A Home On Bramble Hill: A feel-good, romantic comedy to make you smile. Holly Martin

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      ‘I wouldn’t think CID would get involved in that.’

      ‘Normally we wouldn’t. The bodies of mutilated squirrels kept turning up on people’s doorsteps. But the first person to receive a squirrel was found dead a week after the squirrel was reported. Then, when more dead squirrels started appearing we thought it might be some kind of calling card of a serial killer, we thought that those that received a dead squirrel would be killed too. Turned out it was just some sicko who liked killing squirrels who used the opportunity to get his own back on a bunch of people he didn’t like. The first death was merely a coincidence.’

      ‘That’s horrible, did he go to prison?’

      ‘For six weeks, and a hefty fine for animal cruelty.’

      ‘Six weeks?’

      ‘Legally you can kill squirrels, grey ones, it’s just the method that has to be humane.’

      She shook her head over the lack of justice.

      ‘Oh there was Bonnie and Clyde, a husband and wife crime duo. Jewellery shops, petrol stations, car jacking, they left behind quite the trail of guilt wherever they went.’

      ‘They weren’t really called Bonnie and Clyde were they?’

      ‘She was, Bronwyn was her real name but everyone called her Bonnie.’

      ‘What was his name?’

      ‘Derek.’

      She laughed. ‘Did you catch them, did they go down in a hail of bullets?’

      ‘Not quite as dramatic. We thought it was mainly the wife, that she was the brains and he was the brawn. We finally caught up with him when their car ran of petrol just round the corner from a petrol station he’d robbed. But all the evidence pointed to him, we couldn’t pin anything to her, even though we knew she was as involved as he was. He went down for three years, she walked away scot free.’

      The legal system really did have a lot to answer for.

      ‘It does sound like an interesting job.’

      ‘It is, I love it, no day is ever the same.’

      ‘But… why aren’t you at work? In fact, you’ve not been at work since I’ve met you.’

      ‘I have a few weeks off, for the erm…’ He trailed off.

      ‘The wedding?’

      Casey flushed obligingly. ‘Yes, this Saturday, a week today, you will come won’t you?’

      ‘I’m your cousin, Uncle Raymond would be very disappointed if I didn’t show my support.’

      He grinned at her, but then the smile fell off his face.

      She squeezed his arm. ‘Casey what are you doing, marrying someone you clearly don’t love.’

      ‘It just sort of got out of hand. I’ve dated a few women in the past, years ago, before I really accepted I was gay. Of course, they never worked out. I’d been single for years and Mum came to me and said one of her friends wanted to set me up with one of their children. When she told me it was one of the Carmichael kids I was delighted. I only knew of the Carmichael boys, big strapping lads, really fit. It turns out they had a little sister too.’

      Casey sighed. He grabbed a flower from a vase and started slowly demolishing it, ripping the petals off one by one.

      ‘Mum was so excited about the date and when I came downstairs to find Arielle waiting for me, I could hardly say, “Urgh a girl!” So I went on the date and when I next saw Mum, she was as giddy as a school girl about how well Arielle had said it went. In truth, there was no chemistry at all, not even as friends. I found myself telling Mum that of course I’d be seeing Arielle again. I didn’t want to upset her. It just spiralled out of control.’

      With the flower ruined and confetti-like petals scattered about his feet, Casey reached for another one. Joy didn’t really mind. She’d only picked them from the garden.

      ‘I’m not quite sure how I ended up engaged. Of course that had never been my intention and to Arielle of all people, she’s an absolute cow. We’d only been dating a few weeks and I was desperately trying to find a way out. But there I was walking through the woods one day with Arielle and her parents and my mum. I spotted a ring on the floor, knelt to pick it up and the next thing, she’s squealing, her parents are squealing, my mum was crying, proper tears of joy and everything. I don’t even know how the ring got there, but it fitted Arielle like a glove, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she threw it on the floor in front of me. Well it quickly snowballed from there. Before I knew it there was an engagement party, marquees were ordered, a band, a harpist, flowers, the best champagne from France. I couldn’t stop it. I have never seen my Mum as happy as she has been over the last few months organising this wedding and I just couldn’t break her heart, I couldn’t do it.’

      ‘So you’re just going to get married? Live happily ever after with a woman you can’t stand?’

      Casey sighed. ‘My dad died, three years ago.’

      ‘Oh Casey, I’m so sorry.’

      ‘Mum was a wreck, but after the initial grieving was over, the constant crying, she just became this empty shell, devoid of any life. She’d get up, get dressed, meet friends, she was involved with the village council, but… she wasn’t really there if you know what I mean. She was always this sparkling woman who laughed a lot, who had this zest for life, and when Dad died he took all that with him. Her eyes were flat, her skin was grey. She never laughed anymore. She moved through life, she engaged with people, but she was lifeless, a living corpse. It devastated me to see her like that and year after year, it never got any better. It was almost as if she was just biding her time until she could die herself and be reunited with him. This engagement has brought her out of that shell – she laughs now, she’s excited, she has plans, she has a purpose. My old mum is back and so yes, I’m going to marry Arielle if that’s what it takes to keep my mum happy and to keep the smile on her face, because I never want to see her go back to how she was before.’

      ‘Your mum would be devastated if she knew you were doing this for her,’ Joy said quietly.

      ‘I know, but I’m just enjoying her being happy again. I’ll deal with the fall out when it happens. It won’t last Joy, Arielle doesn’t like me either. I’m pretty sure she’s shagging our pool boy, or the gardener or maybe both.’

      This was madness. ‘So why is she marrying you if she doesn’t like you?’

      ‘The Fallowfields are pretty high up in the social scheme of things. If there was a food chain made up of Lords, Ladies, Earls and Countesses, the Fallowfields would be at the very top. We’re richer than most of the nobles in this country.’

      He wasn’t saying it to show off, in fact he seemed quite embarrassed by the whole thing. ‘So it’s safe to say you don’t actually need to work?’

      ‘No, I just enjoy it. But Arielle, despite her flashy clothes and car, would be down at the bottom of the food chain.’

      Joy bit her lip. ‘Have you slept with her?’

      ‘No, СКАЧАТЬ