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“What had you sitting on the floor and frowning, earlier?”
My mother doesn’t approve of you. “Was it a sexy frown?”
“Like everything about you.” She brushes my hair from my forehead and her eyes roam over my face, reading my expression no doubt. “But I don’t think you were practicing your sexy look. Are you going to tell me?”
“No.” I lay a small kiss on the tip of her nose.
“You know I’m going to get it out of you sooner or later.”
Later, please, much later. When I’ve had a chance to persuade my mother that I’m not making a huge mistake. “Is Doris staying with Hedge on Tuesday?”
“Yes, she’s going to read him Pinocchio.”
I take her hand and pull her into my arms. “How about I take the day off too and we go down to the hidden pond. We could sunbathe naked while we have the chance?”
She laughs. “I’d hate to traumatise your guests if they take a wrong turn and see something they shouldn’t.”
“What are you suggesting? That my naked body is…” I narrow my eyes at her.
“Oh yes, your naked body is highly disturbing.”
“For that, I’m not going to stay. I’ll pack up and go back to Milton Keynes.”
Her mouth is open about to speak when the penny drops. She stills, almost too scared to ask. “Do you mean — uh — I mean are you — what do you mean?”
Laughing I pull her into me. “Yes, I’m staying. As long as the Hemingway Holiday Hideaways attracts enough customers, then I can be a self-employed property manager and maybe architect and boyfriend to a very lovely honey seller.”
“In that order?” she asks sounding lightly amused, but her eyes shine brighter that any star in La Canette’s night sky.
It is that shining in her eyes that tells me she’s been thinking the same but never speaking a word of it, waiting for me to find my own answer.
Chapter Forty-Six
Elodie
Something is wrong. Hal never comes to see me in the middle of the day. And he certainly doesn’t barge in while customers are in the shop. And if all this were not enough, I can tell from his face that something is very wrong.
I hold up a finger to tell him to wait while I take payment from one customer.
Hal hovers, practically quivering with impatience. My other customer, a woman I vaguely recognise, is looking around, so I leave her to browse and step outside.
Hal follows me taking my elbow to lead me out of earshot. His touch isn’t harsh, but his hand is icy cold.
“You’ve sold Labri Catch.” He doesn’t ask this; he just says it like an accusation.
“What do you mean?”
“Hedge has. To Morris and Sweeny Property LLC.”
I’m confused. “What are you talking ab—”
“They both came to see me an hour ago.” His voice is strained as if he’s keeping his temper tightly leashed. “They showed me the paperwork. Signed and witnessed. With a receipt from the Municipalité to show the sale has been ratified by the land registry. They now own Labri Catch and all its lands on Catcher Hill.”
I have to laugh. “It’s not possible.”
His eyes are wild.
“Hal that’s not possible. There is no way—"
