“You don’t eat mint sauce with beef,” Clara replied.
“Ieat mint sauce with everything. Back soon.” Poppy skipped out of the kitchen, and we heard the front door open and shut.
I moved to Clara then and did what I had wanted to do since she poked her head around the kitchen door – took her in my arms and kissed her mouth very softly. After I was done, she blinked up at me with the look of wonder in her eyes that I didn’t think I would ever get used to seeing.
“Honestly, I really think that––”
“Mum and Dad want to meet you, darling,” I said gently as I lifted my hand to brush her hair behind her ear. “They know what you’ve done for Ozzie, and they want to meet the amazing teacher who’s helped him. They feel like they let Poppy down, and they’re so grateful that history’s not repeating itself with Ozzie.”
“Yes, but it’s not?—”
“Appropriate?” I cut her off with another soft kiss. It took a few seconds, but eventually her mouth opened under mine, and she was melting against me. When I pulled back, her eyes were glazed as she blinked up at me. After a moment, she cleared her throat, the glazed look melting away into a frown.
“Don’t think that you can just kiss me and get your way, Rafe Sterling,” she said in an attempt at a stern tone.
I grinned down at her. “I don’t,” I said before pressing my lips to hers again. Then my mouth moved from the corner of her lips, across her delicate jawline to her ear. “I wouldn't dream of it,” I said with mock affront. “Now let me make your tea.ThatI can do.”
Chapter 22
The one Mrs Clayton hides from everyone
Clara
“What evenisgravy?”asked Rafe.
Poppy put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side. “Oh, I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve only ever seen it in the gravy boat. Never considered how it was actually made. Isn’t it just sort of meat juice?”
Lily snorted. “Meat juice? Holy crap! Save me from spoiled aristocrats who’ve never had to lift a finger for themselves their entire lives. No, Lord and Lady Sterling, it is notjustmeat juice.” Lily sighed. “Where’s your flour? I’m a shit cook but I’m better than you two numpties.”
“Lily, let me do it,” I said, stepping forward and taking the flour out of her hands.
Lily gave a sigh of relief. “Thank God for that. Clara is a brilliant cook.”
“Yes, I know,” said Rafe, through a smile.
Lily lifted an eyebrow. She looked between Rafe and me. “So you’re cooking for Lord of the Manor on the reg, are you, Clara?” she asked.
I attempted a casual shrug which was not casual in the slightest. “Well, I’m living here. It’s the least I can do. I mean, Ozzie likes my meatballs, so...”
“Yeah, I love Clara’s meatballs,” shouted Ozzie as he sprinted into the kitchen, straight to me, colliding with my legs and sending me back onto one foot. I just about managed to keep hold of the flour, but some of it puffed up from the open top, settling in a cloud over me and Ozzie, so we were covered in a light dusting of white.
“You’re here!” shouted Ozzie as he looked up from his tight hug around my middle.
I smiled down at him, my heart tugging painfully. “Of course I’m here, Oz.”
“And George is here!” He ran to the small fish tank on the granite surface and pressed his nose up against the glass. “Hi George. I’m gonna feed you every day until you’re massive!”
“Careful, you don’t make that fish explode, Oscar Sterling,” said Lily.
Ozzie’s gaze shot to her and his eyes flew wide. “Miss Summerfield,” he breathed as he took a step away from me and pointed straight at Lily. “Miss Summerfield is here.” He was staring and pointing at her as if she were a lion that had escaped from the zoo.
Poppy laughed and came over to scoop him up, ruffle his hair, and give him sloppy kisses on his cheek, which he reluctantly accepted. “Don’t be rude, you little squishball,” she told him.
“Auntie Poppy,” he said under his breath, “you can’t call mesquishballin front of my teachers.”
“Oh, come on, everyone can see how squishy you are,” she said, tickling him until he laughed.
“Hey, Oz,” said Lily, “I hope it’s all right that I?—”
