His blue eyes shone with pleasure at the warmth of his welcome. ‘If you insist.’
‘Of course, I do. Una, come on. We’ll go and sit on the grass and enjoy the sunshine,’ she suggested.
The meadow outside the stable yard was bright with wildflowers. Deep yellow cowslips, pretty pink lady’s smock and oxeye daisies flourished in the undisturbed ground. On the other side of the lane the field bristled with brightly coloured jumps. She helped Tolly spread the rug on the grass. He opened the basket to reveal a mouthwatering selection of picnic delicacies.
‘Delish,’ Una pronounced happily, and munched her way rapidly through a handful of tiny bites. After reaching for a more substantial roll to keep her going, she got up again to throw Peanut’s ball.
‘How’s your brother doing?’ Harriet asked the older man. ‘I heard he was ill.’
‘Eamon has heart trouble, but he’s making a good recovery. Rafael sent me over to Liverpool in his private jet and arranged for a consultant.’ Tolly sighed. ‘He’s a very generous, but only those who have experienced that side of him appreciate that. He doesn’t like to be thanked, and he doesn’t like the help he gives to be talked about. But he’s come to the rescue of many a needy family in this community.’
‘Harriet!’ Una shouted, loud enough and sharp enough in pitch to make Harriet flinch. ‘I think you should come over here…’
The teenager was staring at Harriet’s car.
‘Don’t tell me I’ve got a flat tyre,’ Harriet groaned, crossing the lane to the gravelled parking area.
‘Is that what I think it is?’ Una queried with a revealing shudder.
A funeral wreath composed of pink and white chrysanthemums was resting against the front windscreen of her car. Harriet’s tummy churned as if she had gone down too fast in a lift. The card had been turned out to display the time-honoured message: RIP. Handwritten in felt tip. Frozen to the spot, Harriet gazed at it in appalled disbelief. A creepy sensation of menace raised gooseflesh at the nape of her neck.
‘What is it?’ Tolly came to a halt beside her. The consternation on his kindly face was palpable.
‘Do you think it’s supposed to be a joke? It’s really freaky!’ Una exclaimed, backing off several steps. ‘I think you should call the guards right away.’
‘The guards?’ Harriet echoed, wondering how the wreath could possibly look so pretty and so threatening at the same time.
‘The garda…the police,’ the teenager clarified. ‘Wake up, Harriet! Someone must have come up here and left it while you were in the yard. You should ring those women who were doing the jumps and ask if they saw anyone acting strange up here.’
Tolly had already moved to a spot a few yards away to employ a mobile phone.
‘No, don’t call the police…’ Harriet told him as he turned back to her. ‘Look, give me a minute to think about this.’
‘I’m afraid I’ve already called Rafael. He’ll know what to do,’ Tolly said soothingly. ‘Let’s not allow this to spoil our picnic.’
But Harriet had been badly shaken, and she had no appetite left for food. In any case, Rafael arrived within five minutes. He treated the wreath to a cursory appraisal, instructed Tolly and Una not to touch it or the car, and suggested that he and Harriet talk indoors.
Rafael pulled out her shabby office chair. ‘Sit down…you look like you’re in shock.’
‘Maybe because this isn’t the first thing that’s happened.’
He leant back against the desk in a galling attitude of relaxation while she told him about the message on the stable wall. ‘Why didn’t you tell anyone about it?’
‘I didn’t take it seriously…Oh, for goodness’ sake.’ Harriet gave him a look of rueful appeal. ‘You’ll probably hate me for admitting it, but at the time I was worried it was Una, because I knew she was annoyed with me. And, no, I don’t suspect her for one moment now, or think she’s in any way involved with putting that wretched wreath on my car! She’s not the type to sneak around behind backs.’
‘I would agree—my sister is much more in-your-face than that. I don’t think that we need to make a fuss about the wreath,’ Rafael drawled with measured cool, his brilliant eyes veiled by dense black lashes, ‘however, the garda should still be informed. I’ll have the car checked over for you as well.’
‘It’s not like me, but I’m just a bit nervous,’ Harriet muttered apologetically. ‘Do you have any ex-girlfriend who is likely to qualify for the bunny-boiler stakes?’
‘Anything’s possible.’ Rafael shrugged a broad shoulder in the same nonchalant fashion that suggested bunny boilers were no big deal, and she found that attitude wonderfully reassuring.
‘I don’t like knowing that someone was bold enough to plant that thing on my car in broad daylight,’ she admitted.
‘Davis says the yard now attracts a steady stream of callers, so one more car wouldn’t attract attention.’
‘Do you think it’s all right to go ahead with the gymkhana tomorrow?’
‘Of course it is!’ he responded with emphasis. ‘You worry too much. I’m sure this is a tasteless practical joke and nothing more.’