the nursery, rubbing leaves so that she could smell the different herbs. Laughing as she screwed up her face and shuddered at something she didn’t like.
‘It’s no good buying them individually, like this,’ Ellie said, taking a pot of lemon balm from Ben. ‘If you’re serious about reviving the garden as it was originally laid out, you’re going to need dozens of plants.’ He didn’t answer and she looked up. Daisy was curled trustingly in the crook of his arm, her head on his shoulder, and without warning she felt the prickle of tears. ‘They don’t even have everything on the list,’ she said crossly. ‘This is a waste of time.’
‘Maybe we should get in a professional?’
We? There was such temptation in the word, such promise. Such pain.
‘No!’ It wasn’t the suggestion of professional help that she was refusing. He regarded her thoughtfully, those clear blue eyes seeing far too much. She shook her head. ‘I didn’t mean…’ She’d never meant it to go this far. To get this complicated. ‘You don’t have to.’
‘The garden, like the house, has been neglected for years. It was my mother’s passion.’
‘Oh? Like Laura, then.’ She was gripping the plastic pot so tightly that it was in danger of cracking, and she carefully replaced it back in the display. ‘Her garden is lovely.’
‘My mother designed it, laid it out with my grandmother. Laura was still at school then.’
She frowned. ‘Your mother lived there, too?’ Then, catching on, ‘She was the girl next door?’
‘She and my father grew up together. Like you and Sean.’
She didn’t want to talk about Sean. Had been doing her best not to think about him. If she let him into her thoughts he’d know she’d kissed Ben. Had wanted him to kiss her. ‘He never considered marrying again?’ she asked. ‘Your father?’
‘It wasn’t something he ever discussed with me, Ellie. He was a very private man.’ Then, ‘I suspect Laura hoped he might, given time, notice her. She never married.’
‘Oh. Poor Laura.’
‘Life isn’t that…tidy. The truth is, he was never interested in anything very much after my mother died. He hung on until he thought I was old enough to manage without him, then he just let go.’
An aging father, a teenage girl, a small boy. ‘It must have been hard for him. For all of you.’
‘We coped. Nannies. Housekeepers. And Laura was always there.’He looked down at Daisy. ‘Are you ready for that ice cream, miss?’ She giggled, wriggled, and he set her down. ‘Go and pick out the one you want.’
‘Not a good idea. She’ll choose some brightly coloured lolly that’ll have her whizzing about like a demon.’
‘Isn’t that what kids are meant to do?’
‘Not if they’re being fuelled by chemical colourings.’
‘Spoilsport. What time do we have to get her back to her mother?’
‘She’s usually home by four. She goes to the hospital twice a week for dialysis. On Tuesday and Friday.’
‘It’s kidney failure?’He looked at Daisy and, without being told, Ellie knew that was what had taken his mother from him.
‘She’s waiting for a transplant, Ben.’
‘My father gave my mother one of his kidneys. Her body rejected it. He never talked about it. Adele told me.’
For once she didn’t know what to say. Finally managed, ‘Things are better now.’
‘Yes.’ Then he turned to her, ‘Four o’clock? Plenty of time to fit in the ducks.’
He bought them all ice lollies layered in traffic light colours of red, green and yellow. When Ellie gave him a look that suggested he’d regret it, he grinned and said, ‘I always wanted to try one of these.’
‘You are such a liar, Ben Faulkner. And, to prove it, your tongue will turn purple.’
‘That’s life with you around, Ellie March. Every day a new experience.’
Sue arrived at eight, bearing a pizza of stupendous proportions.
‘We can’t eat all this-’
‘I have only one thing to say to that,’ she replied, putting the box on the table, along with a bottle of wine. ‘Extra anchovies.’
‘But we’ll do our best.’
Sue grinned. ‘Corkscrew?’ Then, as she tackled the bottle while Ellie found some glasses, sorted out plates, ‘Actually, I bought the biggest because I thought Ben would be here.’
Actually, she’d thought he would be, too. Had planned to sit him down as soon as they’d dropped Daisy off at home, make a clean breast of things. Own up to the
Instead, he’d dropped her off at the gate, said he had some things to do. She suspected he just wanted to put a little distance between them after the closeness of the past twenty-four hours. Starting with that kiss…
Her lips softened, warmed at the memory, and, realising that Sue was watching her, she snapped back to now. ‘You two must have had a very cosy chat this morning,’ she said briskly.
‘Only about you. Were your ears burning?’
‘My ears, like the rest of me, were asleep.’ Then, because the idea of Sue and Ben talking about her was slightly disturbing, ‘Should I be worried?’
‘No. I was the soul of discretion.’
‘There’s nothing in my life to be indiscreet about.’
‘I know. You’re a real disappointment to me. But I have high hopes of Ben. The man is a dish. Bright, too. Books, papers-you name it, he’s written it.’
‘Checked him out on the university website, did you?’
‘I just have your best interests at heart.’
‘You were just being nosy.’ Then, because talking about Ben was a lot easier than facing a grilling from Sue about last night, ‘Well, don’t keep me in suspense. I know there’s more.’
‘Well, obviously.’ Sue finally pulled the cork, filled two glasses. ‘The university website was fine as far as it went, but-and I did this purely in the spirit of sisterly friendship-I Googled him.’
‘You are so bad.’
Sue regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Are you telling me you were never tempted?’
‘I’m telling you I resisted.’
‘Really? That’s…telling. What were you afraid you’d find?’
Ellie refused to bite. The truth was it had never occurred to her to go snooping on the net. She knew Benedict Faulkner was a distinguished academic. His sister had told her that when she’d first started working at Wickham Lodge. She was also aware that he’d written books on his forensic examination of ancient languages. They were on his shelves. If she’d ever bothered to do the decent thing, take one out and dust it, she have seen his photograph on the cover.
‘Did you know that he led a party of refugees over the mountains to escape the fighting in Kirbeckistan?’
What? ‘He told me that a group of them had walked out.’
‘Walked? Have you seen what it’s like there? A woman who was in the party talked to one of the redtops. Obviously completely smitten, but there’s no doubt that the man is a hero.’
‘Oh, please. If you’re prepared to believe anything printed in a tabloid newspaper.’ Except, of course, she could believe it. Just as she could believe that some woman had fallen for him. What about him? Not love. He was still in love with Natasha Perfect. But in life-threatening situations people clung to each other. And he’d stayed with someone, he’d said. When he’d got home. Someone who’d taken care of him. Tended that wound.
She felt a surge of jealousy so overpowering that for a moment she couldn’t think. Couldn’t hear. Just clenched her fists, closed her eyes.
‘Ellie?’
She started. Realised that Sue was looking at her a little oddly.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Fine. Still a bit tired. Sorry, what were you saying?’
‘Nothing. Just wondering why you’re still here, that’s all. As a house-sitter you must be redundant.’
‘Ben will be going away again soon. It made sense for me to stay.’ She pushed back a trailing wisp of hair. ‘It’s a huge house. We hardly ever see one another.’
‘You get close enough to talk. And don’t think of denying it.’
