Free The Silent Tide by Rachel Hore Page B

she asked Mrs Morton.
    The old woman’s expression hardened. ‘They had the courtesy to show me the script,’ she said, ‘but they’ve not listened to any of my concerns. Too much has been left out, but what can one do?’ She sighed. ‘I’m sure the series will be very popular, but it’s certainly not what Hugh would have envisaged.’
    ‘At least it means a new generation will buy the book,’ Emily said. Lily Catchpole e McKinnon
    ‘I do hope you’re right.’ Now Jacqueline looked coy. ‘There are some, do you know, who used to tell me that I was Hugh’s principal inspiration for Nanna.’ She gave a light laugh and sat back in her seat. ‘Ridiculous, of course, but people will say these silly things.’
    Emily and Joel smiled politely. Emily thought the idea most unlikely, but Mrs Morton was clearly charmed by it.
    ‘I can assure you,’ Mrs Morton went on confidingly, ‘that our marriage was a much happier affair than Nanna’s.’ She glanced at a large black and white photograph hanging on the wall near her chair. Emily leaned forward to see it better. It was of a family group. Hugh was instantly recognisable. Jacqueline must have been in her prime, a young mother, dressed a bit like Jackie Kennedy. A baby boy sat straight-backed on Jacqueline’s knee and another boy of three or four leaned against her. Standing behind the seated grownups was an older girl peeping over their shoulders at the camera. From her shy expression, Emily supposed her to be Lorna. What a perfect family they appeared.
    Emily looked back at her notebook, where she’d been jotting down Joel’s answers. Finally she asked Jacqueline Morton, ‘Um, the source material. I mean, you’ve given Joel full access to the papers, haven’t you?’
    Mrs Morton appeared irritated by this question. ‘It’s important to me that a full and accurate record of Hugh’s life and work is presented,’ she said, emphasising each word, ‘and I will be supporting Joel in every way I can. There’s something I wanted to ask you. I assume he’ll be able to look at anything about Hugh’s books in Parchment’s archive?’
    ‘I don’t see why not,’ Emily said, making a note of this. ‘I don’t know what there’ll be, but I’ll find out.’ Being so new, she hadn’t had a chance to think about where ancient files might be kept, but there must be a system.
    ‘Brilliant,’ Joel said, making a note of his own. ‘I’ll give you a call about that.’
     
    Lunch, served by Lorna in the austere dining room, was delicious, lamb in a red wine sauce and fluffy mashed potato, comforting and piping hot. It was a stiff occasion, though, with Jacqueline Morton seated at the head of the table, as if at a board meeting. Poor Joel started by eating with his fork only, American fashion, until Jacqueline Morton’s frown shamed him into picking up his knife. Emily once had a great-aunt just like Jacqueline, and didn’t feel nervous of her exactly, but she was beginning to suspect that the woman needed to be watched. There was something going on about this biography that she didn’t trust. However good a writer Joel might be, he’d have to be a strong character to insist on including anything Jacqueline Morton didn’t like. Emily resolved to speak to him about this as soon as she could, though she wasn’t sure how to frame it.
    Mrs Morton turned her steely attentions on Emily. How long had she worked for Parchment? What writers had she worked with? She appeared to be satisfied with the answers. Then came some low-key probing of her family background and her education.
    ‘Dad’s a headmaster,’ Emily told her, taking a sip of red wine, ‘and Mum – well, she used to work in a bank, but then she had us so she left.’
    ‘Us? You have brothers and sisters then?’
    ‘Just an older sister. She was a fashion buyer for a department store, but she’s given that up since my niece and nephew were born. They’re still only three and eighteen months, you