“I suppose so.” It made sense, annoyingly.
I expected her to say goodbye and leave. Instead, she stood there in what became a slightly awkward silence, and I remembered she’d announced her arrival as inviting herself for a cup of tea. June was Archer’s family—if I were to be rude to her, it would reflect badly on him now that we were together. And it wasn’t as if I could close the door in her face after she’d driven all the way out here. I just hoped Archer or Mia would be back soon and rescue me from June’s relentless befriending attempts.
I stood back to let her in. “Thank you,” she said, following me through the hall and along the stone-flagged corridor to the kitchen.
“The other reason it might be a little difficult to invite Archer is that he and Chris don’t really see eye to eye,” she said, as I filled the kettle.
“I’d noticed.” Isowanted to ask what that was about, but there was no way I was going to gossip about Archer behind his back.
June had no such compunction. “Chris was only trying to help when Archer’s father died, but Archer—well, you know what young men are like, I’m sure. I don’t need to tell you about pride and bullheadedness. But it’s been ten years now, and Archer’s matured, so I’ve been hoping they can make up. What do you think?”
I tried to head her gossip off at the pass. “I don’t know what either of them think about that, so I wouldn’t like to venture an opinion. Biscuits with your tea?”
“Archer hasn’t mentioned anything to you about Chris? No hint of what he thinks about him these days?”
He hadn’t, but I didn’t like to say even that much. She was definitely trying to get information out of me, and I didn’t know why. Best to keep to neutral subjects. “We’ve got some chocolate tea cakes somewhere, if only I can find them. Unless Tim’s friends gave them to the ducks. They liked dive bombing biscuits out of the windows onto them.”
“I see.”
My deflection had evidently been too obvious because her tone changed from confidante to pissed-off adult talking to a recalcitrant toddler. I’d do well to remember that, for all her congenial exterior, June Talbot was a dragon.
“I’ll just pop along to the lavatory and powder my nose.”
“Do you know where—”
“Thank you, yes. I spent alotof time here after the children’s mother left.”
Archer’s mother had left, not died? I stared at June’s retreating back, wanting to ask about it and knowing that would be the worst thing I could do. If Archer wanted me to know, he’d tell me.
I found the remaining teacake along with some custard creams and poured the tea once it had brewed. June had made her tea in a teapot rather than sticking a teabag in a mug, so I’d made the extra effort. But she still wasn’t back. How much powdering did she have to do?
After another five minutes of kicking my heels and nibbling biscuits, I went looking. The loo door was open, and there was no sign of her in the hall, dining room, or either sitting room. Shehadto be in the library because she’d never have gone upstairs uninvited. Would she?
Shewasin the library, working her way along a row of books, head tilted on one side to read the spines.
“Thereyou are,” I said, sounding like my mum. The alternative would be asking her what the hell she thought she was doing, and I didn’t think that would be conducive to forming good relationships with Archer’s family.
She spun around, evidently not having heard me. Weird, given how keen our senses are. She must have been concentrating on the books. “Oh, Ollie,” she said. “I saw the door was open and I couldn’t resist coming in here and reacquainting myself with such a beautiful room. And all these books. Have you had a chance to look through them?”
“Not really.” I’d kind of forgotten about the library in my concentration on the gardens and Archer. Now, though, I wanted to take an old, leather-bound book at random, sit on the sofa positioned so invitingly in front of the window, and lose myself in a different world for an afternoon.
“You should,” she said absently, as she moved to inspect the next shelf. “It’s such a shame that no one reads these anymore.”
That sounded like a criticism of Archer. And Tim and Mia. I quieted my dragon, who was uncharacteristically bristling. “I’m sure—”
I broke off as the front door slammed. No one had slammed it since Tim and Archer had started speaking to one another again, so I went to the library door and peered out to find out who it was and what was wrong.
Archer was striding towards the sitting room. When he saw me, he changed tack, his bootheels striking the stone flags so hard I was surprised they didn’t cause sparks.
“Where is she?” he snarled, his fists clenched, his eyes blazing with such fury that my dragon shrank back. I’d never seen him like this before, never heard such raw power in his voice. For the first time in weeks, I remembered he was the head of a family, with all the might and authority that came with that.
“June’s in here?” I said, unsure if that was who he meant but knowing there wasn’t anyone else in the house.
I scrambled to get out of his way as he barrelled through the door.
“What thefuckare you doing here?” he growled.
“Archer.” Putting back the book she’d pulled out, June smiled winningly, pearly pink lips revealing perfect white teeth. “What a lovely surprise. I dropped in to spend some time with Ollie. We’re—”
