Jess glanced up at him. ‘Guess so. He’s a good mate. Why?’
‘You’re just friends?’ he said, trying to keep the tone of his voice level.
‘Well, yes. Obviously. It’s not like I’m his type, is it?’
Sebastian’s frown deepened. ‘What do you mean not his type?’
‘I’m the wrong gender for one thing,’ she said, then seemed to catch herself, her hand flying to her mouth. ‘Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.’
‘You think Robbie is gay?’ Sebastian said.
‘Isn’t he?’
‘Not as far as I know,’ Sebastian said. ‘Not that it matters, I just thought you and he were … You know …’
‘An item? No. Should I be offended that he pretended to be gay to let me down gently?’ She stifled a laugh, then shrugged. ‘I think that’s a first. Anyway – as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted – maybe you could have people here for photography holidays.’
Sebastian did his best to cover the way his heart leapt at the knowledge she wasn’t involved with Robbie, at how easily she’d brushed the idea away. ‘You’re a powerhouse, did anyone ever tell you?’
‘All the time,’ Jess said. ‘None of it’s going to be a quick fix, but you’ve got time on your side, time to turn it around, haven’t you?’
‘Brick by brick,’ he said.
‘Exactly.’ Jess grinned, pushing the list to one side as she stood. ‘And if we can tame the villagers, get them to put down their pitchforks and burning torches, get them on side – well, then you can really start building on firmer foundations, can’t you?’
Sebastian didn’t fail to notice another stray use of the word ‘we’. And he might simply be reading far too much into her choice of words, but gazing at her animated smile, he was amazed by her boundless enthusiasm for a project in which she had no need to be involved.
‘Are they ready for supper? It’ll only take ten minutes to cook the spaghetti.’
‘Freya’s still getting the boys to bed. I came to help.’
‘Oh, OK. Well, can you find some cutlery, please. This budding pianist doesn’t want to lose any fingers, remember?’ The grin faded away, and she headed back to her list and took up the pen. ‘Summer school. Recording studio.’ She added the ideas to the list as she said them. ‘The old stables could make a brilliant recording space, couldn’t it? And with all your contacts in London, it would be easy to get the word out.’
Sebastian sighed. It could be the kickstart he needed to get back in touch with the people he’d let down so badly, leaving the orchestra halfway through rehearsals for all the Christmas concerts.
‘And I remember doing a music summer school when I was a kid – I loved it, and it almost cost Vivi a kidney. So that’s good – you can charge people loads. And with a resident piano and violin virtuoso already built in – that’s you, by the way – and some other musicians rustled up? I mean, who wouldn’t want to do a music summer school in the Highlands?’ Jess turned a circle. ‘God, I’m on a roll tonight.’
‘You are.’
As Sebastian watched her easy manner, her bright genuine smile, the way she’d come up with a boatload of ideas to help him and the estate without asking for anything in return, he realised he couldn’t imagine life after she left the castle. After her contract was over. He didn’t want to return to that cold, lonely version of himself. And although he wasn’t sure what that meant, or how it would land if he was to have a go at explaining it, he was about to try when she sucked in a breath and dumped the pen.
‘Oh, before I forget …’ She crossed the room, tugging a tea towel from a drawer and turning to him with an amused look on her face. ‘This is for you.’
His expression must have conveyed his confusion, and he checked the draining board for washing up in need of drying.
‘No, it’s for you to tuck into your shirt when you eat your spaghetti. Mrs Keel told me all about the mess you used to make of your clothes when you were a kid. I’m just taking precautions, that’s all.’
She watched him for his reaction, raised her eyebrows when he shook his head.
‘Outrageous. How am I supposed to look like a grown adult with Mrs Keel spilling all my childhood foibles all over the place?’
‘She even told me about your family of spaghetti worms in your shirt pocket.’ Jess’s lips twitched as she tried not to laugh.
Sebastian could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. ‘Is nothing sacred? I’ll be having words, rest assured.’
But he was joking, and then Jess was laughing.
‘Off you go,’ she said. ‘Take the cutlery with you and report back with an ECF.’
