Picking up the carrier, she clutched it to her chest. Too late, she felt the box of eggs crash to the floor. The lid flipped open, and half a dozen yolks oozed into shards of broken shell. ‘Tiger, no!’ she cried as her dog licked at the raw egg. ‘Listeria! He’s been trying to lap up the lake water recently too. Do you have a death wish, pup?’
The trainee manager sniffed. ‘I can assure you we don’t sell eggs with listeria.’
Letting go of Tiger’s lead, she tried to push him out of the way, as a packet of half price smoked haddock dropped out of the bottom of the carrier bag, adding to the mess on the floor.
‘Kedgeree!’ Nic Castle grinned widely, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Sophie called for more customer service, and someone appeared as if by magic with a mop.Did this cabaret not have enough actors?Aria pushed misshapen fish and broken eggs back into the damaged bag, clutching the bottom with both hands and deciding mice must have been nibbling at the carriers.
‘Do you always pay for a stranger’s shopping? Can I tell you when I’m doing mine?’ Sophie asked Nic, as she opened up a bag for life.
‘We’re not really strangers,’ Nic said, tapping his card for a second time to pay for his own groceries as Aria nudged Tiger with her foot and pulled the end of his lead. ‘We spent this morning together.’
‘Yeah, turns out he’s the vampire next door,’ Aria spat out, checking she had a tight hold of the bottom of the bag this time while turning in the direction of the exit.
‘The vampire next door? Come on, I don’t bite unless I’m asked.’ Nic smirked, until a light-bulb thought interrupted his playfulness and his voice turned cold. ‘But I’d appreciate if you didn’t interfere with my builders in future,Miss Wilson.’
‘Well, I’d appreciate if you didn’t interfere with my access in future,Mr Castle!’ She didn’t look back as the door opened automatically and released her into the fresh air.
14
‘Hey!’ Nic followed her out as soon as he’d loaded up his selection of groceries. Aria ignored his call, almost dragging Tiger along behind her. She deliberately stepped onto the road as though she couldn’t bear to share the pavement with him. Unnecessary, after he’d put himself out of pocket so she could eat. Quickening his pace, he tried to catch up with her.
‘I will pay you back as soon as I sort out my account,’ she informed him without looking behind her. ‘Meanwhile please stand down your henchmen in the driveway. As I told them this morning, there is no need to turn the place into Colditz.’
‘It’s not your call,’ he said firmly, keeping parallel with her until he had to step out of the way for a pram. ‘The gate is going up. It’ll be in place by tomorrow. You can brief your boss to include it in the blurb next time you check in with her, if you like.’
He had to hide a smile when she came to a sudden stop, pouting like a princess. ‘How thoughtful of you to give us permission to promote your unnecessary security. Well, I’m afraid you do not have permission to attach anything to thewall. It’s my land, and the hut is a refuge, not a prison. My father would’ve been horrified if he saw a gate going up.’
‘Your father shouldn’t feel these new measures will spoil his land or make his property less desirable. On the contrary, the value will likely increase. It’s vital we protect our homes. The cost-of-living crisis is hurting people and, if they are pushed to the edge, they will go in search of easy pickings. Gates are a good solution, especially if they are built to last,’ he finished with a flourish. Who could argue with that?
She could, apparently. ‘So, when people can’t afford the sourdough in Booths in the Central Lakes, you think they turn to crime? This isn’t London. No one round here is going to steal your stuff, no matter how bougee it is.’
‘I think you’ll find gangs are regularly coming from Manchester and Leeds to force drugs upon our kids and rob our properties.’
‘I already had that lecture from Oddjob & Son. It didn’t wash then, either,’ she said, resting her shopping on the ground. Putting her hands on her hips like his mother used to when talking about his father, she scowled again, and the freckles met on her forehead. She’d be stunning if she ditched the ungrateful sass. Then she grabbed his phone from his hand. ‘If you don’t ring them, I will.’
‘What? You can’t. You’d need my face to unlock it,’ he said, caught on the hop.
Stepping forward, she held up the phone. ‘It’s lucky I have it, then.’ He swiped at her hand, but she was quicker, swinging around and holding his precious device above her head. Dodging him again, she pressed the last number dialled.He was alarmed to see the phone wobble in her hand as she tripped over her bag of shopping, causing the eggs to crash back out again. At this point he hoped she hated them scrambled, giving up any attempt at chivalry as he lunged for her arm. When she moved out of the way, his palm accidentally landed on something softer. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Flustered, he pulled it back as she started to speak into his mobile.
‘Is this Spanner? I’m ringing on behalf of Nic Castle. Please take this as confirmation to abandon the gate,’ she said loudly. Nic raised his eyebrows as he heard Theo’s voice. Looking startled, she quickly disconnected. ‘You really want to be my jailer?’ she asked, continuing to clutch his phone.
‘That could be fun.’ He flashed a smile he wasn’t feeling and put his hand on her wrist.
‘Let go of me.’
‘When you give it back.’
Taking him by surprise again, she flung her arm around her head like a windmill, and the phone flew out of her hand. He gasped at what she’d done as she scrambled to pick it up for him and held it out, looking contrite, while muttering an apology.
He wasn’t having any more of it. ‘The gate stays. The hut is clearly not looked after. I’m not sure why you or your father would be so concerned.’
‘Because we don’t put fences up where they’re not needed. You should have asked me first. And I’d have said no. The lake should be wild and undeveloped, and everyone should have access to it. We watch out for each other here. We protect our wildlife and our heritage. We hand down our houses andour cherished heirlooms to family. I’m surprised a man with ambitions like yours bothers to target a backwater place like this. Go build in a city where people will welcome you with open arms. Sell skyscrapers to Russian oligarchs and don’t try to buy your way into Lakeland life so you can demolish it to build soulless properties for your kind.’
‘My kind?As opposed to yours, right? But hey, I can trick my way into being an authentic neighbour with an expensive down jacket and some walking boots or wellies, according to the town expert over here.’
‘You don’t have any neighbours because you forced them all out!’ she cried.
