Page 40 of A Recipe for Love
‘I saw. You were in your own world.’
Flinty cleared her throat. Bella realised, with a slight start, that she was still in the room, sitting right there, but somehow fading into the background. ‘I was telling your lass how we used to grow a lot of our own vegetables here. Well your father did.’
Adam nodded, but Bella saw his jaw tense a little.
‘You used to love that garden. You should get out there.’
He shook his head. ‘Too much else to deal with at the moment.’
By the time Bella had made omelettes for Darcy, and Flinty – in the face of much insistence that Flinty was fine and didn’t need Bella to do for her – and for herself, the atmosphere in the kitchen was almost convivial. Darcy looked brighter for having eaten. Adam felt slightly more himself. For a few minutes, at least, everyone was getting along, everyone was fed, and nobody was asking him to do anything.
‘So this is where you’re hiding?’ Veronica’s voice cut through the companionable quiet in the kitchen.
‘Not hiding.’ He tried to smile. ‘Just having lunch.’
‘Well thank Flinty, but it’s time to get back to work.’
‘Nothing to do with me,’ Flinty explained. ‘All Bella’s handiwork. Very nice to be waited on for a change.’
Adam saw his grandmother’s jaw twitch slightly. ‘Miss Smith made lunch?’
Bella nodded. ‘Do you want some? I can whip up another omelette, no problem.’
‘No thank you.’ She hadn’t moved her gaze from Adam for a second. ‘And the laird needs to get back to work.’
That was exactly what he needed to do. ‘Actually we were about to go out.’ He grabbed his fiancée’s hand, silently willing her not to give away that this intention was news to her. ‘I want to show Bella a bit more of the estate.’
Fortunately she nodded enthusiastically. ‘Great. Maybe I’ll get a bit further with a proper guide.’
She followed him down the corridor. ‘You know I can’t actually walk very far, don’t you?’ she whispered.
Oh damn. Of course. ‘That’s OK. We don’t have to go far.’
‘Just looking for a break?’
‘Something like that.’ He pulled her towards him. ‘And some time with you.’
Five minutes later, she was waiting for him by the kitchen door, turning one way and then the other to show off her new footwear.
‘You got wellies?’
‘After my little misadventure I figured I needed to start dressing for the Highlands.’
‘Very nice.’
He took her hand and led the way outside.
‘You were so lucky to grow up here.’
He was. He couldn’t deny it.
‘Darcy said the castle used to be open to visitors.’
He nodded. ‘They closed for Covid.’ He hadn’t got a straight answer out of his grandmother about why they’d never reopened.
‘Will we open it up again?’
The ‘we’ made Adam pause. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.’
