‘Or get back to her?’
‘Either way, it’s none of your business.’
‘Whew.’ Celine chuckled. ‘You really have spent too long on the mainland. As it happens, there is something else. I wanted to tell you that I’m pleased for you.’
‘What?’
‘For you and Emmie. Whether or not something’s happening yet, it’s clearly going to. Or, at least, it should. Like I said, I’ve seen the way you look at each other.’ Her voice lowered so I had to step right up to the door to keep earwigging – which I never would have done, if the woman hadn’t been wreaking clandestine havoc. She had a nerve talking about honesty.
‘I never saw that look in your eyes when you were with me. I tried to convince myself you simply weren’t ready, or were so laid-back, you didn’t feel that kind of passion. But I’ve realised since Emmie showed up, you just didn’t feel that way about me.
‘I want a man who can’t take his eyes off me. Not because I can birth a calf or drive a tractor. Just because I’m me. And I know that will never be you. So, I’ve eaten a tub of Dahlia’s ice cream, dried my eyes and applied for and been accepted onThe Perfect Wife for a Farmer’s Life. Apparently I’m an ideal candidate. We start filming the previews in a few weeks.’
‘Wow. Is anyone from Siskin on there?’
‘It’s shot in Texas.’
‘Oh. Okay.’
‘Will you miss me, then?’ Celine asked, playfully, as I held my breath.
‘Um…’ Pip sounded doubtful.
‘You git.’ Celine laughed. ‘Come here and give me a friendly hug goodbye. Then go and get that gorgeous mainlander. You were made for each other. I’m honestly trying very hard to be happy for you.’
There was a brief pause while I poised, ready to scuttle back across the kitchen, but Pip had a question.
‘Were you in the kitchen earlier, before the pasties were served?’
‘What? No. This is the first time I’ve been in the farmhouse since we left for church. Once we arrived back, I was with Iris organising photos until Lily told me your ma got the timings wrong for serving the food.’
‘You didn’t tell Ma the time had changed?’
‘Of course not.’ Celine sounded genuinely puzzled. ‘I have the spreadsheet on my phone. When I asked Rosemary, she said you told her.’
I paused, trying to process that. Celine sounded completely believable and she’d also come across as genuine when she’d wished Pip well. It was true that she’d been busy with the photographer when I’d left the kitchen unattended. It would have been virtually impossible to sneak back and move the cake, even if she had been aware of the faulty fridge so had known where to move it to.
Which turned my shortlist of suspects completely on its head.
Did I go back to Richard? Or Aster?
Or did someone else have a serious issue with me being here?
When the kitchen door opened and Gabe stepped in, for a dreadful moment, I wondered if it could be him.
But he didn’t need to use underhand tactics to scare me away. A blunt conversation would have been more than enough.
As he smiled, pulling out a chair and gesturing for me to sit down, I hastily scrubbed him off the list. Perhaps our conversation would help me know who really belonged on there. However, before we could start, Pip and Celine came out of the office, both of them startled to see me and Gabe standing by the table.
‘Emmie,’ Pip said. ‘Celine and I were just, um…’
‘Pip was telling me that he’s fallen for you, and I was wishing you the very best before I leave on my own romantic adventure,’ Celine interrupted. ‘I really hope you don’t catch that plane tomorrow. This man is one in a million. You both deserve the chance to figure it out.’
Too discombobulated to reply, I watched as Gabe made an excuse to Pip about helping me clear up and ordered him back to the barn with the promise that his mother and sisters had missed him.
We waited for them both to leave, then sank into opposite chairs.
‘Right. You have questions and I promised you answers, but we’d better be quick about it.’
