‘Oh no, you look every bit a cowboy. Just a certain sort.’ Mary passed Luna over with a wry smile and offered to get a round of drinks in.
As Mary walked into the pub, Gino looked at Ava. ‘I hoped she’d notice me like this, but she thinks I am some magician or something.’
‘Believe me, she’s noticed you.’ Ava smiled as she pictured the male strippers in Magic Mike, a film both she and Mary had enjoyed at the cinema together. ‘And what she said — I’d take it as a compliment.’
Gino looked buoyed by Ava’s words. ‘Come and see Chef. He’s had the barbecue going since early.’
Ava followed Gino. The smell of the barbecue was making her hungry and the sight of the food caused her stomach to rumble. ‘Those ribs look wonderful.’
‘Do you want to try some? The secret is in cooking low and slow, no white heat. And to mop every hour with marinade,’ Chef enthused.
He was obviously very proud of his efforts, and Ava felt it would be rude to say no. She took a paper plate from the stack and held it up while Chef served her.
Gino smiled. ‘Ted is going to play soon. You’ve worked so hard, you should sit awhile enjoy your ribs and the music.’
Ava took her place on a hay bale that offered more authenticity than comfort but welcomed the time to soak up the atmosphere. She could hear the music from the square drifting in and out on the breeze that was more ambient than it had been first thing. She looked along the street at the stalls and was pleased to see some families browsing. While she could recognise the locals, many of whom were regular visitors to her shop, she could also see that people had come from further afield. For the first time since she had woken up, she dared to hope the day would be a success.
Carrying the drinks out, Mary sat next to her, placing their iced teas behind the hay bales to stop an over-exuberant Luna from knocking them over.
‘They’ve got bourbon on the Texan drinks board, but I’ve seen what whisky does to you.’
‘Haha!’ Ava bit into the juicy, tender ribs, feeling the sticky sauce cover her mouth before she wiped it away.
‘These are bloody good! I know you don’t eat meat, but seriously, if I were vegan these would convert me.’
Mary laughed. ‘I’ll be having some of the corn later. I’m sure that’ll be just as good.’
As Ted came out from the pub, he caught Ava’s eye; with a knowing look he walked towards her.
‘Ava, I wanted to speak to you.’ He placed his fiddle at his side and gestured to ask if he could sit down.
‘I think Luna and I should check out that corn — it might be ready.’ Mary lifted the dog over the hay bale and headed towards Gino.
Ava looked at Ted. The man who was generally scruffily dressed, rooting around the grounds of Dapplebury House, was wearing jeans and a granddad style shirt, his hair streaked back under a Stetson. She’d known him her whole life, but as she looked at him now, his brow furrowed, she realised that perhaps she hadn’t known him at all.
‘I never told you about knowing your parents, and about . . . the night of the accident because—’
‘It’s OK. I get it. Everyone kept the secret from me. It protected Mum’s reputation and the Bramlingtons’ too. You didn’t have a choice. You had your job to think about and—’
Ted turned to look at her more directly. His hazel eyes focused on her. ‘No. It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t protecting myself, or them. I was protecting you. The woods and the grounds, being with Henry, it seemed like your sanctuary from everything. I didn’t want to tarnish that. I’m sorry. Maybe I should have said.’ He sighed, removed his hat and wiped his brow. ‘My late Eadie, God rest her soul, and I weren’t blessed with children, looking out for you two—’
‘Ted, really, it’s fine. I’m grateful you didn’t tell me. It wasn’t your place, and . . . you’re right. Being with Henry, being in the grounds of Dapplebury House, it always made me feel like me. It still does.’ Ava heard her voice crack as she admitted it as much to herself as to the older man.
Ted smiled, his leathery skin wrinkling around his eyes. ‘I’m glad you know that. He’s a good boy, Henry. He’s different to the rest. You were each other’s sanctuary while your parents lived up to being the people everyone wanted them to be. Don’t judge them for that. Things were different then, and your generation you’re the lucky ones. You get to be who you want to be.’
Ava swallowed. As Ted stood and began to walk away, she called after him, ‘Who told you that I know . . . about my parents and everything?’
‘The lad. He’s been waiting for you to come back. We both have.’
Ava nodded and looked down at her plate; it was going to be hard to swallow past the tightness in her throat.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Henry walked towards the village. The sun was warm against his back, and he was pleased the clouds of earlier in the day had lifted. He felt a ball of nerves in the pit of his stomach, not about the radio interview, or making his announcement about Dapplebury House, but about seeing Ava. He wished they’d had the opportunity to speak before, but he wanted to give her time and space. He wanted to leave it to her to make the first move. But she hadn’t. Perhaps he should accept that as a testament to her feelings, but his conversation with Mary had given him hope. He wasn’t going to give up without fighting for her. He’d done that before and he wasn’t going to do it again. If he had fought harder as a teenager, perhaps the secrets would have come out sooner and Ava could have spoken to her mum, instead of finding hidden pictures and discovering the past the way she did. How different might things be now if he had?
Henry welcomed Granger’s company; the dog’s once chocolate brown coat auburn from the sun, and his muzzle showing flecks of grey as he trotted along next to him.
‘You might see some of your pups here. Rumour has it there’s a dog show. Shall we enter?’
