Bella’s presence was like… a sound or a scent or something. It trickled into and lingered in spaces she hadn’t even entered. It bubbled and fizzed in odd corners with an effervescence that was disturbingly refreshing. It made his mother happy, so he was quite prepared to tolerate it.
But Johnny Cash?
Not acceptable. On any level.
* * *
Lady Dorothy had finally nailed The Electric Slide.
Bella was grinning from ear to ear as she held up her hand. ‘High-five,’ she commanded. ‘You are alegend.’
How many seventy-something women would be prepared to high-five someone? Bella’s grin widened even further as her palm made contact – gently – with Lady Dorothy’s.
How many would be determined to learn to line dance, for that matter? Or be prepared to throw herself into rehabilitation with the kind of guts that her private patient was demonstrating? This was already the most rewarding job she’d ever had and if Lady Dorothy kept up the kind of progress she’d made in the last week, Bella’s plans to head overseas in six months’ time wouldn’t need to be disrupted at all. ‘Let’s do it once more,’ Lady Dorothy said. ‘So I don’t forget by tomorrow.’
‘No worries. Some more Johnny Cash?’
‘No. Let’s have that “Achy Breaky Heart” again.’
The smooth tones of Billy Ray Cyrus filled the conservatory, and Bella took her place beside Lady Dorothy.
‘Okay… Step right. Cross behind with the left foot. Right foot out. Stomp left and clap.’ Bella made her clap extra loud to make up for the fact that Lady Dorothy wasn’t allowed to risk injuring the healing joints in her fingers. She even added a ‘Woohoo!’ as they turned to face the next wall and do the short routine again.
Only they both stopped before the next step right.
Staring at them from the door of the conservatory was Oliver.
‘Hello, darling.’ Lady Dorothy raised her voice to be heard over Billy Ray. ‘You’re just in time. Come and join us.’
Bella could see the balloon over Oliver’s head that hadNot in this lifetimeprinted inside it.
‘Please,’ Lady Dorothy said. ‘It’s not reallylinedancing when there’s only two of us.’
The request was sweet but Bella could detect the determination not to accept ‘no’ for an answer. What had Oliver said about his mother having a core of reinforced steel?
Come to that, what had Lady Dorothy said about her son needing to be shaken up a little? To be forced to have some fun?
And what better fun was there than line dancing?
‘Come on.’ Bella tried her most winning smile. ‘You’re a brain surgeon. This will be a doddle.’
‘It’ll only take a couple of minutes.’ Lady Dorothy was sounding firmer now. ‘I want to show you how good my balance is getting.’
‘I’ll watch from here.’
‘Oh, don’t be so stuffy, Oliver,’ Lady Dorothy said. ‘It’sfun.’
Bella hid her smile as she saw Oliver’s chest heave in a long-suffering sigh before he discarded his jacket, loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves up.
‘Five minutes,’ he growled. ‘I’ve got a workout to get to.’
This was obviously something that was so far out of Oliver Dawson’s comfort zone Bella almost felt sorry for him.
But it would do him good, she decided. He might be a brilliant surgeon, and he definitely loved his mother, and that was all very commendable, but there was no denying that he was stuffy.
He needed shaking up and she was just the woman to do it.
Bella beamed at Oliver. ‘Follow our steps. We just turn three hundred and sixty degrees and do this little routine at each turn. Ready? Okay… Step right, like this…’
