‘I think I knew that.’
‘Imminently. They’re going to have a baby and so are rushing things along rather. They’ve asked me to be celebrant.’
Luke, who had been looking a bit forbidding, relaxed a little. ‘Nice! You’ll do that very well. The right mixture of warmth and formality.’
Hattie found herself blushing at the compliment ‘Tea?’ she said quickly to cover her embarrassment.
Luke nodded. ‘Will you come back here afterwards?’
‘I really hope to have bought something before long – and although I know I won’t be in it for a couple of months—’ She stopped, not knowing how to carry on. ‘The lodge won’t be so booked up in September; we might go back there. Can you get the milk out?’ she finished.
‘When will you move out?’ asked Luke while they sipped their tea.
‘Now.’
‘Why the sudden rush? I thought you, me and Xander rubbed along well together.’
‘Sheila wants us. She’s lonely.’
Luke put down his mug. Then his phone beeped and April’s name came up.
Hattie clamped her lips tightly together so she wouldn’t comment on how often April seemed to get in touch with Luke. If you assumed that Luke got in touch with her as often, they were obviously very close. It was weird, she decided, she and Luke were best friends, but somehow, with April’s name popping up every five minutes, he suddenly felt like an acquaintance. She needed this space from him to get her feelings in order, otherwise she worried she might lose him as a friend as she’d always feared. And without the reward of anything more.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
‘Hi, Hattie!’ said Xander, sounding surprised when he saw her parked outside the college where he couldn’t fail to see her. ‘I didn’t know you were picking me up. Or did I?’
Hattie laughed. ‘No, it is a surprise. Get in. I’ve got quite a lot to explain to you. But don’t worry, it’s all good.’
Xander was not convinced that going to stay with some random woman he’d never met instead of living with Luke was going to be anything but uncomfortable. He didn’t express his disapproval in quite that way but Hattie understood his misgivings.
‘Honestly, it won’t be for long. I’m looking into renting somewhere as well as seriously finding somewhere to buy.’
‘But why can’t we stay at Luke’s?’ Xander said for the nineteenth time.
‘Because I don’t think he can have a proper love life if we’re there!’ said Hattie finally, hoping her frankness would make her nephew stop asking that question. It did.
Sheila could not have been more welcoming. She ushered Hattie and Xander into her kitchen. ‘Let’s have a glass and some nibbles, then I’ll show you to your rooms. Xander, I’ve got a good selection of soft drinks for you. Would you like to go and look in the fridge and see what you might like? I’m so utterly delighted to have you here!’
‘There’s enough for a small shop here,’ said Xander, coming back with his favourite. ‘Thank you!’
‘I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got everything I could see on the shelf. I’ll go and get the food.’
It took several trips to and from the kitchen, even with Xander helping, to get it all to the table. Sheila had gone to epic lengths to find things likely to appeal to Xander as well as Hattie. There was charcuterie of all kinds, plain cold meats, several sorts of cheese, French bread, crackers, Scotch eggs and miniature quiches as well as olives and fancy crisps.
‘I was going to do supper as well,’ said Sheila when everything had been fitted on to the table. ‘But this is probably enough.’
‘For us and about twenty other people,’ said Hattie. ‘This is so generous of you!’
‘Yes,’ said Xander. ‘It’s amazing.’
‘You know me,’ said Sheila, half embarrassed and half pleased. ‘I like to feed people.’
To Hattie’s huge relief, Xander tucked in enthusiastically, any issues with food he may have had at one time long forgotten. She made a point of loading her own plate and, unusually, she allowed her glass to be filled a couple of times.
‘I’m so delighted Fi and Nick asked you to be celebrant,’ said Sheila, topping up her own glass. ‘I’ve always felt you brought them together in some way.’
Hattie nodded. Fiona had said the same thing. If only they knew she had done exactly that, she thought. ‘It’s lovely that they’re obviously so happy.’
