Page 86 of The Diary at the Last House Before the Sea

‘Then why didn’t she burn the diary?’ asked Julie. ‘Why did she keep it for decades?’

‘She must have been very fond of Audrey to help her escape. Perhaps the diary was a keepsake or maybe it was insurance, in case Edwin realised that his wife wasn’t dead and made a fuss about her taking the diamond necklace with her. The diary notes some of the occasions when Edwin hurt her. It might have been useful to Audrey if Edwin ever found her and got legally nasty.’

Julie walked to the wooden bench that was pushed up against the churchyard wall and sat down heavily. ‘Well, I never. Mum didn’t tell me any of this. Dad, neither, though he died when I was quite young.’

Clara joined her on the bench. ‘They didn’t tell the police either, not even when Gran was accused of theft. They were determined to keep Audrey’s secret from everyone and, as the years went by, Gran must have put the whole thing behind her.’

Julie sat up straight. ‘Does Geoffrey know?’

‘He does now because Audrey came to see him on Saturday afternoon, during the fete.’

‘I knew there was something funny going on! Belinda nabbed me this morning in the village and was babbling on about some mystery woman who’d turned up and was acting peculiarly. I’d seen nothing out of the ordinary, having spent most of the fete in the kitchen, making teas. So I thought Belinda was inventing gossip, as usual, but she was insistent.’

‘She was right.’

‘Poor Geoffrey. He must have been overwhelmed.’

‘He was, but I think…’ Clara crossed her fingers behind her back. ‘I really hope that finding out the truth will be the best for him, in the long run.’

‘Audrey Brellasham, alive and well.’ Julie whistled through her teeth. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘It’s hard to take in, isn’t it? River and I found it hard to get our heads around it too.’

‘Have you been working with River on all of this?’

‘Most of it, yes. We’ve done quite a lot together.’

Including going up to the locked third floor and exploring the ghost rooms. Clara decided that was information her mother really didn’t need to know.

Instead, she said: ‘The good thing is, Mum, that Audrey has returned the diamond necklace that she took with her.’

‘I can’t believe she still has it.’

‘I think she was scared that selling such a distinctive necklace would alert Edwin that she was still alive, and she didn’t feel that it belonged to her anyway.’

‘It didn’t,’ said Julie fiercely. ‘It belongs to the Brellasham family.’ Her voice softened. ‘Though I can understand why she took it after being abused by her husband. He doesn’t sound like the sort of man who would have agreed to a divorce settlement.’

‘Definitely not.’

‘So the necklace is back where it belongs.’ Julie stood up and, after walking to Violet’s grave, laid her hand gently on the headstone. ‘You’re completely exonerated, Mum. You never stole those diamonds and now there’s proof of it. You helped Audrey to escape and kept her secret until the day you died, even after Dad had passed away. You were an amazing woman and I miss you so much.’

Tears sprang into Clara’s eyes as she remembered her lovely grandmother who would do anything for anybody who needed help. Her kind heart had been larger than any of them had ever realised.

‘Don’t upset yourself, Clara.’ Julie sat down next to her and patted her knee. ‘What’s to become of us, I wonder? Jobless and homeless. It won’t be easy getting another job at my age and there’s not much call for housekeepers.’

‘It’ll be OK. I’ll find us a new place to live and, if I can’t get enough freelance work, I can get a permanent job somewhere. Whatever happens, you won’t have to go through this on your own, Mum.’

Julie looked into her daughter’s eyes and smiled. ‘No, I don’t suppose I will. I’m glad you’re here and I know you probably don’t believe it but I do appreciate the sacrifice you made in coming back home to look after your dad, and me. It can’t have been easy.’

Clara blinked at her mother’s unexpected words, waiting for the ‘but’. When it didn’t come, she patted her mum’s arm. It hadn’t been easy giving up her whole life, yet all she said was, ‘I’m glad I’m here too.’

Her mother sniffed before saying briskly, ‘But Michael would never have been so nosy, reading that old diary and stirring all of this up.’

And normal service was resumed. Clara allowed herself a discreet eye roll.

‘We’d better get back to the manor.’ Julie stood up and brushed her hands together to dislodge the soil still on her skin. ‘Geoffrey needs tea and cake at four on the dot or his blood sugar levels dip and he gets grumpy. I shall miss Geoffrey and his curmudgeonly ways.’

‘Curmudgeonly? You won’t normally hear a word against perfect Geoffrey.’

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