The Perfect Match Read Online Free PDF

because she’d stopped Jane selling her house? If so, why wait until now? She had done that less than a year after she’d moved here. No, she was being paranoid, she decided. He didn’t dislike her and he wasn’t following her.
    ‘So, are you here for long?’ she asked when there was a break in the conversation.
    ‘I’m joining a practice in the area. As a solicitor,’ he added.
    Bella’s heart lurched. She hadn’t forgotten he was a solicitor – they’d both worked for the same large estate agent, but here? Nevil’s estate agency wasn’t big enough to have a separate legal department; they used local solicitors, and that would mean she and Dominic could easily run into each other.
    Still, if Nevil brought up his name she’d say something damning about him, and that would be the end of it. It would be far too embarrassing to have to work with him again.
    ‘Oh?’ she said. ‘That’s interesting.’
    ‘It should be. I’m very excited, about it.’
    He didn’t sound terribly excited, but he always had been cool and unemotional.
    ‘He was going to rent while he looked for somewhere to buy, but it seems silly to do that when my house is so big,’ Jane explained. ‘You live with your godmother and it works well, doesn’t it?’
    This was a nasty shock. She would have to time her visits to Jane more carefully. As Jane was looking at her appealingly, she quickly nodded. ‘It works brilliantly, but I’m very well house-trained.’
    ‘But you could find him a nice house, couldn’t you?’ Jane went on.
    ‘I might be able to, but don’t forget’ – she laughed lightly, sounding slightly shrill – ‘other estate agents are available.’
    ‘I’m very well aware of that,’ said Dominic and he frowned. His very dark brows, in stark contrast to his silver-grey hair, looked like clouds gathering before a storm.
    What Bella longed to know was whether he’d be bringing his wife with him.
    ‘What sort of house would you want?’ asked Jane. ‘A family home? Period features?’
    Bella couldn’t help smiling as she realised her long chats with Jane had rubbed off on her language.
    ‘I’d like something to do up and, yes, period details would be good. I don’t want a new-build.’
    ‘How many bedrooms?’ asked Bella, glad to be on firm ground again.
    ‘It would really depend on the property.’
    ‘More than two?’ She couldn’t help herself asking.
    ‘Definitely.’
    She still didn’t know about his wife. Not that it would make any difference, not now.
    ‘Well,’ said Jane, who was beginning to relax, ‘you can’t expect Bella to find you a house if you don’t tell her how many bedrooms you want.’
    ‘I’m not particular. And I’m not in a hurry. If it’s OK with you, Aunt Jane, I’m happy to keep staying with you.’
    Bella didn’t like this plan much. ‘I think you should rent. If you’re a cash buyer, you can go into a rental property, learn about the area, which parts you like best, and then you’ll be in a good position to proceed if the right property comes up.’
    Dominic raised one of his thundercloud eyebrows. ‘That’s me told!’
    ‘No,’ said Bella firmly, ‘that’s you advised. Of course no one is obliged to take advice if they don’t want to.’ She got up. ‘Now, I’d better go. You’ve probably got a table booked.’ She bent down and kissed her friend’s cheek. ‘Thank you so much, Jane. It was charming, even if there wasn’t cake.’
    She straightened up. ‘Goodbye, Dominic. It was – interesting meeting you again.’
    Then she walked across the lawn, her back stiff and her chin up, wishing her heels didn’t keep sinking into the grass.

Chapter Five
    ALICE WAS SITTING in her kitchen, ostensibly doing the crossword, actually thinking about Michael and trying to stop feeling so giddy about the prospect of what was really a thank-you dinner. She looked up as she heard Bella’s car pull up outside, glad to be interrupted. ‘Hi love!’ she called