Country Plot by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Author:Cynthia Harrod-Eagles [Cynthia Harrod-Eagles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2012-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Kitty was out working in her garden next morning, and Jenna was on the Internet looking up the difference between Chelsea and Rockingham figurines, when all the hair stood up on the back of her neck, and she jerked round to see Xander in the doorway of the library, watching her.

‘How long have you been standing there?’ she demanded.

‘Oh, a few minutes. I was intrigued to see you so absorbed in your work you didn’t hear me.’

‘Those no-good dogs should have told me you’d arrived.’ She pushed her chair out and stood up. It was good to see he was in his friendly mode. ‘What time is it? Oh, nearly lunchtime. Are you staying?’

‘I wish I could, but I’ve got to get to a sale in Wenham St Denis to bid for some things for a customer. Don’t let me disturb you. I just dropped in to see if you were all right.’

‘All right? As in . . .?’

‘Not too stiff?’

‘Oh! Well, I certainly felt it when I tried to get out of bed this morning – all down the inside of my thighs – but nothing life-threatening. I’ve loosened up now, anyway.’

‘Good. I enjoyed our ride.’

‘So did I. Thanks again for arranging it.’

‘It was a pleasure. And you ride really well.’

She grinned. ‘For a townie.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘No, I heard you’d said nice things about me to Mrs Tyler.’

‘Not nice things, true things,’ he said. He was almost smiling. ‘I won’t ask how you know what I said to Mrs Tyler, but you can take it as an example of how everybody knows everything about everyone in a village community.’

‘Actually, I can tell you exactly what the data trail was: the man who delivers the milk took it from Grey’s Farm to Home Farm and Mad Enderby brought it here when she came to talk about asparagus. Disappointingly short and uncomplicated – no challenge to an experienced researcher like me. But no doubt you’ll all do better another time. Anyway, I’m glad my riding style met with your approval.’

‘So much so that I’d like to fix our ride to the hills with you. Sunday would be best from the traffic point of view, but I’ve already got plans, so I thought perhaps we could make it next Monday afternoon. If I get Fred to watch the shop – he’s my restorer, who works in the back – I could get off a bit earlier. Would that work for you?’

‘Oh – yes, as long as Kitty doesn’t mind.’

‘I’m sure she won’t,’ he said.

Jenna agreed with him. Kitty wanted them to be friends much more than she wanted her cataloguing done. Jenna did wonder what Caroline would think about it, but she wasn’t going to ask him that and spoil the mood. He was looking at her with a faintly quizzical expression, as if he quite liked her, but was having difficulty working her out. She cocked her head at him. ‘What?’ she said.

‘What do you mean, what?’

‘You look as if you don’t know what to think of me.

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