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“Camilla. I told her she should stay on for a couple of extra days, so I’m hoping she won’t come at all and then I can go home when this is over, and nobody will ever know.”
She slid her sunglasses on top of her head. “That’s awfully optimistic of you.”
“The part where nobody will know?”
“No, the part where you’ll go home. It’s quite clear that you love it here.”
I did love Moorhaven. I liked the people, the peace, and the general aura of the village was calming and welcoming.
“Still, I live in London, and half the village think I’m Camilla while the other half thinks I’m Sophie.”
“You’re pulling it off extraordinarily well, I must admit.”
“Turns out a lot of people are quite good liars. I’m not sure if that information fascinates me or scares me,” I admitted. “Didn’t you say you were bringing Ellie?”
Helena nodded. “I was, but Ed’s meeting with the supplier got rescheduled, so he said I could leave her with him instead. He didn’t have to tell me twice. She was up all night teething. He can have the screaming demon for a few hours.”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry. Why don’t you go back to bed?”
She laughed. “I’m used to running on Red Bull and sheer determination. Besides, I don’t often get time to myself, and I drifted apart from a lot of my friends when I moved to the farm and had Ellie.”
“I’d love to tell you I understand, but I don’t. Do you want to come in while I get changed?”
“Sure.” Helena followed me to the front door. “It was hard. Cait was pretty much the only person who didn’t forget I existed after I got married, but I don’t even get to see her as much as I’d like. I was quite happy when Mum said she’d hired Camilla—I liked her when we met.”
“And you got me instead. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. On the contrary, I’m more than thrilled to have met you.” She touched my shoulder with a smile. “You’re charming almost my entire family, aren’t you?”
“Which is hilarious when you consider I’m about as charming as a pig rolling in its own shit.” I laughed. “Give me two seconds. I’ll get changed and be right out.”
“Don’t rush.”
I walked into the bedroom and pulled on the clothes I’d laid out before Camilla had called me. I was glad I’d placed an order online that had given me something to wear, although I was seriously lacking in something appropriate for the party. I hoped I’d be able to get away with a trouser suit—I’d brought one of those for the initial meeting—given that I’d be behind the scenes and not actually participating.
If not, oh well.
It was going to have to do.
“I helped myself to your biscuits. I hope you don’t mind.” Helena bit into a custard cream with a sheepish smile.
Laughing, I shook my head. “Help yourself. They’re only biscuits.”
“Henry told me you turned him down yesterday.”
I hesitated. “I did.”
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with Hugo, would it?”
“Don’t make me find another lunch date, Helena.”
She giggled, putting the lid back on the biscuit tin. “There’s clearly something between the two of you. Grandma is too busy annoying Mum to notice, Mum lets that kind of thing go over her head, Dad doesn’t care, and Henry is about as observant as a bat.”
“Bats are blind.”
“That’s my point.” She leant against the table. “I know he’s been here the last three nights.”
I paused, swallowing. “How do you know that?”
