‘And why you were in the meadow, I imagine?’ Callum said without a hint of sarcasm, Zac noticed.
‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘I wanted to study some of the flowers I’d spotted there a couple of days ago, so that I could paint them later.’ She looked around and pointed towards the wooded area to her right. ‘I want to spend time in that area after I’ve finished in the meadow. I’m sure I’ll find all sorts of things.’
‘It’s a shame you weren’t here a bit earlier in the year,’ Lindy said. ‘We have rare orchids in a couple of wet meadows that you can arrange to see.’
Patsy nodded. ‘I had read about them. Maybe we can arrange to come over next year and see them?’
‘You’ll both always be welcome to stay here at the farm,’ Lettie said.
‘Thank you,’ Melody said.
Zac was enjoying the conversation and getting to know more about Melody and her interests. ‘Is it only rare plants that interest you?’
‘Not at all,’ she said, standing and walking over to the side of the lawn where she picked a buttercup before returning to herseat. ‘Most people would look at this little flower and do one of two things.’
Zac studied the shiny yellow petals.
‘I suppose the first one would be to think how pretty buttercups are,’ Lettie suggested.
‘And the second?’
Recalling when he was a child and Lettie had held a buttercup under his chin, Zac said, ‘I suppose they would hold it under someone’s chin and say something like, let’s see if you like butter.’
Melody smiled. ‘Exactly. I’ve done that myself in the past. Now though, I would take out my magnifying glass that I always carry.’ She pulled a small magnifying glass out of her shorts pocket to prove the point. ‘And study every angle of it before taking it to my room and painting it, spending time getting the exact shade of each part of the flower and stem correct.’ She held the delicate flower in front of him and handed him the magnifying glass.
Zac studied it for a few seconds, surprised how different a change in perspective could make something seem. ‘I’ve never looked at a flower in that much detail before,’ he said.
‘Neither had I until Gran asked me to start sketching for her books. Now I’ve fallen in love with doing it.’
‘You’ve always drawn though?’ Brodie asked.
‘I have. I don’t think of anything else when I’m focused on a drawing.’
Zac noticed a haunted look in her aquamarine eyes.
She closed her eyes as if she sensed him peering into their depths, then looked at Patsy. Zac saw Melody’s grandmother give her a subtle nod and wondered why Melody seemed to be waiting for her agreement.
He waited silently with the rest of them while Melody took a few seconds to think. ‘I had a bitter break-up at the beginning ofthe year,’ she said simply. Zac waited for her to continue but it seemed that was all Melody wanted to tell them.
He saw a flash of pain cross her face and sensed the break-up entailed far more than she was willing to divulge.
‘I sense there’s more,’ Lindy said, leaning back in her chair, her arms folded across her chest as if she was waiting to hear a detailed account.
‘Mum, maybe Melody doesn’t want to share more right now.’ Lettie looked around at the rest of them.
Melody sighed heavily. ‘Unfortunately, my mother is very fond of Rhys. We’d known each other most of our lives, dated when we were both seventeen and then met up again two years ago. She was over the moon that we were together and I’m not sure if she’s partly to blame for him still believing I might forgive him for what happened between us.’
‘And you won’t,’ Callum said gently.
It was a statement rather than a question, Zac noticed.
He saw Melody nod. ‘No. I know everyone has their own views on situations like these and that each relationship break-up is different and, to be honest, I haven’t confided in my mother about all the details, so she doesn’t have the whole picture.’
Zac wondered how bad the relationship had become to make her leave him, but it wasn’t his business to ask. He hoped his mother would keep quiet and resist asking more too.
He saw his mother watch Melody thoughtfully before opening her mouth to speak but before she could, Lettie got to her feet. ‘That was delicious, Dad, Mum. Thank you.’ Zac joined the others, adding his thanks. ‘I spotted some tasty puddings in the fridge earlier.’
‘Puddings?’ Brodie asked and Zac suspected he was trying to keep Lindy’s conversation from returning to questioning Melody.
