Chapter Fourteen
‘What do you want them for?’
She hesitated for just a second too long, aware she should have got her story straight before she’d called.
‘I’m coming over,’ said Luke, and he hung up.
Hattie still hadn’t worked out what to say before she heard Luke’s truck pull up and the sounds of people getting out. The dogs arrived first, quickly followed by Xander.
‘What’s up, Hattie?’ he asked.
‘It’s complicated. Come in. But don’t go to your room, it’s got Fiona in it.’
‘Oh!’ said Xander. ‘I leave the house for an evening and you rent my room out to someone else!’
Hattie smiled, grateful to him for lightening the mood. Then Luke came in. He looked… not cross exactly, she thought, but resolute.
‘So?’ he said.
‘Well, come in properly,’ she said grumpily. ‘I’ll make some tea.’
Her mouth had gone dry and she was desperate for a cup, but even more, she wanted a bit longer to think what to say.
She brought through a tray of mugs and a plate of biscuits. Xander would appreciate them even if no one else would.
‘So?’ said Luke, looking at her over his mug.
He had a way of talking that was quiet but very firm, she realised. She wasn’t sure she’d seen this side to him before. Right now it was wonderfully reassuring.
‘It’s a bit complicated, and sorry for dragging you out,’ Hattie said. ‘I could have managed with Frank and Fearless, I’m sure.’
‘Really, Hattie,’ said Luke. ‘Surely you know me better than to expect me to just lend you my dogs without a proper explanation.’
Hattie sipped her tea. ‘OK. The thing is, I’ve got a girl – young woman – staying with me—’
‘So quick to replace me,’ said Xander, shaking his head.
‘And her – well – the man she left at the altar earlier today might find out where she is. And if he does, he’ll quite probably come here and he’ll be very angry.’
‘OK,’ said Luke, crossing one long leg over the other, ‘so your plan, if this man arrived at your door, angry, looking for his bride and finding you in his way, would be to set Frank and Fearless on to him?’
‘I don’t think Luke thinks much of your plan, Auntie Hattie,’ said Xander.
‘Don’t call me that! Of course I’d hope it wouldn’t come to that. Fiona’s mother wouldn’t tell him where she was, and she doesn’t know where I live anyway. The chances of him rocking up here are tiny.’
While everything she’d said was true, Hattie wasn’t convinced.
‘Really tiny,’ said Luke. ‘I’m going to stay here until we know they are non-existent.’
Relief washed over Hattie but then she started to protest. ‘You can’t sit up all night, Luke.’
‘I can if I want to,’ he said. ‘Now why don’t you get to bed?’
‘Fiona’s in Xander’s room,’ said Hattie. ‘But this is a sofa bed: you could go there, Xan. Luke, you take my room. I’ll slip in next to Fiona. It’s a double bed.’
Hattie didn’t actually intend to share a bed with Fiona but she knew Luke wouldn’t take her bed if she didn’t pretend she was going to.
Luke shook his head. ‘Let’s make up the sofa bed for Xander, but I’m staying down here. You go to your room, Hattie, and try to get some sleep.’
Something about the way he said it told Hattie there was no point in arguing.
Hattie’s room was very comfortable. She had put an armchair by the window with a Welsh wool rug over the back. She had designed it as a reading nook and now she sat there, the rug over her knees, and found her book on her phone. She had no intention of going to sleep.
She wasn’t sure if she’d dreamt the sound of a car, or if there really had been one, but she was downstairs in a flash. Luke was standing by the front door and the two dogs stood beside him, all as still as statues.
Luke put his finger to his lips. Hattie nodded.
The car must have been parked a little way away from the house and the driver must have been quiet on purpose. Hattie could hardly discern any sound, although one of the dogs whimpered.
‘What time is it?’ Hattie breathed.
‘About one,’ Luke replied.
And then suddenly there was a banging on the door so loud Hattie’s heart pounded. She heard a door opening upstairs and Fiona came running down.
‘I’ll deal with this,’ said Luke quietly. ‘Fiona, make sure you stay out of sight.’
The banging came again. ‘Who is it?’ said Luke.
‘I’ve come for my wife!’ Lance shouted. ‘I know she’s in there!’
‘You must have the wrong house, mate.’
‘I don’t think so!’ bellowed Lance. ‘Let me in so I can look.’
‘You must be joking,’ said Luke calmly. ‘I’m not letting a nutter who bangs on my door at this time of night into my house.’ One of the dogs let out a well-timed bark at this.
There was a pause. ‘Who are you?’ asked Lance.
‘None of your business, mate, but I’m just a man who you’ve woken up for some mad reason. Now I suggest you go home and sleep it off, before I call the police or set my dogs on to you.’
‘But this is her house!’ said Lance.
‘Whose house?’
‘The madwoman, the property hunter – what’s her name?’
‘I don’t know what her name is, or what your name is, but I’m going to be calling the police if you’re not off my doorstep by the count of ten. And I’m letting the dogs out then too.’
‘Tell me who you are!’ demanded Lance.
Luke unlocked the front door and let the dogs out.
Frank and Fearless were, Hattie knew, the most gentle dogs ever but they were very well trained. Luke’s arm waved them forward and they surged towards Lance, who didn’t wait. He ran back to the car as fast as he could, the dogs keeping him company.
Luke whistled them back as Lance got in the car and reversed it back down the lane.
Hattie managed to get the kettle on before her knees gave way. Fiona joined her at the table. ‘Who is he?’ she whispered, pointing to Luke, who was relocking the front door.
‘Luke. He’s my friend.’
‘He’s a hero!’ she said.
Luke came in. ‘Hi,’ he said, ‘you must be Fiona. I’m Luke.’
‘You were amazing!’ said Fiona. ‘Thank you so much for fighting off Lance.’
Luke gave her a half-smile, which made him very attractive, Hattie thought. ‘It was Frank and Fearless,’ he said.
Fiona leant down to pet the dogs, who seemed unaware that they’d played a starring role in a drama. ‘They were very brave,’ said Fiona. ‘Lance has always frightened me, I think.’
‘Well, he won’t be back tonight, I don’t think,’ said Luke.
Hattie had a moment of panic thinking that Luke might go home now.
‘You’re not going, are you?’ said Fiona, to Hattie’s relief.
‘No. We’ll stay until I feel it’s safe for me to leave,’ said Luke.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Xander, who came into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. ‘I heard a lot of shouting.’
‘It’s a long story,’ said Hattie. ‘Now, who wants a hot drink? Or shall we just go to bed?’ A terrific yawn over-took her.
‘You go to bed, Hattie,’ Luke said, walking around the kitchen counter. ‘I’ll make drinks for anyone who wants one. What about you, Fiona?’
‘I’ll go back to bed in a minute. I feel too shocked to sleep just yet. And I have been in bed for hours.’
‘That’s because you probably haven’t slept for days – or even weeks,’ said Hattie.
Fiona nodded. ‘I’ve been so nervous about the wedding. Now it’s as if the elastic has snapped. But I’m still on edge.’
‘Hardly surprising,’ said Luke, ‘if you were planning to marry that—’ He hesitated.
‘You can say it,’ said Fiona. ‘Or I will. He was – is a bastard.’
Hattie nodded. ‘But he’s out of your life now.’
‘I just hope he’s out of your life too,’ said Fiona.
‘He is,’ said Luke. ‘I’ll see to it. Now go to bed, Hattie. You’re dropping. Fiona, I’m going to make you a special Horlicks.’
‘What’s special about it?’ asked Xander.
‘It’s got brandy in it,’ said Hattie. ‘And you can’t have any.’
‘Bed,’ said Luke firmly.
Happy to be ordered about in this instance, Hattie went upstairs.
Within moments she was in her night clothes and under her duvet. She plumped up the pillow and closed her eyes.
Hattie was awoken by the smell of frying bacon. She pulled on some clothes and went downstairs.
Luke was cooking bacon and Fiona was making toast. The kettle was on.
‘Morning!’ said Fiona. ‘I was going to bring you up some tea. Bacon sandwich? On toast or bread?’
‘Toast please, but tea first.’
Fiona was a different woman, Hattie thought, watching her bustling about, cheerful and practical.
‘Good for you finding the bacon. I’ve had it in the freezer a while.’
‘I knew you’d have some somewhere,’ said Luke with a casual smile. ‘For emergencies.’
‘It’s not exactly an emergency,’ said Fiona. ‘But I was starving hungry.’
Hattie smiled, happy to see Fiona so relaxed and obviously enjoying herself.
‘How do you like your tea?’ Fiona asked. ‘And your phone’s been pinging. Shall I bring it to you?’
Hattie nodded. Someone, Luke probably, had put it on charge for her. There were a lot of missed calls. ‘Nick’s rung me,’ she said. ‘I’ll call back.’
‘Hattie?’ said Nick. ‘Is everything all right? I’ve been worried.’
‘Everything’s fine,’ said Hattie. ‘Would you like to come for breakfast?’
‘Yes please. What can I bring?
‘Eggs? We’ve got bacon. Anything else you might want to eat. I do have plenty of bread.’
‘Is Nick coming?’ asked Fiona, handing Hattie a plate with a bacon sandwich on it.
Hattie was pleased to see how keen Fiona seemed. ‘Yes. He’ll want to talk to you about going to Paris.’
‘Paris?’ said Luke. ‘Sounds nice.’
Just for a second Hattie remembered her daydream of being in Paris with Luke. And for another second, she felt inexplicably hollow.
‘It’ll be well out of Lance’s way,’ said Hattie. ‘Which is the point.’
Nick appeared with a full shopping bag. ‘Where did you find that’s open?’ asked Hattie. ‘It’s not ten o’clock yet.’
‘There’s a little shop near me that opens early on a Sunday morning,’ said Nick. Then he caught sight of Luke, turning bacon in a pan.
‘This is Luke,’ said Hattie.
‘We met in the shop yesterday—’ said Nick.
‘Luke saved us last night,’ Fiona interrupted. ‘He was an absolute hero.’
‘Why did you need saving?’ Nick was horrified.
‘Lance found us,’ said Fiona, and told Nick the story.