‘But I felt—’ Antony stopped, as if not quite knowing how to express his feelings.
‘That they were a bit like our children that we were looking after together?’ Fran finished for him, really hoping she wasn’t making a massive assumption.
‘That’s exactly it.’ He glanced across at her.
He seemed about to say more but somehow Fran didn’t feel ready. She was still glowing from the way he had embraced her when he first walked into the house. She was worried that if they went too quickly now, and moved from a couple of kisses to declarations, it would all disappear like candyfloss.
She cleared her throat. ‘It was funny, when I went back to the farm after Jack and June had taken the pups, I felt different about things. I felt more capable. We kept those pups alive and it gave me confidence, about animals.’ She smiled at the memory. ‘Issi met me at the front door, all excited. A calf was being born, the first of the season. I went and watched.’
‘Oh my goodness,’ Antony said, as if understanding this was a big thing for her.
‘It was fascinating, very primeval, but I suddenly understood how Tig and now Issi feel about theherd.It’s more than just the milk and cream, which for me means the cheese. Now I feel much more connected with the animals that produce it. They’re more like people than machines.’
He laughed softly. ‘Somewhere in between, I expect.’
‘I don’t expect you to understand!’ She was a bit indignant. ‘You’re not a man of the land, a farmer.’
‘What we do in our lives doesn’t necessarily reflect what we feel in our hearts.’
‘Oh, that’s deep!’
‘But in this particular instance’ – he made a gesture indicating the car and the fact he was driving her to London – ‘this absolutely reflects what I feel in my heart.’
A rush of emotion threatened to overwhelm Fran for a few moments. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Don’t say anything,’ Antony said. ‘I shouldn’t have done. Forget I did.’ He smiled at her. ‘Look, don’t dwell on it, or worry. Have a nap while you can.’
Fran smiled back and closed her eyes. She was sure she wouldn’t sleep, not after what he’d just said, but she appreciated a chance to think about it.
He had to wake her up. ‘Hey,’ he said softly. ‘The traffic’s pretty bad. Not sure I can get to the venue on time. Are you up to getting out and walking?’
Fran’s eyes shot open. ‘Are we here?’
‘Nearly.We have fifteen minutes. Do you want to walk or will you stay with the car while I go?’
‘I’ll go!’ Fran got out of the car the moment Antony had pulled up. This was her chance; nothing was going to stop her now.
As she jogged through the streets, dragging the case on wheels Antony had lent her, her phone set to Maps, cutting behind Harrods towards Belgravia, she wondered if she’d slipped into a film while she’d been asleep. Here she was, with five minutes to get to a venue she wasn’t sure how to find, with a product that could make or break her. Which was all crazy enough, but if you added to this that the man she’d been thinking about pretty well continually had made it fairly clear he had feelings for her too – it was almost too much to deal with.
Sweat trickled down her temples as she checked her phone and realised she was nearly at the pin that represented the hotel Roger had said she should come to. She looked up and there she was. Her tongue felt like carpet and she berated herself for not bringing water, but she took another breath and set off up the seemingly hundreds of steps that led up to this rather grand building as quickly as she had energy for.
It took a while for her to locate Roger, who was in a crowded room full of waiting staff.
‘Roger, hi,’ she said, panting hard.
‘You took your time – it’s nearly midday!’
Shetook a quick, indignant breath. ‘Roger! Your couriers couldn’t come. And someone stole my car.’
‘How’d you get here, then?’
‘Got a lift.’
‘All the way to London? That’s some lift.’ Roger, who had been slow to notice how frazzled Fran was, now inspected her.
She nodded.
‘Here.’ Roger took a glass of champagne from a passing tray and handed it to her. ‘Get that down you.’
