Read Online Country Lovers by Rebecca Shaw - Free Book Online Page A

you’re like this. Come in, just to talk, eh?”
    Letty shrugged her shoulders and the car began to move, so Joy had no alternative but to shut the door and let her drive away. She watched Letty disappear into the main road, thinking that she hadn’t seen her so emotional since she’d known her. Actually asking for people’s impressions of her! Unheard of. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so blunt. All that emotion right there at the surface. There was something definitely wrong with Letty.
    As Joy passed the accounts office, Kate called out, “Oh, there you are. We’ve been looking for you. Rose is just going.”
    â€œOh, right.”
    Rose asked Joy if she’d done something wrong. “Did I say something I shouldn’t? It’s not like Letty, is it? Is she still here?”
    â€œShe’s gone. For some reason she’s very upset, and she won’t tell me what it is. So don’t worry. I’m going to catch up with Colin and have a quiet word. Lovely to see you, Rose; pop in any time. You’ll be most welcome.”
    â€œShould I go see her? Would she mind? Apologize or something?”
    â€œWell, I expect she’d prefer to be alone right now because she asked me what people thought about her, and I told her. I wish I hadn’t, but she insisted.” Not for the world would she tell Rose it was the baby who had upset Letty.
    â€œPerhaps I’ll send her a card. Yes, I’ll send her a card.” At this point Jonathan began to cry, a pitiful, heartfelt cry that couldn’t be ignored. “That’s his I-am-hungry cry, so I’d better go.” Rose left in a flurry of good-byes and good wishes.
    Joy saw her to the car. “You’ve got a lovely baby there, Rose; you must be very happy.”
    â€œOh, we are, Danny and I, very happy.”
    â€œI’m glad, so glad. Be seeing you.”
    After Rose left, Joy rang Colin and told him of the afternoon’s episode and how worried she was. Colin didn’t reply for a moment and then said, “I’m worried too. She’s not a bit like herself. I’ve only one more call; I’ll go straight home from there.”
    â€œGood, she might need a large dose of TLC.”
    â€œOf what?”
    â€œTLC. Tender Loving Care.”
    â€œAh! Right. I’ll see she gets it.”
    So Joy went home that afternoon feeling uneasy about Letty. Duncan had started another contract, and with his being withdrawn, his mind on solving his computer problems, she guessed
she
wouldn’t be on the receiving end of some TLC. In fact, she’d be lucky to get a word from him all evening.
    But the moment she opened the front door she could smell…what was it? Beef casserole? Chicken? So she was to get some loving care after all.
    She found him in the kitchen putting a dessert in the fridge. “Duncan! How wonderful you’ve started the meal. What’s in the oven?”
    â€œThat rooster who kept waking you up and driving you mad.”
    â€œNot the Duke of Wellington?”
    Duncan laughed. “The very same. The dish is called Joy’s Revenge.”
    Joy put down her bag on the table and pulled out a chair. “I don’t know if I can eat him. I got very fond of him lately.”
    â€œWell, you’d better; there’s nothing else. We need to stock up.” Duncan kissed her and asked, “How’s it been?”
    â€œRose brought the baby in. He is gorgeous—very fair skin like Rose, but dark haired and so like Dan it’s laughable. And Rose, of course, as slender as ever, looking perfectly lovely. I do envy her. She’s one of those people who, if you called at the house on the off chance, and she was wearing torn jeans and an old sweater and her hair was all over the place and she was painting the ceiling, would still look beautiful. It simply isn’t fair.” She smiled ruefully at Duncan.
    â€œYou look beautiful always.