‘Can I help?’ Dee said; the tug to go to him was intense. But Olivia’s words rang in her ears, prompting her to keep her distance.
With a sudden volley of barks, Otto shot from the undergrowth. Dee waited for Robbie to chastise the dog, to grab hold of it and haul it away, as Henry had done if Atticus put a paw out of line. Maybe kick at it. Instead, Robbie dropped onto his haunches, and while his words were full of reprimand, his tone was soft and full of relief. He slipped a leash around the dog’s neck and stood, his expression softer now.
‘How are you doing?’ he asked, stepping closer to her.
‘I’m confused,’ she said. It was the truth, even if it wasn’t what Robbie would want to hear. Nor was she about to tell him why.
‘About what?’ His eyebrows crushed together. ‘Do you think we made a mistake?’
She frowned, glancing around to check they couldn’t be overheard. Robbie noticed her furtiveness and pulled in a long breath.
‘Right. I see.’ He shook his head as he stepped back. ‘I’d best be going, then.’
Otto stood on his back legs, paws against Robbie’s thigh. He pushed the dog down, brushing snow from his leg before he walked away.
‘Robbie—’
He turned, but Dee couldn’t make herself complete the sentence. Couldn’t explain why she was struggling to tell him she was in love with him, even though she was.
‘If I got this wrong, Dee, then I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean to complicate things for you or hurt you.’
She shook her head. The absolute opposite was true, but somehow her tongue had turned to lead in her mouth, and she couldn’t say anything. Instead, she stood in silence as he walked away.
Jess was delighted that Vivi felt well enough to make the journey to the castle that afternoon. With the imminent arrival of Sebastian’s younger sister, Jess needed to bolster Team Wight: Jess, Vivi and Digby – a formidable team, even if she did say so herself.
Vivi arrived resplendent in a wheelchair someone in the village had made available, moaning about how ridiculous it was that, at his age, Craig had insisted on pushing her all the way to the castle. And how the tartan blanket they’d insisted on tucking over her knees made her look even more of an invalid.
‘Enjoy it, Vivi,’ Jess said, as she made Craig a coffee and placed a large piece of shortbread on the saucer for him. ‘I’d love someone to push me around.’
‘No, you wouldn’t. Having to be ferried around in a buggy is for babies and the infirm. And I am neither of those things. Not that I’m not grateful, Craig,’ she added, earning herself a stifled laugh from her chauffeur.
Furnished with a coffee, Vivi narrowed her eyes. ‘So, how’s everything going with you?’
‘Everything’s fine.’
Vivi snorted a laugh. ‘People only ever say that when things are definitely not “fine”. They’re usually way better or way worse than that boring descriptor. And I happen to have insider knowledge of what you’ve been up to.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Vivi. What do you mean “been up to”? I don’t understand,’ Jess said.
‘You’re about as good at subterfuge as Digby.’
‘What’s subterfuge?’ Jess said, trying to buy herself some time.
‘You know perfectly well. Deception. Duplicity. Trickery.’ Vivi tilted her head at Jess. ‘It makes me chuckle when people think everyone lives in their own bubble, never interested in or paying attention to what’s going on outside it. And you of all people should know by now that I never spend time in any kind of a bubble. Dorathy Keel called in to see me. She filled me in.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes. Exactly right. Oh.’
Vivi could only be referring to Jess’s return to the village hall after the choir rehearsal: the way she’d stormed back in through the doors, drawing everybody’s attention when the doors had smacked back against their wooden frames. The way she’d rounded on the group telling them how little Sebastian deserved their scorn. How they didn’t know him at all, that he was one of the gentlest people she’d ever met. That he didn’t deserve their treatment of him, and he was doing his best to set the estate straight.
Dorathy Keel had smoothed the waters, led her away from the group with soothing words and a firm hand.
‘It’s not the way, wee lassie. He needs to do it for himself, in his own way.’
‘He already is, it’s just that nobody knows,’ Jess had said, desperate for someone to properly understand. ‘Can I tell you something in confidence?’
‘No. I don’t think so,’ Mrs Keel had replied, shaking her head. ‘I’m already the keeper of far too many Kirkshield secrets. I don’t want to know anything he’s not ready for everyone to know.’
