‘I’m not eating pastry,’ said Leo, ‘so you must be sensational.’
Gilly looked at him over her glass, trying to think of something sensible to say. ‘It’s time for the second half of the performance,’ she said eventually.
‘Really? Do we have to go? Couldn’t we just stay here and eat this delicious food and get drunk? After all, neither of us has to drive, and how often can one say that?’
‘Not very often but I’m afraid we do have to see the second half. There are quite a lot of people I know here and if we didn’t reappear there would be talk.’ Privately Gilly was thrilled at possibly being the subject of gossip and speculation. Currently she was known as a good woman and while she didn’t want to be a bad one, it was fun to challenge people’s ideas about who she really was. She felt her reputation was rather dull.
Leo put the picnic hamper in a safe place and they walked back together into the main barn. Gilly was just settling herself in, wondering if she needed her pashmina or not, when she caught someone waving at her.
It was Amy’s mother. Although not as close friends as their daughters were, she’d known Michelle since the girls were at school together. Now Michelle was raising her eyebrows, smiling and looking at Leo. There was no chance Gilly could pretend that she and Leo were just sitting next to each other by chance.
If it had been any of her other friends she’d have been thrilled to be seen with such an attractive man at her side. But Michelle would tell her daughter Amy, and Amy would tell Helena faster than the speed of thought. What would Helena have to say about her mother going to the opera with a man like Leo? The first thing she would want to know is where did Gilly meet him. And if Gilly told her, Helena would want to know the details and if Gilly told her about getting her house valued, Helena would be outraged.
She took a breath. She didn’t have to worry about that until tomorrow. She looked up at Leo and caught him smiling down at her. Her stomach flipped. She was thrilled that her stomach could still do that. She’d sort of assumed that it was an ability one lost with age, like being able to do the splits.
This thought amused her so much she almost laughed out loud. Leo caught her expression and gave her a very wry look.
This was worth any amount of interrogation from Helena tomorrow, she decided.
Gilly felt incredibly like a teenager on the way home. She sat in the back of the car with Leo wishing she lived a lot further away than she did. He picked up her hand and looked at it. ‘You have lovely hands,’ he said.
Gilly used to be proud of her hands but felt that work and the passing years had spoiled them. She managed not to argue with him though and was proud of herself. ‘Thank you.’
Then they were outside her house and the driver was taking her up the drive to her front door.
Leo got out, ran round the car and opened the door for her. He ushered her up to the door. ‘Thank you so much for a lovely evening,’ he said, stealing her line. ‘I do hope we can do something like it again.’
‘I’d like that very much,’ said Gilly, suddenly desperately shy. ‘I’ve had such a nice time. Thank you so much.’
He kissed her lightly on both cheeks. ‘I’ll be in touch. Soon.’
Chapter Eight
From the moment Amy had arrived to pick Helena up for a weaving workshop, Helena could tell that Amy had gossip. She didn’t say anything on the journey and Helena decided not to give her friend the gratification and ask her.
When they’d arrived at the venue and done most of the setting-up, Helena caved in.
‘So why are you looking so pleased with yourself?’ she asked, ostensibly checking the list of names she had in front of her. ‘You’re looking amazingly smug and you obviously have big news.’
‘I have such brilliant gossip you will not believe it! And it’s really nice gossip too, nothing nasty.’
‘So, tell me?’
‘Not sure we’ve got time now. Everyone’s pretty much here. But afterwards, deffo.’
Helena considered that Amy’s use of rather old-fashioned slang was one of the many things she loved about her. Her habit of leaving you hanging was less endearing. But Amy had a point, people were ready to start and they should crack on.
‘So,’ said Amy when the session was over and they were driving back to Helena’s, ‘my mum saw yours yesterday evening.’
‘Who? My mum?’
‘That’s what I said!’
‘If that’s the gossip, it’s very lame.’
‘It’s all about the context! She saw her at that posh opera thing.’
‘Well, that’s nice. I didn’t know she was going.’ Still not proper gossip.
‘With a man! Not just any man, a gorgeous one. Mum said he was a silver fox!’
‘Oh.’ Helena felt put out and a bit worried about her mother. ‘Why didn’t she tell me she was going? How did she even dress herself without my going over her wardrobe?’
Amy understood there was more to this than Helena’s objection to not being consulted and shrugged her shoulders. ‘She’s a free agent. She can go out with whoever she likes without asking permission.’
‘No she can’t!’ said Helena, knowing she was being unreasonable. ‘Supposing she gets carried off by a conman? A “silver fox”, you say? That doesn’t sound like he’s trustworthy, does it?’
‘No, but it sounds like he’s hot. And being hot doesn’t make you a bad person. I should know!’ Amy pointed to herself and made a face. ‘Seriously, Helly, I thought you’d be delighted, your mother meeting someone. She’s been on her own long enough.’
Helena sighed. ‘I’m delighted if he’s nice, but you know Mum, she’s vulnerable. She can be taken in by anyone.’
‘I don’t think you give her enough credit. She must have to judge character every day with her business. Think how she’s made your old house into a B & B that’s so good it’s practically a boutique hotel. You can’t do that if you’re an idiot.’
‘I know,’ said Helena, feeling chastened but not reassured. ‘But I worry about her and men. She made such a bad choice when she picked my father, I’m not sure she can make good decisions about them.’
‘This may not be an actual thing. They may just have gone to the opera together and never see each other again.’ It was Amy’s turn to sigh. ‘You know what men are like.’
Helena did relax a bit now. ‘True.’
‘I wouldn’t have told you if I thought you’d worry about it. I just thought you’d be pleased Gilly had had a night out with a good-looking man.’ She paused. ‘Why don’t you give her a call? Not to tell her off, obvs, but to congratulate her. Say you’d heard and you’re a bit jel.’
Helena laughed properly now. ‘She won’t believe I’m jealous! But, on the subject of men, have you met our gorgeous landlord yet?’ Helena realised that she hadn’t thought of him as gorgeous before and now she’d described him as such Amy would get overexcited.
‘No, I didn’t go in the end as I had someone else in my sights – I told you. But you didn’t describe him as gorgeous – I might have called round anyway.’