‘I think that’s what this one would call a genuine question. You’ve not said much about your history other than having a flat and a life in London. Jules pointed out your expensive taste in clothes and you mentioned you went to an exclusive private school. Those things paint a certain type of picture,’ he finished with a shrug.
‘Yes. I suppose they do and, OK, yes, my experience of the countryhasbeen more croquet and Champagne, if you must know.’ My hackles had raised, ready for a less than flattering comment about my previous lifestyle.
‘Never got the hang of croquet. Played a few times and got utterly thrashed every time.’
‘That’s because you didn’t have me on your team.’
He turned to face me as we came to another abandoned outbuilding, the small, red bricks of its walls suggesting it was Victorian in origin. The state of it also suggested that era was the last time it had been used. My eyes roamed the outside before settling back on my guide. The late-afternoon sun was doing amazing things for his skin and the contours of his face.
‘Bit of a croquet ringer, are you?’
‘You’d better believe it.’
‘I’ll have to remember that.’
I smiled up at him without thinking and the one I received in return sent a tingling and not unpleasant warmth throughout my body.
‘So what’s this building, then? Apart from in need of attention, like everything else here.’
‘From what my gran had managed to find out digging through the family history, it’s a shelter built to house donkeys the family had adopted. Pretty run-down at the moment, but,’ he slapped the wall of it a couple of times with his large palm, ‘it’s solid.’
‘Victorian?’ I asked.
‘Spot on. They knew how to build things back then.’
‘So why are we here?’
‘Apart from helping you familiarise yourself with what you paid good money for, I wanted to share a thought I’d had.’
‘Oh, yes?’
‘What about moving the stabling to this field? There’s another entrance down there,’ he pointed to a gate the other side, adjoining the long driveway, ‘so anyone using it wouldn’t need to come up to the house. And,’ he walked to the other side of the building, ‘there’s this.’
‘A tap!’ Who’d have guessed just a few short weeks ago I’d have been so thrilled to see an outdoor tap?
Jesse turned it. Nothing.
‘Oh.’ The smile left.
‘Probably just turned off at the mains. I can look at that if you want.’
‘That’d be great. Just when you have time, of course.’ I was suddenly aware that me and my house had taken up the best part of this man’s day. ‘I expect you want to be getting home.’
‘Is that a hint for me to bugger off?’
‘No! God, no!’Oh, crap. Did that sound far too keen?‘I mean… I’m… incredibly grateful for all the time you’re spending helping me. I just thought you might need to get back… to something… someone…’
‘Nope.’ His answer was succinct and unbothered. ‘But if you’ve had enough for today, that’s totally understandable.’
‘Not at all,’ I replied, unexpected relief causing my shoulders to relinquish the tension I’d just put into them. ‘This… all of it, it’s been, well, you’ve been great.’
‘It’s nothing.’
‘It’s not nothing. And I definitely owe you dinner.’
I saw his back stiffen as he stepped inside the building.
Shit.
