Meg didn’t even consider arguing. She made herself a sandwich and took it into the office. Her mother was there, looking rather glum.
‘I think it’s the first time we’ve had proper rain since I’ve been here,’ said Meg.
‘We needed the rain,’ said Louise, but without the brisk fortitude that Susan had showed when she said the same thing.
‘But it’s not the rain that’s making you so gloomy?’ Meg said.
Louise shook her head, and Meg observed that her mother hadn’t been her usual cheery self since Andrew left.
‘I’m all right, although I do miss Andrew. I know it’s silly. I’m not a teenager.’
‘No. But it’s a shame he has to be away.’
‘And God knows how long sorting out his father’s estate will take.’
Meg rejected the idea of telling her mother that Andrew’s brother, Colin, was also keen on finding the deeds. He didn’t like the hotel and wanted to sell his half if he could. The thought of Nightingale Woods being sold was so depressing.
‘Why don’t we try to find the deeds ourselves?’ she suggested now. ‘Susan and Cherry are doinglunch; we could empty the safe and sort through everything.’
‘Oh, Meg, I couldn’t! That would be so wrong. Besides, I haven’t got the combination,’ said Louise.
‘Damn!’ said Meg. Irritated by her mother’s scruples and being denied entry to the safe, she pulled at the handle of the safe. To her surprise, it swung open. She and her mother exchanged shocked looks.
‘Justin mustn’t have closed it properly,’ said Louise. ‘Like everything else in this hotel, it’s a bit broken and doesn’t really work.’
‘If he didn’t make a big effort to make sure the door was shut – or indeed any effort – there can’t be anything very private or confidential in it,’ said Meg.
‘True,’ said Louise.
‘Which means there’s no real reason why we shouldn’t look for the deeds,’ said Meg.
Her mother swallowed. The idea of rummaging about in someone else’s safe without express permission was clearly anathema to her. Then Louise took a breath. ‘I’m going to do it!’
Coming over to join Meg on the floor, Louise opened the door to the safe wider and together they looked inside. As expected, it was completely stuffed with papers.
‘You don’t think it would be like reading someone’s diary?’ said Louise, despite having sounded so certain before.
‘No,’ said Meg. ‘More like reading someone’s shopping list. If it’s so full of private things, Justin should have jolly well shut the door properly.’ She paused.‘And if we found the deeds we could tell Andrew, and maybe Justin. Then it’s up to them. If they tell us off – if they tellmeoff; Justin will know that it was me who put you up to it … well, it doesn’t matter. We won’t steal anything or do anything with any information we discover.’
‘OK, then,’ said Louise, still looking anxious. ‘Let’s get on with it.’
Louise was deep into her task when the telephone rang. It was David for Meg.
After an exchange of news (he was very impressed by her making desserts for the posh new hotel), he said, ‘Now, Meggy, do you remember when we went round the garden of your hotel I said how perfect it would be for an open-air play?’
‘Yes,’ said Meg slowly; so much had happened since David mentioned it.
‘Well, my friend is wild to put on theDreamthere.’
‘Sorry, David …’ Meg felt very confused.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Think how perfect it would be with that setting and that backdrop?’
‘Your friend wants to put on a Shakespeare play in the garden of Nightingale Woods?’ said Meg. It sounded an extraordinary idea.
‘Yes! I want to bring him down to see the garden to make sure it’s suitable.’
So many reasons why this wasn’t a good idea tumbled around in her head. Then she looked out of the window. Rain was streaming down as if a monsoon had arrived in Dorset. ‘But, David, what if it rains!’ she said.
