It was a good apology, but it didn’t fool Pierre. His mistake had nothing to do with muddled names.
They dropped the subject, but the atmosphere around the table was considerably chillier.
“Stop talking all of you and eat.” Cook slid a wooden board on the table, a little too hard, making the bread loaf jump. She added pots of honey, and several jams including Pierre’s favourite lime peel marmalade, nut butter, chocolate spread, and marmite. “The porridge will be ready soon.” No mention of the eggs for Gabriel.
“What are your plans today?” Liam, predictably, was doing his best to smooth things over and engage Gabriel in conversation.
Except to Liam, it was Emmet, not Gabriel. She really wished she’d talked to him long enough yesterday to let him explain.
“Just background stuff,” he answered Liam. “I thought I might walk around the island and get a feel for the place.”
He seemed to have forgotten about going to the church. Probably a good thing because she was already uncomfortably close. Besides, several old Ladybird books were waiting in the bookshop and she couldn’t wait.
Unfortunately, Liam was still trying to make Gabriel feel welcome.
“Pierre, didn’t Nicole want you to show him the stained-glass windows or something?” he asked her, then yelped, “Ouch.”
Pierre had kicked him under the table. Too late to stop him talking. “Sorry, Liam.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “New Wellies. Still getting used to them.”
Gabriel’s gaze settled on her a fraction too long, and she couldn’t escape the feeling he’d understood exactly what that kick under the table was about. Then he went back to buttering his bread and spooning honey over it. But that hint of understanding remained in his half smile.
Pierre didn’t understand her own muddled reaction to him, but one thing was clear. If she wanted an easy life, it was best not to get tangled up with him and Nicole.
Unfortunately, her boss had other ideas.
Two hours later, she was alone in his study finishing off a few admin tasks and dealing with his correspondence before going to the village, when she was startled by the doors opening wide.
“Persephone!” Lord M greeted her as Nurse Ann pushed his wheelchair into the room followed by Adam and Liam.
“I’m pleased to find you’re still the same colour.” The old man looked a lot better, his sharp blue eyes bright as they travelled over her long green hair. “Some days I struggle to recognise you.”
“I see you’re feeling better.” She grinned at him. If he was scolding her then he couldn’t be feeling too sick.
“I’m not feeling better. I seem to have a vague recollection that I asked my assistant to work in the library.”
“Now, Mr M, no agro today,” Nurse Ann said soothingly.
“There wouldn’t be anyagro, as you put it, if my staff did what I told them to do,” he explained patiently.
Adam had come all the way to the desk where Pierre stood.
“I thought you gave him a sedative,” she whispered to the doctor. “Why is he up?”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Because not even Diazepam can keep him down when he wants to be up.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Lord M demanded as Nurse Ann wheeled him to his favourite spot by the window.
“Do you want your post now?” Pierre had learnt that the best way to distract her boss was to give him letters. “We have an envelope with the logo of the British Embassy in Paris.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “That means Burgess is not able to attend. We only invited him as a formality at any rate. The man is a stuffed shirt.”
“Good morning, Your Lordship,” Nicole greeted him sweetly from the door.
Pierre suppressed a sigh. It was already half-past-nine and Nicole, who had a bloodhound’s nose for when Lord M was around, had brought Gabriel with her. This was not going to be quick.
“I’m so glad to find you feeling better. I’d like you to meet Emmet, our talented wedding photographer.”
“Good morning, Your Lordship,” Gabriel said quietly.
