Page 80 of Fire Must Burn

‘You know, I never really heard the full story,’ said Mrs Kendall, sipping her wine. ‘We heard Daddy roaring in his study, then Kevin emerged from that little father–son tête-à-tête with his beaten-puppy expression and didn’t say a word. The next day, he packed his trunk and was off on an extended world tour.’

‘Um, my name didn’t come up by any chance, did it?’ asked Sparks.

‘Not that I’ve heard,’ said Mrs Kendall. ‘I don’t believe I ever knew your name before today. In any case, that was years ago, and he’s no longer around with any reputation to besmirch, so you’re quite safe.’

‘I’m relieved,’ said Sparks. ‘Gosh, I should write your parentsa note now that I know about his passing. Do you have their current address?’

‘I’ll get it for you,’ said Mrs Kendall.

‘Is that housekeeper of yours still there?’ asked Sparks. ‘I’d like to write to her as well.’

‘Mrs Dorter? No, she’s not with the family any more. I’m surprised you remember her.’

‘She was very kind to me that weekend,’ said Sparks. ‘And she made a wonderfully effective hangover cure. I’d love to get her recipe. Hangovers are still a regular part of my existence. Where is she now?’

‘She’s running an inn somewhere,’ said Mrs Kendall. ‘Daddy helped set her up with it, in fact.’

‘Very generous of him,’ said Sparks.

‘Yes, uncharacteristically so,’ said Mrs Kendall. ‘But she’d been with us forever, so I guess he felt he owed it to her. It was that same year, now that I think of it, towards the end of the summer. She was tired of keeping that enormous place ready for whenever one of us showed up. Can’t blame her, really. I was surprised Daddy let her go, she had been with us for ages. Wait here, I’ll be back in a sec.’

She left, and they listened to her footsteps ascending the stairs.

‘How long after Nancy’s death did Kevin leave England?’ asked Gwen.

‘Beginning of the summer,’ said Iris. ‘So maybe a month or two after.’

‘I wonder what happened in the interim to trigger that decision,’ said Gwen. ‘It had to have been more than just his father’s anger over a party. Hold that thought. I hear her coming.’

Mrs Kendall returned with a piece of paper, which she handed to Sparks.

‘There’s Mummy and Daddy’s current address, no idea if they’re home or travelling,’ she said, pointing to the top. ‘And there’s Mrs Dorter’s inn. It’s outside of Bradford-on-Avon, which is outside of Bath. Middle of nowhere, really, but I imagine it’s nice and quiet.’

A series of crashes emanated from the upper floor. Mrs Kendall glanced upwards.

‘I could use some quiet,’ she said, refilling her wine glass. ‘Maybe I’ll book a month there and let her take care of me again. I must thank you for this lovely interval, ladies. It was very much needed. Oh! You never told me who your friend in hospital is.’

‘Tony Danforth,’ said Sparks. ‘He was great friends with Kevin.’

‘Tony’s back? I had no idea. I haven’t seen him since he and Bruce Cater took off to Spain together. Poor Bruce! Well, break it to Tony about Kevin, and give him my best, would you?’

‘We will,’ said Mrs Bainbridge. ‘Thank you for seeing us.’

A cacophony of shrieks sounded from upstairs, then every child in the building began to cry.

‘Mrs Kendall, I could use some assistance,’ called the nanny.

‘I’d better go check for casualties,’ said Mrs Kendall, downing the remainder of her wine in a single gulp, then getting to her feet. ‘I guess that makes me Florence Nightingale in this scenario. Please show yourselves out, would you?’

‘Good luck,’ said Mrs Bainbridge.

They parted in the hall, Mrs Kendall dashing up the stairs. A moment later, they heard her shout, ‘C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre!’

‘Maybe not that many children,’ said Gwen, looking after her thoughtfully. ‘Let’s go.’

It was late afternoon when they regained the street. Gwen glanced at her watch.

‘No point in going back to the office,’ she said. ‘I told Saundra to close at four. Shall we walk to Dr Milford’s? We can compare notes along the way.’