The Way We Were_ A Novel - Marcia Willett [110]
Julia dithered: should she take the Merlin now, risking being shadowed by Cat, or should she wait until later? The idea of being out on the cliffs at night filled her with trepidation but so did the prospect of spending the night alone at Trescairn with the Merlin. She wished that Aunt Em was with her.
‘Don't be a fool,’ she told herself. ‘Nobody's going to come creeping round. Get a grip!’
Nevertheless, she kept the doors locked and each time she left the kitchen she took the knitting bag with her. She telephoned Andy but got no reply and eventually she left a message asking him to call her. She'd just finished supper when Caroline telephoned.
‘The ETA's been changed and the boat's in later tonight,’ she told Julia jubilantly. ‘Great, isn't it? If I haven't popped by Monday we're going to Boscastle to see some friends and we might dash up to see you about teatime. Will you be around? … That's great. Oh, I nearly forgot. It was really odd this afternoon. Andy's girlfriend dropped in. It was a bit embarrassing, actually, because I didn't even know he had a girlfriend. Cat, is it? … She was so friendly and really loved the cottage. Wanted to see all over it. She apologized for giving no warning but she was meeting up with friends in Tavistock and Andy had told her to drop by. She's only down for the weekend, she said. She's driving back to London on Sunday evening but couldn't resist the chance to meet me. Rather sweet, I thought. She's so thin I could have killed her … Anyway, see you Monday afternoon, if all goes well. I'll text you. Bye, Julia.’
Julia rested her elbows on the table and put both hands over her eyes. Quite suddenly she was shaken by a surge of fury how dare Cat go to spy on Caroline, whom she'd never met and con her into showing her round her home? The telephone rang, making her jump; this time it was Andy and she was in exactly the right mood for him.
‘Mum,’ he said. ‘Sorry I missed you earlier. How are things?’
‘Things are OK,’ Julia answered, ‘but I could do without Cat harassing the family. Perhaps you could do something about it, love.’
A short silence. ‘How do you mean?’
‘I mean that I can't really imagine that you told her to drop in unannounced on me and then make a search of the house for a little statue she insists that you want, nor, when she couldn't find it, to do the same to Caroline, who doesn't know her at all and was expected to give her a guided tour of the house, presumably for the same reason. She's already been to Penharrow and made insinuating remarks to Val about Chris and Liv, which really caused trouble.’
More silence. ‘The thing is,’ Andy said defensively, ‘there's been all this stuff in the news about the art fraud and there was a photograph of The Child Merlin, and I have to say that Cat's right. It looks just like the one we had when we were kids.’
‘So?’
‘Well, Mum, it might just be that somehow we've got hold of an art treasure, that's all. It could be worth a fortune.’
Julia laughed derisively. ‘That funny little statue you all used to play with? That's just so likely, isn't it! Is that really why Cat came to spy on us all?’
‘I had no idea that she'd come to see you or Caroline,’ he said indignantly. ‘In fact, I had no idea she was in Cornwall until she phoned this afternoon to say that if she went to Tavistock she might drop in on Caroline and Zack. She asked what the number was in Chapel Street but it was all very casual. She said Liv had told her they were in Chapel Street. I knew she'd been to Penharrow a few weeks ago but I didn't realize