ancient trestle tables already in there, but how much would the food and alcohol cost? He had to serve champagne. They needed flowers. Were there enough in the garden? Oh God, and a cake. He knew how much those things cost. A thousand pounds for the cake, a thousand for the food, two for the photographer. Cars to get from the village church to Sharwood. Fuck, fuck, fuck . Would Liz’s parents contribute? Would a TV company pay in advance? Could he rent beds? Somehow make the rooms fit to sleep in? Oh fuck.
“I can help you with the house,” said the woman.
“Fuck off.” He winced as the words came out. There was no reason to be rude, but he didn’t need another leech using the hot water and doing bugger all, particularly one who couldn’t pay. If he could have afforded to, he’d have told the lodgers to leave.
He spotted Henry’s old Land Rover parked in the yard of the gatehouse and hesitated. It was a long, wet walk to the village. He wanted to go to a place where no one would recognize him, because it wasn’t a drink he needed. There was no bus for another hour. Henry’s vehicle would take him to Harrogate for nothing because even if Jago offered money for fuel, Henry wouldn’t take it. Jago knocked on the door.
“Jago! Come in.” Henry beamed and stepped back.
Henry looked genuinely pleased to see him. The only person who ever did. Jago stayed where he was, his hands buried in his pockets, one fist clamped around Denzel’s letter. He caught the aroma of freshly baked bread, and his stomach growled.
“I received the check. Just under four and half thousand. Thanks, Henry. I appreciate it.”
“Every little bit helps, right?”
“Yep. Can I borrow the Land Rover?”
“Where do you need to go? Rather I give you a lift?”
Jago bit his cheeks. Henry always made him feel like an awkward teenager. “Harrogate. Someone I have to see. I can drive.”
Henry sighed, reached into his pocket, and handed over the keys. “We made good progress on the herb garden before the rain started. You should come and look.”
“Yeah. Great,” Jago muttered and turned away. He glared when he saw the woman.
She looked at Henry over Jago’s shoulder. “He wouldn’t listen.”
“It takes a while to get through to him,” Henry said. “You can stay with me, Ellie, and try again tomorrow. He might be in a better mood.”
Jago’s jaw dropped. Henry was the one always nagging him to make his lodgers pay more. Plus the guy had lived on his own forever. He’d never married, never had a girlfriend. He’d laughed when Denzel asked if he was gay.
“Jago, come in and have some supper,” Henry said. “I’ve made vegetable soup and granary bread. I’ll open a bottle of wine. We can have a chat. You can hear—”
“No, thanks. I’ve already eaten.”
The thunderclap was so loud it made all three of them jump. Jago suspected both Henry and the God he didn’t believe in knew he’d lied.
“Drive carefully,” Henry said.
“Actually I thought I’d drive on the wrong side of the road and practice a few handbrake turns.” Jago instantly regretted his childishness.
Henry raised his eyebrows. “Well, try not to scratch the paint.”
The woman pulled down her hood as she moved under the cover of Henry’s porch and then turned to look at Jago. Oh shit , this is the lightning strike finally hitting me . His knees trembled, and his lungs locked. She had the sweetest face he’d ever seen. Huge sparkling eyes, cute nose, and dimples in her cheeks. Her long silky fair hair was pinned up in an untidy knot, and wet tendrils stuck to her cheeks and forehead, curling like letters of an ancient language. Blood rushed south, and he spun round and headed for the Land Rover.
No to letting her stay. No to the meal. What else was he going to fuck up tonight? Better say yes to everything from now on.
Chapter Three
Ellie stared after the Land Rover as it roared away spitting gravel in its wake. She swallowed hard and
“I can help you with the house,” said the woman.
“Fuck off.” He winced as the words came out. There was no reason to be rude, but he didn’t need another leech using the hot water and doing bugger all, particularly one who couldn’t pay. If he could have afforded to, he’d have told the lodgers to leave.
He spotted Henry’s old Land Rover parked in the yard of the gatehouse and hesitated. It was a long, wet walk to the village. He wanted to go to a place where no one would recognize him, because it wasn’t a drink he needed. There was no bus for another hour. Henry’s vehicle would take him to Harrogate for nothing because even if Jago offered money for fuel, Henry wouldn’t take it. Jago knocked on the door.
“Jago! Come in.” Henry beamed and stepped back.
Henry looked genuinely pleased to see him. The only person who ever did. Jago stayed where he was, his hands buried in his pockets, one fist clamped around Denzel’s letter. He caught the aroma of freshly baked bread, and his stomach growled.
“I received the check. Just under four and half thousand. Thanks, Henry. I appreciate it.”
“Every little bit helps, right?”
“Yep. Can I borrow the Land Rover?”
“Where do you need to go? Rather I give you a lift?”
Jago bit his cheeks. Henry always made him feel like an awkward teenager. “Harrogate. Someone I have to see. I can drive.”
Henry sighed, reached into his pocket, and handed over the keys. “We made good progress on the herb garden before the rain started. You should come and look.”
“Yeah. Great,” Jago muttered and turned away. He glared when he saw the woman.
She looked at Henry over Jago’s shoulder. “He wouldn’t listen.”
“It takes a while to get through to him,” Henry said. “You can stay with me, Ellie, and try again tomorrow. He might be in a better mood.”
Jago’s jaw dropped. Henry was the one always nagging him to make his lodgers pay more. Plus the guy had lived on his own forever. He’d never married, never had a girlfriend. He’d laughed when Denzel asked if he was gay.
“Jago, come in and have some supper,” Henry said. “I’ve made vegetable soup and granary bread. I’ll open a bottle of wine. We can have a chat. You can hear—”
“No, thanks. I’ve already eaten.”
The thunderclap was so loud it made all three of them jump. Jago suspected both Henry and the God he didn’t believe in knew he’d lied.
“Drive carefully,” Henry said.
“Actually I thought I’d drive on the wrong side of the road and practice a few handbrake turns.” Jago instantly regretted his childishness.
Henry raised his eyebrows. “Well, try not to scratch the paint.”
The woman pulled down her hood as she moved under the cover of Henry’s porch and then turned to look at Jago. Oh shit , this is the lightning strike finally hitting me . His knees trembled, and his lungs locked. She had the sweetest face he’d ever seen. Huge sparkling eyes, cute nose, and dimples in her cheeks. Her long silky fair hair was pinned up in an untidy knot, and wet tendrils stuck to her cheeks and forehead, curling like letters of an ancient language. Blood rushed south, and he spun round and headed for the Land Rover.
No to letting her stay. No to the meal. What else was he going to fuck up tonight? Better say yes to everything from now on.
Chapter Three
Ellie stared after the Land Rover as it roared away spitting gravel in its wake. She swallowed hard and
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