Page 102 of A Recipe for Love
‘He broke his ankle, so he’s making…’ Jill paused. ‘I don’t know, Adolescent Strachan, run around after him.’
Veronica nodded. ‘Poor chap. We should send…’ She looked at Flinty. ‘Something?’
‘Flowers?’
‘To the Strachans?’ Anna laughed. ‘Wouldn’t know what to do with them.’
‘I could make shortbread?’ Bella offered.
Veronica nodded. ‘Excellent idea.’
Jill approved, too. ‘I honestly think they just eat toast and bacon butties up there. I’m surprised they don’t all have heart attacks at fifty.’ She stopped and glanced at Darcy. ‘I’m sorry.’
Darcy nodded mutely. The silence that fell felt heavy and laden with awkwardness.
Flinty cleared her throat. ‘Well it’d save all this Old Man debate if they did.’
There was a moment where people seemed to be debating with themselves whether it was all right to break the tension by laughing or whether that would be even more inappropriate. Netty broke first, letting out a booming guffaw that rose from her belly and shook her whole body.
And that, in itself, set Bella off, and then Jill and Anna and Nina and Flinty, and eventually even Darcy. Bella caught sight of Veronica out of the corner of her eye and saw that she permitted herself a small tight smile and a tiny nod of the head, before going back to sipping her too milky tea.
‘So we haven’t seen you for a good long time, Lady Lowbridge?’ Anna turned pointedly towards the elder Lady Lowbridge. ‘Making sure we don’t damage the good china?’ There was an edge to Anna’s tone that Bella recognised from her first visit to the village shop.
‘Not at all. You’re in our home. I simply wanted to extend a welcome.’
‘Which is very kind of you.’ Jill cut off whatever Anna might have been going to say next.
The other women murmured vague agreement.
‘So are we going to see you at more village events?’ Anna’s tone was softer now, but Bella couldn’t escape the sense that there was something underlying it. ‘I’m sure Maggie would love to see more of you.’ She paused. Flinty was glaring. ‘In the village,’ Anna added.
‘I haven’t really thought about it.’ Veronica’s voice was as cool as ever.
Jill and Darcy exchanged a look. Bella suspected they were every bit as in the dark as she was about what was actually going on here. Netty was staring at her teacup with sudden intense interest. Nina cleared her throat. ‘Well I’m hosting a little garden party next week, for the bridge appeal. I’m sure we’d all love to see you there.’ She turned towards Darcy. ‘You as well Lady, other Lady, Lowbridge. Gosh, this is going to get even more confusing when you marry the laird, isn’t it?’
Bella shook her head. ‘I’m sure you can still call me Bella.’
The further pursing of Veronica’s lips suggested there would be a conversation about that idea later.
‘You know Nina’s place, don’t you Lady Lowbridge?’ Anna was smiling now. ‘It used to be Maggie’s parents’ house. Pavel’s got his gym in the back shed now.’
Where on earth was she going with that?
‘He does personal training,’ Nina added.
‘Oh yes, women from all over Lowbridge work up a sweat in there these days.’ Anna’s face was innocent, but there was definitely something going on that Bella didn’t understand.
Veronica looked as though the bee she was permanently chewing had finally decided to sting.
‘These fairy cakes are delicious,’ Jill announced loudly and non-sequiturially. ‘Did you make these, Bella?’
‘No. They’re Flinty’s.’
‘Well they’re excellent.’ Jill smiled broadly in Veronica’s direction. ‘You’re so lucky to have Flinty taking care of you.’
Anna opened her mouth, but Veronica got in first. ‘She’s a wonderful cook. I don’t know what I, well we, would do without her.’
Flinty’s face coloured deeper red. Veronica and Anna were still glaring daggers at one another.
