‘She did?’ Pleasure lit her eyes.
‘Yes, she was worried you wouldn’t visit. Perhaps she’s aware it’s harder for you to get to. She said Agnes won’t come. I explained you were busy and told her I was sure you’d come when you could.’
Agnes nodded, her face slightly flushed.
‘Oh, and she said Nora had been to see her.’
Agnes started. ‘Nora. What Nora?’
‘I’m sure she said Nora. After she talked about you not coming she said Nora came.’
Bright red spots bloomed on Agnes’ cheeks. ‘There’s no Nora,’ she said emphatically, ‘she’s talking nonsense.’
‘Perhaps it’s one of the other patients,’ I suggested.
Agnes toyed with her brooch, a gold spray of lily of the valley. I wondered whether she wore them to satisfy that nervous tic, like people who are lost without earrings to fidget with or those who keep their hair long so they can twirl it round their fingers.
‘The staff seem very nice,’ I broke the silence, ‘although it feels much more like a hospital than Homelea. Lily’s in a room with three other beds but I didn’t meet any of the other patients.’
‘Yes,’ she said. She gazed at the flames that were licking the fake coal. She seemed a million miles away. Unlike the determined woman who insisted I take the case.
‘Agnes, is everything all right?’
‘Yes.’ She shook herself from her reverie.
‘Did you speak to Charles?’
‘Yes. Mrs Valley-Brown rang him on Tuesday to let him know about the transfer. She told him there was no cause for alarm, that Lily had become difficult to manage and the care she needed could best be provided at the hospital. He didn’t think there was anything untoward about the haste.’
‘What about naming you as a nearby contact?’
She sighed. ‘He’s coming up tomorrow to visit and he’ll see Dr Montgomery then. He said he’d ask about it. Charles has no objection.’
What should my next move be? I should probably go back to Homelea and try to find out more about the night of Lily’s move and Dr Goulden’s outburst over the tablets. I could also accompany Agnes to Kingsfield, chat to the staff about Lily’s condition.
‘When are you going to see her?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Agnes. ‘If Charles is going tomorrow I may leave it till Saturday.’ She was less then keen.
‘We could go up together,’ I suggested. ‘I don’t know what time would suit me yet but I can ring you.’
‘Yes.’ She rose from her chair.
‘Meanwhile I’ll pop into Homelea and see what I can find out.’
She saw me to the door. Said goodbye. I was beginning to wonder about the wisdom of working for Agnes. She blew hot and cold about the case; urging me to get the tablets checked one minute and going all vague and dreamy on me the next. I felt she was being evasive with me whereas I’d originally found her to be forthright and honest. Was it a false first impression or had something happened to change her?