was a home bird, a country girl, and she didn’t think she would ever be part of his world.’
‘No wonder you went off the rails. You must have been so bewildered.’
‘I was angry... Not with my mother—I could understand how she might have fallen for someone and how she turned to my dad when this man went away. She was always loving towards me, and there were endless rows between her and Dad over the way he treated me. He loved her, I’m sure, but he couldn’t get beyond the other man who had figured in her life and things were never easy between them. We weren’t what you’d call a contented family.’
She ran her hands lightly over his forearms. ‘I wish I’d known at the time. Perhaps I could have helped, instead of being mad at you for the way you behaved. I knew there was a reason but I couldn’t fathom it and I didn’t know how to reach you...the real you.’
He gave a crooked smile. ‘That’s because he went missing for a while.’ His expression was sombre. ‘Perhaps part of him is still beyond reach.’
She shook her head. ‘You don’t mean that.’
He looked at her, taking in the vulnerable curve of her cheek and the soft fullness of her pink lips. ‘I don’t know—I’m still unsure about a lot of things—but it makes me feel good to know that you wanted to reach out to me.’
‘I’m glad about that.’ She wanted to say more—to go on talking with him, get him to open up to her—but someone stepped out into the quadrangle and they moved apart. ‘I should go,’ she said and he nodded.
‘Me too.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘Y OU ’ VE BEEN BUSY . ’ Caitlin’s mother looked at the basket of fruit Caitlin had brought for her. ‘That’s not all come from home, has it?’
‘It has, actually.’ Caitlin was proud of the amount of fruit she’d managed to harvest. It was mostly being sold at the local market but she’d gathered together an assortment for the gift basket. There were early fruiting James Grieve apples, a few pears, pink-skinned Victoria plums and some of the later varieties of strawberries. ‘I thought it might help to cheer you up.’
It had also given her something to do, had helped keep her occupied outside of work. It gave her less time to dwell on situations that were fast running out of her control. Brodie had given her a lot to think about with his revelations about his father. His background meant that he probably still had a lot of self-doubt and she wondered if he would ever be able to make a proper commitment to her. She was falling for him all over again but for her own self-preservation she knew she should guard against losing her heart to him.
‘Bless you, it’s wonderful; a real treat.’ Her mother smiled. ‘Oh, it makes me long to be back home. I can’t wait to get back there and see how everything’s going on.’
‘I’m sure it won’t be too long now,’ Caitlin agreed, trying to give her some encouragement. ‘You’re certainly looking a bit brighter. There’s colour in your cheeks and you seem to be breathing a little easier.’
‘I am. I’m managing to get a bit further with the walking frame now before the lack of breath stops me.’
‘That’s good to know.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘And there’s a bit of news I thought you’d want to know about—David has asked if the film unit can use the smallholding as one of their sets for an episode of
Murder Mysteries
. He said they would pay well, so I said I’d ask you. I didn’t really think you’d have any objection. They promise they won’t leave a mess, and the filming will all be done over two or three days. I think they especially want to use the barn and the area around the hen hut.’
‘Oh, how exciting! Yes, of course that’s okay. It’ll be so interesting to see our home on the television, won’t it? I wonder what they’ll make of it? Oh, I can’t wait!’
Caitlin chuckled. ‘I thought you’d be all right with it. David’s asked if we’ll be extras and take part
‘No wonder you went off the rails. You must have been so bewildered.’
‘I was angry... Not with my mother—I could understand how she might have fallen for someone and how she turned to my dad when this man went away. She was always loving towards me, and there were endless rows between her and Dad over the way he treated me. He loved her, I’m sure, but he couldn’t get beyond the other man who had figured in her life and things were never easy between them. We weren’t what you’d call a contented family.’
She ran her hands lightly over his forearms. ‘I wish I’d known at the time. Perhaps I could have helped, instead of being mad at you for the way you behaved. I knew there was a reason but I couldn’t fathom it and I didn’t know how to reach you...the real you.’
He gave a crooked smile. ‘That’s because he went missing for a while.’ His expression was sombre. ‘Perhaps part of him is still beyond reach.’
She shook her head. ‘You don’t mean that.’
He looked at her, taking in the vulnerable curve of her cheek and the soft fullness of her pink lips. ‘I don’t know—I’m still unsure about a lot of things—but it makes me feel good to know that you wanted to reach out to me.’
‘I’m glad about that.’ She wanted to say more—to go on talking with him, get him to open up to her—but someone stepped out into the quadrangle and they moved apart. ‘I should go,’ she said and he nodded.
‘Me too.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘Y OU ’ VE BEEN BUSY . ’ Caitlin’s mother looked at the basket of fruit Caitlin had brought for her. ‘That’s not all come from home, has it?’
‘It has, actually.’ Caitlin was proud of the amount of fruit she’d managed to harvest. It was mostly being sold at the local market but she’d gathered together an assortment for the gift basket. There were early fruiting James Grieve apples, a few pears, pink-skinned Victoria plums and some of the later varieties of strawberries. ‘I thought it might help to cheer you up.’
It had also given her something to do, had helped keep her occupied outside of work. It gave her less time to dwell on situations that were fast running out of her control. Brodie had given her a lot to think about with his revelations about his father. His background meant that he probably still had a lot of self-doubt and she wondered if he would ever be able to make a proper commitment to her. She was falling for him all over again but for her own self-preservation she knew she should guard against losing her heart to him.
‘Bless you, it’s wonderful; a real treat.’ Her mother smiled. ‘Oh, it makes me long to be back home. I can’t wait to get back there and see how everything’s going on.’
‘I’m sure it won’t be too long now,’ Caitlin agreed, trying to give her some encouragement. ‘You’re certainly looking a bit brighter. There’s colour in your cheeks and you seem to be breathing a little easier.’
‘I am. I’m managing to get a bit further with the walking frame now before the lack of breath stops me.’
‘That’s good to know.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘And there’s a bit of news I thought you’d want to know about—David has asked if the film unit can use the smallholding as one of their sets for an episode of
Murder Mysteries
. He said they would pay well, so I said I’d ask you. I didn’t really think you’d have any objection. They promise they won’t leave a mess, and the filming will all be done over two or three days. I think they especially want to use the barn and the area around the hen hut.’
‘Oh, how exciting! Yes, of course that’s okay. It’ll be so interesting to see our home on the television, won’t it? I wonder what they’ll make of it? Oh, I can’t wait!’
Caitlin chuckled. ‘I thought you’d be all right with it. David’s asked if we’ll be extras and take part
Similar Books
