The Accidental Countess by Emma Hart

Author:Emma Hart [Hart, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emma Hart
Published: 2022-02-22T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MATTHEW

“Guess who’s baaaaaack!”

I stopped dead in the doorway, and Eva bumped into my back.

“Ooft. What are you—”

A chorus of Guess Who’s Back, Back Again by Eminem broke out courtesy of my beloved grandmother. She was in the middle of the hall, still dressed in her holiday clothes of white linen trousers and a bright blue top, sunglasses and sunflower patterned sunhat, rapping Eminem.

That… was about right.

Mum stood behind her, one arm wrapped around her body and clasping her opposite elbow while she used her thumb and middle finger to massage both of her temples. “Ffion, please.”

Nan stopped with her hands held out in front of her. “What? Don’t you like Eminem, Eleanor?”

“I’m not sure this is how Eva imagined welcoming us home. She looks a bit scared.”

I peered over my shoulder. Eva was standing deadly still, clutching her sketchbook, and staring at the scene in front of us.

She looked how I felt.

Dumbfounded.

Nan tilted her head to the side. “Oh, dear. You might be right. Hello, dear!” She shuffled across the hall, bypassed me entirely, and wrapped Eva in a huge hug.

Eva shook herself out of her shocked stupor and hugged her back. “Hi! I’m so sorry. I was in a world of my own.”

Mum laughed, greeting me. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“Hi, Mum.” I wrapped her in a hug. “You’re back early.”

“A heatwave is hitting. I thought the country was hot enough with me in it and might melt if the temperatures rose anymore,” Nan said, swapping Eva for me, leaving Mum to greet her.

“Oh, of course, Nan. Look at you. Showstopping.”

“I’d tell you off for giving me attitude if I didn’t know how utterly fabulous I was already.” She kissed my cheek and stepped back. “Truth be told, kids, I wanted my own bloody bed. Plate smashing and singing and dancing—it all gets a bit much at my age.”

Mum rolled her eyes. “She says it like she’s ninety and dropping dead any minute.”

“I might do if I hear another plate smash.”

Right on cue, a smash came from the direction of the kitchen. Baxter burst out, his paws skittling across the wooden floor, and Christopher was in hot pursuit.

“Baxter!” he hollered, chasing him right through to the other side of the house.

Mum craned her neck. “Whatever is he doing?”

“I’m going to assume those sausages have something to do with it,” Eva said, pointing at Lucy.

She had a sausage in her mouth, but it was connected to a string of several more, and Jack bounced along after her, desperately trying to snatch them up from the floor.

“Goodness gracious!” Mum said, clapping her hands. “Jack, Lucy, leave it!”

The dogs both stopped and immediately left the sausages alone. Their mischief morphed to excitement when they realised who she was, and she had to sidestep their loving to avoid the raw sausage being licked all over her.

“What a mess,” she continued, going to fetch the now useless sausages from the floor. “Where is housekeeping? The floors will need to be cleaned. Matthew, can you put these three dogs in the mudroom so they can cool down? I fear there’s too much excitement for them.

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