He slid an arm around her waist and eased her closer as another crack of thunder made the windows shudder.
'Just to make sure there're no mixed messages, or misunderstandings between us let me say this. I'm not married, or living with anyone and my last relationship ended last October. I've been on a few dates since then but that's all. I've wanted to kiss you all evening and, until that slap, I thought it was going pretty well. Oh, and for the sake of clarity, I'm wishing more than anything that this storm gets worse and that you'll have to stay the night, but you'll have your own room unless you tell me you want to sleep in my bed. I don't think I can be clearer than that.' He gave a quick burst of laughter. 'And people say romance is dead. I can be far more romantic, believe me, but I really don't want to get slapped. But seriously, Tabbie. I meant it when I said I think you're beautiful and sexy and hot as hell. And I'm going to kiss you again now, if that's okay. But I won't until you say yes.'
She smiled up at him. 'For the sake of clarity – and romance, I'll say right now that whether or not the storm gets worse, I'd love to spend the night. And I won't be needing my own room because I definitely want to sleep in your bed. You're gorgeous and sexy and hot as hell and if you don't kiss me soon, I will slap you because there's nowhere else I want to be than in your arms all night. So yes, Justin. Oh yes.'
Chapter Twenty
More than a week had passed since Tabbie had spent her first night with Justin, and they had slept together every night since. She had even gone to watch him at rugby training, and joined everyone at The Frog and Lily afterwards for drinks. She and Justin had not stayed long at the pub though. They had raced back to Little Pond Farm and tumbled into bed, hardly able to restrain themselves on the seemingly long drive to the farmhouse, which in reality was only a matter of five minutes. Probably less, the way Justin was driving.
Tabbie had no inclination to go home to London. She had not replaced her car and, despite constant assurances, the courtesy car had still not turned up. Aurelia insisted that she was welcome to stay at Witt's Cottage for as long as she liked and as her mother was away with friends, there was really no reason for Tabbie to leave.
But there was a very good reason for her to stay.
It had been a long time since she had felt this way about a man.
Had she ever felt this way?
She had certainly never been so eager to see anyone as she was to see Justin. Five minutes after they said goodbye, she was counting the minutes until she could be in his arms again.
She giggled to herself, remembering something he had said. She tingled at the thought of his touch; sighed at the memory of their last kiss. And actually made a sound resembling the squeal of an overly excited piglet when her mind wandered back to the last time they had made love. As they were hardly ever apart, they made love rather a lot.
But she did feel a little guilty for not spending much time at Aurelia's since that first night with Justin. The pair of them had dinner with Aurelia at Witt's Cottage one evening, and Tabbie popped in briefly each day, either for morning coffee or afternoon tea, but other than that, her time and attention was taken up with Justin, morning, noon and night. She even helped out on the farm, much to the surprise and delight of Franklin and Pete. She had not seen much of Gill, but since he and Ella had got engaged, Gill seemed far less interested in research than he had been, so he clearly didn't mind. But she did not want Aurelia to think that she had abandoned her project.
'I'm sorry I haven't been around much,' she said, handing Aurelia a large piece of cheese she had brought with her from Little Pond Farm. 'I know it's rather discourteous of me and I apologise for that. But whatever this is with Justin feels so good, so wonderful, so right that I want to be with him every minute of every day, as crazy as that sounds. I hope you don't think I'm ignoring you.'
Aurelia smiled and squeezed Tabbie's hand after taking the cheese and putting it on the table. 'Don't give it another thought. I don't think any such thing. I'm glad you're having a good time and it doesn't sound crazy at all. What would be crazy would be to spend time with an old lady like me when you can be in the arms of such a gorgeous young man. Make the most of it, my dear. We never know what's around the corner.'
'That's sounds ominous. Do you know something I don't?'
'Don't look so worried, Tabbie. It's just a saying.' She went to the Aga and took a freshly baked loaf of bread out of the oven, placing it on the table beside the cheese. 'I can't see into the future. I'm a healer and an enabler – or a witch if you prefer, but I'm not a fortune-teller.'
Tabbie breathed in the wonderful aroma. Was that lavender she could detect in that loaf?
Aurelia added, 'If knowing what lies ahead is what you want, you'll need my sister for that. She's the fortune-teller in the family. She'll be here in August, as usual.'
'A fortune-teller? You have a sister? I didn't know that.'
Aurelia tapped her nose. 'There're a lot of things you don't know, my dear. Half the skill in having a happy life is knowing what it is you don't know in the present and making sure you do know in the future.'
Tabbie thought about that for a moment.
'I now know you have a sister and that she'll be here in August. What I don't know is why you haven't mentioned her before, what her name is, whether she's older or younger and why she only comes in August. Oh. And if she is your only sister? Sorry. If she is your only sibling? Gill and I hadn't got that far with our research into your family tree.'
Aurelia smiled. 'You're a quick learner, Tabbie Talbaine. Just like your dear mother. Cami soon learnt … but we were talking about you and Justin.'
'No. We were talking about you and your sister. Don't think you can change the subject and expect me not to notice.'
Aurelia laughed. 'My younger sister's name is Jezebella. She comes here for Christmas and my birthday, but other than that she's here in August, for the annual Summer Fête. Which is why she ran off in the first place, more than thirty years ago. Fell in love, she did. Pity she hadn't thought to tell her own fortune beforehand. But it's unlucky to do that, so it's said. Things didn't work out as she had hoped. She loves life on the road though, so she spends her summers telling fortunes, and her winters in Tenerife. She's got a little white-washed house in a fishing village, right by the sea. I've been there once or twice.'
'Gosh. That's a surprise. Tenerife? How lovely. Aren't you tempted to move there too? Or at least spend the winters there.'
Aurelia looked shocked. 'Why would I do that? I'm happy where I am. But let's forget about Jezebella. I'd much rather talk about Justin. What don't you know about him that you know you need to know?'
'Oh. I think he's been completely honest and upfront with me about himself. We've spent a great deal of time talking, not just …'
A broad grin crept across Aurelia's wizened face. 'I was young once, dear. And if I were young right now, I wouldn't spend much of my time talking to Justin. Oh no. We could talk when we got old.'
Tabbie laughed. 'I love talking with Justin, almost as much as anything else. I want to get to know him. Although the strange thing is, from the very first time we kissed, I felt as if I'd known him all my life. I'm well aware that's a cliché, but it's true. Well, actually no. Not the very first time. That time I did feel something but it was so tainted with guilt and shock that I slapped him. It was from the second time.'
'You slapped Justin? That's the first I've heard of that.'
By the time Tabbie had finished telling Aurelia about the misunderstanding, Aurelia was holding her stomach as if she had a stitch.
'That'll be a story for the grandchildren.'
'Grandchildren? Gosh. I wish.' Tabbie let out a sigh. 'Are you sure you can't see into the future?'
'Absolutely certain. There's something else you need to know then, isn't there?'
'About Justin? Or about our relationship? I know that too. As I said, he's been open and honest from the start. He's got to return to L.A. This is just a holiday romance
. It'll last for as long as we're both in Little Pondale.'
'Is that what he says?'
'Not in those words, but yes.'
'Is that why you're still here? Not that I want you to leave, because I don't.'
Tabbie sighed again. 'In a way, yes. But also because Gill and I haven't finished our research. Since he and Ella got engaged, and Justin and I got together, we haven't seemed to be able to find much time when we're both free to continue.'
'Do you want to continue?'
'Yes. It's fascinating. But not quite as fascinating as Justin.' Tabbie smiled and slipped an arm around Aurelia's shoulders. 'Gill still wants to find the right map for his neighbour, although he says he can't tell me why because Hettie specifically asked him not to but–'
'Hettie? Hettie Turner? What kind of map?'
'A map of Little Pondale. As I said, I don't know which map or why, only that's it's of the village and the surrounding area, and that she's not looking for treasure or anything. Just some sort of natural phenomenon or something. I think it has something to do with water.'
'Is she indeed?' Aurelia's shoulder stiffened beneath Tabbie's hand. 'I know exactly what Hettie Turner is looking for. What I don't know is why? And that is something I know I need to know.'
Chapter Twenty-One
'Please don't get upset,' Ella said.
She had been sitting rather comfortably on Hettie's new sofa but now she was perched on the edge, squeezing Hettie's hand in one of hers while Fred grabbed the brandy bottle and Gill raced to the kitchen to get a glass.
'I can't wait for a glass. Hand me the bottle, Fred.'
Fred did as asked and Hettie swigged down two large gulps before Gill returned.
'Too late,' Justin said, hovering nearby as if he wasn't quite sure what to do, other than hold Tabbie in a comforting hug.
'I'm so, so sorry, Hettie.' Tabbie was mortified. But clearly unsure what she had done to warrant such a telling off from Hettie.
Ella shot a warning look at Tabbie and mouthed the word, 'Shush.' What she really wanted to say was, 'For God's sake woman will you shut up. Haven't you done enough already by almost giving poor Hettie a seizure.' But she didn't say that. Partly because it wouldn't help and partly because Justin would be furious.
It was pretty obvious to her – and no doubt everyone else in the village, that Tabbie and Justin were besotted with each other. He'd told Gill that it was just for whatever time they had together before returning to their own lives, but Ella wasn't convinced. Justin had never looked at her in quite the same way as he looked at Tabbie and she wasn't sure whether she was happy for them both or just a little bit annoyed that when they were dating Justin hadn't found her as appealing as he apparently found Tabbie.
'I don't know what you were thinking, deary.' Hettie still grasped the neck of the brandy bottle in one hand as she glared at Tabbie. 'And as for you, Guillaume. I thought I'd made it clear that this was our little secret. For a man who's written a book about his grandfather's life in the French Resistance, you've got a thing or two to learn about the importance of keeping your mouth shut. Loose lips cost lives, deary.'
'I'm sorry, Hettie. There isn't much more I can say. Except that the idioms you were looking for are “Loose lips might sink ships” and “Careless talk cost lives”. They were part of the … I'm not doing myself any favours by telling you that, am I?'
'No, deary. You're not.' Hettie took another swig from the bottle and handed the bottle to Fred. 'But what's done is done and can't be undone. Don't even think about correcting me.' She glowered at Gill.
He raised his hands in the air. 'I wasn't even considering it.'
'Hmm. So where's the map?'
Gill gave Ella a pleading look.
'We don't have it,' Ella said. 'Yet. But we will, Hettie. I promise you. But the fact you were looking for the map wasn't really a secret, was it, because you told me and Cathy? The only secret is why you want it. And none of us knows that. So it's still a secret, isn't it? And Mia and Jet will be home tomorrow.'
'Hmm. I'm well aware of Mia and Jet's imminent return. I may be old and I may put my trust in the wrong people but I'm not completely barmy. It'll be lovely to have them back but I don't see how that helps me with the map.'
Ella coughed. 'Because, like everyone else in this village, Aurelia has a soft spot for Jet, I believe. And I don't mean the ditch Tabbie drove her car into.'
'Pond. It was a pond … I'll be quiet.'
'I think you should.'
'Ella.' Justin snapped. 'Don't get stroppy with Tabbie. It was your fiancé who told her about the map.'
'I'm standing right here, Justin. And I think I made it clear that it was confidential.'
'Then why did you tell Tabbie about it?'
'Because–'
Fred banged the bottle down onto the coffee table. 'Shut up, everyone. Please. Ella, you were saying something about Aurelia and Jet.'
'Er. Yes.' She glanced from Gill to Justin and shook her head. 'Hettie, Tabbie's already asked for Aurelia's help, and Aurelia won't give it until you tell her why you want the map, which you won't do. So as far as I can see, the only person who may be able to persuade one or both of you to relent, is Jet.'
Hettie crossed her arms beneath her chest and puffed out her cheeks.
'It won't be me. As much as I love our Jet, he'll not make me budge. A secret's called a secret for a reason.'
She glared at Gill once more as if waiting for him to speak, but he merely nodded.
Tabbie raised one hand like a schoolgirl asking for permission.
'Yes,' Ella said, somewhat irritably.
'It won't be Aurelia either. She's adamant that until she knows why Hettie wants it, she won't tell anyone what she knows.'
'Don't shout at me, Hettie,' Gill said, 'but couldn't you just tell Aurelia? You don't have to tell any of us.'
'No.'
'What I don't get,' said Ella, after an awkward silence, and still holding Hettie's hand, 'is the fact that you and Aurelia have lived in this village all your lives. Weren't you ever friends?'
'We were good friends.'
'Oh, I see.'
'No, Ella Swann. You do not.'
Ella's mouth dropped open and she shot a look at Gill who looked as stunned as her.
'Um. I think I do. You obviously had a falling out and because you're both so stubborn, neither of you wants to be the first to apologise.'
Hettie glowered at her and snatched her hand away.
'Sometimes, deary, life is not as simple as you seem to think. I need another glass of brandy, Fred.'
Ella was grateful that Gill didn't try to point out that so far, strictly speaking, having drunk from the bottle, Hettie hadn't had one glass yet.
Chapter Twenty-Two
July not only brought Mia and Jet back to Little Pondale, it brought sunshine and a temperature of thirty degrees centigrade on its very first day.
'What are you doing?' Mia laughed, as Jet swept her up into his arms after helping her out of the limousine.
'I'm carrying my bride over the threshold of our home.'
She kissed him on the lips as he walked towards the front door, but just as he put his foot on the stone step beneath the portico, the front door burst open and a cacophony of voices yelled, 'Welcome home!'
Jet stumbled and nearly dropped Mia but he managed to regain his footing and held her firmly against his chest.
'Bloody hell,' Mia said, none too happy that she was almost sprawled across the ground and that her husband could've had a heart attack. 'What on earth are you all doing here?'
'We wanted to surprise you,' said Ella, apologetically.
'Mission accomplished,' said Jet, whose lips twitched as he adjusted his hold on his wife. 'But if you'll be good enough to step aside, I have a little mission of my own I'd like to complete. If that's okay with all of you.'
Ella, Gill, Lori, Franklin, Bree, Garrick, Justin, Tabbie and virtually half the village, including Hettie and Fred,
Leo, Cathy and Daisy, Christy, Toby and Dylan, Alexia and Bear and Jenny and Glen stepped back into the hall to let Jet pass. Only Little M seemed to think she didn't have to comply with her master's wishes as she rushed to him and leapt up and down excitedly in front of every step he took.
'It's not too late to get back on a plane to paradise, my darling,' he said to Mia.
'I think it is,' she replied, now smiling in response to that grin of his she loved so much.
Jet glanced down at Little M. 'Yes, yes, Little M. We love you too. Er. If you're not too busy, would one of you mind grabbing my dog.'
'Your what?' joked Ella. 'You're not on some hedonistic honeymoon island now you know.' But she grabbed Little M and held her tight.
'Don't I know it,' said Jet.
He finally made it into the hall and gently set Mia down. Then he kissed her passionately in front of the crowd who all cheered and hooted and clapped.
'Welcome home, my darling wife.'
'Welcome home to you, my wonderful husband.'
'Dear God' said Ella. 'You're not going to keep referring to yourselves like that, are you?'
'Yep,' Mia said. 'Get used to it. And next time you plan a surprise welcome home party, please tell me about it. I nearly ended up head first in the gravel.'
'Good thing Jet plays rugby and knows how to hang on to a ball,' Toby said.
'Don't even go there, Ella.' Jet threw Ella a warning look, but he was grinning.
Mia gave Ella a massive hug while Jet gave Little M a big cuddle. Then Mia and Jet switched places.
'You smell of dog,' Ella said, to Jet's chest. 'Sorry. I shouldn't talk about your wife like that.' She laughed as Jet squeezed her tighter. And tighter. 'Er. I can't breathe.'
'Excellent,' said Jet. But he laughed as he let her go, even though she slapped him on his arm.
Lori dashed forward, handed the tray of champagne filled glasses to Ella and pulled Mia close.
'I missed you so much, sweetheart. Was it wonderful? Did you have fun? What was the villa like? Was the place as beautiful as they say?'
Secret Wishes and Summer Kisses on Lily Pond Lane Page 13