Page 10 of Marry Me…Maybe?
He scowled. ‘Never heard of it. I don’t watch television.’
‘You don’t watch television?’ She took an exaggerated step back and threw out her hands in mock shock.
He grunted in response and turned away to pour them both a mug of coffee. ‘I have better things to do with my time,’ he said over his shoulder.
‘Like tinkering with your tools?’
He turned back and handed her a mug, which she took gratefully, inhaling the wonderful aroma deep into her lungs.
‘Like making equipment for people with mobility issues to help give them some freedom,’ he said.
That brought her up short. ‘Impressive.’
He shrugged the compliment off as if it meant nothing and gestured for them both to sit down at the large oak table in the middle of the room.
‘So, what led you to the business of making mobility aids?’ she asked, once they were settled.
‘I had an older brother who had severe mobility issues. I used to invent things to help him get around and carry out what we think of as easy day-to-day tasks so he didn’t feel so trapped and frustrated. I found I was good at it, and I enjoyed it, so I went on to study engineering at university.’
‘And your mother was okay with that?’ she asked, blowing across the top of her drink to cool it down before taking a sip.
‘Not really. She wanted me to go into politics. But I studied at Cambridge, and appeared to be rubbing shoulders with the right people, so she let it slide.’
‘Where’s your brother now?’
‘He died when I was twenty. He had a lot of health issues so it was always on the cards.’
‘Sorry to hear that.’
He shrugged and looked down at his coffee. ‘Life can be cruel.’
‘But you’re actively doing something to make a difference to people who’ve caught a bad break – that’s admirable.’
He took a long sip of his drink, his brow furrowed as if he was thinking about what she’d said. ‘I’d like to do more but it’s a long game, building up a business in this tough financial environment. I do a lot of work pro bono, because the people who need help the most are usually the ones that can’t afford it. They often need things custom-made to suit the ergonomics of their house. Everyone’s needs are different. Occupational therapists do a wonderful job, but there’s only so much they can achieve with their limited funding.’
‘Is that why you’ve been hiring this place out for weddings?’
‘Yeah – in an attempt to keep up with the running costs of this place, and my living expenses, until the business starts making money. And also, because I like to see the place full of life. It seems perverse for me to be rattling around in it on my own all the time.’
‘If you’re so worried about it being too big and expensive for you, why don’t you move out to somewhere smaller?’ she asked, taking another gulp of coffee, enjoying the smoky taste of it on her tongue.
He looked at her as though she’d said something ridiculous. ‘Because this is my ancestral home. It’s been in the Berkeley family for four hundred years. My mother’s not interested in living here any more, and if I wasn’t here she’d probably sell it to the highest bidder. I’m not about to let some money-focused developer get their grubby hands on it and turn it into apartments or a golfing hotel.’ He pulled his face into a grimace.
‘Not a big fan of golfing?’
‘No.’
‘Balls too small?’ She couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across her face.
He gave her a warning frown. ‘You’re going to have to watch your mouth around my mother – she’s pretty uptight.’
‘Don’t sweat it. I will,’ she said, draining the last drop of her drink and managing to spill a bit on her top.
‘And you’re going to have to scrub up your appearance in order to impress her,’ he said, indicating her torn jeans, biker boots and the wide-necked T-shirt hanging off one shoulder, flashing her bra strap.
Emily waved a breezy hand in the air. ‘Not a problem. Don’t worry, I’ll have her wrapped around my little finger in half a day, max.’
‘You’re very sure of yourself.’
