The Harbinger Read online

  As they approached the door, Holly and Leah slowed, allowing Ellie to reach the door first. She gave a loud knock and went straight in, calling a cheery hello as she did. Daniel, exiting the kitchen, met them.

  “Ladies!” he said, greeting them with a smile. “I’m so glad you could all make it. Moreover, who is this young lady? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her before.” He smiled warmly at Leah, briefly excluding the other two women.

  Holly grinned at his formality. “Daniel, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Leah.”

  Leah smiled at him shyly, dropping her chin slowly towards her chest. “Pleased to meet you,” she said in a faltering voice. She looked at her mum as he extended his hand. Holly nodded at her. Leah reached across and shook it.

  Ellie smiled. It was probably the first time Leah had shaken hands with anyone. He’d done the same thing with her school friends when she was younger, as though the formal introduction welcomed them into the bosom of his family, showing they were respected the same way as any adult.

  “So,” he said to Leah, “has your mum divulged what we’re having for tea?”

  Leah shook her head.

  “I thought I’d let you surprise her,” said Holly, playing the game for all it was worth.

  “We are going to have Shottage,” he said with a grin. “It’s a mixture of Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie.”

  “How can you do that? Isn’t it one thing or the other?” asked Leah, bemused by his comment, furrowing her brow.

  “Ah,” he said, bending forward conspiratorially. “You come with me, and I shall divulge my secret. You mustn’t pass it on though. It’s a family secret.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Leah, a smile creeping slowly across her face. “That means Ellie must know what it is then. She’s teaching me to cook, so she could show me.” She jumped slightly in her excitement. She’d gone back to looking twelve.

  “Come with me, Leah. I’m just about to assemble it. Ladies, would you care for a glass of something to be going on with?”

  “I’ll have a very small glass of white, please, Dad. I’m driving. Holly?”

  “A glass of white for me too. Thanks, Daniel.”

  He nodded his head and turned towards the kitchen, grabbing Leah’s hand. As he made a move, Dee’s not so dulcet tones floated down from the landing. “I’ll have a dry sherry, Daniel.”

  The two women smiled as he rolled his eyes. “Certainly, dear. It will be in the lounge when you’re ready.”

  When Daniel returned from the kitchen bearing a tray of drinks, Leah, who was laughing aloud, preceded him. “Mum, have you seen Mr Simons’ apron?” she said pointing.

  When she realised what the image was on the front, Holly put her hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle. “Very fetching,” she said to Daniel, who himself was grinning widely and taking a bow.

  “Thank you,” he said graciously. “I have my wonderful daughter to thank for this.”

  Ellie could feel herself colouring. She still felt embarrassed by the Christmas gift she’d given her father. A last minute choice she’d made online because she wasn’t in the mood for any more shopping. She spent hours trawling through the children’s toy section choosing gifts for Alex he would never receive as she sobbed her heart out. She’d become overwhelmed and couldn’t wait to close her laptop.

  Ellie smiled at Daniel. “I’m glad you like it, Dad. It was a case of I saw it… and thought of you.”

  “I’m glad you did, sweetheart,” he said softly. “It gets well used.”

  Leah pointed at the image of Bond in full dress suit bearing a spatula aloft, with the logo… Licensed to Grill. She tittered again. “I think it’s great,” she said, her face now a full beam.

  “Come on, Leah,” he said, as she took a swig of her orange juice. “Time to finish off. Just the veggies to do now.”

  As he left the room, he ran headlong into his wife. “Sorry, dear,” he said apologetically. “Leah and I are just about to finish off the dinner.”

  Leah looked up warily from beneath drooped eyelids. She offered up her hand and stammered, “Pleased to meet you, Mrs Hanray.”

  Surprisingly, Dee Hanray beamed as she shook it. “Very pleased to meet you, as well, Leah. It’s lovely to see a young lady with manners. A rarity these days.”

  Leah smiled weakly at her. “Thank you,” she said as Daniel led her away to the kitchen.

  Holly watched the encounter with her fingers gripping the arm of the chair tightly, ready to pounce should Dee Hanray say anything out of place. Ellie had been doing much the same thing and wondered at her mother’s reaction. She was normally cool when meeting people for the first time, but she seemed very relaxed in Leah’s company.

  “Sorry I was late coming down. Unfortunately, I took Dorothy’s phone call in the office, so I didn’t have background voices to reinforce my ‘I have to go because we have guests for dinner’. She just kept moving along the conversation. I can’t be too hard on her, though. She’s involved in the next charity event and needed some pointers. Not long to go now.”

  Ellie and Holly glanced at each other then took in Dee’s demeanour, aware Dee was in her element.

  “What ideas do you have? You’re leaving it a little late to book a venue,” said Ellie.

  Dee flapped her hands. “Oh, my dear,” she said over-fluttering her eyelashes, “It was booked a couple of months ago.”

  “Oh,” said Ellie in surprise. “You never mentioned anything.”

  “Well, Eleanor, you really didn’t need to know. It’s not as if you’re on the committee or anything.” She sipped delicately on her sherry.

  Ellie suppressed the need to laugh but raised her eyebrows anyway. The laugh came out as a strangled cough moments later as she glanced at Holly who mouthed That’s you told! pointing a finger secretly over the top of her hand. It made Ellie want to laugh more.

  They gathered in the dining room, Dee Hanray pointing out where everyone should sit. She’d placed herself between Ellie and Holly, with Daniel in between Leah and Holly. Very cosy, thought Ellie. It meant that Ellie was facing Holly on the circular table. Couldn’t be better, she thought to herself with a suppressed smile.

  Leah began revealing her latest knowledge before she sat down. “All the vegetables we have to eat have been grown by Mr Hanray,” she said proudly. “He grows them on his allotment or in the garden. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to grow my own food.”

  Ellie smiled at Leah’s words. She’d said exactly the same when she was younger, but come adolescence, she had other things on her mind. As her mother began dishing up the Shottage pie, Ellie spoke,. “I’m sure my dad wouldn’t turn down the idea of a little help with the allotment,” she said tentatively, glancing first at Holly, then Leah. Her dad nodded in assent. “I’m sure your mum wouldn’t mind, providing you dealt with your homework first. You might even get extra cookery lessons thrown in.”

  “I certainly have no objections,” said Holly, “but you will have to clear it with your dad first.”

  The look on Leah’s face changed drastically, “Awww,” she said, pulling out her pet lip. “Do I have to?” she questioned.

  “Yes, Leah. You do,” answered Holly, not prepared to take any truck.

  Dee began passing around the tureens of cabbage, carrots, and beetroot. “You don’t mind company, do you, Daniel?” she asked him with wide eyes.

  He reached out his left hand and gently pinched Leah’s cheek. “For this little girl… anything!” He let out a hearty laugh as he portioned himself some vegetables, then poured on thick gravy. “I just thought I’d mention we have Eaton Mess for pud. Leave some room.” Leah’s eyes were wide. “Yes,” he said in a low voice. “Another cooking lesson, coming up.”

  Dee excused herself after they’d finished their dinner, saying she had some important phone calls to make before it got too late. The rest were in the lounge, trying to get comfortable after their meal. Ellie had tried throughout the meal to quash the s
udden desire to make love to Holly, the enchantment becoming deeper each time the green eyes looked her way. She could tell her mother was interested in their interaction, but thankfully, Leah proved a distraction more than once.

  Ellie could provide neither rhyme nor reason for her thoughts. They seemed to wander in from some faraway place with such intensity that it was hard to keep the thoughts compartmentalised. When the dull ache in her groin began to get uncomfortable, she squirmed, shifting in her seat to try to ease the pressure. Ellie drew Holly’s attention by her actions. Holly knitted her brow, questioning. A squeal from Leah distracted them both. Her dad and Leah had decided to play Snakes and Ladders until it was time to go home, and it appeared Leah had reached the top row. Ellie watched her dad as he lay on his side propped up on one elbow, completely engrossed in the game, just as he used to be in years gone by. She worried about her dad getting off the floor when they’d finished playing. She had noticed him surreptitiously rubbing his knees throughout the meal. She glanced over at Holly sitting opposite, who patted her tummy.

  “I don’t think I can eat again for a week,” she announced, making her daughter and Daniel glance up at her from below. “That meal was some blowout. Thank you again, Daniel. I’ll let you know about the gardening when Leah has spoken to her dad. She’ll be phoning him at the weekend.” This nugget extracted a scowl from her daughter.

  “You just let me know when you’re ready, Holly. The allotment isn’t going anywhere. I thought I’d have a couple of days rest anyway. The old knees are playing me up right now. Plenty of anti-inflammatories should see me right, though.” His gaze wandered back to Leah, who was whizzing the die round in her cupped palms. “You need a three to win,” said Daniel, who laughed when Leah rolled her eyes at the obvious. She rolled a three on the first try.

  Daniel’s arms shot into the air. “Ladies… we have a winner!”

  Leah jumped up and down on her backside, both arms raised. Her face was a picture of joy, and then she finished off with a giggle.

  “Don’t think you can get away with this, little madam. I will have my revenge.” Daniel grabbed two pieces of his greying hair above either ear, twiddled with them and fashioned two horns that stuck out from his head. Then he made a demonic laugh.

  Leah flopped back onto the floor and laughed loudly—quickly joined by Holly and Ellie.

  Holly glanced at her phone and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to have to be a party pooper, but I need to get Leah home. It’s a school night.” She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, making her face look sad. “Would it be all right for us to pop up to say our goodbyes to Dee?”

  Daniel looked at Ellie for moral support. “Oh, don’t worry. Dad will pass on our thanks and goodbyes. I suspect Mum will still be on the phone, arranging something or other.” The essence of what she said was correct. The complete truth was Dee hated being disturbed when she was on a mission.

  Holly nodded, with an added “If you’re sure” as she rose to take her leave. Leah followed suit and sprang from the floor, and Ellie dragged her weary body behind them. Ellie watched her father struggle up, leaning on one arm to get extra traction. She offered to help, but he shook his head. He managed—just.

  Leah gave him a hug and thanked him most profusely, especially for the unscheduled cooking lesson. Holly leant forward and pecked at his cheek. “Thanks, Daniel. It’s been a wonderful treat for both of us. The food was delicious, too.” Her smile was sincere, and she grabbed his shoulder as she passed him, heading for the door.

  Ellie gave her dad a big hug. She could feel his warmth seeping into her. It made her feel as though she was a child again… safe and secure. “A big thank-you from me too. I think we all needed a break in our routines. It’s been like a breath of fresh air. We’ll let you know about the gardening. Don’t be surprised if Phil objects, though. He does love his daughter, so I suppose nobody should grumble about that, but he can be overbearing and a might over-protective,” said Ellie in lowered tones.

  He raised one eyebrow as though not sure what to make of his daughter’s comments. “If he has any concerns, ask him to come with her. The more help, the better, as far as I’m concerned. I’ll even supply him with coffee and sandwiches for lunch.” He gave a wry smile.

  Ellie kissed him on the cheek and giggled all the way to the door.

  21

  Ellie dropped off Holly and Leah, turning down the offer of a warm drink, citing too much work to finish off. In a way, it was true. She had to send off emails to suppliers and to Mick to see how he was progressing with his current job of work. She wasn’t chasing him to hurry, but she needed to know if she was going to be without him for more than a couple of days. In addition, she needed to know what he was going to do with his crew. She had a feeling he would bring the caravans so as not to cut down on their profits by using a B&B. It gave the added security on site, too. Definitely a bonus.

  Tomorrow, she planned to be up and out early for her trip to town and the dreaded clothes buying. She was tempted to do it online, and then mentally chastised herself for being lazy. Even though she hated it, it needed doing—unless she wanted to spend the duration in paint-stained rags, which was the alternative.

  The foray had been quick and painless. She went to a cut-price shop and loaded her basket with clothes that were cheap and functional. At the end of the job, she could always throw them away if she damaged them beyond use. Ellie returned home feeling as though she’d achieved something.

  She’d grabbed a bottle of flavoured water from the fridge and decided to have a short break before starting on the emails. She had just begun to drink the contents when her phone pinged twice, announcing the delivery of two messages.

  The first was from her mother, saying she was looking forward to their meet-up on Thursday. She commented on what a lovely child Leah was, which initiated a smile from Ellie.

  The second came from Michael Devlin. He explained he had a dilemma and thought she might be able to help him resolve it, and would she be willing to have an evening in if he supplied the takeaway. She wouldn’t arrange anything for the weekend, just in case Holly decided to invite her over, because it was Leah’s turn to stay at home so they might have a binge watch of films or TV. She was definitely willing to help him with his problem, wondering if he was short of volunteers for the charity day and wanted her to drum up some support. That only left tonight and tomorrow night, so those were the alternatives offered in her return text. It took only a few seconds before it pinged again with an answer. Tonight, eight o’clock, and he’d bring food with him.

  The house was as tidy as it was ever going to be. She’s even remembered to put a small guest towel on the side of the bath. Her mother would be proud. At six, her tummy began to rumble, so she went to make a cup of tea, the thought of a couple of digestive biscuits made her salivate. She put a small amount of water in the kettle and clicked the switch, staring at the red light for a few seconds before delving into the biscuit barrel to retrieve the biscuits.

  Given all that was going on in her life now, she expected the fluttering of wings outside the window, and there was more daylight in the evenings now the clocks had changed so she might be able to get a really good look. She wasn’t surprised when no bird appeared and didn’t have the same disappointing, gut-wrenching feeling she had last time. Things were looking up in her life, so perhaps Alex had decided to give her space to move on. This was the thought that saddened her. What would she do if she never saw the bird again? She shook the thought from her head and put one of the biscuits back in the barrel. Perhaps next time.

  Michael Devlin arrived five minutes early, bringing with him the aroma of the Orient. He followed the direction of her hand pointing towards the kitchen, pausing briefly to shrug off his coat. He threw it casually over the newel post at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Sorry, I’m a fraction early,” he said rubbing his hands together briskly. “I ordered the food for a quarter to eight but arrived there early too.
It was waiting for me.” He raised his eyebrows and grinned as Ellie’s tummy let out a loud gurgle. “And not a minute too soon, by the sound of it.”

  Ellie put her hand on her stomach and felt herself face redden with embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m not used to eating with the posh folk.” She gave a laugh, just to show the comment was her way of jesting.

  Michael Devlin pursed his lips. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t finish a conference call until half seven as I expected, so I ordered the food and changed at the office. I hope I haven’t put you out too much.”

  Ellie shook her head. “I’m never put out when I have biscuits in the house.”

  He laughed and swiped his hand across his brow. “Phew! Lucky me.” He looked down at the carrier bags he’d brought with him. “Shall we get these out before they go cold?”

  Ellie nodded. “We can eat at the dining table. I’ve set it up.” She grabbed one of the carrier bags. “How much food have you brought with you? Enough for the whole street?”

  “Nope,” he replied proudly. “Trust me when I tell you there won’t be much left for your lunch tomorrow. I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since seven this morning. A couple of slices of toast doesn’t really hack it for me.”

  “Come on then… What are we waiting for?”

  They decanted the contents of the bags onto the heatproof pads in the middle of the table. There were a couple of plates, small bowls, and a pile of serving spoons at one side, thinking those utensils would cover all options no matter what he brought with him. She’d set out a jug of iced water, and a thick damask napkin for each of them lay at the side of the tablemats.