The Therapist(34)

‘Hi, Alice!’ he calls. ‘How are things?’

‘Oh – you know. I was hoping to see Lorna but she doesn’t seem to be in.’

‘I’d suggest going to see Eve but she’s at her mum’s. She’ll be back around five, if you’re looking for company.’

‘Thanks, Will.’

He gives me a wave and I turn back to the door, because I can hear a lock being turned. The door opens, the chain still in place.

Lorna peeps at me timidly through the gap.

‘It’s only me,’ I say cautiously. ‘I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

‘I wasn’t going to answer but I heard your voice.’ She stares for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to let me in. She doesn’t seem to want to and I’m about to apologise and tell her I’ll call back another day when she begins removing the chain, slowly, as if she’s hoping I’ll get fed up waiting and go away.

‘Are you sure?’ I ask doubtfully, when she finally opens the door.

‘Yes, come in. It’s just that Edward isn’t here and I’m always more careful when I’m on my own.’

‘That’s very wise. How is he?’

‘Much better, thank you.’ She opens a door to the right and I follow her in to a cosy sitting room.

‘This is lovely,’ I say, admiring the delicate pastel tones. There’s the beautiful scent of lavender and I trace it to a crystal vase, sitting on a low table. Like ours, her sitting room looks onto the square and from the window, I can see our driveway perfectly.

We sit down.

Lorna gives me a nervous smile. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’

‘No, thank you. I just wanted to ask you something.’

‘It’s not about letting that man into your party, is it? I don’t know what came over me. I’m usually so careful.’

‘No, it’s not about that,’ I reassure her, sad at how much it has knocked her confidence, because she doesn’t seem quite as sharp as when I first met her, nor quite as smartly dressed. Although she’s wearing her pearls, her clothes – a camel skirt and blue patterned shirt – seem hastily put together, and her hair isn’t the same neat bob.

‘Have you managed to find out who it was?’ she asks.

I hesitate, because I know that if I tell her the truth, that the man is a private detective, she’ll feel better about having let him in. On the other hand, I’d have to tell her that he’s investigating Nina’s murder. She would ask why, and I’d have to admit that Thomas Grainger believes Oliver was innocent. I don’t want to open old wounds.

‘Not yet,’ I say, making a quick decision. ‘But I’m not worried about him and I hope you aren’t either. I know how upsetting it must be after what happened to Nina,’ I add, pleased to have found the perfect lead into the conversation I want to have with her.

Lorna raises her hand to her pearls.

‘It was terrible,’ she says, her voice barely a whisper. ‘Truly terrible.’

‘I didn’t know about it, I only found out a few days ago.’

Lorna looks shocked. ‘Oh Alice, that’s awful. But – I don’t understand. Why didn’t you know?’

‘Because Leo chose to keep it from me. He was going to tell me, but he hoped that by the time he did, I’d have grown to love the house as much as he does and wouldn’t want to leave.’

‘Do you want to leave?’

‘It’s so difficult. I’m not sure how I feel about the house, but I love The Circle, everyone has been so welcoming and I know I’d make friends here. I wanted to leave, but then Leo said something that I can’t get out of my mind. He said that the house deserved to have new memories, happy memories.’ I pause, working my way through my feelings. ‘It’s not that simple, though. Leo and I aren’t really speaking at the moment because I can’t forgive him for not being upfront with me before we moved in. It’s all a bit of a mess, to be honest.’

‘I can see that,’ Lorna says, and I smile gratefully at her. It’s a relief to be able to pour out my heart to someone with life experience who, like me, has lost someone she loved.

‘I don’t have any family apart from Leo,’ I say, on impulse. ‘My parents and sister were killed in a car crash when I was nineteen years old.’

Lorna’s hand moves to her heart.

‘You lost your sister and your parents? Your poor thing, how did you cope? To lose three loved ones – it doesn’t bear thinking about.’

‘If it hadn’t been for my grandparents, I’m not sure I would have coped. They were so strong; they’d lost their only son, their only child—’ I stop, halted by the look of desolation clouding her face. ‘I’m so sorry, Lorna, that was clumsy of me. I know you lost your son too.’ Lorna doesn’t say anything; her fingers pluck at the material of her skirt and I hate that I’ve upset her. ‘It must have been so hard for you.’

‘Yes, it was,’ she says, her voice almost a whisper. ‘Any loss is terrible, however it happens.’

We sit in silence for a moment. I wonder if I should leave her in peace but I want to find out what I can. ‘I was wondering – would you be able to tell me about Nina? Maybe if I knew a little about her, if I could make her real to me, it would help.’