No Regrets

Kate adjusted her uncomfortable black dress. Still bleary from jet lag, she felt out of place and overdressed. Her Aunt Felicity’s portrait gazed down from an easel on a small stage at the end of the room. The others milling around were those Kate would normally have referred to as geriatric hippies. These were not the kind of people Felicity would have been befriended in the past, but then Kate had not seen her aunt for three years. News of her death from a sudden heart attack had been a shock.

Kate jumped as someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Ms. Bryce? I’m Rob Waring, Ms. Banks’ solicitor. I’d like to offer my condolences.”

Kate shook his hand, trying not to stare. The aged, creaky voice on the phone had not led her to expect someone of about her own age.

“I’m sorry…it’s just that you sound different in person.”

He smiled.

“You spoke to my father. He has retired but comes into the office every now and then if there is a matter which concerns one of his long-time clients, like Ms. Banks. May we have a word in private after?”

“Of course,” Kate said.

There was a screech as one of the funeral home staff adjusted the microphone. A short, plump lady in an embroidered cotton dress got up on stage and cleared her throat.

“We are gathered to remember our friend Felicity. According to her instructions we are not to mourn, but to remember her with joy. We will have a short purification ceremony and then play some of the music that contains her essence. Ladies, please.”

Kate stared as several women joined the speaker on stage, humming and waving little smoking wands of incense. The acerbic Felicity she remembered would never have participated in something like this. She sneezed as the sickly-sweet smell of the incense tickled her nose. As the sound of tinkling chimes, interspersed by the clash of cymbals, filled the room, she fled outside, finding herself in a memorial garden lined with roses. Gratefully sinking down onto a bench, she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. A moment later she heard footsteps. Looking up she saw the young solicitor gazing at her in concern. He sat down beside her.

“Are you alright?” he said. “You look quite pale.”

He handed her a bottle of water.

“Thank you, Mr. Waring. Felicity’s death was a shock. I hadn’t seen her for a long time, but we did keep in touch. I had no idea she was involved with whatever that is. She never mentioned those people. Who are they?”

“Please call me Rob,” he said. “Ms. Banks moved to Marshsea in recent years. It’s a remote village. I gather a community of some sort has become established there, led by that woman who was speaking. Anyway, Ms. Banks has left her house to you. I have the keys. If you are not too tired, we could…”

He stood up as the plump woman in the cotton dress approached.

“Hello,” she said. “I am Lydia Bosworth. Felicity was our dear friend. You must be her niece.”

The woman’s watery brown eyes were magnified by thick lensed glasses, giving Kate the impression of looking at an owl in a fishbowl. She tried not to recoil at the musty smell of powder, sweat and incense.

“Yes, I’m Kate Bryce.”

Lydia smiled and patted Kate’s arm with a pudgy hand.

“She was very proud of you. Let's get together soon and share memories. Bye for now, dear. I must collect the girls. We carpooled today.”

She departed, calling to the others in her group.

“That woman is weird,” said Kate, shuddering. “I'm the only relative Felicity had, but where are her other old friends?”

As if on cue, a petite lady with a neat grey bob rushed up.

“Kate! Remember me? Natalie. I’m so sorry that I’m late. The traffic was horrendous in town and then I got lost. This place is off the beaten track and even the GPS got confused.”

She hugged Kate fiercely and shook hands with Rob.

“What did I miss? Who are all these odd people?”

Kate turned to Natalie, imploring.

“Natalie, could you come with me to Felicity’s house? Rob says she left it to me.”

Natalie looked at Rob.

“That would be fine,” he said. “Follow me. I’m in the red Honda over there.”

Natalie pulled into line to exit the car park, blaring her horn as a sleek silver Mercedes almost cut her off. Lydia was behind the wheel.

“So much for the hippy-dippy, earth mother image,” Kate said. “I’d have expected to see an old VW bus. Do you know that woman, Natalie?”

Natalie shook her head.

“I met her a couple of times when I came to visit Felicity. She runs some kind of holistic healing center. Crystals and chakras and all that. Felicity wouldn’t normally have given it a second glance, but she was very depressed after your uncle Don died.”

“I regret not visiting her,” Kate said with a sigh. “I meant to, but something always came up…”

“Don't beat yourself up,” said Natalie. “She was very proud of you and your career. I didn’t quite know what to make of Lydia, but the New Age stuff seemed harmless enough and I was glad Felicity had made a friend. But then she cut herself off. She never had time to talk on the phone or for a visit. Gradually I gave up and so did her other friends from before. I’m sure a lot of our old crowd don’t even know she’s gone.”

Following the red car, they turned down an increasingly narrow and twisty road. Kate caught glimpses of the sea in the distance, beyond the flat marshy fields, wind-bent trees and scattered farmhouses and cottages.

“This is definitely not Felicity’s natural habitat, and I have no idea what to do with a house out here,” said Kate as the car bumped down a narrow lane.

Natalie was too absorbed in navigating around potholes to answer. They caught up with Rob outside a small stone cottage and parked beside him. Kate clambered out of the car and stretched, inhaling deep breaths of salty air.

“It has possibilities, as the estate agents like to say,” said Natalie. “It was in much better shape when I visited before. It looks neglected now.”

Rob unlocked the front door and stood back.

“After you, ladies.”

A narrow hallway led into a small kitchen. There was a sitting room on the right. Kate looked around. She recognized some family photos, but nothing else.

“I don't see anything from her old life here.”

“She wanted to make a clean break,” Natalie said.

“I took the liberty of bringing a few essentials like bread and milk,” said Rob. “I’ll make some tea.”

“Best idea I’ve heard all day,” said Kate, flopping down onto the shabby sofa.

He had just served the tea when there was the sound of a car pulling up outside. Natalie looked out of the window.

“It’s Lydia.”

“That was quicker than I expected,” said Rob.

His expression was grim.

“What do you mean?” Kate said.

He held his finger to his lips and shook his head as he opened the front door.

“Hello, Ms. Bosworth.”

Lydia clasped her hands to her forehead and bowed. Kate glanced at Natalie, brows raised.

“Peace to you, Mr. Waring. May I come in for a moment to say goodbye to my friend Felicity?”

Rob looked at Kate who nodded.

“Of course,” she said. “Would you care for some tea?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

Lydia stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed, murmuring a low chant under her breath. She pulled a stick of incense out of her bag.

“I’d prefer you didn’t light that,” said Kate. “I think I’m allergic to it.”

Lydia shot a sharp glance through her thick glasses.

“Since the house is now mine, I feel that I must follow the rites. Felicity would have wanted that.”

Natalie gasped and Kate shot to her feet.

“What did you just say?”

Lydia smiled.

“Weren’t you aware that Felicity wanted me to have the house? Of course, you were too busy with your glamorous life in California to worry about her.”

Kate stood, speechless. Rob stepped up.

“Oh, dear, this is awkward,” he said. “I must inform you, Ms. Bosworth, that Ms. Banks changed her will in the week before she died. Her niece Kate is her sole heir.”

“What do you mean? That old cow told me more than once that I was going to inherit. I deserve it after all what I done for her…”

“You will certainly be able to discuss all that with the police, Ms. Bosworth, or should I say, Ms. Higgins? I believe that is your real name,” Rob said, smiling blandly.

Lydia glared at him and stormed out, slamming the door after her.

“More tea, anyone?” Rob said.

“What in the world is going on?” said Kate, staring out of the window as the Mercedes sped off, spraying gravel.

“Never mind tea,” said Natalie. “Fill us in.”

Rob smiled and sat down.

“My father was Ms. Banks’ solicitor for years. A few months ago, the local bank manager contacted him in confidence. He was concerned because Ms. Banks was making frequent large withdrawals but since she was of sound mind and entitled to spend her money as she chose, there was nothing he could do. Then she came to see my father and changed her will, leaving the house to Lydia. That rang alarm bells, so I did some sleuthing. Ms. Bosworth has been a busy lady. She started as a fortune teller and ended up with this so-called healing center. Brilliant idea. Instead of having to traipse around fairgrounds, she got the clients to come to her. She targeted vulnerable ladies, especially those who had been recently bereaved.”

“What made Felicity change her mind again?” asked Kate.

“Another lady who had been duped convinced your aunt that Ms. Bosworth was a fraud. Victims of these schemes often feel so ashamed that they don’t want to come forward, but your aunt was livid. She changed her will immediately. She would have pressed charges if she hadn’t suddenly passed away.”

"Hmm. Very convenient for Lydia that she did," said Kate.

"The police are looking into the matter," said Rob. "I wasn't making idle threats. Lydia is a dangerous woman."

Kate paced the floor.

“It makes me so angry to know that she went through that but thank goodness for people like you and your father. You could easily have looked the other way.”

“It’s the least we could do, Ms. Bryce. Now, I think I’ll make that tea.”

“Please call me Kate,” she said, wiping away tears.

He smiled and blushed.