Anything but Vanilla(56)

‘Even so.’

‘I know. He probably went on and did the same thing to other women, but Elle was terrified that if the authorities knew how bad things were Geli and I would be taken into care.’

He looked around the garden. Hard times maybe, but what he was seeing here was survival. A glimpse of what had made Sorrel strong enough to stand her ground when he’d tried to drive her away. Strong enough to win business from hard-headed businessmen whose first reaction must have been much the same as his.

What he didn’t understand was why she would need the approval of someone like Graeme Laing. The man had spoken to her as if she were a wilful child rather than an intelligent adult.

‘You managed to keep the house,’ he said. ‘That’s something.’

‘He’d have taken that, too, leaving us out on the street without a backward look if he could have got hold of the deeds. He must have been digging for information when Elle helpfully explained that Grandad had left the house in a trust for his grandchildren. That it can’t be sold until the youngest reaches the age of twenty-one.’

‘Your grandfather didn’t trust your grandmother?’ He thought of Lally’s distress when he’d mentioned her smile.

‘They didn’t have a good marriage and he spent most of his time working abroad, but I think it was my mother he was really worried about. She was a serial single mother; three babies by three different men, each of whom was just passing through. Elle believes that it was deliberate. She wanted children, a family, but she’d seen enough of her parents’ marriage not to want a husband.’

‘Are you saying that you don’t know your father?’

‘None of us do.’ She lifted her shoulders in a careless shrug, as if it didn’t matter. ‘Probably a good thing.’

‘Child support might have helped.’

‘She didn’t need it. Grandad looked after us, but I imagine he saw a time when some totally unsuitable man would realise the potential and, instead of planting his seed and moving on without a backward glance, would decide to stick around and make himself comfortable.’

‘How on earth did you manage?’ he asked. Trying to imagine how an old woman and three young girls had coped with a huge house they couldn’t sell and no money.

‘Elle held everything together. Held us all together, as a family. She sold anything of value to pay off the debts, the credit-card companies and, instead of going to college to study catering, she took a job as a waitress to pay the bills and make sure we didn’t go hungry. She deserves every bit of happiness.’

And not just her sister... ‘How old were you when your mother died, Sorrel?’

‘Thirteen. Cancer, caught too late,’ she said, matter-of-factly, but he saw a shadow cross her face like a passing cloud, and gone as quickly. ‘It was just the four of us until Great-uncle Basil turned up.’

‘He’s your grandfather’s brother?’

She nodded. ‘He’s been so good for Gran. She’s a changed woman since he arrived.’ And with that she summoned up a smile, putting the bad memories behind her. ‘He does most of the hard work in the garden these days. The rescue chickens are a recent addition. Geli volunteers at the animal shelter and tends to bring home the overflow.’

‘Rescue chickens? You’re kidding.’

‘They had scarcely a feather to bless themselves with when they arrived,’ she said, opening the rear door and feeling inside the nest boxes for eggs.

‘They don’t seem very grateful,’ he said, taking the basket, with its single egg.

‘No.’ She grinned. ‘How do you feel about chicken soup?’

He laughed. ‘Oh, right, I can see that happening,’ he said, putting his arm around her and heading back towards the house. ‘Don’t worry. I’m going to be very generous and agree to eat in the pub.’

‘Good decision. Just give me five minutes to change.’

‘Not so fast,’ he said, putting down the basket and keeping a firm hold on her waist, turning her so that she was facing him. ‘There’s one condition.’

‘Oh?’ She made a move to tuck the stray curl—the one with a mind of its own—behind her ear but he beat her to it, holding it there for a moment, feeling the flutter of her pulse as his thumb caressed her throat. ‘What’s that?’

‘I get to choose the pub.’