statement was, Beth merely said, ‘Then I’m sure we have the same information.’

Leonora’s lips maintained their upward curves at the corners as, blinking once or twice, she led them on towards the greenhouse and vegetable garden. ‘As we both know what it is to be the wives of men in sensitive positions,’ she said, ‘I’m sure you won’t mind me asking if we need to be concerned about some kind of scandal erupting from this that we’re not prepared for?’

Beth was so surprised by the question that she almost laughed. ‘You mean besides Colin being caught in the act of murder?’ she asked.

Leonora’s smile became thin.

Though pleased to have rattled her, Beth knew it wasn’t going to help either her or Colin, so she said, ‘I’ve heard that there’s some kind of prostitution ring. Did you know about that?’

Leonora’s head went back as she gazed up at the blazing blue sky through a tapestry of leaves. ‘Such silly risks men take,’ she commented.

‘Surely not Marcus,’ Beth protested.

Leonora’s amusement seemed genuine as she laughed for several seconds. ‘Was the girl blackmailing Colin?’ she asked suddenly.

‘You’d need to ask Colin that,’ Beth answered. Then she added, ‘Would she have something to blackmail him about, do you think?’

‘That’s what I’m trying to find out,’ Leonora replied. ‘As you know, Colin had access to many government secrets. We want to be sure that none has been passed on, or is being used against him.’

‘If they were, the girl’s dead,’ Beth reminded her.

Leonora was quiet for a moment, then said, ‘Yes. Of course.’

Beth followed her into the greenhouse where she began inspecting Georgie’s prized orchids. It was almost unbearably humid inside all that glass.

‘So Colin hasn’t discussed any blackmail attempts with you?’ Leonora asked.

‘Only to say there weren’t any,’ Beth answered.

‘Has he confided anything in you that you feel we should know about?’

‘No. I don’t think so. Maybe if you gave me some idea …’

Leonora turned her exquisite smile on Beth. ‘I won’t allow myself to disbelieve you,’ she said, ‘so I do hope, for all our sakes, that you’re telling me the truth.’

Beth feigned surprise. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ she responded.

Leonora’s expression remained pleasant as her
eyes carried out one of the deepest probes Beth had ever undergone. She stared back, not faltering for a moment.

Finally Leonora looked at her watch. ‘Well, I’ve probably taken up too much of your time already,’ she said. ‘I just wanted to be sure that you’re coping, and to let you know that if there’s anything you need, or feel you would like to discuss, my door is always open.’

‘That’s very kind of you,’ Beth responded. ‘I’ll remember that.’

As they ambled back through the garden it occurred to Beth that she’d very likely been modelling Ava on this woman without realizing it. Now she did it made her feel oddly pleased and powerful, for it was as though, by usurping Leonora’s character, she had some kind of control over her.

‘I hear,’ Leonora said chattily, as they arrived back at the house, ‘that Colin has an excellent barrister. I know Giles Parker, of course, though not well.’

Was that a deliberate reminder that she’d once been an extremely successful lawyer herself, Beth wondered.

‘Incidentally, how often are you managing to see Colin?’ Leonora asked, stepping over one of Blake’s toys as they walked up on to the patio.

‘Actually, not often,’ Beth answered feeling suddenly depressed and vulnerable, for the painful reality of Colin’s refusal to see her again far outweighed the relief of getting through this past half an hour unscathed.

Leonora looked sympathetic. ‘It must be hard,’
she said, touching Beth’s hand, ‘especially when Heather’s going so often.’

Beth’s blood turned to ice. ‘Heather?’ she echoed, feeling the sky starting to tilt.

‘Oh dear,’ Leonora gasped, putting her fingers to her mouth. ‘I thought … I assumed …’

Beth’s eyes were wide with panic. ‘Who’s Heather?’ she blurted.

‘Oh, no one, I’m sure,’ Leonora responded. ‘I just heard … I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ve probably got it wrong anyway.’

Leonora never got anything wrong, but whatever it was, Beth didn’t want to hear it from her. ‘Actually,’ she stumbled, though trying hard to rally, ‘I know who you mean. Heather is … Well, she’s Heather.’

‘Of course,’ Leonora smiled. ‘She’s just Heather.’

At the French windows Leonora stopped and turned round so swiftly that Beth almost crashed into her. Steadying her, by placing her hands on Beth’s arms, she said, ‘I do hope they manage to get him off. I don’t think I could bear to think of him being locked away for so many years. Such a brilliant man. So handsome too. It would be a terrible waste.’

‘Not if he did it,’ Beth said.

Though she instantly regretted it, it at least gave her the satisfaction of seeing Leonora’s composure ruffled again.

A few minutes later she was standing at the end of the drive watching the black Mercedes inching carefully along the country lane and wishing she could just run up into the low, slumbering hills in the distance and lose herself and the pain in their
timeless peace and stability. Heather. Who was Heather? She had to ask the question, even though, in her heart, she already knew the answer. She was another mistress. Another woman he’d loved while claiming to love her. A woman, if Leonora was to be believed, whom he’d rather see now than her.
Oh God, how much more of this could she stand?

‘So what did she have to say?’ Georgie asked, taking a bottle of wine from the fridge as Beth came into the kitchen.

‘Not much,’ Beth answered, ‘but they’re obviously afraid of something.’

‘Like what?’

‘I only wish I knew.’ Taking the glass Georgie was passing, she said, ‘She seemed to think the girl could have been blackmailing Colin.’

‘Well, we’ve all thought that,’ Georgie commented. ‘Did she have any theories on what about?’

Beth shrugged. ‘Government secrets? I don’t know. You know Leonora, she never lets anything slip if she doesn’t want to. Anyway, he told me it was nothing to do with blackmail. That the girl didn’t know anything she shouldn’t.’

‘Would he tell you if she did?’

‘Probably not. He’d surely tell Bruce and Giles Parker, though.’

‘Only if it would help his defence.’

Beth looked at her and felt the world sliding into chaos. ‘Why do you think none of the papers has run the story about the prostitution scandal?’ she said.

Georgie shook her head. ‘Bruce and I were discussing it the other night,’ she answered. ‘He
thinks they will, they just don’t have the names, or the proof, yet.’

‘I mentioned it to Leonora, but again she wasn’t giving anything away. Colin says it’s a red herring. That it’s got nothing to do with that.’

‘Then I wish to God he’d tell someone what it does have to do with,’ Georgie remarked.

Beth took a sip of wine and tried again to wrest her mind from the devastation Leonora had left her with. She didn’t want to face it; she didn’t even want to think about it.

‘Are you going to tell Colin about the visit?’ Georgie asked.

Beth started to say something flip, but instead, in a voice choked with anguish she heard herself saying, ‘Have you ever heard of someone called Heather?’

When Georgie didn’t answer right away she looked up and her heart turned inside out to see the expression on Georgie’s face.

‘You know!’ she cried.

‘I was going to tell you,’ Georgie said. ‘Later, when Bruce gets home. He had a call earlier, telling him it’s going to be in the papers tomorrow.’

Beth’s eyes were so wide they hurt. She couldn’t stand any more.
Please, God, she just couldn’t take any more
. ‘What is?’ she whispered.

‘Apparently this Heather – Heather Dance her name is. Well, apparently she and Colin … They have a home and child together. A little girl. She’s three.’

‘Oh my God,’ Beth murmured, grabbing the edge of the table. There was such a horrible drumming in her ears that she hardly heard herself
as she said, ‘Who is this woman? She must be making it up. She
has
to be making it up.’

Georgie’s anguish was almost palpable. ‘Bruce has already spoken to Colin,’ she said.

‘No!’ Beth cried, jumping to her feet. ‘Georgie, it can’t be true. If he had a child, I’d know.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Georgie said. ‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’

Beth’s eyes were darting about in a frenzy. Somewhere there was an escape from this, she just had to find it. Then Georgie took hold of her and pulled her into an embrace.

‘It’s OK,’ Georgie said. ‘You can get through this. We’re here to help you.’

‘Leonora said she’s been going to visit him,’ Beth sobbed. ‘He’s been seeing this woman and not me.’

‘No, that’s not true,’ Georgie assured her. ‘If it were Bruce would know, and the first he heard of the woman was when Elliot Russell, the journalist, called his office today to tell him the story was about to run.’

Beth was confused. She couldn’t make herself think straight. It was going to be in the papers. Everyone would know. Robin Lindsay, Stacey Greene, everyone who called her Ava would know that behind that smooth, cultivated exterior was the wretched failure of a woman who’d been unable to give her husband a child, so he’d gone out and had one with somebody else. They would know that Ava was damaged, wrecked, a false image …

Then suddenly she realized what it was going to mean for him and she groaned aloud. ‘They’ll twist this into another motive,’ she said. ‘They’ll say this is what Sophie Long was blackmailing him about,
and maybe it was. Maybe she knew about the child and was threatening to tell me.’ Then shaking her head, she said, ‘But why would Leonora get involved in that? What difference would it make to her? Or her husband? She just made sure to let me know she knew about Heather
before
it came out in the papers. Why would she do that? What was she telling me? That she knows about this woman, and doesn’t consider her to be important? They’re still hiding something, Georgie. They’re afraid of something, and they think I know what it is.’