crouched down beside her. ‘Madison, you know I’d never ever read your diary.’
When she didn’t respond, he said, ‘You’re not bothered about last night, are you, about not coming with us?’
She pressed her lips tightly shut and shook her head.
‘What then?’ He put a hand on her arm. ‘Did you and Lauren have a bust-up?’
He was being so nice to her and his voice was so soft and gentle she should have felt better, but hearing Lauren’s name was too much and she couldn’t stop herself from flinging her arms around him and blurting it all out.
Chapter Ten
Originally Eliza was going to go up to Cloverdale Farm on her own to fetch the eggs Mum needed for lunch, but then her sister had said she’d come as she fancied a walk.
Given Daisy’s childhood history of seismic tantrums and door slamming, nobody would have been surprised if she’d left with Jensen and Tattie in a tearful strop last night, but no, she’d stayed, and Eliza could only presume she’d done so in the hope of bringing Dad round.
Just before she’d gone up to bed last night, Eliza had overheard Daisy asking their father if she could talk to him, seeing as they’d both calmed down. ‘I really don’t know what to say to you right now,’ he’d said. ‘I think it would be better if we talked in the morning.’ Eliza couldn’t recall him ever sounding so cold with Daisy as she did then; it must have upset her enormously.
At breakfast this morning, with Dad not around – he’d been up early to go and play golf – Daisy had spoken in more detail to Mum and Eliza about why she wanted to go to Australia, how Scott was absolutely convinced she could make a good life for herself there. ‘I feel like I’m stuck in the rut of doom here,’ she’d complained, ‘and I’m only twenty-three. There’s got to be more to life than the brain-numbing nine-to-five boredom I currently have to cope with. I want more than that. Is that so wrong?’
Her sister’s words had resonated with Eliza in a way she would never have expected. There was nothing boring or nine-to-five about her job with Merchant Swift, far from it, but since she’d met Greg, she had begun to think that a fulfilling life outside of work was something she would like to have.
Having collected the eggs from Sue at Cloverdale Farm and heard the latest on her twin daughters whom Daisy used to babysit and who were now doing their GCSEs, they retraced their steps towards the centre of the village. The green, with its semi-circle of attractively thatched cottages that led up to Medlar House and the church, was generally considered to be the jewel in Little Pelham’s crown, but Eliza thought Cloverdale Lane was the real gem. She loved the eclectic mix of stone-built cottages, the way they were squeezed in so closely they seemed almost ready to break free and tumble down the steep and narrow twisting road. She liked the tiny front gardens too, the way the owners all took such pride in them, filling the spaces with as much colour as they could. She was no flower expert, but as she and Daisy made their way down the hill, Eliza could recognize London pride, catmint, aubrietia, clematis, alliums and the frothy yellow flowers of lady’s mantle.
When they reached the junction with the main road, they waited for a chestnut mare ridden by a girl they didn’t know to clip-clop slowly by.
‘So what do you really think about Jensen’s girlfriend?’ Daisy asked as they turned right to go on to Parr’s, which was Little Pelham’s one and only shop – a post office and food store combined. ‘She wasn’t at all what I imagined. Not that I have any idea what kind of girls he’s ever been out with in the past. I mean, he’s always so secretive.’
With all the drama Daisy had caused last night they hadn’t had a real chance to discuss Jensen and Tattie in any detail. ‘I liked her,’ Eliza said simply. ‘And as for his secrecy, we’re all as bad as one another. Look what you
When she didn’t respond, he said, ‘You’re not bothered about last night, are you, about not coming with us?’
She pressed her lips tightly shut and shook her head.
‘What then?’ He put a hand on her arm. ‘Did you and Lauren have a bust-up?’
He was being so nice to her and his voice was so soft and gentle she should have felt better, but hearing Lauren’s name was too much and she couldn’t stop herself from flinging her arms around him and blurting it all out.
Chapter Ten
Originally Eliza was going to go up to Cloverdale Farm on her own to fetch the eggs Mum needed for lunch, but then her sister had said she’d come as she fancied a walk.
Given Daisy’s childhood history of seismic tantrums and door slamming, nobody would have been surprised if she’d left with Jensen and Tattie in a tearful strop last night, but no, she’d stayed, and Eliza could only presume she’d done so in the hope of bringing Dad round.
Just before she’d gone up to bed last night, Eliza had overheard Daisy asking their father if she could talk to him, seeing as they’d both calmed down. ‘I really don’t know what to say to you right now,’ he’d said. ‘I think it would be better if we talked in the morning.’ Eliza couldn’t recall him ever sounding so cold with Daisy as she did then; it must have upset her enormously.
At breakfast this morning, with Dad not around – he’d been up early to go and play golf – Daisy had spoken in more detail to Mum and Eliza about why she wanted to go to Australia, how Scott was absolutely convinced she could make a good life for herself there. ‘I feel like I’m stuck in the rut of doom here,’ she’d complained, ‘and I’m only twenty-three. There’s got to be more to life than the brain-numbing nine-to-five boredom I currently have to cope with. I want more than that. Is that so wrong?’
Her sister’s words had resonated with Eliza in a way she would never have expected. There was nothing boring or nine-to-five about her job with Merchant Swift, far from it, but since she’d met Greg, she had begun to think that a fulfilling life outside of work was something she would like to have.
Having collected the eggs from Sue at Cloverdale Farm and heard the latest on her twin daughters whom Daisy used to babysit and who were now doing their GCSEs, they retraced their steps towards the centre of the village. The green, with its semi-circle of attractively thatched cottages that led up to Medlar House and the church, was generally considered to be the jewel in Little Pelham’s crown, but Eliza thought Cloverdale Lane was the real gem. She loved the eclectic mix of stone-built cottages, the way they were squeezed in so closely they seemed almost ready to break free and tumble down the steep and narrow twisting road. She liked the tiny front gardens too, the way the owners all took such pride in them, filling the spaces with as much colour as they could. She was no flower expert, but as she and Daisy made their way down the hill, Eliza could recognize London pride, catmint, aubrietia, clematis, alliums and the frothy yellow flowers of lady’s mantle.
When they reached the junction with the main road, they waited for a chestnut mare ridden by a girl they didn’t know to clip-clop slowly by.
‘So what do you really think about Jensen’s girlfriend?’ Daisy asked as they turned right to go on to Parr’s, which was Little Pelham’s one and only shop – a post office and food store combined. ‘She wasn’t at all what I imagined. Not that I have any idea what kind of girls he’s ever been out with in the past. I mean, he’s always so secretive.’
With all the drama Daisy had caused last night they hadn’t had a real chance to discuss Jensen and Tattie in any detail. ‘I liked her,’ Eliza said simply. ‘And as for his secrecy, we’re all as bad as one another. Look what you
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