The Summer of Secrets

by Tilly Tennant

  * * *

  It hadn’t been as weird as Allie had anticipated. At first, perhaps, but within a couple of awkward hours she’d started to relax in Harper and Pip’s company. She wasn’t exactly the life and soul, of course, but she’d felt able to make contributions to conversations at tea – which invariably turned into discussions of their current situation and how much of a bastard Shay was, and she was as qualified as anyone to talk about that – and although she hadn’t eaten much she’d been touched by their insistence that she share their meal. The more time she spent in Harper’s company, the more in awe she was of the woman. If anyone had tempted Greg away from her in the way she’d done with Shay, Allie was quite sure she would never forgive them, let alone open the doors of her home to them.

  It was around ten p.m. when Harper apologised, explaining that she and Pip would have to go to bed as they had to get up early to feed the animals and set up the tearoom for the next day. But even then she’d told Allie to feel free to wander the house at will and to stay up for as long as she wanted if she wasn’t tired. Not having slept properly for around a week, however, Allie was content to retire herself, and Harper showed her to a box room that, while small, was furnished with a cosy-looking stripped-pine bed, a matching wardrobe and bedside cabinet with a reading lamp, cheerful gingham bedding and a rose-patterned armchair. It was nothing like the sleek luxury of her modern leather headboard and mirrored bedroom furniture at home, but it felt safe, cocooning, as if she’d stepped back in time to a simpler, gentler age. Despite the strangeness of her environment, and despite being convinced that she’d never sleep again, within ten minutes of pulling the duvet across her shoulders, Allie was out for the count and she didn’t wake until she heard someone flush the toilet down the hall at six the next morning.

  As more sounds followed – doors opening and closing, the kettle being switched on, crockery and cutlery clinking in the kitchen below – Allie rubbed her eyes and tried to pull herself out of her doze. It was probably a good idea to get up and at least offer some help considering she was taking huge advantage of their hospitality. After a quick wash, she made her way down to the kitchen. But before she’d got to the doorway the sounds of Harper and Pip involved in a heated debate reached her.

  ‘You’ve got nothing to lose by going to see him,’ Pip said.

  ‘And make him think he’s another rebound?’ Harper asked. ‘In fact, he might well be the rebound and we know they don’t end well.’

  ‘Kristofer’s different and you know it.’

  Allie froze along the hallway. This didn’t sound like a conversation she should be listening to, but if she left now someone might hear her footsteps creaking on the old floor and then it would definitely look as though she’d been eavesdropping. She’d wait for a lull in the conversation, and then she would make a fuss of appearing as if she’d only just come downstairs.

  ‘I don’t know how you’re suddenly such an expert on Kristofer as you weren’t even here when he was helping out,’ Harper continued. ‘In fact, you’ve only met him for about half an hour.’

  ‘I can tell when you talk about him he’s different.’

  ‘How? What do I say that makes you think that? I liked him, and that’s all I’ve told you, but I also said there was no way it was going to happen.’

  ‘It’s not in what you say, but what you don’t. Besides, you’ve just made my point for me – you don’t have to stay faithful to Shay any more, do you? So you’re free to date anyone you want. Kristofer clearly likes you, and you like him, so I don’t see the problem.’

  Harper sighed. Allie could hear the scrape of a chair and the sound of the toaster popping up. ‘I’m scared, alright? If there was an exam for choosing men I’d be failing it pretty badly at this point.’

  ‘Does that mean you give up on them altogether? And what sort of friend would I be if I let you? The reason I’m back with Esther is because you convinced me it was a good move, and you were right. I’m telling you to give Kristofer a chance because, like you could see from the outside that Esther and me were worth fighting for, I can see that Kristofer could be the man you’ve been waiting for.’

  ‘I screwed things up anyway—’ Harper began, but a thud from the back door reverberated through the house. Allie jumped, and the kitchen fell silent. Someone would be going to the door, and if they found her there listening it would be awkward as hell. So she ran to the kitchen before anyone could emerge.

  ‘Did you hear someone knocking?’ she asked, her gaze flitting from one to the other. Pip narrowed her eyes for a split second, clearly guessing that Allie had been within hearing distance of their conversation, though she couldn’t have known for how long.

  ‘It was difficult to miss,’ she said.

  Harper dropped the slice of toast she’d been eating back onto the plate and dusted off her hands. ‘It might be the bakery delivery,’ she said as she started for the door.

  ‘It’s a bit early,’ Pip said.

  ‘But if they’re busy sometimes they’ll come out early. I’ll have to get it anyway,’ she added as a second knock boomed through the farmhouse.

  A few moments later Allie’s blood froze as she heard Shay’s voice at the door. In hindsight, it had been obvious he’d turn up, but it had been a possibility Allie hadn’t wanted to dwell on. Pip’s head went up too, but her expression curled into a grimace.

  ‘He’s got a bloody nerve,’ she grunted as she marched out to join Harper. Allie followed, not knowing what else to do, and at the door she could see that Shay was pushing his way past Harper, despite her best efforts to keep him out.

  ‘I just want to talk,’ he said. ‘I’m not the only villain here; if you hate anyone you should hate that slag…’ He stopped mid-sentence as he saw Allie standing behind Pip. ‘Unbelievable,’ he said with a bitter laugh. ‘I might have known you’d worm your way in. I suppose you’ve been telling them how it was all my fault? You were a poor innocent girl and I seduced you like the evil bastard I am?’

  ‘We invited her,’ Pip said, folding her arms tight across her chest and moving slightly as if to shield Allie from his glower. ‘And it’s got nothing to do with you.’

  ‘Whatever she tells you is a lie,’ he said.

  ‘And you’d know all about lying, wouldn’t you?’ Harper put in.

  ‘She gave me the come-on,’ he said, his voice rising. ‘She was the one who started all this.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ Harper said. ‘I don’t care because it was your obligation to refuse and you didn’t. Instead you went back for seconds and then you lied to me. She’s lost everything because of you.’

  ‘That’s her own fault!’

  ‘It’s your fault!’ Harper shouted. ‘When will you learn to take some responsibility for the havoc you wreak? Nothing is ever your fault, is it? You’re going to be a lonely old man one day if you don’t start acting like a decent human being!’

  Shay clipped his tone, shooting a hate-filled glance at Allie before turning back to Harper. ‘So you’re going to take her word over mine?’

  ‘Yes,’ Harper said.

  ‘But I love you.’

  ‘Don’t,’ Harper replied, steel in her voice. ‘Don’t you dare utter those words to me. Greg was right – the only person you love is yourself. I want you to leave.’

  ‘What if I don’t want to?’

  ‘Then I’ll call the police and tell them we’ve got an intruder,’ Pip said sweetly, holding her phone as if to dial.

  Shay stood his ground, but as Pip pressed her fingers to the screen of her phone, he backed away from the door.

  ‘Good luck,’ he said to Harper, but looking pointedly at Allie to leave no doubt as to the reason for his sarcastic sentiment of goodwill. ‘If you’re giving her the time of day, you’re going to need it.’

  Then he turned and made his way down the path. Harper slammed the door shut and locked him out with shaking hands.

  Chapter 32

  Cesca leapt up and grabbe
d for her phone at the side of her bed and suddenly realised that she wasn’t in her own bed at all. Her gaze travelled the unfamiliar layout of the room, lingering for a fond moment on Will sleeping on his front beside her, arms and legs splayed over the bed, until she shook herself out of her stupor and spotted the thing she needed lying on the floor next to her discarded clothes. Dropping as quietly from the bed as she could, she darted over to retrieve it and checked the time.

  ‘Shit…’ she muttered. There was no way she was going to make it into work on time, and she only had herself to blame; she hadn’t exactly taken a lot of persuading to stay over, and staying over at this stage in their relationship would invariably involve a lot of sex. Which meant she would only get a few hours’ sleep. She’d forgotten to set an alarm too, and it was only by some fluke she was up now, so her plan to wake early and go home for clean clothes was well and truly scuppered.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  Cesca looked round to see Will’s eyes were open and he was looking at her with a lazy grin, his face still caressed by the pillow.

  ‘I’m going to be late for work.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘There’s no need to sound so worried about it,’ Cesca said wryly.

  ‘I am worried…’ Will rolled onto his back and stretched before he pushed himself to sit. ‘Of course I’m worried. What can I do to help?’

  Pulling her knickers on, Cesca went to the bed and kissed him tenderly. ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘When it comes to getting me to work you’re quite useless. In fact, the reason I’m in this predicament is because I let you talk me into doing something that I knew would end up making me late for work.’

  His hand went to her wrist to pull her back to bed, but she ducked away, snapping her bra up from the floor with a laugh. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said.

  He smiled. ‘It was worth a try. I had such a wonderful time with you last night – can you blame me for wanting a little more?’

  ‘You realise I only slept with you because I felt sorry you’d been punched in the face?’

  Will’s smile faded. ‘Really?’

  ‘My God!’ Cesca laughed. ‘You’re so gullible!’

  ‘That’s a rotten trick,’ he said, looking reproachful, but it only made her laugh more.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said as her laughter subsided. ‘But I do have to go. I’ll call Duncan and let him know he’ll have to hold the fort for an hour, but I can’t take the piss.’

  ‘When will I see you next?’ His expression was so earnest that Cesca’s resolve almost melted.

  ‘I can call this evening if you like,’ she said, already tingling with anticipation at the prospect of sharing his bed for a second night. ‘But this time I’ll be able to arrive a bit more prepared. That’s assuming you don’t have plans for tonight, of course?’

  ‘No plans,’ he said. ‘Shall we say eight?’

  * * *

  After a quick call to the office, Duncan had told Cesca not to stress and that there wasn’t a huge amount going on that couldn’t wait. It wasn’t the first time Cesca had silently given thanks that she worked with such an all-round brilliant colleague, but she’d still wolfed down a biscuit on the run and headed home to get changed before going to work. In the end, she’d only been half an hour late, though she felt vaguely off-kilter, as if she’d spent the previous night drinking absinthe or something equally as trippy. She could only attribute it to her marathon sex session, something she hadn’t done for a very long time, and the lack of sleep was catching up with her now.

  As she sipped a freshly made coffee she reopened the browser window to the page she’d been reading a couple of days before about antique vases. She peered at one in particular again, one she’d gazed intently at a number of times over the past week. When Harper had shown her the vase Will had gifted to the farm, Cesca hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that she’d seen something like it before, and that particular something had been worth a lot of money. To be fair, bits of ancient spears and pots were more her area than valuable collector’s items, so she couldn’t be entirely sure.

  She’d sent a message to Harper to tell her to get it valued, but perhaps she ought to call in one or two favours to make sure Harper didn’t neglect to do that. Harper was clearly not a woman driven by money, but Cesca knew she’d find some helpful right now and she’d been adamant that the treasure reward was going to Will. It looked as though Harper’s personal circumstances were going to be tough for a while too, from what Cesca had seen at the farm when all hell had broken loose. Although Harper had seemed remarkably calm and accepting of the situation, a bit of good fortune would certainly help soften the blow. Wouldn’t it be lovely, Cesca thought, if, just once, everyone could win?

  Putting down her mug, she reached for her phone book and thumbed through the contacts. She had a list of calls to make, including one to Kristofer to tell him the news about Harper’s decision over the reward. It would make an amazing story for him to write, and perhaps it would persuade him to stay in England a little longer after all. Cesca had been vaguely troubled by his sudden announcement that he was leaving, though she couldn’t put her finger on exactly why. Whatever his reasons, she was going to miss their fascinating little chats.

  * * *

  The best way for Harper to get the morning’s drama firmly out of her mind was to work. Of course, every shadow at the entrance to the tearoom looked for a disconcerting second like Shay’s, and she had possibly never been as jittery – a fact Pip had commented on more than once – but if he did come back she would have to be as strong and calm as she had been that morning. And he would come back, of that there was no doubt. Shay was a man used to winning.

  Allie had begged to help them in the café. She didn’t have a lot of skill, she’d admitted, but she had enthusiasm and plenty of pent-up nervous energy that needed to go somewhere. It was healthier for her to do something useful than to sit stewing on her own in a room out back, and Harper had to agree with that because it was exactly how she herself felt. So she’d agreed – and had seen the first genuine smile on Allie’s face as she tied a spare apron around her waist. It was remarkable how much prettier it made her, as if suddenly she’d turned from grey to pink, breathing and living again. And she’d been competent in the end too, mastering the beast of a coffee machine quickly, moving between tables with grace as she ran to and fro with orders, even charming one or two of the elderly customers to the extent they left her large tips. She looked so happy and fulfilled that Harper had felt happy too. They’d all had their fair share of heartache over the past few weeks, and in many ways they’d been at war, but perhaps they could help each other to heal now.

  As brunch came to an end and they changed the menu over for the lunchtime trade, Harper looked towards the doors to see a man approach, her heart in her mouth for a moment until she recognised Will’s figure. He walked straight to the counter, and though his expression was one of concern, he had the look of a man who had made peace with the world.

  ‘I wanted to see that everything was alright,’ he said in a low voice, glancing around. As his gaze settled on Allie talking to a customer, he stalled and turned back to Harper with a silent question.

  ‘She’s staying with us,’ Harper said. ‘Nowhere else to go.’

  Will shook his head in wonder. ‘You are a remarkable woman.’

  Harper had heard that said before, and she tried not to think of the man who’d said it, certain that her heart might break for what she’d lost. But how could she go back to Kristofer now after all that had happened? It wouldn’t be right for either of them and she didn’t think she could survive another broken heart.

  ‘She’s earning her keep,’ Harper said, rallying herself to a forced cheeriness. ‘The help is welcome, and I quite like her now that we’re not rivals.’

  ‘But there’s been no trouble? He hasn’t been back?’

  Harper didn’t need to ask who Will meant. ‘He came back this morning, actually.
First thing. Wanted to talk.’ She gave a small smile. ‘Wasn’t too pleased to see Allie here with us. It was worth giving her a bed just to see the look on his face.’

  ‘I could stay here today,’ Will said. ‘Make sure you have reinforcements around if he comes again.’

  ‘That’s very sweet of you but I’m sure he wouldn’t come during opening hours – too many people around. If anything, he’s going to come back this evening, but we’ll be ready for him.’

  ‘I could make myself available this evening if it helps,’ Will said with such earnestness that Harper wanted to laugh. She could hardly believe this sweet man was the same glowering snob who’d first visited the farm after the gold had been found. And she knew that this wasn’t just a product of her offering him the reward – this was the product of finding friendship and acceptance at last. And perhaps a night of good sex, she thought wryly.

  ‘Wouldn’t Cesca have something to say about that?’ Harper raised her eyebrows and he smiled.

  ‘I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. We have arrangements to meet at eight but we could both come here instead of the dinner we’d planned.’

  ‘No chance. I’m not ruining a romantic dinner date for anyone. I take it this will be a romantic dinner date?’

  ‘I suppose it will,’ he said. ‘It’s been so long I hardly recognise one now.’

  ‘I think you make a gorgeous couple,’ Harper said. ‘I can’t say I’m not surprised by events but it’s wonderful.’

  ‘Nobody is more surprised than me,’ Will said with a bemused smile. ‘I’m afraid I’m not very good at reading the signals where the fairer sex are concerned. They are for me, as for many men, a mystery. In fact, though I found her very attractive I was certain that her affections lay elsewhere. I’m still not entirely convinced that if he wasn’t going home to Norway she wouldn’t prefer him, but I realise you’re probably going to tell me that’s nothing but a very silly manly insecurity.’