‘I’ll take that.’ Mary took the bottle. ‘Let’s get you inside. Fresh air and alcohol don’t mix.’ Mary helped Ava hop up the step and into the pub, before motioning to a seat near the bar. ‘Let’s sit you down, and I’ll get you some water. You’ve eaten, right?’
‘Yes! Breakfast with Gino.OooGino, we’ve got a secret!’
‘Have you?’ Mary responded with a teasing tone as she helped Ava into her seat.
‘Yes. And, oh, wait—’ Remembering the image of Flo’s inappropriate window display, Ava began to giggle. ‘There were sex toys, big ones, small ones, jiggle balls.’
Mary looked at her, her head flicking between Ava and the bar, where Gino was serving. ‘What, you . . . and Gino? But what about Henry?’
Ava manoeuvred herself into a comfortable position. ‘Hmm, Lord Steal-the-land-from-under-me-but-looks-bloody-gorgeous-in-or-out-of-a-suit-tra-la-la-lington?’ Ava pulled a face and contemplated what she had said. ‘That sounded better when you were doing it!’
‘Yes, don’t do that again!’ Mary screwed up her nose and shook her head. ‘You’re positively drunk. Look at you!’ Turningto order a large glass of water from Gino, Mary asked him to stash the bottle of whisky behind the bar.
Ava waved, before winking conspiratorially at Gino.
Mary let out a breath. ‘It seems one glass of whisky turned into half a bottle. We got outside and—’
‘The fresh air catalysed with the alcohol.’ Gino shook his head.
Ava looked at them both standing at the bar, staring in her direction. ‘I see you both judging me, but I’m not drunk. I’m just a little light-headed, and my nose is missing.’
Mary put up her hand before Gino could speak. ‘Don’t ask!’
‘But other than that, I’m good. I even remembered I needed to stay focused.’ Ava smiled. ‘Wait, what did I need to stay focused on?’
Mary passed her the water. ‘Saving All Critters Great and Small. We’re here to get this lot on side. Henry’s promises are all well and good, but we can’t lose Critters’ Lodge. The animals need us.’
Ava sat back and smiled. ‘You remind me of my mum.’
Now Mary’s cheeks flushed. ‘Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, you sit there, nod and smile and leave the talking to me.’ She took a breath.
‘Good plan!’ Ava put her thumbs up, while Mary stood on a chair to get the attention of the villagers.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Despite Mrs Jenkins’ attempts to follow him, Henry told her to return to Dapplebury House. She had done more than enough for one afternoon. He thanked his hypnotherapy training for teaching him how to read people and to stay calm under pressure, without it he might not have been able to bring the crowd back on side after the way she’d introduced him. The skills he had learned stood him in good stead for life — he’d told his parents that many times when they thought he was wasting his time.
With every passing day in his new role, Henry was more determined to do it his way. He would take the Bramlington title and Dapplebury House into the future, but it had to be on his terms. Yes, he had a responsibility to the past, to tradition, and expectation, but he had no intention of living shackled to archaic notions of how the estate had to be managed and run.
Having called Dixon’s office, Henry knew the man’s location. He wanted their conversation to be face-to-face. He wanted the man to know, in no uncertain terms, that he had crossed a line. Going to Critters’ Lodge without permission was out of order; telling Ava about the sale before he’d had the chance to, was out of order. And the fact Ava had ended up injured was not only out of order, it was going to cause somebody’s head to roll.
While having a title had its drawbacks, it also came with a certain amount of gravitas; gravitas that was going to be yielded in full throttle at whoever dared to hurt her. Yes, he needed Dixon’s deal in order to go ahead with his plans for the estate, but he was also well aware that Dixon would be gaining plenty by way of reputation and future work if all went well with the contract.
As he pulled up outside the office, Henry felt the tension in his clenched jaw and neck. Getting angry wasn’t generallyhis style, but the sight of Ava with her ankle bandaged had infuriated him. That and the eager Italian constantly at her side. ‘You better have a bloody good excuse, Dixon!’ Getting out of the car, Henry strode towards the office door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ava filled the kettle, trying not to put too much weight on her ankle. Once she was home, snuggled up with Myrtle, she had been able to rest it and sleep off the effects of the whisky. While her ankle still throbbed, she was surprised and grateful that her head didn’t. Mary had left a note saying Flo was happy to open the shop and other volunteers had offered to cover while Ava’s ankle forced her to be out of action. It was really kind, but she had no intention of staying away from the shop longer than was absolutely necessary. Not only would she go stir-crazy having to sit and rest, but the jobs that needed her specific attention would mount up.
About to message Mary, to thank her for delivering her home and for talking to Flo, Ava saw a missed message on her phone, saying Mary was on a call involving a bird stuck in a chimney. Smiling, Ava sent the message of thanks and wished her luck. The last bird Mary had rescued from a chimney turned out to be a jackdaw, who came out of the ordeal unscathed, unlike the homeowner’s white carpets and furniture. Mary found it all funnier than she probably should have, but thankfully the charity wasn’t held responsible for the damage.
Seeing she also had a message from Gino, Ava scrolled to it, suddenly cringing as she recalled mentioning his secret. She bit her lip for fear that she’d let it slip while under the influence.You wouldn’t have, would you?Reading, her eyes went wide.Oh no, oh, no!Unable to take in the full implications of his words on first reading, she read it again. This time, saying the words aloud. ‘Looking forward to the inaugural Bramlington Festival. Hope you’ve given yourself enough time to organise it. And I never imagined you’d be up for skydiving! When I said seize your moment Ava Flynn, I never imagined you’d seize it quite sofully.’
‘What?’ It had to be a joke. Surely she didn’t put herself forward for any such thing. She already had so much to do. How could she possibly organise a festival too? And skydiving? She would never volunteer for that. She couldn’t manage jumping out of a window without causing herself an injury, let alone an aeroplane at whatever hideous height people jumped from. Gino had a warped sense of humour. Ava knew it had to be a joke — he was teasing her because she’d been inebriated. Resting her phone on the kitchen counter, she put it on speaker and tried to call him while she got herself a mug from the cupboard and the milk from the fridge. There was no answer. Rather than leave a message she decided to send him a text. A grin spreading across her face, she asked if he thought skydiving while dressed as a hedgehog might help raise more funds for the charity. ‘Ha, two can play at the teasing game!’ Laughing, she finished making her tea and filled Myrtle’s food bowl before placing it on the floor.
At this late stage, the dog was supposed to be having sixty per cent more food than usual according to the vet’s guide, but she’d been fussy over the last couple of days. Ava stroked her as she sniffed at her bowl, not committing to taking a bite. ‘I don’t blame you. I’m not sure where you’d put it.’ Myrtle’s abdomen had become rounded; the movement of the puppies was frequently visible as they jostled for space and the poor spaniel had started to walk with a waddle. It was no wonder she had reached the point of panting with even the slightest movement.
Ava had bought a whelping box in readiness for the puppies’ arrival. She had also sourced and purchased everything on the “supplies list”, including a torch — in case of night-time toileting, despite the fact her phone torch would have sufficed; and a new set of scales — as if her hardly-used kitchen ones wouldn’t have been good enough for the new arrivals. At least having the items made her feel ready, or at least as prepared as she was going to be considering the unexpected-pregnancy-and-now-pending-labour circumstances. And while she was pretty sure she’d be able to cope with the blood from the birth, partly because Myrtle would be her priority in the situation and partly because she knew fresh and spouting blood was what generally caused her issues, it was good to know Mary would be there as her “birthing partner” as they had been calling it. While Henry had offered, Ava didn’t want to risk having a meltdown in front of him. Besides it would hardly be appropriate now. Taking her tea to the table, she thought about the events of the day before and knew choosing Mary over Henry was the right decision.
