Page 92 of The Little Island Flower Stall
Ten minutes later, Bella was on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her while Rory made fresh a fresh pot of tea in the kitchen. A vague thought floated through her head, that she ought to make him leave, but it was lost in a sea of more pressing thoughts. What was going to happen now? To Villa Rosa? To the flower stall? To her? And with those thoughts came guilt. The only person who deserved consideration right now was Celestine herself. Bella couldn’t help but feel to blame. Had she failed to look out for her? Could she somehow have prevented Celestine’s death? She’d said the night before she’d felt unwell, but Bella had been distracted and hadn’t taken as much notice as she ought to have done. Perhaps if she’d watched more closely, gone in to check on her aunt before she’d gone to bed, not forced her to spend the day at a hectic festival, things might have ended differently.
‘Here…’ Rory appeared from the kitchen with a cup in hand. ‘I wanted to put some brandy or something in it, but I couldn’t find any of that either.’
‘There isn’t any. Thanks – tea’s fine.’
He handed the cup over and stood awkwardly, watching as Bella took a sip. ‘I have to say, I don’t know what I’m meant to do here. I feel I should stay to make sure you’re OK, but I also realise that I’m not exactly the person you want to see right now, especially given what’s just happened.’
‘I don’t know either. I think I might like the company for a while, though. The house feels weird. I don’t think I want to be on my own here.’
‘What will you do tonight? Could you find somewhere else to stay?’
‘My parents are coming. Over the next few days, I suppose we’ll have some sorting out to do here. Celestine doesn’t have anyone but us – nobody close enough to do this sort of thing.’
‘That’s good. Not that she didn’t have anyone, I mean. Good your parents will be here.’
Bella nodded and then closed her eyes. She was so tired. Emotionally she was spent, and yet her brain wouldn’t stop throwing thoughts at her. There was so much to think about, so much to do, and yet she didn’t even know where she was meant to start. She wished she could shut out the image of her aunt lying cold and still in bed, but she couldn’t.
She opened her eyes to see Rory still standing awkwardly in the centre of the room. He was looking out of the window.
‘You might as well sit down,’ she said. ‘That’s if you want to stay. I don’t know how much company I’ll be, so I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave.’
‘I’ll stay for a while. I can stay until your parents arrive if you like.’
Bella ought to have sent him away. She ought to have demanded answers right then and there. She only nodded and tried to give a smile that wouldn’t reach her lips.
‘I know I shouldn’t have come,’ he said. ‘But I’m glad I did. I’m glad I can be here to help in any way I can, even if it’s only just making tea for you.’
‘Have one yourself if you want.’
‘No, I won’t. I don’t want to make it seem as if I’m making myself welcome. How did it happen? Your aunt, I mean?’
‘I found her this morning. I suppose she must have died in her sleep.’
‘It’s probably the best way to go.’
‘I’m sure that’s true, but I can’t say I’m feeling grateful for it right now. I’d say not going at all is the best way.’
‘I’m sorry; you’re right. Stupid thing to say. I don’t know what I’m meant to say – ignore me. I’ll shut up.’
‘You don’t have to do that. Talk to me about something else.’
‘What do you want me to talk about?’
‘How are you getting on with tracking down Klaus?’
‘I’ve got someone professional to help. He makes a living doing this kind of thing. He says now we know what happened to Klaus it should be fairly straightforward to identify him. There can’t have been all that many soldiers shot for desertion here, so there ought to be some kind of record.’
‘I’m glad you’re working it out.’
‘Doesn’t seem so important right now.’
‘I think Celestine would have been happy you’re getting the answers you want, and that Klaus will finally be remembered as he deserves. She was so relieved to have finally got it all out in the open. It’s daft, I know, but part of me wonders if she felt like that was the final thing she had to do and then…well, she just let go. She’d let go of her secrets and her guilt, and she could finally let go of life and move on.’
‘It doesn’t sound daft. I can see why you might feel that.’
‘I hope not. Because if it’s true, then it means she still didn’t feel as if she deserved just a couple of guilt-free years of happiness before she died. She deserved that and so much more.’
‘Bella…’ he began slowly. ‘This isn’t the time, I realise that, but I want to tell you what happened with…well, with us. I know you don’t want to hear it now, but we might not get another chance, and you need to know.’
