Rogue in Porcelain

 

Recent Titles by Anthea Fraser

The Detective Chief Inspector Webb Mysteries

(in order of appearance)

 

A SHROUD FOR DELILAH

A NECESSARY END

PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW

DEATH SPEAKS SOFTLY

THE NINE BRIGHT SHINERS

SIX PROUD WALKERS

THE APRIL RAINERS

SYMBOLS AT YOUR DOOR

THE LILY-WHITE BOYS

THREE, THREE, THE RIVALS

THE GOSPEL MAKERS

THE SEVEN STARS

ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

ELEVEN THAT WENT UP TO HEAVEN *

THE TWELVE APOSTLES *

Other Titles

 

PRESENCE OF MIND *

THE MACBETH PROPHECY *

BREATH OF BRIMSTONE *

MOTIVE FOR MURDER *

DANGEROUS DECEPTION *

PAST SHADOWS *

FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS *

BROUGHT TO BOOK *

JIGSAW *

PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN *

A FAMILY CONCERN *

ROGUE IN PORCELAIN *

* available from Severn House

First world edition published in Great Britain 2007 by

SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD of

9–15 High Street, Sutton, Surrey SMI 1DF.

First world edition published in the USA 2007 by

SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS INC of

595 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022.

Copyright © 2007 by Anthea Fraser.

All rights reserved.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Fraser, Anthea

Rogue in porcelain

1. Parish, Rona (Fictitious character) - Fiction

2. Women authors - England - Fiction

3. Murder investigation - Fiction

4. Detective and mystery stories

I. Title

823.9'14 [F]

 

 

ISBN-13: 978-1-78010-258-0 (ePub)

ISBN-I3: 978-0-7278-6485-7 (cased)

ISBN-13: 978-1-84751-001-3 (paper)

Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.

This ebook produced by

Palimpsest Book Production Limited,

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

 

 

 

One

T
om Parish looked round the small, cramped dining table with satisfaction. Though he'd been renting the flat for nearly four months, this was the first time he'd managed to have all the family here. All except – obviously – his wife. Odd, he reflected, not for the first time, that despite Catherine's central role in his life, Avril was not yet his ex, the decree absolute being two long years away. Their own decision, of course; it could have been rushed through, but at their age such haste struck him as unseemly, as would Catherine and himself living openly together before they were married. Which no doubt made him a hypocrite, since they enjoyed all the benefits of married life, despite sleeping under different roofs.

This evening, Lindsey's presence was a particular pleasure; his twin daughters had been equally upset by the split, but it had taken until now for Lindsey – who'd sided firmly with her mother – to bring herself to accept Catherine's place in his life.

Rona, his other daughter, traced a finger round the rim of her side plate. ‘I see the best china's been brought out for the occasion!' she said. ‘This isn't from home, though, is it? I've not seen it before.'

‘Actually, it's mine,' Catherine said quietly. ‘The crockery provided is fine for everyday, but Tom felt this evening warranted something special.'

‘And special it certainly is,' Lindsey commented. ‘Curzon, no less. Hugh's parents have a dinner service in it, and they treat it like the Crown jewels.'

There was a brief silence. These casual references to her ex-husband were becoming increasingly frequent; proof, Tom deduced worriedly, that they were meeting fairly regularly.

‘As it happens, I saw Charles Curzon last week,' he remarked, to break the silence.

‘I didn't realize you knew the family.' Max, Rona's husband, nodded acceptance as Tom held up the wine bottle.

‘It started professionally – they bank at the National – but Avril and I have been to several of their parties. I'd not seen Charles since I retired, and as he was in town, he rang to invite me to lunch.' He paused. ‘Actually, I'm slightly concerned about him. He didn't look too well.'

‘He must be getting on a bit,' Rona said. ‘Surely he's not still involved in the business?'

‘Not actively, no, but he was telling me it's the firm's hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year, and they're bringing out some new line, which is cloaked in secrecy. I had the impression he's finding the build-up rather a strain, added to which, he and his wife are about to move house.'

‘A hundred and fifty years?' Max glanced at his wife. ‘That qualifies them for your brief, darling.'

Rona, a freelance journalist on the monthly magazine
Chiltern Life
, was engaged in an intermittent series detailing the history of long-established local firms and businesses.

‘So it does,' she agreed. ‘I'll add them to my list.'

‘I'd slot them in sooner rather than later,' Tom suggested. ‘They'll be extra newsworthy with this anniversary coming up. I can give you a letter of introduction, if you think it'd help.'

‘Thanks, Pops, I'm sure it would. I'm coming to the end of the piece I'm working on, so I could try them next.' She sipped her wine reflectively. ‘Such a long time span might need a couple of articles, rather than cramming it into one. It's not only the firms that I research, but the lives of those who've contributed to them.'

Tom laughed. ‘In that case, it could take four or five. They're a large and diverse family. I still haven't worked out the exact relationship between the younger ones.'

‘The business didn't just pass from father to son, then?' Catherine asked.

‘Well, yes, but way back there were two sons, each of whom had sons of his own, and so on, so now there's a clutch of cousins and second-cousins. Charles has two sons himself, but one has three little girls, while the other's divorced with no children. From the way he was speaking, I think he's worried his branch might peter out.'

‘Girls don't count then?' Rona asked quizzically.

‘Not in running the business, no, they never have; but since they get their fair share of the proceeds, they don't miss out.'

‘Unless,' Lindsey put in, ‘they happen to have a flair for business and would give their eye teeth to be involved. So much for women's lib!'

Tom held up his hands. ‘All right, all right, I didn't make the rules! I have to say, though, that in all the years I've dealt with the Curzons, I've never heard of there being any resentment.'

‘Well, you wouldn't, would you? They're not likely to come into the bank and say, “We had an almighty row with our daughter last night, because she wants to join the firm.”'

‘All this,' Catherine put in humorously, ‘because of my poor china!'

The discussion ended in laughter and the conversation turned to other matters.

‘That was a lovely meal, Pops,' Lindsey said as they were about to leave. ‘I bet Catherine had a hand in it!' And she turned to her with a smile.

Tom's heart lifted. ‘You're right; the casserole was down to me – albeit after tuition – but Catherine takes full credit for that creamy concoction. I don't even know what it's called!'

As the door closed behind them, Catherine observed, ‘To the best of my knowledge, that's the first smile I've ever had from Lindsey.'

‘I knew she'd come round eventually. Thanks, love, for all your help. I think we can consider the evening a success. May it be the first of many.'

Catherine began to stack the dishes. ‘You know, I once mistook Lindsey for Rona, but when you see them together they're not identical, are they?'

Tom laughed. ‘Near enough to have caused mayhem in their schooldays. But yes, it's possible to tell them apart. Lindsey's not quite as tall, for one thing, and for the moment at least her hair's longer. The main differences, though, are below the surface. It amazes me how close the two of them are, when their characters are poles apart.'

‘Perhaps they complement each other?' Catherine suggested. ‘Two sides of the same coin?'

Tom grinned. ‘That's too deep for me at this time of night! Let's get the dishwasher loaded, then we can have a nightcap before I take you home.'

‘It went well, didn't it?' Rona observed to Max as they drove off. ‘I think Pops was a bit apprehensive, bless him, but Linz being there meant a lot to him.'

‘It's taken her long enough,' Max returned.

‘Well, she couldn't bury her head in the sand for ever, and seeing Mum more settled helps.'

‘How are the alterations going?'

When Tom moved out, Avril had decided to turn the box room into an en suite bathroom and refurbish the guest room, with the intention of taking in paying guests.

‘Very slowly, I gather. There've been the usual hold-ups – workmen not turning up when they said they would, then ordering the wrong thing.'

‘Well, there's no panic, is there? It's not as though she needs the cash.'

‘But she hates living alone. Between you and me, I think she's a bit nervous.'

‘Advise her to vet applicants very thoroughly. We don't want any undesirables moving in.'

‘Don't worry,' Rona told him. ‘Whoever it is will have to pass muster with all of us.'