Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (13 inch ebook reader TXT) 📕

Hermione sighed. 'It seemsa shame.'

‘It's atragedy! But there it is.' She blew her nose on a by nowmuch-used tissue. 'Although if I thought he was happy,I suppose I'd be OK about it. Sad for me but happyfor him. Perhaps I could just go away for a bit, and come back.'

‘Well,I'm bound to meet Annabelle while I'm here. I'll tell you if I think she's right for Charles, ultimately.'

‘But evenif she isn't, it's up to him to discover that. I can't doanything about it.' She thought back to what Charles hadsaid the morning after the storm, about the grass only appearing to be greeneron the other side and about being a man who stuck to hispromises, and realised thateven if he did have doubts about his relationship with Annabelle, he'd feelobliged to do the honourable thing and atleast give the marriage a very good chance.

Hermionesighed. 'That is a very grown-up way of looking atit. I think if it were me I might just go all out and seduce him. He obviously likes you.'

‘Nohe doesn't, apart from in a cousinly way. He likes the kittens and feels protective of me, like abig brother might. Which is why hedoesn't like me going out with Henry.'

‘Tell me about Henry.'

‘Oh,he's fine. Very good-looking. And free! Which is quite a major plus. Ikeep trying to fancy him, but somehow I just don't. Now I know why.'

‘Ithink we should both go to bed. Things won't look so bleak in themorning.’

What Floradidn't tell her mother was that things alwayslooked bleaker in the morning when, after a night of brokensleep, she awoke, and all her depression -nowidentified as heartbreak - came flooding back to hit her.

That night,however, whether because of the alcohol or hermother's comforting presence, Flora slept like a baby or,as her mother put it, a teenager. 'Babies don't sleep allthat much,' she explained when they saw each other the next day.

They foundthemselves invited to have lunch with Edie and Geoffrey. 'It's only a saladand quiche,' explained Edie as she usheredthem into the garden at the back ofthe house where there were chairs to sit on. 'Geoffrey wouldn't let me cook you a proper meal. He doesn't like to eat anything heavy before aconcert.' Her glance at her husbandimplied she thought this was a bit prima donna-ish.

‘Youcan't sing on a full stomach and we've got to be there for the rehearsal at five. Now, glass of sherry, Mrs Stanza?'

‘Hermione,please, and sherry would be lovely.’

‘Flora?'

‘Yes,please, but could I possibly have a lump of ice in mine?'

‘Ofcourse you can, my dear. And there's only raspberries and cream for pudding,' said Edie, opening a packet of crispsand putting them in a bowl. 'Do you need a hand, Geoffrey?'

‘Certainlynot. You show Hermione the garden.’

While thiswas happening, Flora went into the house to findGeoffrey. 'Could I just check I've got my music in order?’

Togetherthey went through their folders until at last Flora wasconvinced there was nothing missing and she wouldn't suddenly turn a page andfind she was singing the wrong arrangement.

When Edieand Hermione had finished their patrol of thegarden, Hermione had several plastic bags full of plants.'We'll leave them here until after the concert,' she said,rather apologetically. 'And I'll put them in the gardentomorrow morning. Charles and Annabelle won't mind, will they?’

*

It wasnice for Flora to go to Burnet House with Geoffrey. Apart fromanything else, it meant that she would arrive at theright place at the right time. Edie had ironed her scarf for her and Hermionehad Geoffrey's clear written directions how to get to the venue.

‘I'mso nervous I feel sick,' Flora said as she settled herself on the seatnext to Geoffrey.

‘There'sno need for all that. A few nerves are good, because it means you'll concentrate, but you don't need to go overboard with them. You're not singing asolo, after all.'

‘Iknow! But I'm afraid I'll mess it up for everyone else.'

‘Youwon't. Not if you focus and look at James, all the time.'

‘What about the words?'

‘You'll know them by heart, almost, bynow.’

Florasighed. 'I haven't been in the choir as long as you, Geoffrey.’

ChapterTwenty-One

 Flora wasso focused on the choir and her nerves about singing init that she had almost forgotten about Henry. He had notforgotten about her, however. He was in the fielddesignated as a car park, theoretically telling people where to park, but in fact waiting forFlora.

She did notfeel at her best in her long black skirt and blackblouse, but she smiled brightly at him as he helped her out of Geoffrey's car.

‘Hello, Henry. I do hope you don'tregret this.’

He kissedher cheek and nodded to Geoffrey. 'I've had no reasonto regret it so far. The hole in the orangery roof is fixed,the grass has been cut and I get to see you looking like . . .'He paused for the perfect metaphor. '. . . a nun withoutthe wimple.' Something about him implied he did not find this look unattractive.

‘Youremember Geoffrey?' Flora found his slightly lecherous glance both unexpectedand extremely unsettling. Shegrabbed Geoffrey's arm so he couldn't abandon her.

‘Of course,'said Henry. 'We did spend an entire afternoontogether. I was surprised there was so much value in that library.’

Geoffreyunhooked himself from Flora so he could lock the door of the car. 'There are afew nice early editions, and although Idon't think there's anything therethat's worth a huge amount of money on its own, put together, we shouldmake you a tidy sum.'

‘Oh,look, there's Euan! He's one of the tenors,' she told Henry. 'He breedsCavalier King Charles spaniels and is a bit eccentric,' she explained. 'Heseems to be going in the wrongdirection. Perhaps you'd better chase after him, Henry, before he getslost.'

‘Euannever gets lost,' said Geoffrey after Henry had reluctantly gone toround him up.

‘Doesn'the? Well, never mind. I can't chat just now, I need to focus. I'm sonervous.'

‘You'll be fine,' said Geoffrey.

Florathought she might very well vomit from terror, whilethose oft-repeated words were still echoing about her.

*

Carloads ofchoir members arrived in dribs and drabs. Almosteveryone exclaimed at the beauty of the building and thepleasantness of the weather. They were all