Pete looked down at his feet, his boots kicking some dirt away.
‘Both,’ he said. ‘But don’t be angry with Helen – she was so distressed when you told her what happened to your daughter. She wanted to try and find her, asked me to help, but what could I do? I’m so sorry, Diana.’
Diana crossed her arms and walked a few steps towards the pond where a white water lily with a yellow centre was blooming.
‘I was going to name her Selene,’ she said. ‘The Greek goddess of the moon, since I am named for Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon.’
‘That’s a lovely name,’ said Pete, reaching into the pool and picking up a bee that was struggling in the water. He placed it carefully on the side of the pond.
Diana smiled as the bee began to move slowly, shaking its wings to dry off.
‘Thank you.’ Diana turned and sat on the edge of the pond. ‘My father told me there is something in the safe – something about my daughter. I haven’t opened it yet,’ she said.
Pete looked at her and then gave her a pat on the shoulder.
‘You’ll know when it’s the right time to open it.’
Diana nodded; he was right.
‘Can I come and watch you work tomorrow? Pick up a few tips?’ she asked.
‘I start at seven,’ he said. ‘I’m working on the roses tomorrow.’
‘I’ll be there,’ she said.
Diana walked back to the house and looked at the door to her father’s study.
She reminded herself of Pete’s words and went to the kitchen to make tea.
She would know when the right time was.
34
Amanda
Amanda walked downstairs in the peach georgette dress that she had found in the attic and some pretty ballerina slippers she had found at a boutique in Newcastle on her lunch break.
Diana had helped her handwash the dress and showed her how to steam it so the draping fell the right way.
‘I can’t believe you found it,’ Diana had said when Amanda went through the clothes with her.
‘Sell anything you want. I won’t need it and you might as well make some money,’ Diana insisted.
But with every dress of Diana’s she had a story to go with the garment. Even the top hat had a story.
‘That was my great-grandfather’s silk hat. He told my father that top hats were never seen between Saturday and Sunday because they weren’t suited to church. Only the new moneyed wore them to church, which was considered very déclassé.’
Amanda had laughed. ‘I’ve been wearing it around the house. I call it my thinking cap.’
Diana laughed. ‘Oh that’s marvellous – a thumb at the nose of snobbery and tradition. I love it.’
But Amanda hadn’t asked her about the baby clothes in the suitcase. It felt rude and prying and she had done enough for now. She was waiting on her mother’s adoption papers and then she would know the truth. But it could take weeks even months, the website had stated.
Now Amanda walked down the stairs to where Simon was standing, wearing a suit.
‘A suit? What is happening?’ She laughed.
Things were still awkward between them but Amanda was prepared to forget it ever happened, especially since it was her birthday… the first without her mother. It felt wrong to celebrate it without her.
