The Younger Wife(26)

‘So,’ a deep voice said, ‘what have you got for me today?’

Tully and Heather’s eyes met. There was something . . . sexy . . . about the voice.

‘Cream buns,’ Rachel said. ‘For an office farewell.’

‘I like cream buns and I cannot lie.’ There was a short pause. The owner of the sexy voice must have opened the box to take a look, because a moment later Tully heard a deep inhalation, followed by: ‘I swear, this is what Heaven smells like.’

Tully pictured her sister. She would be struggling with this scenario. On the one hand, she’d want to be giving the man with the sexy voice the cold shoulder, which was what she always did to men. On the other hand, he’d just complimented her baking, which was Rachel’s actual kryptonite.

The pause dragged on for a couple of seconds. A moment later, Rachel re-entered the kitchen. She grabbed a bun from the cooling rack, piped cream into the centre and popped it into a foil cupcake case. She dusted it faintly with icing sugar and slipped it into a cellophane bag. Then she returned to the door.

Tully resumed her eavesdropping position.

‘For me?’

The voice sounded genuinely thrilled. The cellophane bag rustled and then . . . a distinct, masculine moan of pleasure. Tully couldn’t help it; she had to get a look at him. She figured she’d think of an excuse by the time she got there, but unfortunately, the moment she laid eyes on him, all excuses – and words – deserted her. He was even better-looking than his voice had suggested. Dark hair and piercing green eyes and a nose to rival Elvis Presley.

‘This is my sister,’ Rachel said.

The man waved, swallowing the last of the bun. ‘Hello, sister.’

‘This is Darcy,’ Rachel said to Tully.

Tully continued to stare at him unselfconsciously, as Darcy’s attention was fixed solely on Rachel. Over the years, Tully had seen a lot of men look at Rachel like this, as if she were a rare and precious treasure. The difference this time was that Rachel was staring back.

‘What do you call a stereo made of cake?’ he asked.

Rachel rolled her eyes. ‘Just take the –’

‘A gateaux blaster!’

He laughed heartily at his own joke, which was oddly endearing. Tully supposed you could do things like that if you looked like Darcy. Tully snuck a look at Rachel, and saw she was fighting a smile.

Tully started to feel like she was intruding.

‘Right then,’ Rachel said. ‘Better get those buns moving.’

Darcy grinned delightedly. ‘Good one!’

As Rachel closed the door, the tiny smile crept back onto her face.

Tully stared at her.

‘What?’ Rachel said.

‘Better get those buns moving?’

Rachel scoffed, pushing past her and walking into the kitchen. ‘It was a silly joke.’

Tully followed her. ‘You were flirting with him!’

‘I wasn’t! I was just . . . making conversation. Sorry about that, Heather.’

‘No problem,’ Heather said.

‘That’s not how I make conversation with delivery people,’ Tully muttered.

Rachel opened the fridge and retrieved the open wine bottle. She filled her glass nice and high. ‘Heather, help me out, would you? Was I making conversation or was I flirting?’

Tully and Rachel looked at her. Heather looked like the proverbial rabbit in the headlights.

‘I’d say,’ Heather ventured bravely, ‘that you were making conversation. Slightly flirtatious conversation.’

Tully looked at Rachel triumphantly. Maybe Heather wasn’t so bad after all.





12


RACHEL


Rachel stood with her back to Heather and Tully and her head in the pantry, pretending to survey the spices. There were two French madeleines in there that she’d made yesterday, and she picked up one and shoved it in her mouth. She’d worn her black wraparound dress, so she could loosen it, if need be. The way things were going with this lunch, she suspected she’d need to.

‘He was definitely flirting,’ Tully was saying, from where she sat in the dining area. She was utterly delighted, stretched out and looking more relaxed than Rachel had seen her in months. Probably because she was already on her second glass of chardonnay. Heather was on her third. Meanwhile, Rachel hadn’t even managed to have a sip of her first. Her mouth was full so she turned around, rolled her eyes, and turned back again.

‘Where on earth did you find him?’

Rachel swallowed. ‘Long-term unemployed list. It was a government program.’

‘Wow,’ Tully said, mystified. ‘Who wouldn’t want to employ him?’

‘Maybe he’s unreliable,’ Rachel said. ‘Or forgetful. Or lazy. He was late the first time he showed up for a delivery.’

‘Who cares?’ Tully cried. ‘Do I need to remind you what he looks like? Sometimes I wonder if you actually have red blood running through your veins, Rachel, I really do.’

Rachel picked up the other madeleine and stuffed it in her mouth, saving herself from having to answer. The truth was, Darcy’s visit had rattled her a little. It was hard to put her finger on what it was about him. Probably it was the dumb jokes or the fact he complimented her food. She enjoyed dumb jokes and people complimenting her food. But she was wary of him too. He’d been unemployed for over a year before working for her, which was a long time for an able-bodied, charismatic young man like Darcy. There had to be a story there.