The Flower Shop on Foxley Street. Rachel Dove

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       CHAPTER SIX

      ‘Good of you to join us, William!’ Agatha Taylor’s voice trilled out as he walked up to the main house. Agatha’s estate was massive, and rather beautiful. He strode around the fountain and braced himself for Agatha’s rather large dogs to come bounding out. As though she read his mind, Agatha smiled kindly. ‘Taylor has just taken the children out for their morning walk. They will be gone a while.’

      Will relaxed visibly. Last time, Buster had head-butted him in the testicles by accident, and the thought of it even now made his eyes water. He resisted the urge to cup himself comfortingly. His uncle Archie was stood next to Agatha, and the two looked as different as heaven and earth. Archie was his uncle on his father’s side, and was a strange man. Even if he loved you to distraction, to the outside world he looked as though you were barely tolerated. He was pretty sure that Archie cared, but he wouldn’t stake the farm on being loved by him. The Singer men were often something of an enigma. At the moment, with his turbulent private life, this trait served him well.

      He was getting the measure of his uncle more and more as they worked together, and Will was fast realizing that Archie was an amazing man. Looking at him now, with his trademark boots and scowl, he looked even harsher against the backdrop of the hall and Agatha, who was dressed like the Queen. All she was missing was the straight face and the tiara. Archie grunted a hello, and Will nodded in response.

      Agatha was staring at him with a wry smile on her face, and he felt as though she was in on a joke he didn’t quite get yet.

      ‘Sorry I’m late – I had a meeting that ran over. What’s to be done today?’

      Agatha looked at him like a cat would eye a fish in a tank, patting Archie on the shoulder.

      ‘Archibald dear, you can make a start if you like. I will just have a chat with young William here. I shan’t be long.’

      Archie, rolling his eyes at the use of his Sunday name, nodded and practically ran. As he passed his nephew, he tapped him on the arm.

      ‘Sorry, lad,’ he whispered. ‘Grin and bear it.’

      Will moved closer to Agatha, thinking she had a job she wanted him to do that perhaps Archie wasn’t up to. She reached for his hand instead, clasping it between her own soft warm ones, and gave it a little rub.

      ‘How are you, dear? You enjoying being in Westfield?’

      Will nodded, realizing that she had clocked his lack of wedding ring. ‘I am fine, Mrs Taylor I love being here. I appreciate the work too.’

      Agatha batted away his thanks. ‘Oh pish posh, Archie is family, so that includes you too. You remind me rather of Benjamin, our vet in the village. Have you met?’

      Will shook his head. Agatha looked wistful for a moment. ‘I never had children of my own, apart from my dogs of course. I would rather have liked a son or two.’

      She seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts, and looked kindly at him again.

      ‘Are you managing to pick up any work in the village?’

      Will shook his head. ‘Not much, but I hope that will change soon.’

      ‘Productive coffee meeting then? Jolly good. Well, I shall leave you to get on, William. Lovely to see you again. If you need anything, please let me know.’

      Will waved her off as she sashayed primly up the large stone steps to her home. It wasn’t till later, when he was busy pruning the hedges, that he realized he hadn’t told anyone about the meeting with Lily, or the fact that it involved coffee at all.

      ***

      Roger stamped his feet in frustration. It was quite funny to see a man in mohair have a paddy, and Lily resisted the urge to laugh.

      ‘Lily Rose Baxter!’ Roger whined. ‘Tell meeee!’

      She clipped the ribbon on her latest bouquet and walked over to the window display, placing it in a bucket to keep it fresh.

      ‘Roger, there is nothing to tell. He knows I am engaged, he is new to the area, is looking for work and wanted to speak to someone in the business. He is a landscape gardener, I told you. I said he could bring some business cards in, and I would recommend him to some people for their gardens. Plenty will be wanting them shipshape for spring, so hopefully he can get some work.’

      Roger looked crestfallen. ‘That’s all?’

      Lily didn’t look at Roger. Truth was, she was a little gutted herself. ‘That’s all.’ Apart from the fact that I can’t stop comparing him to Stuart, and thinking about his lashes. His eyes. The jolt I get just from touching his hand. She was pretty sure he felt it too. It was something she had read about СКАЧАТЬ