The Garden of Forgotten Wishes - Trisha Ashley Page 0,153
no idea what I was doing if one of the Morris Men hadn’t been shouting instructions. Ned was surprisingly light on his feet and had evidently done this before.
‘That was fun,’ I said as we headed back to the garden, where James was already getting the shop ready to open. I’d seen him earlier, watching the Morris Men, but I don’t suppose dancing is his thing any more and he must have slipped away.
‘The Morris Men will go over to the pub for an early lunch and a lot of beer,’ Ned said. ‘Then they’ll come back and do it all again – but that one will be more for the tourists.’
I’d agreed with Ned that I should break the news about my being a Vane to the others here, while he would go over to Lavender Cottage later and do the same for the family – plus take a copy of the page of the letter we’d found and share that unsavoury revelation, too. No more secrets to fester in the dark …
So when Gert went into the Potting Shed to make the first brew of the day, I followed her and revealed that I’d been born a Vane and ghastly Wayne and his father were my closest relatives.
‘My mother was Martha Vane, Saul’s youngest sister. I kept it quiet till recently, because they threw her out when she got pregnant with me, and I didn’t want anything to do with them. Once I’d met Wayne, I felt even more that I didn’t want anyone to know!’
She stared at me for a moment, kettle in hand, then said, ‘Not surprised. Who would want to admit they were related to that shower?’
But then she added that she remembered Martha as a sweet girl, and she wouldn’t hold my bad blood against me.
Then she said that it was a good day when I arrived in the valley, because I’d certainly cheered Ned up no end, and I could feel myself blushing so made my escape.
I’d left her to pass the news on to the others – and anyone else she liked. Saul might never mention it again, but I’d be surprised if Wayne could keep anything secret for more than five minutes.
When Ned returned from his mission to Lavender Cottage, he said Myfy had been there with Elf, so he’d told both of them and, although shocked about what happened to poor Lizzie, they’d taken the news of my identity in their stride.
And later, after another wonderful Sunday dinner, Elf said she’d had a slight suspicion about me at the back of her mind, ever since she’d told us about Martha Vane the other day. She’d realized I had the same unusual shade of light blue-grey eyes, the irises ringed with black, that Martha had had.
‘And your face is heart-shaped just like hers was,’ she finished.
I confessed the lengths I’d gone to, to conceal it from everyone, which now seemed slightly ludicrous … except my trip to Cross Ways Farm.
‘Saul thought Marnie had realized she was entitled to some of his parents’ estate and had come here under another name to check out what there was,’ said Ned. ‘But Marnie doesn’t want anything to do with them, or their farm. I’ll have to go and have a talk with the old fool.’
No one seemed to find Ned taking on this task for me at all surprising, even when he said, ‘I’ll get a solicitor to draw up some kind of legal document for Marnie to sign, giving up her rights to any inheritance.’
‘I wish I could get rid of my relationship to them as easily,’ I said ruefully. ‘It came as a bit of a shock to Ned.’
‘But finding that missing page of the letter and realizing I was descended from someone a whole lot worse than any of the Vanes put things in perspective,’ Ned said wryly.
‘Yes, and you and Marnie must be distantly related through Lizzie,’ Gerald said thoughtfully.
‘We know – it’s weird, but it is very distant,’ agreed Ned, and smiled at me, making me feel warm all the way through to my toes.
When finally I tore my eyes away from his, I found all the others looking at us with interest.
‘We don’t care whether you’re a Vane or not, dear,’ said Elf. ‘We’re just pleased that Ned is so much happier since you arrived.’
I blushed and Ned said cheerfully, ‘Who wouldn’t be happy, with a professional gardener working for them for a pittance?’