She couldn’t even tell Rory to keep away for Danny’s sake because she had no way of communicating with him except through Danny himself.
The only person she could talk to was Kirsty. Should she finally admit to her cousin that her former husband was with her in the village after all? She could throw herself on Kirsty’s mercy and beg her to keep away for Danny’s sake.
But Kirsty had never been that unselfish, and if she wanted Danny to know she was in Rowan Vale then she’d make sure she was at the party, whatever Brooke or Rory said.
Brooke clenched her fists. The last thing she wanted to do was beg Kirsty for anything. Why should she? After everything she’d done she shouldn’t even be giving her cousin the time of day, let alone anything else.
‘Ready for home?’ Danny asked, smiling at her.
Brooke blinked, astonished to see the warmth in his eyes and the happiness on his face. ‘Yeah, sure,’ she said.
Seeing Rory again had made all the difference to Danny. How could she stand by and let his happiness be snatched away once more, leaving him back where he’d started – grief-stricken and pining for Kirsty – and worse than that even, feeling utterly betrayed by his brother.
She had to beg Kirsty to stay away, however much the words would stick in her throat.
She’d do anything for Danny, whatever it cost her.
22
‘Kingsford Wold?’ I frowned in utter bewilderment as Rory tapped the leaflet on the bed between us. ‘You want to go to Kingsford Wold?’
‘Look what it says,’ he said, picking up the leaflet and reading it with an enthusiasm that seemed out of all proportion to me. ‘It’s a picturesque, chocolate box little village, with the most amazing gift shops, teashops, restaurants and inns. It’s won awards for the best kept village, and it featured inThe Cotswolds Courieronly last summer as their number one choice for the Blossoming Cotswolds prize.’
‘Fascinating,’ I said. ‘You do know that inthisvillage there’s a street full of shops selling stuff you’d have found in the 1960s? And one set up like a Victorian street? And a museum in the old mill that we haven’t even looked at yet, and a farm that runs as if it’s still the 1940s, and some standing stones that have a local legend attached to them, and?—’
‘Kingsford Wold has a huge bookshop,’ Rory said quickly.
Ooh, sneaky!
‘How huge?’ I asked suspiciously.
‘Double-fronted shop and the sales area extends to the upstairs,’ he said hopefully. ‘We could spend ages in there browsing for books. Take as long as you like. I’ll pay for whatever you want. My treat.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘Why?’
‘Because I want to, and it’s our anniversary tomorrow, and let’s call it an extra anniversary gift.’
I blushed, remembering I hadn’t even got Rory a gift yet.
‘Gift shops you said?’ I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
‘Yes. Lots of them. And plenty of other shops, too. And after we’ve shopped a bit, I thought we could have lunch at a riverside cafe and then do some more shopping before we go out for dinner at The Royal Oak. Apparently, it’s won awards for its cuisine.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘An award-winning village all round then.’
‘Exactly.’
‘But we’re here in Rowan Vale for a reason,’ I reminded him. ‘How is any of what you’ve suggested helping to bring us closure?’
Rory examined his fingernails. ‘We could do that tomorrow. Visit the site of Danny’s accident, I mean. Lay some flowers as you suggested. And then we could go for a drive, maybe to Cheltenham?’
‘For shopping?’
‘Yes! And lunch, obviously.’
‘Rory,’ I said cautiously, ‘don’t youlikeRowan Vale?’
He looked up sharply. ‘Why on earth would you say that? It’s a beautiful village. I love it.’
