feathery tail knocked against the table. Her father was
taking off his dark green Wellingtons. And a strange woman
was filling the kettle at the sink, behaving as if she was
totally at home.
Evie stared at the stranger in surprise. Sophisticated
and elegant even in a heavy Aran sweater and dark
trousers wet from the knees down, she was tall with sleek
honey-gold hair tied back in a knot. Evie reckoned the
woman was in her late-fifties although there were
remarkably few lines around the clear grey eyes that
stared out from a fine-boned face dusted with the merest
hint of a tan.
As she stared at the woman, Evie had the strangest
feeling that she too was being appraised, as if the grey eyes
were sizing her up. She immediately felt podgy in her
jeans: jeans she’d worn because they’d been washed so
often they were incredibly comfortable, but which did
nothing for her short legs and pear shape.
‘Evie! Welcome. Sorry we weren’t here to meet you but
I had to take the dogs out for a walk or they’d have gone
mad.’
Her father grabbed her in a bear hug and the two dogs
started barking madly again, jumping up and down and
generally making an incredible noise. Evie was about to
yell at them to stop when the woman spoke quietly.
‘Gooch, Jessie, sit!’ she said in a crisp, clear voice. An American voice.
Instantly, the two dogs, who’d never obeyed a command
from anyone but Evie’s father in their entire lives, stopped
barking and sat, both gazing up with such adoration at the
woman that Evie gasped aloud.
Rosie laughed delightedly. ‘How did you get them to do
that?’ she asked, rubbing Gooch’s velvety ears.
Andrew Fraser smiled fondly at the woman, one arm still
around Evie.
‘Vida has them eating out of her hand,’ he said proudly.
‘They walk beside her without their leads and come when
she calls them.’
Vida! Who the bloody hell was Vida? Evie wanted to
know. As if answering her question, Andrew reached out
and took the woman’s hand, clasping it tightly.
‘Evie and Rosie, I want you to meet Vida Andersen, a
very, very special friend of mine.’ His eyes twinkled as he
looked at Vida. Not a ‘special friend’ sort of look, Evie
thought suddenly, eyes narrowing. More of a ‘lover’ look.
And that, she realised with shocking clarity, was exactly
what Vida was.
‘Evie, Rosie, I’m delighted to meet you,’ she said, in a low cultured voice. ‘I’ve wanted to meet you both for so long.’
She moved forward and kissed Evie on one cheek,
leaving a subtle trail of expensive perfume in her wake,
Then she did the same with Rosie, who was gazing with
admiration at Vida, taking in the long sweeping lashes, the
subtle make-up and the strand of gleaming pearls barely
visible under the sweater.
‘I’d hoped to be more presentable when I finally met
you both,’ she laughed, gesturing at the Aran sweater she
wore with such panache. ‘This old thing of Andrew’s isn’t
the sort of thing one wants to wear to meet future …’ she
hesitated briefly, ‘. . friends.’
She was even wearing Dad’s jumper, Evie realised with
outrage. I bought that for him. In the sales one January. Ten
percent off, it was.
‘We’re delighted to meet you, aren’t we, Mum?’ said
Rosie, appearing beside Evie and giving her mother a surreptitious prod in the ribs.
‘Yes,’ she said automatically, switching into her gracious
mode. ‘Will you have a cup of tea?’ She busied herself
looking for the tea pot, which had always been kept beside
the tea caddy but which had now mysteriously been
moved. Are you staying in the village for a few days or
have you just moved in?’
Evie turned around from the worktop in time to see her
father and Vida exchange glances.
‘I’ve lived here for nearly a year,’ Vida said in that low
voice of hers to which Evie had taken an instant dislike.
‘In one of the cottages beside the mill,’ added Andrew,
handing the tea
taking off his dark green Wellingtons. And a strange woman
was filling the kettle at the sink, behaving as if she was
totally at home.
Evie stared at the stranger in surprise. Sophisticated
and elegant even in a heavy Aran sweater and dark
trousers wet from the knees down, she was tall with sleek
honey-gold hair tied back in a knot. Evie reckoned the
woman was in her late-fifties although there were
remarkably few lines around the clear grey eyes that
stared out from a fine-boned face dusted with the merest
hint of a tan.
As she stared at the woman, Evie had the strangest
feeling that she too was being appraised, as if the grey eyes
were sizing her up. She immediately felt podgy in her
jeans: jeans she’d worn because they’d been washed so
often they were incredibly comfortable, but which did
nothing for her short legs and pear shape.
‘Evie! Welcome. Sorry we weren’t here to meet you but
I had to take the dogs out for a walk or they’d have gone
mad.’
Her father grabbed her in a bear hug and the two dogs
started barking madly again, jumping up and down and
generally making an incredible noise. Evie was about to
yell at them to stop when the woman spoke quietly.
‘Gooch, Jessie, sit!’ she said in a crisp, clear voice. An American voice.
Instantly, the two dogs, who’d never obeyed a command
from anyone but Evie’s father in their entire lives, stopped
barking and sat, both gazing up with such adoration at the
woman that Evie gasped aloud.
Rosie laughed delightedly. ‘How did you get them to do
that?’ she asked, rubbing Gooch’s velvety ears.
Andrew Fraser smiled fondly at the woman, one arm still
around Evie.
‘Vida has them eating out of her hand,’ he said proudly.
‘They walk beside her without their leads and come when
she calls them.’
Vida! Who the bloody hell was Vida? Evie wanted to
know. As if answering her question, Andrew reached out
and took the woman’s hand, clasping it tightly.
‘Evie and Rosie, I want you to meet Vida Andersen, a
very, very special friend of mine.’ His eyes twinkled as he
looked at Vida. Not a ‘special friend’ sort of look, Evie
thought suddenly, eyes narrowing. More of a ‘lover’ look.
And that, she realised with shocking clarity, was exactly
what Vida was.
‘Evie, Rosie, I’m delighted to meet you,’ she said, in a low cultured voice. ‘I’ve wanted to meet you both for so long.’
She moved forward and kissed Evie on one cheek,
leaving a subtle trail of expensive perfume in her wake,
Then she did the same with Rosie, who was gazing with
admiration at Vida, taking in the long sweeping lashes, the
subtle make-up and the strand of gleaming pearls barely
visible under the sweater.
‘I’d hoped to be more presentable when I finally met
you both,’ she laughed, gesturing at the Aran sweater she
wore with such panache. ‘This old thing of Andrew’s isn’t
the sort of thing one wants to wear to meet future …’ she
hesitated briefly, ‘. . friends.’
She was even wearing Dad’s jumper, Evie realised with
outrage. I bought that for him. In the sales one January. Ten
percent off, it was.
‘We’re delighted to meet you, aren’t we, Mum?’ said
Rosie, appearing beside Evie and giving her mother a surreptitious prod in the ribs.
‘Yes,’ she said automatically, switching into her gracious
mode. ‘Will you have a cup of tea?’ She busied herself
looking for the tea pot, which had always been kept beside
the tea caddy but which had now mysteriously been
moved. Are you staying in the village for a few days or
have you just moved in?’
Evie turned around from the worktop in time to see her
father and Vida exchange glances.
‘I’ve lived here for nearly a year,’ Vida said in that low
voice of hers to which Evie had taken an instant dislike.
‘In one of the cottages beside the mill,’ added Andrew,
handing the tea
Similar Books
