hoped you’d say that.”
She felt a warm glow inside her and hoped he meant it. She stole a glance at him liking the way his chestnut hair fell across his brow and noting his strong profile.
“Letitia and I have such a lot of catching up to do…Do you suppose she might like to see the gallery?” she asked presently.
He nodded. “She most probably would, but I think you need to take things slowly. Letitia hasn’t left Brookhurst for more than the occasional day for several years now.”
“Mmm, I’d thought of that. It is possible to do Herts in a day but it would be quite tiring - oh, goodness there’s a pheasant in that field!”
He shot a look at her. “You’re obviously a girl after my own heart. You enjoy the countryside?”
“I certainly do – now where are these properties you’ve brought me to see?”
“There’s one just round here somewhere. It’s a bit further out than I’d thought, but we’ll take a look whilst we’re here. I haven’t got an appointment but, apparently, it’s OK just to turn up.”
They walked along a muddy lane and eventually came across the house which appeared rather neglected. Lawrence looked at it in dismay.
“Well, I was told it was in need of some refurbishment but it looks more run down than I expected.”
He rang the bell and a dog started barking. After a while, the door was flung open by a large woman with iron-grey hair, wearing a grubby apron and clutching a rolling pin.
“Yes?” she asked abruptly.
“We wondered if it was convenient to look round your house?” Lawrence asked politely.
The woman scowled. “No, it is not and I’ll tell you for why. My daughter persuaded us to put it on the market, but we’ve changed our minds. We withdrew it this morning – isn’t that right, Alf?”
A small wizened little man, wearing a multi-coloured, woollen hat, came to stand beside his wife. He solemnly nodded, but didn’t say a word. Rhianna bit her lip to prevent herself from giggling.
“Well, we’re so sorry to have troubled you,” Lawrence said pleasantly.
“Right. Good-day to you.” And the woman practically slammed the door shut in their faces.
It was too much for Rhianna who, seeing the amusement in Lawrence’s eyes, gave a whoop of laughter. “He looked like a little garden gnome,” she spluttered and he joined in.
“I was a bit worried about that rolling pin,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Do you suppose she uses it to keep her husband in check?”
This set Rhianna laughing again. It eased the tension she’d been feeling for the past few days. She was enjoying Lawrence’s company more that she could have imagined.
The garden path was muddy and, at one point, she slipped and would have fallen, but Lawrence caught her arm and retained it. The contact was electric and she caught her breath, wondering if he were aware of it too.
When they arrived back at the car Lawrence said, “There is one other property I can view on the way back to Brookhurst. I know the owners and I’ve got a proper appointment this time - for eleven o’clock.”
Jill and Tom Yates were very different from the previous couple.
“You’re Letitia’s grand-daughter. Well, that’s one in the eye for Tina,” Jill remarked, as they sat over coffee in the elegant but minimally furnished sitting-room.
“Why would you say that?” Rhianna asked, startled.
“Oh, I should have thought that was obvious. You’re the official next of kin - so you stand to inherit Wisteria Lodge and everything that goes with it.”
There was a shocked silence and then Tom said, “You must excuse my wife’s bluntness, Rhianna. I’m afraid Tina rather blotted her copy book - as far as Jill was concerned - as Lawrence knows.”
Lawrence chose to ignore this comment. He drained his cup and looked pointedly at the clock.
“Well, we’d better press on,” Tom said taking the hint. “Let’s start with the kitchen, shall we?”
Rhianna followed in a daze. Did everyone
She felt a warm glow inside her and hoped he meant it. She stole a glance at him liking the way his chestnut hair fell across his brow and noting his strong profile.
“Letitia and I have such a lot of catching up to do…Do you suppose she might like to see the gallery?” she asked presently.
He nodded. “She most probably would, but I think you need to take things slowly. Letitia hasn’t left Brookhurst for more than the occasional day for several years now.”
“Mmm, I’d thought of that. It is possible to do Herts in a day but it would be quite tiring - oh, goodness there’s a pheasant in that field!”
He shot a look at her. “You’re obviously a girl after my own heart. You enjoy the countryside?”
“I certainly do – now where are these properties you’ve brought me to see?”
“There’s one just round here somewhere. It’s a bit further out than I’d thought, but we’ll take a look whilst we’re here. I haven’t got an appointment but, apparently, it’s OK just to turn up.”
They walked along a muddy lane and eventually came across the house which appeared rather neglected. Lawrence looked at it in dismay.
“Well, I was told it was in need of some refurbishment but it looks more run down than I expected.”
He rang the bell and a dog started barking. After a while, the door was flung open by a large woman with iron-grey hair, wearing a grubby apron and clutching a rolling pin.
“Yes?” she asked abruptly.
“We wondered if it was convenient to look round your house?” Lawrence asked politely.
The woman scowled. “No, it is not and I’ll tell you for why. My daughter persuaded us to put it on the market, but we’ve changed our minds. We withdrew it this morning – isn’t that right, Alf?”
A small wizened little man, wearing a multi-coloured, woollen hat, came to stand beside his wife. He solemnly nodded, but didn’t say a word. Rhianna bit her lip to prevent herself from giggling.
“Well, we’re so sorry to have troubled you,” Lawrence said pleasantly.
“Right. Good-day to you.” And the woman practically slammed the door shut in their faces.
It was too much for Rhianna who, seeing the amusement in Lawrence’s eyes, gave a whoop of laughter. “He looked like a little garden gnome,” she spluttered and he joined in.
“I was a bit worried about that rolling pin,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Do you suppose she uses it to keep her husband in check?”
This set Rhianna laughing again. It eased the tension she’d been feeling for the past few days. She was enjoying Lawrence’s company more that she could have imagined.
The garden path was muddy and, at one point, she slipped and would have fallen, but Lawrence caught her arm and retained it. The contact was electric and she caught her breath, wondering if he were aware of it too.
When they arrived back at the car Lawrence said, “There is one other property I can view on the way back to Brookhurst. I know the owners and I’ve got a proper appointment this time - for eleven o’clock.”
Jill and Tom Yates were very different from the previous couple.
“You’re Letitia’s grand-daughter. Well, that’s one in the eye for Tina,” Jill remarked, as they sat over coffee in the elegant but minimally furnished sitting-room.
“Why would you say that?” Rhianna asked, startled.
“Oh, I should have thought that was obvious. You’re the official next of kin - so you stand to inherit Wisteria Lodge and everything that goes with it.”
There was a shocked silence and then Tom said, “You must excuse my wife’s bluntness, Rhianna. I’m afraid Tina rather blotted her copy book - as far as Jill was concerned - as Lawrence knows.”
Lawrence chose to ignore this comment. He drained his cup and looked pointedly at the clock.
“Well, we’d better press on,” Tom said taking the hint. “Let’s start with the kitchen, shall we?”
Rhianna followed in a daze. Did everyone
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