‘Ah, there you are, Hattie. Marcus was just telling me about his paintings. You didn’t tell me he was an artist.’
That’s because I didn’t know, Hattie thought, wondering what Mali had divulged about Hattie. Mali was a people person, she’d strike up conversations with strangers in the shops, at bus stops, anywhere. Whilst she would never divulge anything confidential about her friends, anything else was considered conversation material and no doubt Marcus had now heard a few tales about her and Hattie’s s exploits
‘He said we can use his wi-fi too, he’s given us his password.’ Mali held up a piece of paper. ‘We can pick it up here, I’ve checked.’
Hattie felt her cheek’s flush. Trust Mali! ‘Thank you, that’s really kind of you but there’s no need . . .’
‘It’s no problem. Please use it, it doesn’t cost me any extra.’ Marcus’s eyes met hers and held them for a minute then he turned to Mali ‘Well, I’m off, I want to catch the surf a bit before I start work, so see you both later.’ He picked up his surfboard and walked out of the gate.
‘He seems very nice. I think you two just got off on the wrong foot. You should give each other another chance; I reckon you’d get on really well.’ Mali turned around. ‘He’s gorgeous and super fit. Did you get an eyeful of that body? And those tattoos?’
How could I not? ‘He’s okay, I guess,’ Hattie admitted grudgingly, refusing to acknowledge how much that eye-gaze he’d given her had melted her insides. ‘But I don’t think we’re ever going to be bezzie mates, so don’t bother trying to matchmake. If that’s what you’re doing? Or do you fancy him for yourself?’ She shot her friend a questioning look.
‘Just being friendly, hunny. I’ve already got someone on the back-burner at home.’ Mali winked and turned back to the washing. ‘These will be dry in a couple of hours. Shall I fix some breakfast?’
‘You’re my guests, I’ll do it,’ Hattie said, about to go back inside.
‘I’ve come down to look after you,’ Mali told her. ‘Go grab a shower and I’ll make us some eggs Benedict.’
Mali’s eggs Benedict were to die for. ‘Done. I’ll be ten minutes,’ Hattie agreed. ‘And later, when Lou is playing or asleep, you can tell me about your “back-burner guy”. I can’t believe you haven’t mentioned it.’
Mali grinned. ‘That’s because it’s only just happened. It’s someone I met at the gym. He asked me for a date last week but I’m still thinking about it.’ She looked over her shoulder as Lou came out into the garden.
Mali had started going to the gym a few years ago to get rid of her ‘baby belly’ which still clung to her when Lou was a toddler. She loved it, and her body was now toned and fit. She had tried to persuade Hattie to go a few times but Hattie’s preferred exercise was swimming. She was hoping to have some early morning swims in the sea while she was living in Cornwall.
As she showered, Hattie’s mind drifted to what Mali had told her about Marcus being an artist. Mandy had said he was one of the chefs at the hotel, so Hattie guessed that meant he did his painting in his spare time, as she had done with her photography. She wondered what he painted. Mali will soon find out, she thought with a smile as she turned off the shower and reached for her towel. By the time Mali went home on Friday, she would probably know all Marcus’s life story. She had the knack of talking to people and extracting information from them. It was Mali’s bubbly personality that had attracted Hattie to her at high school. An only child, Hattie was quieter and more reserved, whereas Mali came from a big family. It had been a few years before Hattie had realised that behind that friendly face and big smile, Mali was dealing with her own issues and that big families had their problems too.
It was lovely having Mali and Lou here, she was really looking forward to the next few days.
She glanced at her phone as a text pinged in: Breakfast is done.
His conversation with Mali, Hattie’s friend, had been interesting, Marcus thought as he drove over to Thomwell Manor. Mali was lively and fun. He liked her, and the conversation had flowed easily – until Hattie had come out. It was a shame that he and Hattie had got off on the wrong foot and there was the awkwardness between them. From what Mali had said, she’d had a bit of a double whammy – losing her job and her home – and Albert’s inheritance had come just in time. He wished he’d been a bit kinder to her. He was always too impulsive when forming an opinion, his father had always told him that. ‘Don’t be so quick to judge, son,’ he’d said when Marcus had spouted off about something, but Marcus was like his mother, hot-headed, impetuous, and fiercely loyal. It was his loyalty to Albert, that had made him attack Hattie. She wasn’t a pushover though, and had held her ground, managing to look feisty and forceful even when she was completely naked. An image of her gorgeous curvy body flashed into his mind. She hadn’t freaked out about him walking in on her like that either, just grabbed the tablecloth and wrapped it around herself before laying into him. She really was something. She had an edge to her, too, with that tattoo on her arm and the fact she rode a motorbike. He sensed a bit of a wild side to her and it intrigued him.
He pulled up outside the manor gates and was about to press the intercom button to announce his arrival when they started
