38. Helen
HELEN
Helen smiled as she opened her front door. ‘On time as always.’
‘Chef Nigel doesn’t like to keep his clients waiting,’ Nigel said as he walked in and headed for the kitchen. ‘I’ve worked out the schedule. We need to do the potatoes first.’
‘We?’ she grinned as she followed him.
He put a big shopping bag on the kitchen table. ‘I meant me.’
‘I was teasing. I’ll happily help.’
‘No. I’ll do it all. I need to get the timings right. You put your feet up while I slave over a hot stove.’
She laughed. ‘I wish! Between your brother’s treehouses and the London project I’m finishing off, I’ve been working flat out all day, and I’ve still got a load of things to do. I’ll bring my laptop in here just in case you need any advice.’
‘To make sure I’m not trashing your kitchen?’
‘No, I’m not Madison.’
He looked uncomfortable. You shouldn’t have said that. ‘You have free rein. I’ll only say something if you ask.’
‘Thanks.’
His tone was flat. Her Madison comment had definitely ruined the atmosphere. ‘I’m sorry I mentioned your wife. Is everything ok?’
He started unpacking the shopping bag. ‘I had a phone call from my attorney just before I left the Grange.’
‘And?’
‘I’ll have to go over there for a deposition.’
‘Can’t you do it over Zoom or something?
‘Better if I do it in person, apparently.’
‘Will you get to talk to Madison?’
‘No. She doesn’t have to be there. I’m just not looking forward to being back in New York. I’ve been able to shut it all out to a certain extent. We’re in a little bubble here.’
‘When will you go?’
‘I’ve been thinking about that. Mum invited me to join her and Klaus, and Julia and family for the solar eclipse upstate in a few weeks. I could organise it to coincide with that.’
‘You didn’t mention going on holiday.’
‘She asked me about it the first day I was back. I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing for the next week, let alone months in advance, so I left it open. But I could do both. She’s picked a nice part of the country to stay.’
Helen was thinking about the last eclipse they’d been at. From the way he was avoiding eye contact, Nigel might be thinking about it too.
He picked up the bag of spuds. ‘Anyway, that’s weeks away. I have potatoes to prep. Where’s your peeler?’