“Um, actually I can drive perfectly well,” Tess argued, placing the coffees on the table so her hands could settle on her hips. “Although I’m not sure a stable owner who can’t handle a bout of colic alone is going to be much judge of a vet’s skill.”
Oops. Temper, temper. Tess had never been good with people putting her down. Anything in the region of assuming she was “less than” had historically not been great either. This woman, this Susannah, was a waving red rag, and Tess was absolutely the antagonised bull.
“I’m sure what Tess meant to say, Lady Karlson—” Adam began, but he seemed a little shellshocked.
“I knew this was a waste of my time. First, she makes me late for my previous meeting and now she insults my intelligence. I’m well aware of how to treat colic in my horses, but thanks for that lovely condescension. I think I’ll stick to one of the big chains. An estate the size of mine needs professionals at the top of their game. Clearly this isn’t where I’ll find them.”
With that, she swept out in a cloud of expensive perfume and gently bouncing curls.
Tess stared after her, mouth falling open. Seriously, how did women get their hair to do that? Tess had tried everything short of a perm, and still her hair lay straight and a little limp.
“Okay,” Tess said, turning back to her friends. “I have no idea how that just spiralled, but I promise you, I am going to bring in new business. We don’t need to be working for someone who treats us like dirt, do we?”
Adam and Margo looked at each other with that silent couple talk that concluded with a head tilt and a raised eyebrow.
“It’s fine,” Margo assured them both. “It was a long shot anyway; you heard her. Maybe we’re not big enough for her new stud farm and whatever else she’s got going on up there.”
“Stud farm?” Tess groaned inwardly. The chance of working with horses had been the biggest draw about coming back to the country. That was what got her into being a vet in the first place. “I’m sorry, guys.”
“Listen, we didn’t have her on the books when we made our plans, so things are no different,” Adam said. “I’ve got some neutered tomcats to wake up gently, but what do you ladies say to takeaway tonight? The house is just next door, Tess, if you want to get settled in?”
She smiled and accepted the key that Margo had thoughtfully put on a University of Glasgow keyring. Her own place, just down the road and tucked in behind the pub, wouldn’t be ready for a couple of days. Tess had looked at it a few minutes ago.
“Come on, I’ll show you and Waffles to the guest room,” Margo said. “Then I’ve got a call out to check on some pigs. You can tag along, if you like, or just get unpacked.”
They linked arms for the walk across to the house and, for the first time in an hour, Tess breathed all the way out. It was still going to be good, she decided. This was going to be the right move for her.
Or else.
Chapter 2
Susannah all but abandoned her Land Rover on the drive. Up until last year she’d always parked with consummate care, partly out of consideration for her late husband, who shared the driveway, and partly because of his relentless good-natured mockery of her driving skills. She stormed through the grand front doors, irked by the heft of them as they groaned their way open, but it was quicker than walking all the way around to the back. Bloody tedious, really.
The place felt too damn empty, a museum with just one living exhibit.
Spotting dust on the marble bust that dominated one corner of the room—some military-minded ancestor or other—Susannah remembered that she still had to recruit a new housekeeper. In truth, the staff had been trickling away as soon after the funeral as they could get away with, and months later, Midsummer was a stately home down to a skeleton staff. One or two quitting would have been understandable, but losing so many suggested either carelessness or a deep loyalty to her husband that didn’t extend to her own management. Reflecting on that for too long didn’t exactly make Susannah feel fantastic about herself.
“There you are!” Finn came hurtling towards her across the entrance hall like a security guard who had just noticed Susannah shoplifting lipstick. “I’ve had nothing but calls for you today.”
“I’m sure you coped, and besides, I had business in the village.”
“Of course I did, but what’s the point in being the best executive assistant ever if you can’t complain about how hard it is to be brilliant?” Looking as fashionable as ever in a dark grey shirt and skinny black tie paired perfectly with tapered trousers and low heels, Finn offered a cheeky grin.
Susannah had long since given up on trying to keep up with her PA, style-wise, just accepting the gentle criticism that was sometimes levelled at her outfits.
“Anything that can’t be ignored in favour of a late lunch?” Susannah asked.
“Nope.”
“Correct answer. Honestly, I’ve just wasted part of my day getting stuck behind some incompetent on the access road who made me late for saying goodbye to Kenny on his last day. It’s bad enough I’ve lost him running my stables after ten years, but now he’ll think I don’t care one jot. Then it turns out this imbecile, who can barely find third gear, is after our vet business. I think not.”
“Oh, the new one? Tilly, Tammy, something like that. Margo was talking to my source about her in the café last week.”
Finn knew absolutely everyone in the village, but in keeping an air of
