heights. And my rubber gloves are lined.’
Rachel had changed the water in her bucket several times, climbing up and down the scaffold tower intent on her task before she realised that everyone else had gone. Except Raff.
‘Oh,’ she said, startled, about to refill her bucket and go back up there. ‘Did you want this back?’ She gestured to the tower.
‘Not right this minute, no. But we have to go.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’ve got the key. I can lock up when I’ve finished. But you don’t need to stay.’
‘It’s five o’clock. We’ve been here since nine without a proper break. I’m hungry and you must be too.’
‘I’m fine! Do go.’
He shook his head. ‘Not without you. I’m taking you to meet my mother.’
Rachel blinked at this, but found her sense of humour. ‘That’s a bit early in the relationship, isn’t it?’
He grinned. ‘Nice that you think we have a relationship.’
Rachel stopped being amused. ‘We haven’t. And didn’t you have lunch with her yesterday?’
‘I couldn’t make it so I promised to come today instead. And I’m going to take you with me. Now, do you want to go home and change? Or go as you are?’
In spite of being tired – something she had only just noticed – Rachel was feeling strong. She’d really enjoyed scrubbing away at rafters that probably hadn’t seen a cloth since they were last decorated in the fifties.
‘OK, so if I agree to go with you to meet your mother, does that count as our date? For the wood?’
‘Rachel!’ He shook his head reproachfully. ‘What do you think?’
Rachel didn’t know what she thought and she didn’t know what Raff thought either.
‘So? Change or as you are?’ he said.
‘Shower and change,’ she said. ‘I’ll meet you somewhere in an hour.’
He shook his head. ‘I’d rather wait at yours.’
‘Don’t you want to get changed yourself?’
‘No. I can shower and change at my mother’s.’
‘Well, you can’t stay at mine,’ said Rachel firmly. ‘Wait in the pub.’
‘Closed for a private party.’
‘Knock on the door. Sukey will let you in.’
‘Sukey is out. Besides, why won’t you let me in? Do I make the place look untidy?’
Rachel gritted her teeth. There were two reasons why she didn’t want Raff to be in her house while she showered and changed. One was because she didn’t know him well although her logical mind told her she shouldn’t worry: he was well known in the village, Sarah thought he was a good man and while Lindy said he was a womaniser, no one had implied he wasn’t safe. The other reason was exactly as he’d expressed it: he made the place look untidy.
‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I do have a deep desire to …’ He searched for the word. ‘Rumple you—’
She gasped with shock.
‘But I promise I won’t.’
‘That would be assault!’ Rachel realised that sounded as if she was afraid of him and now she thought about it, she knew she wasn’t.
‘It wouldn’t be assault if you wanted it too.’
Rachel felt as if she’d hardened her muscles to take a blow from one direction only to find herself knocked from somewhere else altogether. ‘That will never happen!’
He shrugged. ‘I’m prepared to wait. Now come along. Time for you to get clean and prettied up and me to sit in your white house and wait.’
She glared at him. ‘It’s not white, it’s “wevet”.’
She left him, still in his coat, in her sitting room reading a copy of
Country Living
that she produced from a drawer. She showered and washed her hair at a speed unknown to her previously. She didn’t iron her hair. This was a big deal for Rachel, who preferred her reddish locks to be sleek and controlled, not rioting round her head like damp candyfloss. Having dried herself (but not between her toes and with no application of body lotion – almost unheard of) she pulled on some black velvet jeans, boots and several layers of jumper and cardigan. She didn’t usually wear a lot
Rachel had changed the water in her bucket several times, climbing up and down the scaffold tower intent on her task before she realised that everyone else had gone. Except Raff.
‘Oh,’ she said, startled, about to refill her bucket and go back up there. ‘Did you want this back?’ She gestured to the tower.
‘Not right this minute, no. But we have to go.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’ve got the key. I can lock up when I’ve finished. But you don’t need to stay.’
‘It’s five o’clock. We’ve been here since nine without a proper break. I’m hungry and you must be too.’
‘I’m fine! Do go.’
He shook his head. ‘Not without you. I’m taking you to meet my mother.’
Rachel blinked at this, but found her sense of humour. ‘That’s a bit early in the relationship, isn’t it?’
He grinned. ‘Nice that you think we have a relationship.’
Rachel stopped being amused. ‘We haven’t. And didn’t you have lunch with her yesterday?’
‘I couldn’t make it so I promised to come today instead. And I’m going to take you with me. Now, do you want to go home and change? Or go as you are?’
In spite of being tired – something she had only just noticed – Rachel was feeling strong. She’d really enjoyed scrubbing away at rafters that probably hadn’t seen a cloth since they were last decorated in the fifties.
‘OK, so if I agree to go with you to meet your mother, does that count as our date? For the wood?’
‘Rachel!’ He shook his head reproachfully. ‘What do you think?’
Rachel didn’t know what she thought and she didn’t know what Raff thought either.
‘So? Change or as you are?’ he said.
‘Shower and change,’ she said. ‘I’ll meet you somewhere in an hour.’
He shook his head. ‘I’d rather wait at yours.’
‘Don’t you want to get changed yourself?’
‘No. I can shower and change at my mother’s.’
‘Well, you can’t stay at mine,’ said Rachel firmly. ‘Wait in the pub.’
‘Closed for a private party.’
‘Knock on the door. Sukey will let you in.’
‘Sukey is out. Besides, why won’t you let me in? Do I make the place look untidy?’
Rachel gritted her teeth. There were two reasons why she didn’t want Raff to be in her house while she showered and changed. One was because she didn’t know him well although her logical mind told her she shouldn’t worry: he was well known in the village, Sarah thought he was a good man and while Lindy said he was a womaniser, no one had implied he wasn’t safe. The other reason was exactly as he’d expressed it: he made the place look untidy.
‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I do have a deep desire to …’ He searched for the word. ‘Rumple you—’
She gasped with shock.
‘But I promise I won’t.’
‘That would be assault!’ Rachel realised that sounded as if she was afraid of him and now she thought about it, she knew she wasn’t.
‘It wouldn’t be assault if you wanted it too.’
Rachel felt as if she’d hardened her muscles to take a blow from one direction only to find herself knocked from somewhere else altogether. ‘That will never happen!’
He shrugged. ‘I’m prepared to wait. Now come along. Time for you to get clean and prettied up and me to sit in your white house and wait.’
She glared at him. ‘It’s not white, it’s “wevet”.’
She left him, still in his coat, in her sitting room reading a copy of
Country Living
that she produced from a drawer. She showered and washed her hair at a speed unknown to her previously. She didn’t iron her hair. This was a big deal for Rachel, who preferred her reddish locks to be sleek and controlled, not rioting round her head like damp candyfloss. Having dried herself (but not between her toes and with no application of body lotion – almost unheard of) she pulled on some black velvet jeans, boots and several layers of jumper and cardigan. She didn’t usually wear a lot
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