Summer of Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rory looked as if he was going to be happy. She said goodbye to Emily and waved at Rory, who was by now busily playing trains with another little boy, while Annabelle directed proceedings.
    It was a slightly paint-spattered Sian who went to collect Rory some five hours later. She had had a very productive day. She’d even worked through lunch, so absorbed had she been in a particularly intricate design on a child’s bedroom chair.
    She was welcomed by Emily who said that most of the children were outside.
    ‘It’s so lovely doing this where there’s space for them to play outside,’ she said, leading Sian out into the garden. ‘I’m hoping to get some more equipment for them to clamber over but this is good to start with.’ There was a small paddling pool, a sandpit and a climbing frame.
    ‘It’s the room to run around that’s the most important thing,’ said Sian. ‘And you’ve got plenty of that.’ Much as Rory enjoyed the garden at the cottage, which was more outside space than he’d been used to in London, she knew this would be heaven for him. It would almost certainly tire him out too. She loved it when he was able to run around and burn off some of his boyish energy.
    ‘True,’ said Emily, ‘and today we’ve had the weather to enjoy it.’
    All the children – and there seemed to be plenty of them – were wearing baseball caps with flaps at the back to keep their necks protected from the sun. The boy helper was playing French cricket with the older children. ‘That’s Philip,’ said Emily. ‘He’s a student. The children love him. I’m trying to persuade him to go into teaching.’
    Rory spotted his mother and came flying up to give her a hug and then rushed back into the game.
    ‘No need to ask if he’s been OK then?’ said Sian, resigning herself to watching the children a little longer.
    ‘No, he’s been amazing. He’s a sweetie. He adores Philip.’
    ‘He does like boys, as he calls them. He and my dad get on brilliantly, but older men are different.’
    Emily laughed. ‘Maybe you should marry my brother then, and give him a permanent “boy” to look up to.’ She laughed. ‘Only joking.’
    Sian gave a rueful smile. She knew Emily was only half joking. Emily would like nothing better than for Richard and Sian to get together properly. She really liked Emily but that wasn’t a good enough reason for her to marry her brother. ‘Well, who knows?’
    Sian and Rory were just walking up to the cottage when they saw a car parked outside it.
    ‘I wonder who that can be?’ said Sian, hoping it wasn’t a visitor. She was wearing her painting clothes and Rory was worn out; he was dragging his feet already, and his manners weren’t reliable when he was tired.
    As they reached the front door, the owner of the car spotted them. A vision of Boden loveliness wearing a summer dress and designer sunglasses emerged from the neat little soft-top. She looked leisured and relaxed and had perfectly tanned legs and pretty sandals. ‘I’m Melissa Lewis-Jones,’ she said, putting out a hand which Sian duly shook. ‘Fiona Matcham told me someone had moved in. I thought I’d call, be neighbourly.’
    Sian hoped her smile didn’t show how unkeen she was for an elegant visitor. She felt grubbier than ever but she didn’t want to alienate a potential new friend. Sian glanced at Rory, who had gone in through the gate and was waiting at the door to be let in, impatient to get back to his own toy trains.
    ‘Of course,’ said Sian, unlocking the door and letting Rory in first. ‘You must excuse the mess though. I’ve been painting, as you see.’ Sian didn’t spend precious Rory-free time doing housework as she could do that with him there. She couldn’t remember if the remains of breakfast and lunch were still on the table or had graduated to the kitchen drainer. ‘I’m Sian, by the way. Do come in.’
    The Boden-vision didn’t hesitate and came through into Sian’s front room. ‘My