Her Garden Angel - Book 4, The Porth Kerensa Series

Chapter Twenty-One

Kester-on-Sea, Norfolk, July 2010.

Two days later Rachel packs her small suitcase with enough things to last her a few days and locks up Gran’s house. She gets in the little car and drives over to Kathy’s. Her mother is living in a smart new-build townhouse on a new private housing estate on the outskirts of town. Rachel looks around the small cul-de-sac, trying to imagine how different her life would have been if she and Kathy had lived somewhere like this, instead of in the nasty brown brick house on a rough council estate. She can’t imagine drunken Kathy living here, but it suits the mother she has come to know now.

Kathy opens the door, smiling when she sees her daughter through the spy-hole.

“I was just going to head over to yours,” she tells her, leading her into the lounge. “Are you ok? Did that brute come back?”

“I’m fine, honestly,” Rachel says, quickly.

She glances around the magnolia living room, noting the clean fresh smell of cherry blossom, the smart chocolate brown leather sofas, the flat screen TV on the wall and the modern minimalistic artwork on the walls. There’s no hint of Cath Kidston in this house. It’s all very stark and bare. It suits the cool no nonsense woman that Kathy is.

“Would you like a coffee?”

Rachel nods and follows her mother through to the kitchen. The same modern style flows into this room too, with its sleek shining granite work tops and silver appliances. Rachel leans against the small centre island and watches her mother moving expertly around the kitchen.

“I’m going away,” Rachel says when Kathy hands her a mug of black coffee. “It’s only for a few days, down to Cornwall to follow up some leads about Gran.”

“What do you mean leads? You make it sound very mysterious,” Kathy replies, laughing daintily and standing opposite her daughter.

“It is rather mysterious. I don’t want to tell anyone until I know more myself, but I found out some things about Gran that she lied about. I want to find out what really  happened.”

Kathy looks thoughtful. “You believe she lied to Dad?”

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know what to think about any of it. I’m going to go down to Cornwall to see what I can find out. I don’t have enough money to buy a laptop so I figure I’ll use an internet cafe when I get there.”

Rachel glances out the window at the small flagstone back garden. The sun is shining today and the stones are steaming as yesterday’s rainfall evaporates.

Kathy coughs awkwardly. “I have a laptop you can take; I barely know how to use it anyway. You can use it for as long as you need. I also have a savings account; I opened it years ago for you when you were a little girl. I kept it all these years, putting money in it every now and then. I couldn’t withdraw it, only pay it in. Anyway, I started putting more money in when I kicked the booze and cigs. It helped to have a good reason not to waste my money on it. If I got an urge for a drink or a smoke I’d head to the bank and pay my cash into the savings account.”

“Are you serious?” Rachel’s voice is a husky whisper and she stares bemused at Kathy.

“Are you angry with me? I know it seems silly, too little too late,” Kathy blusters. “I thought maybe if you had children one day it would be a nice nest egg for them. Failing that, when I died it would become yours anyway. I’m sorry if it offends you, I didn’t think that it might look tacky to you.”

“It’s not tacky,” Rachel says, quietly, swallowing down the lump that has risen in her throat. “It’s unexpected that’s all. I never believed you ever gave me a thought all these years.”