They stood in the queue of locals and tourists and Lucy stared intently at the menu even though she’d chosen what she was going to have the moment they entered the line.
‘I’ll pay,’ Lucy said. ‘After all, you’ve spent all day helping. And yesterday, at the archives. You were …’
Will narrowed his eyes and waited.
‘Lovely,’ Lucy said and wished she’d picked a different word butmumbled it again nevertheless. ‘You were lovely. You are lovely.’ Oh God, Lucy, stop.
It took Will a few seconds to reply. ‘Thanks. The feeling’s mutual.’
The moment they got back in the car, Lucy switched on Will’s car radio, not wanting a repeat of the earlier excruciating car journey.
They ate dinner at the kitchen table with John and Will bonding over rugby chat and Clara listening intently, waiting to get a word in edgeways for so long that when she finally did, a barrage of questions flew from her mouth.
‘Where do you normally live? Are you staying here long? Are you married? Have you been married? Do you have kids? When was your last relationship?’
Lucy both desperately wanted Clara to stop and desperately wanted to know the answers, and so rather brutally did not step in to save Will, instead watching as he quickly began to look exhausted.
‘Any more wine?’ Will asked Lucy.
‘Yes,’ she said, squeezing his shoulder in solidarity as she moved towards the fridge.
‘So …’ Clara continued. ‘Not married. Engaged?’
‘I was,’ Will said.
Lucy spun round from the fridge.
‘Really?’ Clara said, picking up a chip and leaning forward. ‘Why aren’t you now?
‘It ended,’ Will said simply.
‘Mmmm?’ Clara nudged. She put the chip in her mouth and chewed. ‘Why?’
Lucy was getting cold she’d been standing by the open fridge door for so long and so she pulled the wine out, closed the door and sat still, unable to refresh their glasses until she’d heard Will’s answer.
‘Um …’ Will started.
But John stepped in, ‘Leave the man alone, Clara.’
Will turned to Lucy and gave her an awkward smile. Realisingshe was frowning, she straightened out her frown lines, smiled and poured the wine.
The next day the family reconvened to tackle the one room that remained. Will said he’d happily join later, but he had something he needed to do in the morning.
When Clara arrived she jumped straight on the topic of Will. ‘Why do you think Will isn’t engaged anymore?’
Lucy played devil’s advocate. ‘People get engaged, people break up.’
‘Do you think she broke up with him or he broke up with her? I’ll bet she broke it off with him and he’s embarrassed. Or perhaps he broke up with her and he doesn’t want to look like a bastard.’
Lucy sighed. Why was Clara like a dog with a bone on the subject of Will?
‘You like him, don’t you?’ Clara asked seriously.
‘He’s nice,’ Lucy said dismissively.
‘He is nice, yes,’ Clara mimicked, ‘And very easy on the eye. And from what I can gather, solvent, which is always good. Has he kissed you yet?’
‘What?’ Lucy spluttered. ‘No.’
