Page 44 of The Christmas Invitation
‘Moonflower!’ I exclaimed. ‘I’d no idea you lived here. I haven’t seen you for years!’
She parted the lank fronds of hair and peered at me. ‘Is that you, Meg? What are you doing up here?’
‘Painting Clara’s portrait,’ Henry said. ‘How nice that you know each other.’
‘Moonflower lived in the commune at the Farm with her parents for a couple of years, before they moved on,’ I explained.
‘They always liked travelling about in the van, rather than being in one place all the time,’ said Moonflower. ‘We came here one day and camped down among the trees by the reservoir … and I met Bilbo and stayed. This is our baby, Grace-Galadriel.’
‘She’s … lovely,’ I said, peering down at the infant. The button nose was a bit snotty from the cold.
Lex was standing silently watching us, but now said, ‘Hi, Flower.’
Moonflower blushed and simpered, and I suppose you really couldn’t blame her, because he looked like every dark and conflicted romantic hero rolled into one. I’d have fallen for him myself if I hadn’t already been there, done that and burned the T-shirt.
‘How’s your mum?’ she asked me.
‘I don’t know. She went to India to work in a friend’s bar about eight years ago, but then took off to explore somewhere and never went back. We know she meant to, because she left most of her stuff behind, but she just vanished.’
‘And you haven’t heard a thing since?’
‘No, it’s a complete mystery. River went out there to see if he could find any trace of her, but nothing.’
‘She must have died, then,’ suggested Moonflower tactlessly. Empathy had never been her middle name.
That was my greatest fear too, though I still hoped for the best. ‘River doesn’t think so, but she might have had an accident, and then, since she left her passport and papers back at the bar where she was living, they wouldn’t have known who she was. The trail was cold by the time River tried to find her, but he’s sure she’ll turn up again.’
‘I remember now that you told us your mother had vanished. It’s very sad, my dear,’ said Henry kindly.
‘It is, though actually I’d never seen much of her while I was growing up anyway, because she was such a free spirit,’ I explained. ‘She turned up at the Farm occasionally and was bright and fun … and then, after a while, off she’d go again.’
Lex, who clearly had no idea of my past, was looking at me curiously.
‘Who brought you up, then?’ he asked.
‘The commune in Wales at River’s Farm, where I was born. River’s been a grandfather to me and two of the founder members of the commune, Maj and Kenny, were like parents. And then there’s Oshan, River’s son, who is my brother.’ Seeing Lex was still staring at me, I added, ‘It all worked very well and I had a very happy and secure childhood.’
‘Oh, I loved it at the Farm, too!’ Moonflower agreed. ‘I cried for a week when we moved on.’
‘I’d no idea about your background,’ said Lex. ‘That explains a lot!’
‘Like what?’ I demanded, but at that moment the baby woke up and made loud grizzling noises, while trying to fight her way out of the footmuff.
Flower said she’d better get home and feed her.
‘Come and have coffee one day,’ she said to me. ‘Meet Bilbo.’
‘Oh, thanks, Moonflower, that would be lovely.’
‘Call me Flower; everyone else does. And we’ve some nice things in the shop, too, if you need any presents,’ she added hopefully.
Presents? Well, I’d brought the hamper of jams and chutneys, either as a general house gift or a sweetener if I managed to get away after the Solstice, but I hadn’t thought of individual Christmas presents.
But then, I’d no intention of still being at the Red House over Christmas, so I wouldn’t need them, would I?
Back at the house, Lex and Teddy dealt with the muddy and very smelly spaniel and Henry vanished into his study with a vague smile.
I changed into something already spattered in oil paint and then Clara dictated a chapter of the crime novel while I worked on her portrait until lunch called. Or at least, it called Clara, because as usual I’d forgotten the time.
