Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

1

Travellers ne’er did lie,

though fools at home condemn ’em

– The Tempest

Lucy Shakespeare shook the rain off her Burberry umbrella – plain black, with the traditional beige check patterned inside – and placed it in the stand, reaching up to make sure the Edinburgh rain hadn’t dampened her blonde hair. She’d taken a cab from the Sheriff Court to the offices of Robinson and Balfour, but even the short distance between the kerb and the smart sandstone entrance hadn’t been enough to save her from the spring shower. Shrugging her raincoat from her shoulders, she slid it onto a hanger before placing it on the coat stand, making sure to smooth out the wrinkles. Then she turned and walked into the main office area.

‘The conquering hero returns.’ Lynn, her assistant, stood up, a smile lighting up her face. ‘Congratulations, you must be delighted.’

‘Not as delighted as the clients,’ Lucy said. ‘The last I saw of them they were headed for the pub, talking about ordering champagne all round.’

‘They didn’t ask you to join them?’ Lynn asked, taking Lucy’s brown calfskin briefcase from her grasp.

‘They offered, but I declined. I wanted to finish up the paperwork.’ And maybe come into the office to gloat a bit. But who could blame her? Today’s court session was the result of months of diligent work. Of combing through old documents, taking untold numbers of depositions, not to mention coaching her clients to keep things as cordial as they could. Estate law was just as emotional as family law, even though it meant dealing with wills and property. It was amazing how quickly relationships fell apart as soon as money was involved.

Lucy glanced over at the frosted-glass offices where the senior partners worked. ‘Has Malcolm heard the verdict?’ Her eyes lingered on the plaque affixed to the metal frame: Malcolm Dunvale, Head of Family & Estate Law.

‘He’s the one who told me. Had a big smile on his face, too.’ Lynn’s own grin widened at the memory. ‘He’d like to see you when you get a chance. I’ll let him know you’re back.’

‘Just give me a couple of minutes to freshen up,’ Lucy said, walking over to the thick oak door that led to the toilets.

‘Would you like a coffee?’ Lynn called to her retreating back.

Lucy turned and smiled. ‘Yes please, that would be lovely. I haven’t had anything to drink since I went into court.’

Five minutes later, with her hair restyled and her face touched up, Lucy walked into Malcolm Dunvale’s office. Like all the senior partners’ offices, it had huge glass windows that overlooked the city, revealing Edinburgh’s old town in all its rain-soaked glory. In the distance she could see the castle rising majestically from Castle Rock, the building looking almost organic as it emerged from the grassy hill, as though it had grown from a seed rather than been built by man.

Little boxes of aspiration was what Lynn called these offices.

Malcolm looked up from his laptop. ‘Ah Lucy, there you are. Take a seat,’ he said, gesturing at the black leather chair nearest her. He ran a hand over his grey cropped hair, then took off his reading glasses, folding them carefully and placing them beside his keyboard.

Lucy sat down, smoothing down her skirt as she crossed her legs at the ankles and straightened her spine. ‘Hello, Malcolm.’

‘I was pleased to hear about the verdict,’ he said, leaning back as he took a sip of his coffee. ‘You must have been too.’

She nodded, letting a hint of a smile curl at her lips. ‘It could have gone either way, but the right side won in the end.’ It didn’t always work that way – she’d had her fair share of losses, after all. But when everything came together, there was no feeling like it.

‘Robert Douglas called me while you were on your way back here. He’s so happy with the result he wants to transfer all his dealings to Robinson and Balfour, and as you know, that’s a lot of business.’

‘That’s wonderful news.’ She kept her expression neutral, though her fist curled up. ‘I’m always glad to help the team.’

‘Ah, I like your English understatement,’ Malcolm said. ‘But in all seriousness, I’ll be singing your praises at the next partners’ meeting. You deserve recognition for this.’

She let the warmth of his flattery wash over her. ‘Thank you, I appreciate your support.’