Country Affairs. Zara Stoneley

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СКАЧАТЬ want to have them myself. Davey loves kids. So where are you staying then, with Pip?’

      ‘No, he’s not.’ She tried to avoid looking at the scruffy rucksack.

      ‘Well actually,’ Todd shifted in his seat and grinned, ‘I am. Rory introduced me to your man Mick this morning. He said you wouldn’t mind if I crashed here for a bit seeing as you’ve got a spare room. Seems like a good bloke.’

      Pip would have dropped her drink, if it hadn’t been wine, which meant she instinctively held on. Clutching the stem in a death grip. ‘Mick said?’ So it hadn’t been Lottie, it was worse. Mick had sent him here. She took a deep breathe. Mick, why would he do that? And Mick had said there was a spare room? Was it worse than not loving her? Was he so bored he was thinking of a threesome? No, that was totally out of character, and anyhow men always went for the two-girl sandwich, didn’t they?

      Or maybe Lottie had asked Mick. Yeah, that would make more sense. Except she wouldn’t do that, would she? That would be sneaky and not like Lottie at all, however desperate she was.

      Letting Mick move in a while ago, so he didn’t have to use the groom’s flat at Rory’s, had seemed like a good idea. Now, all of a sudden, it didn’t. It was confusing. ‘He what?’ She needed this spelling out, just in case she’d misheard.

      ‘Ahh, isn’t that lovely?’ Sam obviously liked the idea, even if she didn’t. ‘It means I can get to know you. I’m here all the time, aren’t I, Pip?’

      ‘Mick said what, exactly?’

      ‘I could crash here. That’s not a problem, is it?’

      Inspiration struck. ‘You can use the groom’s flat, Mick’s old place.’ Making sure Todd didn’t get under Lottie’s feet was one thing, having him under her roof was altogether different. She’d act as childminder in the day, not the night.

      ‘Afraid not.’

      ‘What do you mean, afraid not?’

      ‘Tab’s moving in,’ Todd grinned, ‘after all she is the groom and she’s getting fed up of being with her dad. She’s ready to fly the nest. I mean, a girl that age doesn’t want to live with her old man, does she? Watching her every move, if you know what I mean.’ He winked at Sam, who giggled.

      Pip glared and tried to think of something to say, but she’d been wrong-footed. In an hour or so on the yard he’d found out all kinds of things that even she didn’t know.

      ‘And all that horse stuff isn’t really me, you know, more of a water type myself.’

      ‘Are you a Pisces, babe? Two little fishies.’ Sam snuggled in.

      ‘More a Taurus, me.’

      ‘Yeah full of bull, I’d say. Look, you can’t get away from horses here, Todd. You’ll hate it.’ Pip sighed, at least if he hung around for a bit she’d have a kindred spirit in the house, and she had to admit he wasn’t that bad. As daft and irresponsible as Lottie, maybe, and he probably hadn’t given being arrested another thought. Couldn’t comprehend the resulting meltdown for Lottie – which Pip suspected had come more from confusion than a real pain of losing Todd. Losing Todd had meant Lottie had just lost her alternative, had to face up to the truth of what she really wanted. Tippermere.

      And she would be helping ease Lottie’s burden. Lottie, who had found her a job when she’d moved here, introduced her to everybody, was as generous and undemanding as a friend could be. Payback time.

      ‘Oh, you can escape the horses if you come over to our place at Kitterly Heath, Todd, we don’t have any, just dogs.’ Sam was practically clapping her hands with glee. ‘Are you going to be around for a bit, then? I can plan stuff, introduce you to some people if you like. You’ll love the girls.’

      Todd grinned. ‘Yeah, that would be ace. Might even see if I can find a job round here for a bit. Must be some apple-picking or something I can do, eh?’

      ‘But why?’ Okay she sounded pathetic. ‘You’ll be bored. I mean a week or two is more than enough for most people. And it’s the wrong time of year for apples.’

      He shrugged. ‘Bartender? I’m sure I can find something to fill the time in. You did, didn’t you?’ His blue eyed widened and Pip knew she was being made fun of.

      ‘That’s different.’

      ‘Hey, you never know, I might find some long-lost rellies in the UK.’

      ‘Rellies?’

      ‘Yeah, folk. Y’know, family. Aren’t we all related to your royal family, or something? Six times removed?’

      ‘Oh God, not another one.’ Pip was on the verge of putting her head in her hands and wailing. ‘I think you need to go over and see Tom and you can both dig up the past together. He’s obsessed with long-lost relatives.’ Which wasn’t entirely true. When Tom Strachan had arrived in Tippermere he’d been drawn to Folly Lake Manor, unaware that it was his birth place. But his obsession with the place had nearly driven her nuts, and had caused more than one raised eyebrow in the village. For a long time rumours had been rife about him and the current owner of the place, newly widowed Amanda, until her relationship with Dom had come out into the open, and the wily Elizabeth had finally revealed the truth. ‘You have met Tab’s dad I take it? Tom?’ She paused. ‘And no, you can’t be related to the Queen. No way.’

      ‘Dad? Well we didn’t exactly discuss him.’

      ‘No, I bet you didn’t.’ Her tone was dry.

      ‘You’ll love it here, you won’t want to leave, will he babe?’ This time Sam did raise a toast, delighted at the prospect of parading her newfound buddy around the area.

      Although, thinking about it, he’d probably be a hit in Kitterly Heath. Maybe she should actively encourage him in that direction.

      ‘Never knew everybody would be so welcoming. Any chance of a drink, then, Pippa? Can’t wait to get to know you all better.’ Todd gave Sam the full-on beam, and Pip could have sworn she blushed. Oh God. It was getting worse by the hour. The man had barely introduced himself and he’d already done who knew what to Tab and now looked like he was setting his sights on Sam. The only advantage, she supposed, was that he genuinely didn’t seem to be here to sweep Lottie off her feet, so why was he here?

      ‘Mind you, I could do with a change of clobber – think this is a bit stinky.’ Todd pulled the t-shirt, which he’d had on yesterday on his horse-riding challenge, away from his body and gave it a sniff. ‘All that wrestling with the gee gees I guess. Can’t imagine why you lot do it for fun.’

      Sam giggled and Pip raised her eyebrows. ‘Don’t you dare strip off here Crocodile Dundee, I’ll show you the spare bedroom.’ Which she supposed meant that she’d accepted he was staying. ‘But if you as much as leer at Lottie I’ll put you on a plane myself.’

      ***

      Todd dropped his battered rucksack on the floor of the bedroom and stooped to peer out of the small sash window. To the immediate rear of the cottage was a small well-kept garden, overflowing with the type of colour only a British garden can boast, and beyond it the lush green of grass and trees.

      He rested СКАЧАТЬ