‘Seems odd, but that’s one of the reasons why this place was so reasonable.’ Will went over to it and laid a hand on the rim. ‘Did I tell you about the clause Mrs Holland put into the conditions of purchase?’
Matt shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think you mentioned any clause.’
‘Did you ever meet Mrs Holland, Matt?’
‘Oh yes, she lived here all the time I was growing up. I remember a strange old lady with pursed lips and beady eyes. We kids stayed well away from this place. Even when she was younger, she was a right tyrant if she caught any of us hanging around. She really did not like children. We called her a witch and invented all sorts of scary stories about her.’
‘So, you won’t be surprised when I tell you what she built into the sale agreement.’ He slapped the brickwork. ‘I had to try not to laugh when the estate agent read it out, I really wondered if the old girl was the full ticket. The clause stated that she would not sell to a family. According to her, the house was not suitable for children, and the prospective buyer must be either retired or permanently childless.’ He stopped.
Matt and Liz were aware that after her breakdown, Kate and Will had been told that she was in too fragile a condition to even consider adoption. They had been advised to put all thought of having children out of their minds for ever.
‘We signed and got a ridiculously good deal.’ Will spread out his arms. ‘All this, for the price of small three-bed newbuild on an estate. No brainer.’
Liz wrinkled her brow. ‘I wonder why she felt so strongly about children.’
‘Officially, she considered it dangerous for kids, with the old well, the ancient outbuildings and the treacherous tides that could sweep across the marsh. In truth — and please, keep this to yourself because Kate is unaware of the fact — it probably originated from the fact that her two-year-old daughter had been lost on the marsh. Apparently, one minute the child was playing in the garden, and the next she was gone. The papers were full of it. People suspected murder, abduction, all sorts of theories, but it was almost certain that she got lost and swept away in the tide. Do you remember it, Matt?’
‘Of course! Well, not personally, I was too young at the time, but I remember my dad saying there were search parties out all over the area, looking for a missing little one. I’d forgotten that it was Mrs Holland’s child.’
‘And Kate is unaware of this?’ Liz looked concerned. ‘How do you think she would react if she did know?’
Will raised his eyebrows. ‘Probably very badly.’ He looked anxious. ‘Mind you, I think she’ll find out soon enough. She’s started researching the place, and she’s bound to dig that one up.’
‘Where is she?’ Matt asked tentatively. ‘Working?’
‘Actually, she worked for most of the night. I left her sleeping this morning, but she said she’ll be down for lunch.’ He shrugged. ‘Well, I hope she will, but no promises. She wants to finish her current book as quickly as possible, then spend time redecorating the house.’
They went inside. Matt sniffed the air. ‘Hey, what’s that? It smells delicious.’
‘Spicy chicken and avocado in a tortilla wrap. It’s nothing special, but it’s one of Kate’s favourites. Ten minutes and we’re there.’
Matt felt Liz elbow him in the ribs. ‘Knocks spots off a Pot Noodle!’
Will looked at them blankly.
Matt laughed. ‘Private joke.’
Will poured Liz a glass of wine. ‘I’ll go and give Kate a call. I hope she hasn’t gone back to sleep.’
While he was out of the room, Liz gave Matt a long look. ‘He’s making a big effort, but he’s still edgy as hell.’
Matt nodded. If only Will would drop the pretence and tell them everything that was worrying him, no matter how harrowing.
A few minutes later, Kate came in.
Matt was shocked at her appearance. In just two months, she had lost weight and looked almost gaunt. She was very pale, as if she lived in the dark. She gave them both a hug and said how good it was to see them again, but there was something not right about Kate Stonebridge.
The food was as tasty as it smelt, and Matt took delight in ribbing his old friend about his metamorphosis into Jamie Oliver. Meanwhile, considering it was supposedly her favourite lunch, Kate ate almost nothing.
Liz tried to draw her out about the illustrations she was working on, but Kate brushed her questions aside. All she wanted to talk about was Holland House and Whisper Fen.
As soon as they had finished, Kate jumped up. ‘Liz, could you come and give me some of your thoughts on wallpaper for the dining room? I’ve got heaps of pattern books but it’s not easy to find one that fits this house.’
Matt took advantage of their absence to tell Will about their meeting with Emilia Swain. ‘We are calling in after we leave here to fix the lock on her shed. While I’m busy with that, Liz is going to try to find out what else is worrying her.’ He lowered his voice. ‘We are well in with her, I think. I reckon she’s relieved to have someone to talk to. Why don’t you ring me later, and I’ll update you?’
Will said he would.
‘Kate really loves this house, doesn’t she?’ Matt said.
Will nodded unenthusiastically.
‘Is she okay, Will? Only she’s lost a lot of weight since we saw her last.’
‘She’s overdoing it, mate.’ Will kept his voice low. ‘She’s working all hours and sometimes well into the night. She’s desperate to finish this book for her publisher, she’s working on new paintings of her own, and then there’s the house, which seems to be becoming something of an obsession.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I want it to look good too, of course, but Liz is dead set on it being exactly as it was when Mrs Holland first married. She’s sourced wallpaper designs from the thirties, researched paint colours and had them specially mixed, she’s even tracked down some authentic fabric for drapes. Hell, Matt, by the time she’s finished I’ll be living in a museum.’
Matt recalled Liz had telling him his home was a museum, then had made it into the lovely place it was now. It seemed that Kate wanted to do the exact opposite. ‘Don’t you have any say in it, Will? After all, it’s your home too.’
Will laughed. ‘Sometimes I wonder. Oh, I don’t mean that, it’s just that she’s become so fixated on her idea of Holland House that I don’t really feature. She thinks that because I love the property, I’ll love what she does with it. End of.’ He sighed. ‘And she wanders off all over the marsh and the sea bank. She says she’s looking for inspiration for her work. Sometimes she’s gone for hours.’
‘And she’s worrying you sick.’
Before Will could answer, they heard Kate and Liz coming back. Will went off to make coffee.
They stayed for another hour or so, until Matt sensed that Kate was growing restless. ‘I think we should make a move, guys. It’s been really lovely seeing you both again. You must come over to us next week. It’s our turn to cook.’
A slight look of irritation passed across Kate’s face, but Matt chose to ignore it.
‘Yes,’ added Liz, ‘although I’m not sure we’re up to the standard of Master Chef here.’ She grinned at Will.