Page 66 of The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea

Maisie’s eyes lit up. ‘Can we have a curry?’

‘I expect so. Does that sound all right, Isla?’

When Isla nodded, Maisie grinned. ‘In that case, count me in. I’d kill for a decent chicken bhuna with onion bhajis.’

‘Let’s say seven o’clock then, in the front room,’ said Caitlin. ‘I’ll sort everything out – all you two need to do is turn up in your finest.’

‘Our finest?’ spluttered Maisie.

‘Yes, evening dress, to celebrate the life of Jessica Gillard née Anstey. Though as neither you nor I have an evening dress here, we’ll have to do the best we can.’

‘Can I wear my jeans?’

Caitlin sighed. ‘Yes, I suppose so, if it gets you there.’

‘I’ll come as long as you don’t both spend all night talking about that stupid letter and riddle.’

Isla smiled. ‘I promise that any talk about them will be brief and targeted. There’s not much to say anyway, because we still know very little about William or Edith so the riddle is far from being solved.’

‘That old woman knew Jessie. Maybe she knows something,’ said Maisie, shifting from foot to foot at the top of the stairs.

‘Which old woman?’ asked Isla, thrown by the conversation going off at a tangent.

‘Connie, who lives out in the wilds. She made the angel that Jessie left me.’

Isla’s jaw dropped. She’d never known where the carved angel had come from. She’d assumed that Jessie had bought it years ago in one of Heaven’s Cove’s many gift shops.

‘Did she know Gran well?’ she asked.

Maisie shrugged her shoulders. ‘No idea. She grabbed the angel when she saw it and accused me of stealing it. As if I’d steal a bit of old driftwood. Then she said she’d made it for Jessie ’cos she was kind to her. She said she’d known Edith too. Or her mum did. Connie’s old but I don’t think she’s that ancient.’

Breath caught in Isla’s throat. ‘She knew Edith?’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ asked Caitlin.

Maisie sniffed. ‘You didn’t ask me, and I’ve told you now, haven’t I? She didn’t tell me anything about her anyway.’

‘Do you think she’d speak to me about Edith?’ Isla asked.

‘Doubt it. She doesn’t like strangers.’

‘But it sounds as if you and her got on well.’

‘I wouldn’t put it as strongly as that. She couldn’t wait for me to leave.’

‘OK, but she does know you – kind of – so why don’t we take a trip out there later?’

‘What, in your Mini?’ Maisie scowled at Isla’s car through the hall window. ‘We’ll end up in a ditch.’

Isla glanced at Caitlin’s posh car, parked on the road, next to her beloved Mini. But there was no way her sister would risk pranging the car that would take her back to London.

‘Tomorrow, then? It’s supposed to thaw a lot overnight.’

Maisie sucked air through her teeth. ‘Connie won’t be happy if we just rock up on her doorstep.’

‘But it’s worth a try?’

Maisie sighed. ‘I s’pose so if it stops you all going on about that letter and stupid riddle. But you’ve been warned.’ She headed back towards her bedroom. ‘You’d better bring cat food,’ she called over her shoulder.

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