Then Cook joined in, “That was a very nice thing you did yesterday. Young Parker at the post office says Doris couldn’t stop smiling all day.” She gave Gabriel a motherly pat on his shoulder. “You’re very popular in the village. Eileen says you can come to her shop and choose any cheese or chutney you like.”
“I think I owe it all to Pierre. Without her and her jar of honey, I’d still bepersona non grata.” His expression warmed. “She’s an expert peacemaker.”
Pierre felt warm with his attention on her. “Strictly speaking, it was Hedge’s honey because he didn’t let me pay.”
He pushed his chair back and stood up. “I can be ready in ten minutes,” he said. “If Hedge will see us, let’s not keep him waiting.”
“Okay. I’ll see you out front,” she said before she could stop herself.
Not only was he not going to see the church this morning, but she was also going to spend most of the day with him.
Sometimes, good intentions lead to great cockups.
______
At the bicycle rack, Gabriel eyed the bikes uncertainly.
“Don’t you have other bikes which are…” he paused. “Which don’t look like this?”
“What is it you prefer? A penny farthing?” she asked him as she climbed on hers.
He smiled to himself, his eyes on the bike. “I mean ones that don’t look like girl’s bicycles. If Liam and Adam see me riding one of these, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“How exactly are they girls’ bikes?”
He pointed at the basket attached to the handlebars.
Seriously? “That’s for all your gubbins.”
“Gubbins?” This time he laughed. “Aren’t you too young to use words like ‘gubbins’?”
“Didn’t anyone teach you it’s rude to mention a woman’s age?”
“Am I allowed to mention a woman’s appearance?” he asked, shouldering his bag, and starting to button up his jacket.
Well, if it was verbal tennis he wanted, she could serve a faster ball.
“Only if it’s a compliment. And only if it’s honest. And if you can’t manage both then I suggest you give up.”
His eyes danced between her and the bikes. “The basket reminds me of romantic pictures of pretty girls in flowy skirts riding with a basket full of flowers.”
She stared at him unable to think of a retort. He’d managed to answer the question, be honest and be complimentary, andstillshe had no clue if the compliment applied to her or just to clichéd postcards of girls on bikes. In this verbal tennis, he’d just won the set, and it was she who had to give up.
She settled on her bike and got ready to move off. “Are you really worried people might see the basket and think you’re a girl? Just use it for your camera bags and other accoutrements so you don’t have to carry them on your back.”
“Accoutrements?” He raised his eyebrows. “Can’t you just say ‘stuff’ or ‘things’ like normal people?”
“I like interesting words.”
“And I’m guessing you don’t like being ordinary people.” His eyes studied her.
She resisted the urge to impress him with an interesting answer. This was a work trip, nothing more.
She started pedalling and made herself say, “You don’t have to come.”
He didn’t answer, but when he caught up to her, his camera bag was indeed in the basket. And despite her good intentions, a bubble of happiness rose up from her chest and broke into a wide smile on her face.
This time she took him along the river towpath. His eyes kept straying to the water, the reeds growing on the banks, the geese. She could offer to stop and let him take pictures. Or even come back after they finish with Hedge and have lunch by the river.
