Helaughed. ‘Well done you!’
They found a surprising amount of things to talk about while they finished the pasta and drank half of the wine. But he declined her offer of coffee.
‘No thank you, I really must go.’ He paused thoughtfully. ‘Would you come to a dinner party on Friday? I’ve been invited and I know if I asked, my hostess would be absolutely delighted to have you too.’
‘Why?’ said Fran, prickly with suspicion.
‘Because this is the country – everyone is desperately interested in anyone new! And Amy Flowers’ niece – or whatever you are to her – would be the most fascinating of all.’
‘So I’d be there as an object of curiosity?’
‘Yup.’
She tossed her head, trying not to show her amusement. ‘Sounds delightful.’
‘But you’ll come? It’ll give you a chance to meet some local people.’ When she still didn’t reply he went on, ‘I can’t believe a woman who’s prepared to take on a farm could be frightened of a few locals wanting to get a look at her.’
It was a challenge Fran had to accept. ‘OK, I’ll come. What’s the dress code?’
‘Warm. A bit smart, but warm mostly. It’s not the best heated house I’ve ever visited.’
‘Fine.’
‘I’ll pick you up at seven on Friday then.’
‘Super,’said Fran, thinking that was the right Cotswold response.
‘Oh, one last thing. How is Amy’s internet connection? Get a good signal up here?’
Fran sighed. ‘You know perfectly well that Amy isn’t, wasn’t, and never has been on the internet.’
‘Have you got a laptop?’
‘Yes. Much good it’s doing me.’
‘If you give it to me I can see if you’re near enough to piggyback on my internet. I have a booster so it reaches all my outbuildings.’
It would have been lovely to say ‘no thank you’ but the internet would make her life so much easier and happier so Fran fetched her laptop.
Antony opened it up and after a little tapping around said, ‘There. We are near enough to each other. I’ll just write down my password for you.’
‘That is incredibly kind,’ she said, swallowing her pride as he wrote on the back of a business card.
‘It’s going to be even harder for you if you don’t let me help because of your loyalty to Amy and because you suspect my motives. If I can help you get online I’d feel better about you being stuck up here on a barely functioning farm.’
Fran didn’t reply. She wanted to tell him that the farm was perfectly functioning, thank you, but she didn’t know if it was or wasn’t. She didn’t feel ‘stuck up here’ because it was a beautiful spot. On the other hand it was a bit bleak on a winter’s eveningandshe did feel a bit cut off and lonely. Although being able to email people, and possibly Skype, would be a huge help.
Fortunately he didn’t seem to expect a reply. He handed her the card and put away his pen. ‘Of course it’s got all my contact details on it. Do get in touch, anytime.’
‘I’ll give you the landline number. I’d give you my mobile too, but I don’t think there’s any signal here.’
He smiled. ‘Give it to me anyway.’ He got out his pen again and found another card.
When she’d written her numbers on the back he slipped it into his top pocket. ‘I’m going now. See you Friday.’
Even before Fran had gathered up the plates and glasses she went online and emailed Issi. Having the internet again made everything seem much more possible. She did a little googling about second-hand four-wheel-drive cars, and how much it might cost to repair the track. She concluded it would probably be cheaper to buy a tractor that could go up the track than to have it repaired. Just for a few seconds she considered it and then realised the farm probably had a tractor already and she’d never park one in Sainsbury’s car park. She needed a better car but she hoped she could get one without having to ask for a loan from the Bank of Mum and Dad. That would be a last resort.
Thinkingabout her parents made her feel a bit homesick, so she emailed her mother, saying she would phone soon. Then she made herself a hot-water bottle, for company as much as warmth, and went slowly up to bed.
