This Could Change Everything(41)

‘And what?’

‘After he told you, what did you say to him?’

‘I called him an idiot, because he is one. I probably called him a couple more names,’ said Essie, ‘but I can’t remember now.’

‘Are you still talking to him?’ Lucas glanced sideways at her.

‘Yes, of course I am. He took me out for lunch. He’s my brother. He drives me nuts . . .’ She spread her hands, then let them fall back onto her lap. ‘That goes without saying. But he’s still my brother.’

Lucas nodded slowly. The lights changed to green and he turned left. ‘Well, that’s good then.’

‘All these weeks I’ve been horrible to you. Well, not horrible,’ Essie amended. ‘But you’ve known what I was thinking about you this whole time. And you didn’t say a word; you just let me carry on thinking it.’

‘Seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘But why?’

‘Look, swans.’ As they crossed the bridge over the River Avon, Lucas pointed them out.

‘It’s almost as if you’re changing the subject.’ Essie looked at him.

‘Hey, it’s done now. You know what happened and you’re still OK with your brother, that’s the important thing. The other important thing is that we can be friends. You don’t have to glower at me any more.’ With a glimmer of amusement he added, ‘Working together’s about to become a whole lot easier. For you and me both.’

‘It is.’ She nodded. ‘That’s what Jay told me. He saw the way things were between us on Saturday night.’

‘It’s all going to be different from now on,’ said Lucas.

‘So different.’ The sense of relief was huge.

‘You might even start laughing at my jokes.’

‘Ooh, steady on, I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘Did you hear about the albino fruit salad?’ He raised an innocent eyebrow. ‘It had no melon in.’

Melanin.

‘And that’s why I won’t be laughing,’ said Essie, but only for a second or two was she able to maintain a straight face.

Then the sign for the cash-and-carry wholesaler appeared ahead of them and Lucas, indicating right, swung into the car park.

It only took forty minutes to load the trolley with all the stock they needed. The difference between them was already tangible. As they’d made their way up and down the aisles, it had felt completely natural to chat about the Red House, the other members of staff and their regular customers. Before, Essie had always found things out about Lucas via some third party, but now the barrier between them had come down. It was as if it had never existed. She could talk about anything she wanted, ask him any question she liked. In all honesty, it was what she’d been longing to do for weeks, but it hadn’t been possible then because she hadn’t been speaking to him.

‘Here, catch.’ He threw a box of crimson paper napkins over to her, to put in the trolley.

‘I still don’t know why you didn’t tell me the truth once I’d started working for you,’ said Essie.

He paused and looked at her for a moment. ‘I’ll tell you. Not here, though. Let’s get this out of the way first.’

Once he’d paid, they loaded everything into the car and drove off. But instead of heading to the Red House, Lucas changed direction, finally pulling up outside Royal Victoria Park.

They walked for a few minutes along the winding path that led past the duck pond, then climbed a slope, turned to the left and reached a small clearing ringed by shrubs and trees.

Lucas stopped walking and Essie wondered what kind of a story she was about to hear.





Chapter 19


‘I’ve been to this park so many times,’ said Essie, ‘but I’ve never seen this part of it before. I had no idea it was here.’

‘I found it by accident back in the autumn. It’s my favourite place to visit. And before you make fun of me,’ said Lucas, ‘I know that makes me sound ninety years old. But I don’t care, OK? Sometimes you just find a place and it feels right.’

There was a wooden bench in the centre of the clearing. Other visitors had occupied it earlier; Essie could tell, because the frost that still clung to the leaves and branches all around them was absent from the seat of the bench itself.

‘Shall we sit down?’ said Lucas.

There was a brass plaque fixed to the backrest. Essie touched it. ‘Barbara and James. I love it when you see people’s names on benches. It makes you wonder who they were and what their lives were like.’

Lucas said, ‘James was my dad’s name.’

‘Really? This James?’ She pointed to the plaque. ‘Is this your dad?’

He smiled slightly, shook his head. ‘No, it’s just a coincidence. So, you think it was a pretty weird thing I did, that morning at your boyfriend’s cottage? I suppose it was weird. Which is why I’m feeling the need to explain everything to you now.’ The humorous glint in his dark eyes had disappeared; he was sitting back with his legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankle. His fingers were loosely clasped across his torso. The expression on his face gave nothing away.

‘You don’t have to.’

‘No, I think you deserve to be told. It’s not something most people get to know about, though. Giselle does, obviously. But . . . well, I’d rather you didn’t write it down and send it to everyone in your contacts list.’