mind?’
Harriet smiled, just a gentle curve of her mouth. ‘Yes, I do mind a bit but I always knew it couldn’t work for me, so—’
‘You’re still in love with—whoever he was?’
Harriet considered and realised that until quite recently she might have believed that. Not any more, however. But it made no difference now. There was no future for her with Damien Wyatt...
She blinked several times as it hit her like a train all of a sudden that it mattered greatly to her to think there was no future for her with this man. He couldn’t have spelled it out more clearly.
So, she thought, the tables have turned. I was the one who was eager to cut ‘things’ off between us; now I’m the one who...
‘Harriet?’
‘Uh—I don’t know. But, for my own reasons, I really don’t want to get involved like that again. You probably think I’m silly.’ She stopped and shrugged.
There was a long silence. Then he said, ‘Tottie will be devastated.’
Harriet smiled and blew her nose. ‘Well, I ought to get back to work. Do you—’ she hesitated ‘—do you want me to finish your mother’s things?’
‘Yes,’ he replied promptly. ‘I won’t be here—no, I’m not going to try to go to Perth again today, but tomorrow I will.’
‘Oh.’ Harriet jumped up with a hand to her mouth. ‘I’m cook tonight. I promised Isabel roast beef. Will you...?’ She looked a question at him.
‘Roast beef,’ he repeated, his dark eyes full of amusement. ‘Something else I can’t resist.’
* * *
Harriet’s roast beef was rare on the inside and dark brown on the outside. With it she served roast potatoes and pumpkin, green beans and a rich gravy.
‘Mmm, that was delicious,’ Isabel enthused as she put her knife and fork together. ‘A girl of many talents!’
‘She is,’ Damien agreed and raised his glass to Harriet. ‘If ever you need a job away from the job you do, you know where to come.’
‘Apart from anything else, we know you won’t burn down the kitchen,’ Isabel said mischievously.
‘On that subject, how is the gentleman—where is he?’ Damien asked.
‘I packed him off home to his wife and family today with three months’ pay and a couple of contacts, both restaurants where he’d be too busy to get drunk and lonely. That wouldn’t be sticky date pudding, by any chance?’ Isabel asked of Harriet with equal proportions of trepidation and longing in her voice.
It was and it not only found favour with Isabel but also her nephew.
‘Amazing.’ he said, ‘For someone who hasn’t got a sweet tooth to produce such amazing desserts is quite—amazing.’
They all laughed.
‘So you’ll be in South Africa? For how long?’ Isabel queried of Damien. ‘Incidentally—’ she frowned ‘—why did you come back today?’
‘Something came up,’ Damien replied. ‘And I don’t know how long I’ll be in South Africa—a few weeks at least. As to why I’m going, there’s a lot of mining in Africa.’
Isabel stood up and insisted on clearing the table and loading the dishwasher but she declined coffee and, with a yawn and her thanks for a perfect meal, she left them alone.
‘You know—’ Damien swirled the last of his Merlot in his glass ‘—I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you stay on when all my mother’s stuff is sorted? That’s going to happen much sooner than your brother walking again by the sound of it. How is he doing?’
Harriet told him. ‘He’s got a new physio, a woman. I think he’s fallen in love with her. Not too seriously, I hope.’
Damien grimaced. ‘She’s probably used to it and knows how to handle it. But if it’s contributing towards his progress, it might be worth a few heartaches for him. Or...’ he stretched his legs out ‘...who knows, it might become mutual. Anyway, to get back to this place, why don’t you stay on? Isabel really enjoys your company. And I’m sure Charlie does too, when he’s home.’
‘I won’t have anything to do,
Harriet smiled, just a gentle curve of her mouth. ‘Yes, I do mind a bit but I always knew it couldn’t work for me, so—’
‘You’re still in love with—whoever he was?’
Harriet considered and realised that until quite recently she might have believed that. Not any more, however. But it made no difference now. There was no future for her with Damien Wyatt...
She blinked several times as it hit her like a train all of a sudden that it mattered greatly to her to think there was no future for her with this man. He couldn’t have spelled it out more clearly.
So, she thought, the tables have turned. I was the one who was eager to cut ‘things’ off between us; now I’m the one who...
‘Harriet?’
‘Uh—I don’t know. But, for my own reasons, I really don’t want to get involved like that again. You probably think I’m silly.’ She stopped and shrugged.
There was a long silence. Then he said, ‘Tottie will be devastated.’
Harriet smiled and blew her nose. ‘Well, I ought to get back to work. Do you—’ she hesitated ‘—do you want me to finish your mother’s things?’
‘Yes,’ he replied promptly. ‘I won’t be here—no, I’m not going to try to go to Perth again today, but tomorrow I will.’
‘Oh.’ Harriet jumped up with a hand to her mouth. ‘I’m cook tonight. I promised Isabel roast beef. Will you...?’ She looked a question at him.
‘Roast beef,’ he repeated, his dark eyes full of amusement. ‘Something else I can’t resist.’
* * *
Harriet’s roast beef was rare on the inside and dark brown on the outside. With it she served roast potatoes and pumpkin, green beans and a rich gravy.
‘Mmm, that was delicious,’ Isabel enthused as she put her knife and fork together. ‘A girl of many talents!’
‘She is,’ Damien agreed and raised his glass to Harriet. ‘If ever you need a job away from the job you do, you know where to come.’
‘Apart from anything else, we know you won’t burn down the kitchen,’ Isabel said mischievously.
‘On that subject, how is the gentleman—where is he?’ Damien asked.
‘I packed him off home to his wife and family today with three months’ pay and a couple of contacts, both restaurants where he’d be too busy to get drunk and lonely. That wouldn’t be sticky date pudding, by any chance?’ Isabel asked of Harriet with equal proportions of trepidation and longing in her voice.
It was and it not only found favour with Isabel but also her nephew.
‘Amazing.’ he said, ‘For someone who hasn’t got a sweet tooth to produce such amazing desserts is quite—amazing.’
They all laughed.
‘So you’ll be in South Africa? For how long?’ Isabel queried of Damien. ‘Incidentally—’ she frowned ‘—why did you come back today?’
‘Something came up,’ Damien replied. ‘And I don’t know how long I’ll be in South Africa—a few weeks at least. As to why I’m going, there’s a lot of mining in Africa.’
Isabel stood up and insisted on clearing the table and loading the dishwasher but she declined coffee and, with a yawn and her thanks for a perfect meal, she left them alone.
‘You know—’ Damien swirled the last of his Merlot in his glass ‘—I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you stay on when all my mother’s stuff is sorted? That’s going to happen much sooner than your brother walking again by the sound of it. How is he doing?’
Harriet told him. ‘He’s got a new physio, a woman. I think he’s fallen in love with her. Not too seriously, I hope.’
Damien grimaced. ‘She’s probably used to it and knows how to handle it. But if it’s contributing towards his progress, it might be worth a few heartaches for him. Or...’ he stretched his legs out ‘...who knows, it might become mutual. Anyway, to get back to this place, why don’t you stay on? Isabel really enjoys your company. And I’m sure Charlie does too, when he’s home.’
‘I won’t have anything to do,
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