It’s turning chilly. And Pietro can see Broombank properly at last. You don’t mind, Meg, do you?’
‘No, of course not. I don’t mind at all.’ Oh, but she did. She minded very much indeed.
There was no question now of sending them away. Even Beth was able to forget her ambivalent feelings and be content to let them stay. How could she refuse such a small request when Pietro had every right to visit his roots, which were, after all, the same as their own. Their relationship might be tenuous but real enough. And he seemed to have so little and they had so much. He told them how he was on a student’s visa, studying and touring Europe, as well as the old home of his family here in Lakeland. It all sounded perfectly reasonable. Secretly she was pleased it had all turned out so happily. At least this meant she could stop worrying and enjoy the pleasure of his company a little longer.
Chapter Seven
The days of summer passed pleasantly enough. Beth was working hard on the house but Sarah constantly complained of feeling unwell, or declare she hadn’t slept a wink.
‘If you’re fit enough to swim in the tarn, you’re fit enough to help,’ Beth would say, only to meet with a casual shrug, or a plea to bring her up some coffee. ‘And perhaps a bacon sandwich? I’m too exhausted to cook breakfast, darling. Do you mind? I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Only she never did.
As a consequence there were times when Beth felt thoroughly drained. One afternoon in late August when the heat haze shimmered on the stubbled fields, Andrew Barton called at Broombank, ostensibly to ask if there were odd jobs needing doing.
‘We’re on our way up to Larkrigg, as a matter of fact,’ Tessa told him. ‘You could always put in an offer there. The twins are doing it up and would be glad of all the help they can get.’
‘Right.’ He looked almost pleased to be asked and Beth thought it must be because he had a soft spot for Tess. Which would more realistically explain the reason for his call. He certainly seemed happy enough to play with James, tossing him up in the air and making the baby squeal with delight. He walked up to Larkrigg with them and the girls chattered on, telling him about their two visitors.
‘What do you know about them?’ he asked, frowning slightly.
‘Quite a lot,’ Sarah said, with a wry smile.
‘One of them is distantly related, would you believe?’ Beth found herself explaining, without quite knowing why.
But Andrew’s cautious nature forced him to issue a warning. ‘I’d take care, if I were you. Happen he’s here for a reason.’
‘Of course he is, to discover his roots and where his grandfather was born. Rather as we are,’ Sarah said.
‘But why? Bit suspicious, I call it.’
‘Oh, Andrew, don’t be such an old misery-boots,’ and she fluttered her eyelashes at him, making him flush with bashful embarrassment. The explanations and arguments continued until they were met by the sight of Jonty and Pietro, chopping logs in the yard.
‘Getting ready for winter,’ Pietro said, grinning at Beth.
Andrew intercepted the glance and prickled with angry disappointment. ‘Winter?’
Blue eyes shifted from Beth to Andrew and perceptibly cooled. ‘You have the objection to that?’
‘It’s naught to do with me.’
‘Indeed not.’
Beth hastily stepped in and introduced the young men properly to each other. Nods all round but no one offered to shake hands. A slight awkwardness developed which she didn’t fully understand.
‘You intend to stop on for a bit then?’ Andrew mildly enquired, in his slow, quiet voice, the vowels rolling broader, the consonants more clipped than ever. Watching him, Beth couldn’t help but notice that beside the sleek Pietro, he looked sadly like a poor peasant talking to a god.
‘We like it here. We in no hurry to leave, OK?’
‘Move about a lot, do you?’
‘When we feel inclined,’ Jonty said, grinning. ‘Free spirits, that’s
‘No, of course not. I don’t mind at all.’ Oh, but she did. She minded very much indeed.
There was no question now of sending them away. Even Beth was able to forget her ambivalent feelings and be content to let them stay. How could she refuse such a small request when Pietro had every right to visit his roots, which were, after all, the same as their own. Their relationship might be tenuous but real enough. And he seemed to have so little and they had so much. He told them how he was on a student’s visa, studying and touring Europe, as well as the old home of his family here in Lakeland. It all sounded perfectly reasonable. Secretly she was pleased it had all turned out so happily. At least this meant she could stop worrying and enjoy the pleasure of his company a little longer.
Chapter Seven
The days of summer passed pleasantly enough. Beth was working hard on the house but Sarah constantly complained of feeling unwell, or declare she hadn’t slept a wink.
‘If you’re fit enough to swim in the tarn, you’re fit enough to help,’ Beth would say, only to meet with a casual shrug, or a plea to bring her up some coffee. ‘And perhaps a bacon sandwich? I’m too exhausted to cook breakfast, darling. Do you mind? I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Only she never did.
As a consequence there were times when Beth felt thoroughly drained. One afternoon in late August when the heat haze shimmered on the stubbled fields, Andrew Barton called at Broombank, ostensibly to ask if there were odd jobs needing doing.
‘We’re on our way up to Larkrigg, as a matter of fact,’ Tessa told him. ‘You could always put in an offer there. The twins are doing it up and would be glad of all the help they can get.’
‘Right.’ He looked almost pleased to be asked and Beth thought it must be because he had a soft spot for Tess. Which would more realistically explain the reason for his call. He certainly seemed happy enough to play with James, tossing him up in the air and making the baby squeal with delight. He walked up to Larkrigg with them and the girls chattered on, telling him about their two visitors.
‘What do you know about them?’ he asked, frowning slightly.
‘Quite a lot,’ Sarah said, with a wry smile.
‘One of them is distantly related, would you believe?’ Beth found herself explaining, without quite knowing why.
But Andrew’s cautious nature forced him to issue a warning. ‘I’d take care, if I were you. Happen he’s here for a reason.’
‘Of course he is, to discover his roots and where his grandfather was born. Rather as we are,’ Sarah said.
‘But why? Bit suspicious, I call it.’
‘Oh, Andrew, don’t be such an old misery-boots,’ and she fluttered her eyelashes at him, making him flush with bashful embarrassment. The explanations and arguments continued until they were met by the sight of Jonty and Pietro, chopping logs in the yard.
‘Getting ready for winter,’ Pietro said, grinning at Beth.
Andrew intercepted the glance and prickled with angry disappointment. ‘Winter?’
Blue eyes shifted from Beth to Andrew and perceptibly cooled. ‘You have the objection to that?’
‘It’s naught to do with me.’
‘Indeed not.’
Beth hastily stepped in and introduced the young men properly to each other. Nods all round but no one offered to shake hands. A slight awkwardness developed which she didn’t fully understand.
‘You intend to stop on for a bit then?’ Andrew mildly enquired, in his slow, quiet voice, the vowels rolling broader, the consonants more clipped than ever. Watching him, Beth couldn’t help but notice that beside the sleek Pietro, he looked sadly like a poor peasant talking to a god.
‘We like it here. We in no hurry to leave, OK?’
‘Move about a lot, do you?’
‘When we feel inclined,’ Jonty said, grinning. ‘Free spirits, that’s
Similar Books
