‘Hi!’ she said cheerily as she got out of the car. Frank and Fearless, who reached her first, were followed by Xander, looking sleepy. ‘Am I too early?’
‘No. Mum and Luke are up. Have you brought food? Mum’s not thrilled by the sausages that Luke is offering.’
‘I have,’ said Hattie. ‘Are things… How’s your mum?’
‘Weird,’ said Xander. ‘Half her usual quite critical self and half happy.’ He smiled somewhat wistfully. ‘Living with Luke is so simple.’
Hattie laughed. ‘Down, dogs!’ she said, and went into the house.
Luke leapt to his feet the moment she appeared. ‘Hi, Hattie! Coffee? Tea?’ He was looking strained.
‘Tea please, and I’ve brought breakfast.’ She put her basket on the table. ‘Croissants which will needheating. Berries and seeds which don’t. I’ve got Greek yoghurt too.’
‘That’s good,’ said Leonie. ‘Luke and I have very different diet preferences.’
As Hattie unpacked her basket she tried to work out what mood her sister was in but it seemed that Xander had been spot on when he said she was half her usual self and half happy.
‘How did you sleep, Lennie?’ said Hattie, finding bowls and giving them a quick swipe with a tea towel. Luke’s open-shelf kitchen storage looked very attractive but would have worked better for someone who didn’t bring dust home on their clothes.
‘OK – sort of.’ She made a face. ‘I had a bit more to drink than I usually allow myself.’
Hattie found her sister a spoon and handed her the berries. ‘Me too. Although I seem to have escaped a hangover. I have milk thistle at home if you’re not so lucky.’
‘Proper food will sort me out,’ said Leonie, scattering her yogurt with seeds which made Hattie think of sand. ‘I don’t need your vile-tasting potions, thank goodness.’
‘That’s lucky. Milk thistle does taste fairly nasty.’
‘Toast, Hattie?’ asked Luke.
‘Yes, please. Have you got any Marmite?’
Just then, Leonie’s phone pinged. As she had very strict rules about phones at the table, this was a surprise. Leonie looked down at her phone and got up. ‘Excuse me.’
She came back quickly, but she had a smile on her face she was obviously trying to suppress.
‘Sorry about that. Nothing important.’ A slight pause. ‘Just Tom checking to see he had the right number for me.’
Now it was Hattie suppressing a smile; her sister had a case of mentionitis. That had to be a good sign for her and Tom.
Breakfast had dwindled to final cups of tea or coffee. Xander said, ‘Luke? Can I show Mum the cabin? Maybe play her that track we made?’
‘We’ve got time before lunch?’ said Leonie.
‘Of course,’ said Luke.
‘Do you want to borrow my car to go to the pub? Or are you just going to the Wagon and Horses?’ said Hattie. She didn’t think the Wagon and Horses was quite Leonie’s sort of place, but she was full of surprises today.
‘Your car is a bit big for me,’ said Leonie, ‘and Luke has kindly offered to take us to the Ragged Cot.’
Luke smiled. ‘Leonie didn’t fancy driving my truck, either!’
‘Come on, Mum!’ said Xander. He stopped. ‘Oh, by the way, you guys realise that term ends on Friday, don’t you?’
Hattie felt her mouth open and quickly shut it. ‘I had no idea…’
‘Xan!’ said Leonie. ‘You might have told us!’
‘I just have!’
