The Way to a Woman's Heart (28 page)

They’d agreed that
something
had happened, but neither of them was actually going to be brave enough to admit to it being – well – magical.

‘And do you know what else Trixie told me last night?’ Onyx fiddled with a huge hooped earring.

‘No idea,’ Ella laughed. ‘But right now I’d believe it could be anything.’

‘She told me I had a
fairy name
.’

‘Oh yes, she’s told us ours, too. I’m Sunshine Strangeflower.’

‘Wow! That’s really cool. How pretty. Mine’s Serpentine Charmer. I might use it in my stage act one day. But Trixie said it went really well with Ash’s – can’t remember what his is now – but that it meant we made a really perfect couple because they were both linked to snakes.’

‘Really? How fascinating.’

Onyx giggled. ‘I thought it was really sweet.’

‘Mmm, yes, it is.’

Ella folded another T-shirt. She’d had a brief and fairly miserable phone conversation with Mark earlier, and now really didn’t want to listen to Onyx’s cheerful chatter. Mark, it seemed, was getting more and more used to being a singleton and didn’t seem to have had much time to give any thought to what their three-month break was supposed to be achieving. Even when Ella had tried to tell him – again –
about how truly fabulous George was, he cut her short with the ‘other people’s children – boring’ put-down.

So, despite feeling generally miserable, she was also well aware there was something not quite right at Hideaway. And it had nothing to do with Mark – or fairies.

Trixie had opted for having sandwiches in her room while catching up on her beloved soaps, so she, Poll, Billy and George had had an early salad dinner because it was too hot to cook.

All through the meal, Poll had seemed distracted and unhappy and had hardly spoken. Even Billy had failed to get more than yes and no answers from her. Now Poll was putting George to bed, and Billy, having given up trying to get her to talk, was outside in the garden with the dogs and cats and hens, having his traditional after-dinner cigarette on the swing seat – and Ella was seriously worried.

Poll’s uncharacteristic dark mood was strangely unsettling, and Hideaway Farm seemed to have an air of emptiness and broody foreboding. Surely Poll and Billy hadn’t had a row, had they? Despite them thinking their burgeoning love affair was a secret, it was plain to everyone that they were deliriously happy in each other’s company. Or they had been…

Of course it could be something to do with the weather, Ella thought, pushing her hair away from her sticky face. There seemed to be no let-up in the relentless heat, and even now, as the sun was sinking lower in the west, the temperature was still tropical and the evening was sultry and threatening.

‘You should come along some time,’ Onyx continued, still oblivious to Ella’s distraction. ‘I’d love you to see one of my
shows – and it always helps to have as much support as possible.’

‘What? Sorry?’ Ella blinked. ‘Me? Surely not.’

Onyx chuckled. ‘Why not? We often get women in the audience. They love it – see it as an ace way of getting fit. They’re always asking me for tips afterwards. This charity bash would be perfect – who knows, I might even convert you to the cause. It’d make you a nice bit of extra money.’

‘Er, yes… well, thanks, but I really don’t think it’s quite my thing.’

‘Nah? Ah, well, we can’t all be the same, can we? This cooking on the telly is definitely your thing, and I’d run a million miles from that. Can’t think of anything worse.’

‘It’s the main topic of conversation here, too – or at least, it has been.’ Ella stopped. Funny, tonight, Poll hadn’t mentioned one word about
Dewberrys’ Dinners.
Even Billy’s attempts to discuss the fairy magic had failed to raise any response.

‘Blimey, if I hear much more about the precise chopping, cooking, dishing up times of your menu, with or without the addition of fairies and always qualified with the “if we’re chosen, of course”, I think I’ll scream.’ Onyx laughed. ‘And I still can’t get over how we all applied. I do hope you hear something soon. Anyway –’ she slid from the table ‘– I think I’ll go upstairs and give Roy a little cuddle while I’m waiting for Ash. Oh, and if you change your mind about coming along to this charity do just give me a shout, OK?’

Ella watched Onyx undulate out of the kitchen. Yeah, right! Liberated and fair-minded she’d always been, and if
that was what Onyx wanted to do and it didn’t make her feel exploited, then OK, but there were limits. If Onyx was happy baring all to strangers that was fine, but her? Never in a million years! And as for going to watch… blimey, that was just plain weird.

‘Hi.’ Ash appeared in the doorway. ‘Where’s everyone disappeared to?’

Ella’s heart gave a little leap of pleasure, then she thought about Mark and quickly concentrated on the washing basket. ‘Poll’s putting George to bed, Billy’s having a fag in the garden and Trixie’s watching soaps or reading or communing with the fairies or something.’

‘Don’t!’ Ash laughed. ‘And Onyx? Her car’s outside.’

‘She’s gone up to see Roy,’ Ella continued folding the laundry. ‘Do you want supper? We just had salad.’

‘Sensible in this heat.’ Ash tugged off the silly hat and undid the ice-cream vendor’s jacket to display a pale-blue T-shirt, then collapsed on to one of the kitchen chairs and poured himself a glass of water from the jug. ‘And no thanks. I ate at Maxi’s after work. One of the perks. Er, so I’m assuming that as there were no frantic phone calls we still haven’t heard anything?’

Ella shook her head. ‘No. Poll must have got the post this morning, so my guess is that we haven’t been chosen or the whole country would know by now.’

‘Mmm, I reckon so too – which is a shame.’

He looked so bereft that Ella longed to comfort him. Concentrating fiercely on one of George’s beloved Thomas the Tank Engine tops, she managed to fight the urge.

Ash sighed. ‘Still, it was only a one in a million chance anyway, wasn’t it? I suppose my restaurant will have to rely on a lottery win now.’

‘But you won’t give up? At least looking for a decent chef’s post to start with, will you?’

‘No, I’m still looking. But without references it’s practically impossible, and with Roy it has to be reasonably local so that I can carry on living here. And at the moment it seems like looking for the holy grail.’ Ash shrugged. ‘You know, I’d really hoped they might choose us.’

Ella nodded. ‘Me too. It’s really disappointing. Still, don’t give up hope yet. No news is good news, as my gran always says.’

‘Maybe, but I honestly think if it was good news then we would have heard by now. Ella, can I ask you something?’

‘Yep – well, unless it’s about fairies – we’ve done that one to death. Or geography. That was my worst subject at school. Although I do remember everything about oxbow lakes.’

Ash laughed. ‘So do I. And no, it wasn’t about geography. I was wondering if you’d like to come out for a drink sometime.’

Ella’s heart did the treacherous climbing under her ribs thing again. She stared at him. ‘Why?’

Ash poured another glass of water. ‘Because I’d like you to. Sorry – if you don’t want to that’s fine. I just thought…’

Ella tried not to beam and turn cartwheels.

She arranged her face into what hopefully passed for a casually interested expression and tried not to think of Onyx or Mark. ‘No, no – I’d love to. Thanks.’

‘Great. I’d like to show you the hot spots of Winterbrook. You haven’t lived until you’ve been to a karaoke night in the Masonic Hall or bingo in the Bricklayers Arms.’

Possibly not the venues he shared with Onyx, then.

‘You certainly know how to make a girl an offer she can’t refuse.’

‘I’ve been told I do have my moments of old fashioned chivalry.’ Ash shrugged cheerfully. ‘Mainly by my great-aunts, it must be said. But, honestly, you’ve been here for a month and hardly been out at all. Certainly not in the evenings. You’ve got no social life and –’

‘No, well, not a social life like I knew it before, with lots of friends and regular clubs and bars and things, because there aren’t any on the doorstep like there were in London and I left my friends behind, but then this was supposed to be a complete change. And it is. And so far I honestly haven’t missed the nightlife because I’m so busy during the day, and so – well – relaxed in the evenings.’

‘And now you sound like you’re Poll’s age. Surely you miss the evenings out – your life must have been pretty hectic in London. You must miss London.’

‘Honestly? No, not really. And it’s a common misconception that London is one big whirl of fun. We’re not all A-listers posing at premieres and piling in and out of private members’ clubs at daybreak sozzled on the best champagne and being chased by the paparazzi.’

‘Now you’ve shattered my illusions. As a poor country boy I imagined the big city to be non-stop sin and debauchery.’

‘Sadly not. Living in London is much like living anywhere
else. You go to work and you go home and you do housework stuff and watch the telly, and sometimes you meet up with your friends and go out to clubs and bars and stuff like that, because there are plenty of them to choose from and they’re all reasonably close, but…’

‘Yes, but it’s the going out with friends of your own age bit that you’re not doing at all now. And I’d like to change that.’

Oooh!

‘As friends?’

‘Well, yes, as friends. No strings. I do know you’ve already got a boyfriend – and you must be missing him, too.’

And you’ve got Onyx, she thought. Much as she would love to go out with Ash – just as friends – there was no way she was going to hurt Onyx. But maybe he and Onyx had had a row or something? Like Poll and Billy? Maybe that was why Onyx was here? To tell him it was all over?

‘Yes, I miss Mark, but I do still have my friends,’ Ella said, shoving the laundry basket into the utility room. ‘OK, they’re just not on the doorstep any more, but they’re still there. And Poll threatened me with an introduction or two to suitable girls of my own age when I first arrived. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened. Honestly, I keep in touch with my mates all the time, but because my life here is so, well, different, I really don’t miss them that much. Everyone here has become a friend. And, oddly enough, Onyx asked me out tonight as well.’

There. She’d said it. The Onyx word. Without mentioning two-timing or cheating or anything like that at all. Now
it was up to him to explain that he and Onyx were no longer an item and she’d have one less complication to worry about.

Ash grinned. ‘Damn. She beat me to it. We’d been talking about you and we agreed that you needed to get out a bit because you were in danger of turning into Hideaway’s answer to Cinderella and –’

Jesus! Ella blinked. Onyx knew about it! Did that mean they had one of those weird open relationships? They went out with other people and compared notes later?

‘Sorry.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not into that sort of thing.’

‘What sort of thing?’

‘Sharing. Ménage à trois. Call it what you like – I’m not into it.’

Ash laughed. ‘No, clearly not. Me neither. Strictly a one-woman man, that’s me. And I think you’ve misunderstood. Onyx and I just thought you needed to get out a bit, which is why we both agreed to suggest –’

Ella glared at him. ‘You and Onyx thought this up? This isn’t you asking me out then? This is you and Onyx treating me like some sad charity case? Thanks a bunch.’

‘No. No, it isn’t like that at all.’

But it is, Ella thought sadly. Just for a moment she’d let her silly dreams whisk her off into a pink and fluffy romantic world where Onyx and Mark no longer figured and she and Ash would fall madly in love and live happily ever after – with Roy, of course – in some rustic idyll.

‘So –’ Ash stood up ‘– I’ll take that as a no, then, shall I?’

‘Yes, please. Oh, and you can tell Onyx that I’m not
interested in watching her twirl her tassels and gyrate her thong or whatever it is she wanted me to do, either.’

‘Sorry, now I’m totally lost.’ Ash frowned. ‘But OK, whatever you say – it’s far too hot to argue – but if you change your mind…’

‘I won’t.’ Ella watched irritably as Ash slammed the door shut behind him. Men! Huh!

The door flew open again.

Ash waved a pile of letters at her. ‘I thought you said Poll had checked the post?’

‘I just assumed she had. She usually does. I haven’t looked today. Why? Is there something for me?’

Ash waved a chunky pale-green envelope. ‘Another letter from your gran.’

Despite her earlier irritation, Ella smiled. She loved getting her gran’s letters. The rest of her family rang or texted, but her gran, who would never be a silver surfer, wrote weekly lovely long chatty letters on thick notepaper. And Ella dutifully wrote back. ‘Ah, great. And? Is there anything else?’

‘Only a great big Jiffy bag from
Dewberrys’ Dinners
.’

‘
What
?’

‘Exactly. And it’s been signed for so Poll knows it’s here.

What the hell is she playing at?’

Ella’s hands were shaking. ‘God knows. Open it – go on…’

‘I can’t. It’s addressed to Poll.’