Stella helped her load the framed prints into the boot of the car.
'No problem. Give my love to Max. It's nice to meet you.' Stella straightened up. 'We could go out for a drink sometime if you like. I'll introduce you to my friends. Actually, that might not work. You're probably too young. OK, never mind. Well, I'm sure we'll bump into each other again, anyway. I'd better get back inside before that couple start helping themselves to the till.'
'Who? Stella? Oh God,' said Erin.
See? This was the trouble with not knowing people's back grounds; you never really knew them until you knew them.
'Why? What's up with her?' said Tilly. 'She seemed quite nice. Friendly enough. Quite blunt though. And very confident. I heard all about her husband running off. She's convinced he's going to come crawling back.'
'Oh God.'
Tilly experienced a rush of relief that she hadn't arranged to meet Stella for a drink. 'What's wrong? Is she a complete nightmare?'
Carefully, Erin put down the red beaded evening dress she'd been checking over. 'I've been seeing Fergus.'
'Who?' Honestly, this was like twenty questions.
'Stella's husband.' Erin licked her lips. 'I was going to tell you.'
Tilly winced. 'Oh my God. Is that why he left her?'
'No! Nothing like that. They broke up six months ago. We only started seeing each other a few weeks ago.' Fiddling with the shoul der straps of the beaded evening dress, Erin said, 'But obviously no one else knows. Especially not Stella. I don't think she'd take it very well if she found out.'
'I only just met her and I already know that's the understate ment of the year.'
'Well, that's why we're not going to tell her.'
'Scary,' said Tilly. 'Is he worth it?'
A dreamy look spread over Erin's face. 'He's the nicest, nicest man.'
'Does he know she's waiting for him to go back to her?'
'Of course he knows. She's told everyone in Roxborough!' Defiantly, Erin said, 'But it's not going to happen. Sooner or later she'll have to accept that.'
'Crikey,' Tilly marveled. 'You're really serious about him.'
'I've waited a long time for something like this to happen. And now it has.' Erin was all aglow. 'Fergus is worth being serious about.'
While they were on the subject…
'Ooh, guess who I met yesterday? The owner of the car I skidded into when I leapfrogged over that bin the other week!'
'Oh bloody hell, you mean he recognized you? Was he cross?'
'He was pretty good about it, all things considered. It was a brand new car.' Tilly couldn't suppress a squiggle of excitement at the thought of seeing him again tomorrow. 'He seemed quite nice too. His name's Jack.'
Had she secretly been wanting Erin to clap her hands and shriek, 'Of course! My God, you two would be perfect for each other!'?
Well, secretly, maybe she had.
Instead Erin did a comical double take. 'Jack? You mean Jack Lucas?' She looked horror-struck. 'Oh no, don't even think of going there, that's one man you definitely wouldn't want to get serious about.'
'Why does everyone keep telling me that?' It was like when you were little and your mum warned you that if you waded any deeper into the pond, water was going to slosh into your wellies.
'Trust me, I've seen it happen a million times.' Erin had her pay-attention-now-because-I-mean-it face on. 'I'm saying it because it's true.'
Tilly pretended to examine a long black velvet coat with a tur quoise silk lining.
'Tilly. Are you listening to me?'
'Yes. This is nice.'
Let's face it, she never had been able to resist getting her feet wet.
Chapter 9
'SEE HOW SHINY MY car is? That's because I put it through the car wash last night,' said Jack. 'So try not to throw yourself over the bonnet.'
'I'll do my best to control myself.' Tilly emerged from Max's BMW, parked behind
'No problem. Give my love to Max. It's nice to meet you.' Stella straightened up. 'We could go out for a drink sometime if you like. I'll introduce you to my friends. Actually, that might not work. You're probably too young. OK, never mind. Well, I'm sure we'll bump into each other again, anyway. I'd better get back inside before that couple start helping themselves to the till.'
'Who? Stella? Oh God,' said Erin.
See? This was the trouble with not knowing people's back grounds; you never really knew them until you knew them.
'Why? What's up with her?' said Tilly. 'She seemed quite nice. Friendly enough. Quite blunt though. And very confident. I heard all about her husband running off. She's convinced he's going to come crawling back.'
'Oh God.'
Tilly experienced a rush of relief that she hadn't arranged to meet Stella for a drink. 'What's wrong? Is she a complete nightmare?'
Carefully, Erin put down the red beaded evening dress she'd been checking over. 'I've been seeing Fergus.'
'Who?' Honestly, this was like twenty questions.
'Stella's husband.' Erin licked her lips. 'I was going to tell you.'
Tilly winced. 'Oh my God. Is that why he left her?'
'No! Nothing like that. They broke up six months ago. We only started seeing each other a few weeks ago.' Fiddling with the shoul der straps of the beaded evening dress, Erin said, 'But obviously no one else knows. Especially not Stella. I don't think she'd take it very well if she found out.'
'I only just met her and I already know that's the understate ment of the year.'
'Well, that's why we're not going to tell her.'
'Scary,' said Tilly. 'Is he worth it?'
A dreamy look spread over Erin's face. 'He's the nicest, nicest man.'
'Does he know she's waiting for him to go back to her?'
'Of course he knows. She's told everyone in Roxborough!' Defiantly, Erin said, 'But it's not going to happen. Sooner or later she'll have to accept that.'
'Crikey,' Tilly marveled. 'You're really serious about him.'
'I've waited a long time for something like this to happen. And now it has.' Erin was all aglow. 'Fergus is worth being serious about.'
While they were on the subject…
'Ooh, guess who I met yesterday? The owner of the car I skidded into when I leapfrogged over that bin the other week!'
'Oh bloody hell, you mean he recognized you? Was he cross?'
'He was pretty good about it, all things considered. It was a brand new car.' Tilly couldn't suppress a squiggle of excitement at the thought of seeing him again tomorrow. 'He seemed quite nice too. His name's Jack.'
Had she secretly been wanting Erin to clap her hands and shriek, 'Of course! My God, you two would be perfect for each other!'?
Well, secretly, maybe she had.
Instead Erin did a comical double take. 'Jack? You mean Jack Lucas?' She looked horror-struck. 'Oh no, don't even think of going there, that's one man you definitely wouldn't want to get serious about.'
'Why does everyone keep telling me that?' It was like when you were little and your mum warned you that if you waded any deeper into the pond, water was going to slosh into your wellies.
'Trust me, I've seen it happen a million times.' Erin had her pay-attention-now-because-I-mean-it face on. 'I'm saying it because it's true.'
Tilly pretended to examine a long black velvet coat with a tur quoise silk lining.
'Tilly. Are you listening to me?'
'Yes. This is nice.'
Let's face it, she never had been able to resist getting her feet wet.
Chapter 9
'SEE HOW SHINY MY car is? That's because I put it through the car wash last night,' said Jack. 'So try not to throw yourself over the bonnet.'
'I'll do my best to control myself.' Tilly emerged from Max's BMW, parked behind
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