Page 75 of Merrily Ever After
It was just after seven o’clock and they were in the Bristly Badger pub in the centre of Wetherley, just off the market square.
‘Love it,’ said Will, ‘and always up for finding a new pub.’
‘Me too,’ agreed Emily, taking in the details of the Bristly Badger. It had a welcoming vibe, decorated up to the hilt with Christmas lights and tinsel, and all the bar staff were dressed in novelty sweaters. ‘I’m far more at home in a cosy pub than a swanky restaurant where you have to navigate an entire army of cutlery, all the time worrying that you were buttering your bread with the wrong knife.’
Will grinned. ‘Same here. Give me a shack on a beach where you eat with your fingers any time.’
‘Heaven,’ she said with a wistful sigh. For a second, Emily’s imagination transported her to a white sandy beach, turquoise waters and an azure sky. A table for two under a parasol, a platter of freshly caught fish grilled on the barbecue, their fingers greasy with butter, skin sun-kissed and tingling from swimming in the sea …
‘Not too hot by the fire?’ Will asked, breaking her thoughts.
‘Oh. Not at all.’ She pressed a hand to her warm cheeks, which had nothing to do with the log fire and everything to do with the thought of Will wearing nothing but shorts and a suntan. ‘I’m getting used to warm rooms. Springwood House is practically tropical. My cottage feels glacial by comparison.’
‘Mine definitely is glacial,’ he replied and told her that he lived in a house-share with two other guys, both ofwhom liked to keep the heating costs down. ‘I have to pile on the layers, and they tease me for being too soft. I’m getting warm now though.’ He pulled off his jumper over his head and his shirt came untucked, revealing a strip of toned stomach.
Me too. Butterflies danced in her stomach; he was far sexier than Gavin had been. Not just in looks – although he was very handsome – but in the way he focused on her so intently. Who knew eye contact could be such a turn-on? Another flush of heat rose to her face, and she gulped her tonic water too quickly and coughed. This was not why she’d asked him to meet up.
‘OK,’ she began, placing the palms of her hands on the table. ‘Firstly, thanks for agreeing to meet me, and secondly, apologies for disturbing you at work today.’
Will grinned. ‘I feel like we’ve slipped into a committee meeting and any second you’re going to be reading the minutes of the last meeting.’
‘Sorry,’ she gave a bashful laugh. ‘I am a bit nervous; I promise I don’t have a full agenda to get through. It’s just that I’ve got all this stuff to get off my chest and I can’t wait to tell you.’
A look passed across his face; his expression brightening as he absorbed her words. Until this moment, it hadn’t dawned on her just how important it felt to share this new information with him. But it was, and it seemed as if he felt it too.
He reached for her hand on the table, covered it with his, and she felt her heart hitch at his touch. ‘I’m all ears, take your time.’
‘Right.’ She drew in a breath. ‘These days, I never know how much of what Dad tells me is fact and how much is fiction. Sometimes it’s obvious. Like the other day when hetold me he’d met Charles Darwin’s sister at lunch and what a charming woman she was. On the other hand, insisting he had another daughter called Merry with a woman he used to go out with was a tricky one, because although it was very specific, it came totally out of the blue.’
‘Go on.’ He nodded encouragement.
‘So here’s what we’ve got.’ Emily put the photograph on the table in front of them, grateful that Will wasn’t hurrying her or asking questions, but simply listening. ‘My dad pictured with a baby girl and the words Merry’s first Christmas written on the back. He has mentioned Sam and Sammy several times and my mum remembers that he had an ex-girlfriend called Sam. Sam Shaw.’
Will drew a finger through the condensation on his glass. ‘So far, it looks like what Ray has told you is stacking up.’
‘Agreed. In which case, I’m looking for a half-sister called Merry Shaw or Merry Meadows. Unless she now goes by her married name, of course.’
She looked at Will, her eyes dancing with secret knowledge.
He put down his glass and stared at her. ‘You’ve found her, haven’t you?’
‘How can you tell?’ she said, smiling.
He shook his head, laughing. ‘Because you’re practically buzzing with excitement.’
She let out a bubble of laughter. ‘Sorry. I can’t contain myself.’
‘Don’t apologise.’ He looked at her with such warmth that she felt her heart swell. ‘The first time I saw you looking around Springwood House with Gail, you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Seeing you so fired up makes me happy.’
They smiled at each other for a few seconds, their eyes locked, until Emily’s pulse began to race.
Then Will gestured for her to continue. ‘I interrupted you, you were saying that you may have found her?’
Emily leaned closer to him, her eyes dancing. ‘There’s only a Merry Shaw living right here in Wetherley. A stone’s throw from where I live. I can hardly believe it!’
‘No way!’ His jaw dropped. ‘Hence us meeting here.’
‘Exactly.’ She beamed, delighted with his reaction.
