by Jill Mansell
And what exactly had Nuala done in the last couple of hours, apart from take a long, hot shower, paint her toenails turquoise, and spend a ridiculous amount of time faffing over what to wear?
“I needed to shower,” Nuala had protested when Maddy had pointed this out. “We moved house this morning! I had to wash all the dust off, didn’t I? For heaven’s sake, I was a complete mess.”
It hadn’t taken long to move house, and Jake had helped. Juliet and Tiff’s belongings had been brought over to Snow Cottage, and in return, Maddy and Nuala had lugged their things over to the apartment above the Peach Tree. It was like a neat chess move. Now that there were going to be three of them working in the deli itself, Maddy had resolved to increase the sandwich delivery side of the business. Last night she had designed a flyer to be printed and sent to businesses throughout the city. Next week she planned to follow this up with visits to the various companies, taking along samples as she’d done with Callaghan and Fox. By this time next year, the Peach Tree delivery service could be a national, international, possibly even a global phenomenon…
Oh well, anything to take her mind off the disaster that was the rest of her life.
“Go and have a shower this minute,” Nuala bossily announced. “And do something with your hair. It’s got cobwebs in it.”
* * *
Den waited outside in the car while Marcella headed up the stairs to the offices of Callaghan and Fox. Entertaining though it would have been to witness in person Kerr having the living daylights scared out of him, Den’s presence would spoil the surprise.
Pushing through the swing doors into reception, Marcella’s eye was caught by the clock up on the wall. Ten to three. Back in Ashcombe, everyone would be gathering at the cottage, getting ready to welcome Tiff home.
Anyway, never mind about that now.
Behind the desk, a plump girl looked up and smiled welcomingly at Marcella. “Hello there, can I help you?”
“I hope so.” Since Den had Kerr’s car, Marcella was rather counting on him being here. “I’d like a word with Kerr McKinnon.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but I’m sure he’ll see me.” Primed by Den, Marcella peered down the corridor on the left. “Is that his office, along there?”
“Er, why don’t I give him a buzz?” Apologetically the receptionist said, “I’m not really supposed to let people in without an—”
“I’m Maddy Harvey’s mum,” Marcella confided. “Maddy from the Peach Tree. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”
This captured the girl’s attention. Eagerly she leaned across the desk.
“Is it about Kerr and Maddy? Oh, fantastic! Something’s going on between those two, isn’t it? I knew there was—I knew it, but Kerr just wouldn’t admit anything, and for the last few weeks he’s been so grumpy. Hang on.” The receptionist faltered, belatedly taking in the fact that Marcella was black and Maddy wasn’t. “You can’t be Maddy’s mother…”
Marcella said with pride, “I’ve been her mother since she was five years old.”
“OK.” Rising to her feet, the girl said, “You can go see Kerr. But you have to let me come too.”
The door to his office was closed. The receptionist, having introduced herself as Sara, knocked and said, “Kerr, it’s me.”
From the other side of the door a male voice called out, “Come in,” and Sara stepped to one side, gesturing to Marcella.
“After you, Maddy’s mum.”
“Why, thank you so much.” Marcella flashed a mischievous smile at her before opening the door.
Kerr McKinnon was sitting behind his desk talking into the phone. Better looking than his brother, Marcella judged; then again, he hadn’t had to go through what Den had been through. Still, she could appreciate what Maddy saw in him. In a purely dispassionate way, of course.
She watched the expression on Kerr’s face change as he realized who had just walked into his office. Unsmiling, Marcella stood there and regarded him in silence, exuding menace.
“Er, sorry, I’ll have to call you back,” Kerr muttered into the phone. Slowly he replaced the receiver. Marcella couldn’t see his hand shaking, but she wouldn’t mind betting he was quaking inside.
And now… Oh, this was fantastic—the color was actually draining from his face! If only she’d thought to bring a video camera.
The silence lengthened. It was like High Noon. Finally Marcella spoke.
“Scared?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’d hate to think I was losing my touch.”
A muscle flickered in Kerr’s jaw. “Does Maddy know you’re here?”
“No.”
“Right.”
“Your brother does, though. He’s downstairs. We’ve just had a long chat,” said Marcella. “Everything’s been sorted out. I went to see your mother this afternoon too.”
“You what?” Kerr shook his head in disbelief. “She actually told you…?”
“The whole story, but we don’t have time to go into that now. I’m sure you know how I feel about your mother. As for Den, well, I’m just glad the truth’s come out. Better late than never. Now, about you.” Marcella paused to check her watch. “How do you feel about Maddy?”
Lost for words, Kerr said, “Er…er…”
“Come on now, we don’t have all day.” Marcella widened her eyes inquiringly at him. “Still interested? Or no longer interested? That was weeks ago—you’ve met someone else far better since then—”
“Stop,” Kerr said hurriedly. “Still interested.”
“Good.” Marcella’s expression softened.
“I knew it.” Behind her, Sara was triumphant. Nudging Marcella she said, “Didn’t I tell you? Ha, nothing gets past me!”
“Sara? Could you get back to your desk now? I think I can handle this myself,” said Kerr.
“It’s OK. We’re going now anyway,” Marcella consoled the disappointed receptionist.
Taken aback, Kerr said, “We?”
“You’re the boss around here, aren’t you? Surely you can give yourself the rest of the afternoon off.” Breaking into a smile, Marcella said, “It’s the least I can do for my daughter.”
“And no gossiping with the others,” Kerr firmly instructed Sara as he left with his jacket over his shoulder and Marcella in tow.
“No gossiping.” Sara obediently zipped her mouth shut. “You can count on me.”
“And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything,” Kerr murmured as they headed down the stairs. “There’s something I don’t get here. When you thought my brother had caused the accident, you refused to speak to me. Now you know it was my mother, you’re fine. But it was still a member of my family. I don’t understand—”
“Hey, don’t worry.” Marcella’s tone was soothing. “It makes sense to me. And that’s what counts.”
Chapter 59
“Look, you have to cheer up. You knew it was going to happen sooner or later.”
Kate gave the bar a final violent polish. Dexter was doing his best, but he really wasn’t helping matters. If she was honest, she’d been quietly fantasizing to herself that Barbara Kendall might email them from Sydney, announcing that she’d decided to stay there for good.
“I tell you what, we’ll go out this weekend and get you a dog of your own,” said Dexter.
If he didn’t shut up, Kate thought she might stuff her polishing cloth down his throat. He might mean well, but another dog wasn’t what she wanted. It wouldn’t be the same.
“I want Norris.”
“It’s ten past three. We’ve got this party to go to,” said Dexter.
Kate heaved a sigh. Tiff’s welcome-home party wasn’t what she was in the mood for. Was this how foster mothers felt? Just as you began to truly bond with your charge, he was brutally snatched away? God, it
was inhuman.
Except Norris wasn’t a human; he was a dog.
But it was just so unfair. It shouldn’t be allowed. Kate wiped her eyes, which had been leaking, on and off, throughout the lunchtime session. She knew she had to pull herself together, but that was easier said than done. The prospect of never hearing Norris’s lovely, snuffly breathing again or never stroking his velvety jowls was just…just…
“Come on,” said Dexter. “Don’t cry. I’ll give you five minutes to do your face while I close up, then we’re off.”
Locking the front door behind them, they set off up the road. Kate was touched by Dexter’s concern. He had his arm around her and was being extra nice. What would happen to the two of them in the long term she hadn’t the faintest idea. Would their relationship last? Who knew? She wasn’t under any illusions where Dexter was concerned. Nuala may not have been the right girl for him, but he had treated her poorly. It stood to reason that, as time passed, he might start to take her for granted too.
Then again, he might not. She still got that squiggly excited feeling in her stomach every time she looked at him, but whether they’d last as a couple was anyone’s guess. She certainly wouldn’t put up with any nonsense. The only thing to do was maintain the upper hand and take the relationship one day at a—
“Watch out,” Dexter said sharply, yanking her back as she was about to cross the road. A grubby red Audi rounded the corner and shot past in a cloud of dust.
Kate wondered if she was seeing things. Her mouth dropped open and her heart began to bang. Was that really who she thought it was, sitting in the passenger seat?
“Norris!” She gasped, and Dexter gave her waist a sympathetic squeeze.
“Sweetheart, it just looks a bit like Norris. You can’t—”
“What’s going on?” Kate, who knew better, held her breath as the red Audi went into a handbrake turn, circling the war memorial at the end of the street before roaring back up the road toward them.
Another squeal of brakes and it drew to a halt beside Dexter and Kate.
“Oh my God,” Kate said faintly as Barbara Kendall buzzed down her window and Norris, clambering across her with no regard whatsoever for Max Mara trousers, squeezed like toothpaste through the narrow gap onto the pavement. Hurling himself joyfully at Kate, Norris let out a volley of high-pitched, yodeling barks.
Rather than follow him through the open window, Barbara Kendall opened the driver’s door and stepped out.
“There you are! I just drove up to your house, but there’s no one at home. Thank goodness I caught you. All he’s done since we got him home is howl nonstop.” Her words spilled out in a torrent. “It’s driving us insane. We can’t hear ourselves think. Can I be frank with you? Bernard and I have actually enjoyed not having the responsibility of caring for a pet for the last six weeks. If we didn’t have one, we could take so many more breaks, whenever we wanted, and to be honest, neither of us finds it much fun having to take this one for walks. So we wondered if you were serious about taking Norris off our hands, because if you are, well, we wouldn’t mind a bit.”
Kate would have marveled at Barbara Kendall’s couldn’t-care-less attitude, but she was too busy kneeling on the hot, dusty pavement getting her face thoroughly licked by an ecstatic Norris. Dexter, who had heard what had gone on in the kitchen at Dauncey House this morning, frowned.
“So why didn’t you say this before? When Kate offered to keep him?” And save me having to put up with all this grief for the last three hours?
Barbara Kendall, enthusiastically brushing dog hairs from her smart trousers, looked up and said, “Hmm? Well, it was one of those silly misunderstandings! Bernard and I have only just admitted the truth to each other. We inherited Norris when his aunt died, you see. Bernard was never wild about dogs, but he tolerated Norris because for some reason he thought I wanted a pet. And of course I wasn’t that keen at all, but I pretended to be because I didn’t want to hurt Bernard’s feelings. So that’s all sorted out,” she said cheerfully. “And the thing is, look at Norris now! He seems so much happier with you than he does at home with us!”
“I wonder why,” Dexter muttered, just about beneath his breath.
“So?” Barbara was jangling her car keys and looking expectant. “What d’you think?”
I think you’re a cruel, heartless witch with a face like a donkey, Dexter was sorely tempted to retort, but heroically he kept this opinion to himself—for Kate’s sake rather than Barbara Kendall’s.
“We’d love to keep him.” Kate beamed, hugging Norris so hard she almost lost her balance. “Thank you so much.”
“Well, that’s done.” Barbara Kendall looked relieved. “I must say, from all the things I’d heard about you, I didn’t have you down as a dog lover.”
Norris lovingly licked Kate’s neck. As she fondled his gorgeous ears, it crossed her mind to demand furiously what on earth Barbara Kendall meant by that.
Then again, did she really want to know?
* * *
Honestly, where was Marcella? It wasn’t like her to not be here when she’d promised not to be late. Feeling hot and slightly put-upon, Maddy carried two huge bowls of cherries outside, to add to the food laid out on the trellis table. Everyone else, it seemed, was far too busy being one half of a couple and chatting in a couply fashion to other couples, to bother giving her a hand. Kate and Dexter were here, along with Oliver and Estelle. And Jake and Juliet, doing their best not to fuss over Tiff who was—in honor of the fact that he was an invalid and this was his party—holding court from the shaded hammock.
As for Norris and Bean, they were a picture of perfect coupledom, rolling joyfully around together on the freshly mown grass. Romping together, frisking together, even frolicking…
Lucky things, Maddy thought, experiencing a pang of envy. What she wouldn’t give for a romp and a frolic.
Oh dear, it came to something when you found yourself wishing you could be a dog.
Sophie, tugging at Maddy’s elbow, said, “Dad says we need more ice for the drinks. We’re running out.”
“Hang on.” Feeling like Cinderella, Maddy headed inside to the cool of the kitchen, where Nuala was putting together a Waldorf salad. Of course, how could she even think she was the only one on her own? She and Nuala could be batty spinsters together, growing old and becoming increasingly persnickety as the years slid by.
“Bugger,” said Maddy, peering into the freezer. “That was the last of the ice.”
“Bugger.” Sophie heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes with glee.
“I can get a couple of bags from the Angel,” Nuala offered. “Dexter’s always got loads, he won’t mind. If you finish this”—she gestured to Maddy—“I’ll get the key to the pub off him and zip over there.”
Maddy washed her hands and obediently crossed to the table to take over from Nuala. Making salads together, this was only the start. Before long they’d be crocheting tea cozies, writing to the council about the state of the highways, tramping about the countryside in matching patchwork waistcoats and floral wellies—
“Yowww,” Maddy yelped. She’d squeezed a lemon with a bit too much vigor and managed to squirt juice into her eye. “Oosh.” Blinking, she managed to dislodge her contact lens and had to bend double to pop it out, then neatly catch it in the palm of her hand. This was just one of the drawbacks you learned to deal with when you wore contacts; every so often, like babies, they demanded attention this instant.
Luckily her handbag was lying on the window ledge and inside it were the necessary bottles of contact lens cleaning and soaking solution. Grabbing the bag, Maddy headed upstairs to the bathroom, still blinking lemon juice out of her eye.
Chapter 60
“Right,” said Marcella, “here we go.” Her dark eyes danced as she climbed out of the dark blue Mercedes. “Kerr, you come with me. Darling”—she turned to Den—“
would you mind awfully waiting here for a few minutes? It’s just that Jake’s at the party, and I want to be able to explain everything to him first.”
“That’s fine.” Den wasn’t offended. “No problem. I’ll just sit here on this wall.” At the sound of a door slamming behind him, he turned and saw a girl emerging from the Fallen Angel, the same girl he’d seen here the other day. Her hair was lit by the sun, and she was carrying two hefty bags of ice. As she looked up and saw she was being watched, her eyes widened in recognition. Fumbling with the keys to the pub, she clutched both ice bags to her chest, which surely couldn’t be comfortable.
“Nuala!” Marcella clapped her hands in delight. “Just the girl! Will you do me a huge favor, darling? Wait out here for two minutes with this charming young man and keep him company?”
“Um…” stammered Nuala, going bright pink and gazing helplessly at Den, then briefly at Kerr, then back again at Den. “Er, OK.”
“You two just have a nice chat,” Marcella said helpfully, “and we’ll give you a shout when we’re ready for you. Now,” she went on, slipping her arm through Kerr’s, “let’s have a bit of fun, shall we?”
Nuala watched Marcella and her mystery companion disappear together through the front door of Snow Cottage. Finding her tongue at last, Nuala said, “Hello.”
“Hi,” said Den.
“Um, did I see you here the other day?”
“You did.” Den nodded, discreetly taking in the gorgeous, curvy legs that had previously been hidden by a pair of jeans. “Watch out for frostbite, by the way.”
“Hmm? Oh!” Belatedly discovering she still had the bags of ice cubes clamped to her chest, Nuala placed them on the ground beside her feet. Attempting to hide the fact that beneath her white top her nipples (yelping, “Ouch, we’re cold!’) were standing at attention, she said, “So, um, who was that with Marcella?”