Rose put a misted glass into Hattie’s hands. ‘Now, tell us why you sounded so stressed.’
‘Did I sound stressed?’ She took a bracing sip of flavoured bubbles. ‘It’s my sister—’
‘What’s she said now?’ asked Rose, who had a glass of red wine by her side.
‘It’s not what she’s said, it’s what she’s done!’
Rose and Sam were aghast at the outrageousness of Hattie’s sister’s request. Sam had handed out crunchy baguettes filled with sliced steak and fried onions before Hattie got to the follow-up phone call from her mother.
‘She said, “Harriet! It’s vital that you do this for your sister. I know you don’t seem to care about it, but family is the most important thing! Your nephew needs you. You must step up.” She really said all that. I wouldn’t have minded so much if I hadn’t already told Leonie that I’d do it.’ She sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. It was delicious, the steak perfectly cooked, the onions complementing it, and just a smear of homemade salsa. ‘My family prepare long speeches and theninsist on delivering them even if they’re not necessary. It’s very annoying.’
‘Are you sure you don’t need a glass of wine? You could stay the night,’ said Rose. ‘I know you have excessively strict rules about drinking and driving.’
Hattie shook her head. ‘I feel better for getting it off my chest. And it’s Xander I feel sorry for. Stuck with an aunt he barely knows in a strange place, going to a new college.’ She paused. ‘Xander has been struggling with school, so this is a new opportunity and I want it to go well for him.’
Rose took a moment before responding. ‘I can see why Leonie might want Xander to give this a go. And also why she has to go to Switzerland to safeguard her job.’ She took a sip of wine. ‘It’s a compliment in a way. Your sister is devoted to her son; she’d never do anything she didn’t think was right for him.’
Hattie nodded. ‘I hadn’t looked at it quite like that before. Itisa compliment.’
Later, in the kitchen, while Hattie and Rose were clearing up, Rose said, ‘So are you going to tell me why you look washed out? It’s not your sister, is it? Have you had a – you know – vision?’
Hattie exhaled and nodded.
Rose looked firm. ‘You have to tell me!’
Hattie was actually quite glad to talk about it. Rose might have some ideas on how the situation could be helped.
‘It was horrible. We were in a really gorgeous house that would have been perfect for them if Lance wasn’t so unbelievably rigid that he can’t ever see beyond the decor. They’d gone upstairs to look at the bedrooms ontheir own and suddenly I was looking at him in bed with another woman.’
‘Gross!’
‘I know! And his fiancée is so sweet. She’s pretty and cheerful and kind. And this snake has – well, another snake on the side! How am I going to let Fiona know without telling her? I really like her; I can’t let her marry that man.’
‘God no! But what can you do?’ Rose put the kettle on while she spoke. She knew some sort of hot beverage was required.
A few minutes later, Hattie was sipping mint tea made with the mint she’d brought with her. ‘Fiona – that’s the woman – is staying with her parents until the wedding which is only a few weeks away. I could make an excuse to go and see her.’ She took another sip. ‘I could offer to take her to another house?’
‘A house just for Fiona? Do you know of anything suitable?’
‘I do. And it would be perfect for Fiona but no good for them as a couple. He wants a sweeping drive, which it hasn’t got. Apart from that, it’s a great house.’
‘So?’
‘I could try and get a good conversation going about Lance being in London a lot and see what I can do. Fiona might realise this isn’t the house for the two of them, and with luck, she might realise that Lance isn’t the man for her, either.’
‘It’s a shame your special powers aren’t more manageable,’ said Rose. ‘Why can’t you find someone lovely for Luke, for example?’
‘I’ve tried! But I never have visions for him and he never likes any of the women I find for him in the normal way. And no, he’s not gay.’
Rose pursed her lips. ‘Do you want more tea? Chocolate?’
Hattie got up. ‘No, thank you. I should be off. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow. But thank you for tonight, I needed it.’
Chapter Three
The following week, Hattie sent Fiona a message asking if she could ring her. It was before 9 a.m. but Xander was due to arrive in the early afternoon, so she didn’t have much time. She was sure Fiona would be awake and as she was constantly glued to her phone, she would answer.
‘Can I take you to a really lovely house?’ said Hattie when Fiona called back. ‘Early this morning is the only time we can do it. I really want you to see it before anyone else has a chance. It’s going on the market on Monday.’
