She frowns and shakes her head. ‘No. I don’t think he was local.’
‘Mum was living at the cottage back then.’
‘Well, yes,’ she says. ‘But I can’t believe Rose would have known anything about it. She wouldn’t have hurt a fly. And she had you, of course. A little girl in the house – she wouldn’t have done anything to put you in danger.’
‘Oh, I know that. But I imagine people will talk.’
‘They will. But a lot of them won’t remember Rose. I knew her. I always felt protective towards her. How is she now, anyway? I bet she can’t believe all this, can she?’
‘She’s … Well, she’s sadly suffering from dementia and is in a care home.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ says Melissa. ‘She seemed a lovely woman. You remind me of her, you know. Darker, of course.’
Lorna smiles even though deep down she’s always felt she looks nothing like her mother. Rose is fairer-skinned, paler-eyed, taller, less curvy. She assumes she must take after her father. ‘Did she ever mention my father?’ she asks.
Melissa shakes her head, her chins wobbling. ‘No. She was very closed about her past. I think everyone assumed she was a widow although I didn’t believe it.’
‘Really?’ Lorna is surprised. ‘That’s what she always told me. That he died before I was born.’
‘She was pregnant when she first arrived in Beggars Nook. And she was definitely alone then. But she was so secretive.’
‘Did you know much about Daphne? What happened to her?’
‘No. Not really. She’d come into the café on occasion but she was as closed as Rose. More so, even. They kept themselves very much to themselves. Particularly later on.’
‘Later on?’
‘Yes, before they left.’
‘Did Daphne leave before my mother?’
‘I always assumed they’d left at the same time. Moved away together. I did wonder …’ She pauses. ‘No. It’s not my place. I’m not one to gossip and it was all such a long time ago anyway.’
Seth lets out a harrumph and Melissa chides him good-naturedly.
‘Wonder what?’ presses Lorna.
Melissa glances at Seth bashfully. ‘It’s such a different world now. These things are just much more open. But they were … feminists.’ She whispers the word like it’s something to be ashamed of.
Seth rolls his eyes at Lorna. ‘These old folk.’ He laughs. Lorna doesn’t see the big deal. She likes to think of herself as a feminist. Why does Melissa make it sound so sinful? And then it hits her.
‘Do you mean you think my mother and Daphne were lovers?’ she asks.
‘Well.’ Melissa’s ruddy complexion deepens a few shades and she crosses her arms under her plump chest. ‘I’m not saying that, but there was talk, of course. There’s always talk in a village like this.’
Lorna sips her latte to cover her smile.
‘So you don’t know what happened to Daphne?’ Melissa asks.
‘No. Mum never mentioned her. It’s only recently we found out about her.’
‘Well, give Rose my love, won’t you? I was fond of her. And you. It’s lovely to see what a beautiful woman you’ve turned out to be.’
Now Lorna blushes. ‘Thank you, that’s kind.’ She scribbles her number down on a napkin and slides it across the counter to Melissa. ‘If you remember anything … it’s hard to ask Mum now, what with the dementia, but any information you might have … I’d love to find out what happened to Daphne.’