in her head.
Could she be guilty of missing the signs the way she had with her father?
The experience had made Miranda more sensitive to signs others might well have missed and she had already been puzzled by the contradictions: he wore expensive clothes, but drove a wreck of a car, but had driven, in Liam’s words, a ‘big, big car’, now the ‘lost’ wallet—all suggested someone who had suffered a recent change of fortune …
Was it possible he wasn’t being awkward for the sake of it but simply because he had nowhere else to go? Maybe like her father he had lost his job, possibly even his home. He wouldn’t be the first man, as she knew only too well, who found the subject difficult to discuss.
Miranda made an impulsive decision. ‘It’s all right,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ve got it,’ she added, extracting the notes from her purse, and handed them to Joe before she made a few more admiring noises about the contents.
‘Shall I bring the usual delivery on Monday, then?’
‘Yes, please, that would be lovely.’ She followed Joe out into the yard discussing the next delivery.
Her thoughts very much on the man indoors and his possiblesituation, it took her a moment to respond to Joe’s surprise invitation.
‘A drink in the pub?’
‘About eight-thirty. I’m meeting a few friends. I could pick you up if you like …?’
On the point of refusing, she suddenly thought,
Why not?
Back in the house she got straight to the point. ‘Look, I’ve been thinking and you’re right—there’s plenty of room for us all here.’ She reached for the coffee pot and filled her mug. ‘In fact you’d be doing me a favour.’
Startled by this sudden turnaround, Gianni stared at her suspiciously.
‘I would?’
‘Yes … this place is a bit in the middle of nowhere, and I’d be nervous at nights here alone …’
Convinced he was missing something, but not sure what, Gianni put his hand over his mug before she ladled sugar into it. ‘You do not strike me as the nervous type.’
Her eyes slid from his. ‘Well, I am. Look, do you want to stay or not?’
His brow furrowed. ‘I want to stay,’ he admitted.
‘Fine, well, I’m sure we can manage without getting in each other’s way—it’s a big house.’
Who are you trying to convince, Mirrie?
‘Look, I’ll leave you to … I’ll just go muck out the horses.’
It was delaying the inevitable but she spent the rest of the morning with the animals. At one point Liam joined her, wanting to ride on the donkey, but before she could respond his father appeared.
‘Come on, Liam.’
‘Oh, he’s fine with me.’ It was the father who she was anxious to avoid; the child was a joy.
Gianni took his son’s hand. His eyes were inexplicablycold as they brushed her face. ‘I don’t need a babysitter. Liam is with me.’
Mirada watched him stride away, almost dragging the reluctant boy, fuming at his rudeness. What was his problem? The way he had acted you’d have thought she was about to steal the boy!
Well, as far as she was concerned he could go … well, go anywhere where she wasn’t.
Having stretched her chores outside as far as lunchtime, she went indoors, but only to get her car keys. Lucy had mentioned the weekly farmer’s market in the nearby town. Miranda had planned to visit it and the idea of escaping the house at the moment was an extra incentive to bring forward her plan.
There was no sign of her house guests, though she did not look too hard. Instead she left a note on the kitchen table explaining where she’d gone.
The market was every bit as good as Lucy had said and she spent a few pleasant hours wandering around the colourful stalls.
It was after six by the time she returned to find the remains of a supper were on the kitchen table and there were sounds coming from the adjoining sitting room.
She dropped her bags, pulled out the sweets she had bought for Liam and went into the sitting room. For a few moments she stood
Could she be guilty of missing the signs the way she had with her father?
The experience had made Miranda more sensitive to signs others might well have missed and she had already been puzzled by the contradictions: he wore expensive clothes, but drove a wreck of a car, but had driven, in Liam’s words, a ‘big, big car’, now the ‘lost’ wallet—all suggested someone who had suffered a recent change of fortune …
Was it possible he wasn’t being awkward for the sake of it but simply because he had nowhere else to go? Maybe like her father he had lost his job, possibly even his home. He wouldn’t be the first man, as she knew only too well, who found the subject difficult to discuss.
Miranda made an impulsive decision. ‘It’s all right,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ve got it,’ she added, extracting the notes from her purse, and handed them to Joe before she made a few more admiring noises about the contents.
‘Shall I bring the usual delivery on Monday, then?’
‘Yes, please, that would be lovely.’ She followed Joe out into the yard discussing the next delivery.
Her thoughts very much on the man indoors and his possiblesituation, it took her a moment to respond to Joe’s surprise invitation.
‘A drink in the pub?’
‘About eight-thirty. I’m meeting a few friends. I could pick you up if you like …?’
On the point of refusing, she suddenly thought,
Why not?
Back in the house she got straight to the point. ‘Look, I’ve been thinking and you’re right—there’s plenty of room for us all here.’ She reached for the coffee pot and filled her mug. ‘In fact you’d be doing me a favour.’
Startled by this sudden turnaround, Gianni stared at her suspiciously.
‘I would?’
‘Yes … this place is a bit in the middle of nowhere, and I’d be nervous at nights here alone …’
Convinced he was missing something, but not sure what, Gianni put his hand over his mug before she ladled sugar into it. ‘You do not strike me as the nervous type.’
Her eyes slid from his. ‘Well, I am. Look, do you want to stay or not?’
His brow furrowed. ‘I want to stay,’ he admitted.
‘Fine, well, I’m sure we can manage without getting in each other’s way—it’s a big house.’
Who are you trying to convince, Mirrie?
‘Look, I’ll leave you to … I’ll just go muck out the horses.’
It was delaying the inevitable but she spent the rest of the morning with the animals. At one point Liam joined her, wanting to ride on the donkey, but before she could respond his father appeared.
‘Come on, Liam.’
‘Oh, he’s fine with me.’ It was the father who she was anxious to avoid; the child was a joy.
Gianni took his son’s hand. His eyes were inexplicablycold as they brushed her face. ‘I don’t need a babysitter. Liam is with me.’
Mirada watched him stride away, almost dragging the reluctant boy, fuming at his rudeness. What was his problem? The way he had acted you’d have thought she was about to steal the boy!
Well, as far as she was concerned he could go … well, go anywhere where she wasn’t.
Having stretched her chores outside as far as lunchtime, she went indoors, but only to get her car keys. Lucy had mentioned the weekly farmer’s market in the nearby town. Miranda had planned to visit it and the idea of escaping the house at the moment was an extra incentive to bring forward her plan.
There was no sign of her house guests, though she did not look too hard. Instead she left a note on the kitchen table explaining where she’d gone.
The market was every bit as good as Lucy had said and she spent a few pleasant hours wandering around the colourful stalls.
It was after six by the time she returned to find the remains of a supper were on the kitchen table and there were sounds coming from the adjoining sitting room.
She dropped her bags, pulled out the sweets she had bought for Liam and went into the sitting room. For a few moments she stood
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