‘Voice?’ prompted Amy as Helena had stopped trying to describe him.
‘A nice voice. No noticeable accent.’
‘Eyes?’
‘Yes, he definitely has eyes.’
‘Agh! Colour?’
‘Not easy to define. Bluey-greeny, or maybe greeny-bluey.’
‘Nothing else you can tell me about him?’
Helena shrugged. ‘To be honest I was mostly dealing with my claustrophobia.’
Amy looked at her. ‘Helena! What on earth have you been doing?’
‘Earth does come into it, as it happens.’ And Helena related the story of how she’d had to rescue the kitten. ‘So we know he’s definitely an animal lover.’
Amy was less impressed. ‘Yes, but does he want kids? Some people prefer animals to children.’
‘Strangely, we didn’t get on to whether or not he wanted children. He does know I don’t take sugar in my tea, though,’ said Helena, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. ‘Nor does he.’
‘Ah!’ said Amy triumphantly. ‘Something in common!’
Helena sighed. ‘But seriously, I think he is a nice guy. He’s making our space into affordable housing and says that’s what he’s most interested in. You should definitely get to know him.’
‘I will,’ said Amy. ‘If you’re leaving this diamond on the beach.’
‘He’s all yours. Now tell me about the workshop. Was it OK doing it on your own? I am sorry I couldn’t come and do it with you.’
‘It’s fine. I know you had to work. And it was OK although it is better doing it as a couple. People aren’t left waiting for help for so long.’ She twiddled the fringe on the throw. ‘Tell me more about this Jago Pengelly. Is that Welsh, do you think?’
‘Cornish, I imagine, though I’m not sure. Amy, why don’t you pop over and ask him?’
‘He won’t be there now,’ said Amy. ‘It’s nearly nine o’clock in the evening. Builders don’t work that late.’
‘He’s living on site! Which is why he was able to look after his sister’s cat and her kitten. Though I think they’ve gone back now. I saw him putting a loaded cat basket into his pickup.’
Amy had lost interest in the cats. ‘But is the house fit to live in? It doesn’t look like it.’
‘He’s tough. Pop over and borrow a cup of sugar or something, although maybe make it quinoa as we know he doesn’t take sugar.’ Her friend looked doubtful. ‘Or take him some of Mum’s shortbread. Everyone loves that.’
Now Amy frowned at Helena with her head on one side. ‘You know, I’m beginning to get why you don’t go in for dating. You have no idea about normal behaviour.’
Helena shrugged, feeling vindicated but hiding it.
‘But tomorrow,’ Amy went on. ‘I’m going over as soon as I decently can. So, how’s your mum?’
Everyone loved Gilly because she was always baking and had been fairly relaxed when they were growing up. ‘She’s OK, I think,’ said Helena. ‘We’ve had a summons to Sunday lunch with stick-woman and my brother.’
‘You’re very unkind about Cressida,’ said Amy, who’d met her. ‘She’s perfectly nice.’
‘I know there’s nothing major wrong with her but I’d like her better if she wasn’t quite so obsessed with running and healthy eating. She’s aggressively skinny’ – Helena held up her hand – ‘which is fine! But she wants everyone else to be too.’
‘I don’t think you can be aggressively skinny.’
Helena raised her eyebrows. ‘Spend a little time with her and you’ll know that isn’t true.’
‘But Gilly gets on OK with her?’
‘You know Mum, she gets on with everyone even though Mum is definitely a feeder and Cressida thinks everyone should live on green-sludge smoothies.’
‘I stayed in a B & B when I was away,’ said Amy. ‘It was so not up to Gilly’s standards!’
Helena laughed. ‘She is obsessed. She has Four in a Bed on series record and is always looking for obscure places to dust. I keep telling her she should go on that programme.’
‘She takes such pride in Fairacres, doesn’t she? And when you stay with someone who doesn’t, you do notice.’ Amy had been an early guinea pig for Gilly when she was testing her bedrooms for comfort.
‘She’s lucky she loves baking,’ said Helena, ‘so the home-made biscuits she puts in every room are a pleasure for her to make.’
‘And the top-quality bed linen makes such a difference!’ said Amy. ‘So luxurious.’
Helena grew serious for a moment. ‘She had all that before she opened. She told me it was how she comforted herself when Dad was being so horrible. She bought bed linen.’
‘That was a truly awful time for you all,’ said Amy.
‘But you and your mum were so supportive.’
Amy smiled. ‘I remember my mother panicking after she’d invited you over to stay. Gilly’s such a brilliant cook and she thought Gilly would hate everything my mum cooked.’
‘She wouldn’t have cared!’ said Helena. ‘And your parents have a very deft hand with the corkscrew and that really helped.’
‘She’s done so well since the divorce,’ said Amy. ‘You must be proud of her.’
‘I am! And I’m going to make sure my brother and his wife don’t take advantage of all her hard work.’
‘You don’t think they’re going to try, do you?’ Amy was horrified.
Helena shrugged. ‘Why else invite us both to Sunday lunch? I think Mum knows more than she’s telling me because she’s afraid I’ll go ballistic at the thought.’
Amy shook her head. ‘Well, keep me informed. I’d love to think badly of a green-smoothie addict.’
Chapter Four
‘Shall I drive?’ said Helena. It was Sunday morning, and Helena had parked her car outside Fairacres and gone inside to pick up her mother. ‘Then you can have a glass of wine?’
‘A whole glass? I don’t think so. That would be more units than would be healthy,’ said Gilly, looking around to check everything was locked. ‘Cressida always wants everyone to be healthy.’
‘Mum! It’s so unlike you to say something like that. I love it when you find your inner bitch.’
Gilly laughed. ‘I’m always quite relieved to discover I have one, I must say. Now, have I got everything?’
‘I’m not sure Cressida appreciates home baking, Mum,’ said Helena, eyeing the collection of Tupperware her mother had in her basket.
‘I know she doesn’t, but Martin does and he takes it into work. He tells Cressida that it’s to give to his colleagues, but I know he eats it too.’
‘But don’t you think she breathalyses him to detect the consumption of carbs and sugar when he gets home?’
‘Probably. Mostly I take biscuits so Issi has something she can eat when she gets home from school. I don’t think that little girl actually gets enough calories. It’s all cucumber and carrots and the odd seed. But I expect you’re right, I shouldn’t be her enabler—’