‘Too worried about her teeth, I should imagine,’ quipped Dad, looking with amusement at the solid, homemade wholemeal loaf on the table.
Mum ignored him. ‘Take some leftovers with you when you go... And stop fiddling with that phone. Honestly, we all managed perfectly well without them when we were your age.’
‘Sorry,’ I said, giving up on my toast. ‘Look at the time. I’d better go.’
* * *
Daniel’s parent’s house, just outside Henley, was a beautiful Queen Anne mansion, complete with a pair of octagonal lodges at the gate. To my great envy, Daniel lived in the left-hand lodge overlooking the sandstone-coloured gravel drive.
If I’d been Emily, I’d have spent every weekend here but she hated it — said it was too quiet and parochial.
‘Daniel’s house is in the middle of nowhere.’
‘No it’s not,’ I protested amused.
‘Yes it is. No streetlights. Pitch black. Strange noises all night. It’s awful.’
‘What sort of noises?’ I asked, trying to be being sympathetic.
‘Horrible ones. I was really scared which Daniel thought was hilarious. Sounded as if someone was being murdered. He just laughed. Said it was the badgers in the coppice. Is that code for something? I had no idea what he was on about.’
‘But isn’t the lodge lovely? Didn’t you like it?’
She’d looked at me with complete disdain. ‘If you like that sort of thing. Did you know he pays his dad a huge rent? Mad. He could get somewhere in London for that.’
What Emily didn’t know was that Daniel’s rent helped to maintain the lovely big house up the way, and that he liked to be around. Although his dad was fine now, a few years before, he’d suffered a massive heart attack.
Looking at the lodge house as I pulled up and sounded the car horn, I thought Emily was mad. Why didn’t she adore this place? The quaintness of the design; the huge key box in the hallway that held the old, iron keys to the estate gates and the ancient oak front door.
I gave my hands a quick wipe on my jeans as Daniel appeared at the upstairs window. To my surprise, he signalled that I should park and come in.
I wandered in through the door he’d left open, my heart thumping. Looking around I gave a little sigh of pleasure.
‘Be right with you.’ Daniel’s disembodied voice floated down the stairs as I stood in the hallway looking through at the six-sided lounge.
Here, contemporary style mixed with traditional features. The room was dominated by a beautiful plasterwork fireplace, which contrasted with the warmth of the polished cherry-wood flooring. Two overstuffed cream sofas, filled with tapestry cushions faced each other and there was little else apart from a couple of mahogany occasional tables which probably would have had the experts on theAntiques Roadshowwetting their knickers.
‘Sorry, Olivia.’ Daniel’s head appeared over the banisters at the top of the stairs. ‘I got stuck on a work call. Do you mind waiting? I’ve just got to whack off an email. Won’t be long. Have you heard from Kate, yet?’
‘No, but it’s the middle of the night there.’ I shrugged.
He gave me a cautious smile. ‘Don’t worry. She’ll be in good hands. Why don’t you help yourself to a cup of tea?’
‘No, I’m fine,’ I said, feeling relieved that there was no strain between us.
‘Sure?’ he sounded disappointed. ‘I was hoping you’d make me one. You’re so good at it.’
‘Cheeky.’ I stuck my tongue out at him.
For a single guy living on his own, Daniel’s kitchen was fabulous, although the big range was so clean I wondered if it had ever been used.
What a terrible waste. I’d kill for a kitchen like this. I could imagine it full of people, crowded round the refectory-style pine table, the wok burner fired up with a Thai curry on the go and Daniel dispensing drinks while I...
I shook my head. Don’t go there. Deliberately changing the direction of my thoughts, I concentrated on trying to work out the time in Australia. When would I hear from Kate?
I came back to earth as Daniel came clattering down the stairs.
‘Right. All done,’ he said, rubbing his hands together.
