Chapter 15 #3
Eliza felt her pulse quicken as she studied the uncertainty in his eyes. Her mind raced with possibilities, while her lips struggled to form the simple yes that was screaming inside her head.
Before she could respond, the kitchen door swung open with a decisive crack against the wall.
‘Luke!’ Bella’s voice cut through the room. Her eyes widened slightly. ‘I didn’t realise you had guests . . .’
Luke straightened up immediately, his expression shifting to something more guarded. ‘Bella, I didn’t expect to see you here today.’
‘Well, I have an important question, something we need to discuss,’ she said, her gaze lingering on Eliza before sliding to Agatha. ‘You must be Eliza’s sister. I’m Bella.’
Agatha stepped forward with an engaging smile, seemingly oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. ‘Hi, Bella, so nice to meet you.’
‘I hear you’re catering the wedding?’ Bella said, her tone pleasant enough, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘I’m doing the flowers, so it looks like it’s going to be a full family affair – quite the village effort.’
‘Yes, isn’t it wonderful? So much fun,’ Agatha said with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm. Though she was probably still overexcited about the industrial oven. ‘I was just telling Luke and Eliza about my ideas for the menu.’
While Agatha chatted with Bella, Luke shifted closer to Eliza, speaking in a low voice only she could hear. ‘I’m sorry about the interruption. Are you free—’
‘Luke,’ Bella called, interrupting their hushed conversation. ‘Are you free to chat quickly – perhaps back at your place?’
Luke hesitated, glancing between Bella and Eliza. ‘Actually, I—’
‘It’s fine,’ Eliza cut in, forcing a smile. ‘We should be heading off anyway. Lots to do.’
‘Are you sure?’ Luke asked, his eyes searching hers.
‘Positive,’ Eliza said, maintaining her smile even as she felt a twinge of disappointment. ‘Agatha and I have plans for the rest of the day.’
Agatha shot her a confused look but quickly recovered. ‘Right, yes. Lots to do. But this kitchen is perfect, Luke. I can definitely work with this.’
‘Great,’ Luke said, though his eyes remained on Eliza. ‘I’ll call you later, okay?’
Eliza nodded, trying to ignore Bella’s watchful gaze. ‘Sure. Come on, Aggie, we should go.’
As they gathered their things and headed toward the door, Bella called after them. ‘Eliza, we need to catch up on the flowers again. I’ve been thinking yellow might not be the best choice after all.’
Eliza turned back, forcing her expression to remain neutral. ‘Oh, really? Okay, well I’m sure we’ll come up with something perfect that works for everyone. But really, it’s what Fenella wants that matters.’
As they left Stanley’s, Agatha waited until they were out of earshot before rounding on Eliza. ‘Okay, what the hell was that all about? The tension in there was so thick you could cut it with a knife!’
Eliza sighed and rubbed her forehead. It felt like the hangover that had been subsiding was beating a new rhythm in her temples. Unlocking her car, she shot a quick glance behind her to see if Luke and Bella were out of sight. ‘I have no idea really, but I think it’s complicated.’
‘Clearly,’ Agatha said, sliding into the passenger seat. ‘That Bella woman looked like she wanted to claw your eyes out. And Luke seemed . . . I don’t know, torn somehow. Or sad or distracted. But still, insanely hot, so maybe his emotional state doesn’t matter that much!’
‘Agatha!’ Eliza muttered, starting the engine. ‘I thought I was imagining things, but clearly not.’
‘So, what’s the deal with them? Are they exes, or is she after him? It might just be that it’s a complete case of unrequited love. I might join her gang!’
Eliza drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, considering how much to share. ‘Honestly, I’m not sure. Luke says there’s nothing between them, but I just don’t know. There’s something he’s not telling me. But everyone has been so cryptic.’
Agatha’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’re not buying it.’
‘It’s complicated,’ Eliza said, gripping the steering wheel as she merged onto the main road.
‘I came here for a simple rebound fling after Henry, not to get tangled up in village drama with the local heart-throb and his married admirer.’ She sighed, tapping her fingers against the wheel.
‘But every time someone mentions Luke, they get this look, like there’s this whole chapter of his life everyone knows but me.
And Bella . . . Well, she doesn’t seem thrilled about me being in the picture. ’
Agatha snorted. ‘That’s putting it mildly. So, what are you going to do?’
Eliza sighed. ‘Luke wants to take me out again, and I want to go. But I think I need to ask him outright to be honest. Even if this is a fling, even if it’s got no future, I still want to know where I stand.
Though, honestly, I’m probably making mountains out of molehills again.
Ten years from now, I’ll probably be tucking my kids into bed beside some wonderful man who isn’t Luke Stanley, and all of this will just be a funny story from that summer I went a bit mad in Farmington. ’
‘I know you like him,’ Agatha said gently, ‘as would any girl in their right mind, but you’ve been hurt before. Don’t let yourself get too invested until you know the full story.’
Eliza nodded, feeling somehow even more pathetic. ‘Believe me, I’m trying. There’s just something about Luke that makes it hard to stay detached.’
‘I can see why,’ Agatha said wryly. ‘He is ridiculously attractive. But looks aren’t everything.’
‘It’s not just that,’ Eliza insisted, with a smile.
‘Although I get why you would think so. When we’re together, it just feels right.
Like I can be myself with him. But then, moments like today happen and I feel like I don’t know him at all.
But you’re right, there’s no point getting too invested in something that has an expiration date, and once my three months are up, I guess it’s back to someone’s spare room for me! ’
‘Well, for what it’s worth, I think he is fully into you.’
‘Really?’ Eliza responded, looking doubtfully at her sister.
‘Absolutely. The way he looks at you, it’s pretty intense. But you need to know where you stand.’ Eliza nodded, turning onto the lane leading to her cottage. ‘And, hey, if it doesn’t work out with Luke, maybe that hot older neighbour of yours is still available,’ giggled Agatha.
Eliza laughed, feeling some of the tension leave her body, and bloody relieved her sister was there to talk to.
A moment later Agatha was filling her in on her niece’s new imaginary friend, when Eliza’s phone buzzed with a text. She glanced at it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw it was from Luke.
‘Can we meet tonight? There’s something I want to show you. – L’
Eliza hesitated, her finger hovering over the reply button. She didn’t want to be too easy, but she also wanted to know what was going on.
‘What is it?’ Agatha asked, noticing her sister’s expression. ‘Is it Henry, or Luke, or a new man?’
‘Of course it’s not Henry! It’s Luke,’ Eliza said. ‘He wants to meet tonight, says there’s something he needs to show me.’
Agatha wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. ‘I bet there is! He probably thinks if he brings out that throbbing weapon again everything will be okay!’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Eliza laughed. ‘It’s probably about the wedding.’
Agatha looked at her, putting on her serious big sister expression.
‘Well, you have to go, right? Don’t tell me you’re actually hesitating?
I mean you’re pretty deep in lust with him, so if nothing else go and get laid!
Or just find out what’s going on! I mean, I am so invested in this, even I need to know what the story is. ’
‘You’re weird, Agatha. You need to get your own life,’ she said laughing.
Then she typed back to Luke. ‘Sure. What time and where?’
His response came almost immediately. He obviously wasn’t playing hard to get.
‘Eight. I’ll pick you up. Wear something warm. – L’
Eliza showed the message to Agatha, who raised her eyebrows. ‘Intriguing, I hope he’s not planning on murdering you.’
‘I doubt it. If he was going to murder me, he’d have done it by now! This must be something else. Maybe it’s a room full of bondage gear at his house and he actually is a porn star!’
‘Well, as you know, a full report will be required as soon as you’re back. I think I might be more invested in this than you,’ Agatha said, as she pulled out a thick notebook stuffed with Post-its. ‘Now, let’s talk wedding menus before I head back.’
For the next few hours, Eliza sat by the fire trying to do some work, but she found her mind continually drifting to Luke. By the time Agatha left, promising to text her some sample menus, Eliza was a bundle of nerves and excitement. How could country life have become so complicated so quickly?