Page 105 of Fundamentals in Flirting

“I’m letting you help me with the gardening, so you can trim that bloody hedge as you wish so you can nosy into my property.”

“Right. Good. Well…” Teddy glanced at me, silently urging me for something – what, I had no idea. “Don’t be mad, Agnes, but I’ve got someone here to see you.”

We both craned our necks to look as Teddy stepped into the garden with an elderly gentleman and a tall, young man, who both came into view through the gap in the thick privet hedge.

Agnes’s hand began to shake, and I gently took the cup from her, placing it securely back on the saucer.

“Are you ok?” I asked, but she was fixated on the people who had just appeared, ignoring my question entirely.

“Agnes,” the older gentleman said quietly.

“Edward?”

Teddy blew out a long breath. “Yes, I tracked down your brother-in-law, Agnes. It turns out he only lives ten miles away with his family and was very keen to see you again.”

A young, dark-haired woman appeared too, holding a small, chubby-cheeked toddler and clasping hands with an older child, who hid shyly behind her mother’s legs.

“Hello, Agnes. I’m Rose and this is Freddie, my husband, and our children, Benjamin and Elizabeth.”

“This is my girlfriend, Hannah Havens,” Teddy added, proudly.

Emotion brimmed over in Agnes’s eyes. Her lip trembled.

“How did you find him?”

Teddy ran his hands through his hair, before rubbing his chin a little self-consciously.

“It took a bit of effort, but it’s amazing the contacts my mother has through the WI.”

“It’s been so long. How are you?” Edward Timms stepped forward, and I helped Agnes to her feet and she stumbled into his arms, hugging like they were clinging on for dear life.

Edging away from the table, Teddy took my hand and pulled me in under his arm then gently kissed my hair. We watched the Timms family gather around Agnes, bringing her into the fold. Delight was evident on her face and tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

“You’re a marvellous man, Mr Fraser,” I whispered.

“Why, thank you. What a verynicething to say. Have you been taking lessons, Dr Havens?”

“Oh yes, from a master of flirting. It’s been a real eye-opener.”

Freddie Timms turned to us and smiled. It was a familiar expression I’d seen in a tatty black and white photo in Agnes’s kitchen.

“Thank you so much for contacting us, Ted. Being able to connect with Agnes after all these years has really lifted my dad, and for us all to meet our long-lost aunt has been astounding and wonderful. We have their wedding pictures in an album and my father talks about his brother so fondly.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And of course, Agnes is very much part of our family now she’s been found again. We’ll help wherever we can,” Rose added, the toddler wriggling in her arms and squeaking to get down.

“If you head up into the orchard, there are some baby goats to meet. They love children,” I said quietly, indicating the rickety gate beyond the overgrown flower bed, and the Timms family meandered away with a grateful smile, all of them excited as children as they entered the realms of a secret garden.

Meanwhile, Edward had cranked the gramophone up again and taken Agnes in his arms. With overjoyed laughter, the two were dancing together, chatting excitedly and waltzing about the patio, a lightness now gracing their every step.

Snuggling in tighter to Teddy, I slipped my hand into the back pocket of his shorts and squeezed. “Such a do-gooder, and here I was thinking I’d fallen for the evil twin.”

Teddy huffed into my hair, muttering, “You definitely did. All this niceness has just been a ruse to lure you into my lair and never let you escape.”

He did a very good imitation of evil laughter.

“Yeah, I don’t buy that at all.”

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