‘Brodie has been trying to work out where he could have seen you before, Lettie.’
She cringed inwardly wishing their mother wasn’t in the same room and hoping her memory wasn’t as sharp as usual.
‘What’s your surname, Brodie,’ her mother asked thoughtfully.
‘Mum, stop interrogating the poor man,’ Lettie said even though her mother had asked a simple question. She was desperate to divert the attention away from him and what he might be about to say.
‘It’s Murray, Mrs Torel.’
‘Please,’ her mother said taking mugs from a cupboard and setting them down on the worktop. ‘Call me Lindy.’
‘Lindy.’
Lettie watched her mother hesitate and stare at the closed cupboard door in front of her for a moment. Anxious in case she worked out where she recognised Brodie’s name from, Lettie tried desperately to think of something to distract them all.
‘You haven’t asked how my driving lesson went,’ Lettie said a little too loudly.
Brodie’s mouth drew back into a smile. ‘I didn’t like to ask in case it hadn’t gone well. Those things can take a bit of mastering.’
‘You’re not kidding,’ she said, unsure when he might have ever had the need to drive a tractor. ‘It went badly,’ Lettie admitted going to fetch the two coffees her mother had finished making. ‘Let me take those, Mum.’
‘Thanks, love.’ Her mother carried over the biscuit tin and placed it in the middle of the table. ‘Please help yourselves.’ She stared at Zac. ‘Hold on, didn’t you go out in my car earlier?’
Zac cringed. ‘Ah, yes.’
‘Then why did Brodie bring you home?’ She smiled at Brodie. ‘Lovely as it is to see you again.’
‘That’s fine, Mrs, er, Lindy.’ Brodie reached to take a biscuit from the tin, his hand brushing against Lettie’s as she did the same thing. ‘Sorry.’ He flinched as if he had been stung.
‘No, after you,’ Lettie said hurt by his reaction. ‘You’re the guest.’ She wished her voice wasn’t squeaky and saw Zac giving her a confused look. She ignored his amusement.
Waiting for Brodie to help himself to the biscuits, she willed her mother to continue questioning Zac.
‘So, where’s my car then?’ Without giving him a chance to answer, Lindy added, ‘It’s not as if I need to go and do any shopping this morning, is it?’
‘Do you, Mrs Torel?’ Brodie’s hand stopped in front of his mouth as he lowered the biscuit he was holding. ‘I’m happy to take you wherever you need to go.’ He looked at his wristwatch. ‘I don’t have to be at my next client’s place for another half an hour yet.’
‘That’s very kind of you, Brodie,’ she said standing and going to fetch her beloved blue-and-white teapot and carrying it to the table. ‘Zac, my car. Where is it?’
6
BRODIE
After Brodie left the farm, promising to return if any of the family needed him for anything, he dropped Mrs Torel at the garage where Zac had left it, having treated her to four new tyres.
‘What a sweet thing for him to do,’ she gushed as they drove through the village. ‘Zac’s grown up to be such a thoughtful young man. I feel a little guilty being suspicious of him earlier but when I think of all the mischievous things he got up to growing up, I have to admit I despaired of him on more than one occasion.’
‘I’m sure my mother did about me.’ Brodie laughed, certain he had pushed his mother to her limits on many occasions, not just one.
‘I can’t imagine that for a second.’ Lindy frowned. ‘She must be incredibly proud of you, especially now you’ve taken over your own practice.’
‘She is.’
‘You’re from here, are you?’
Brodie supposed Mrs Torel knew most of the people who lived on this side of the island. ‘Yes. My family moved here from Devonjust before I was born. I must admit it feels good living so close to the sea again after living on the mainland for a few years.’
‘I love it here too.’ She smiled. ‘I was born and raised here on the island and although I long to travel more, I can’t imagine ever settling anywhere else. Not for long anyway.’
