else you want. We’ll be in the kitchen if you want fresh coffee or tea.’
It was idiotic and she knew it but Lizzie couldn’t stop herself from feeling just a little disappointed that Jack had been back for almost two hours and was sound asleep in an armchair in the sitting room.
At least he’d smiled at her. That was something she supposed but when Phil came in and asked if they could have some fresh coffee because most of them were awake and had emptied the two Thermos jugs, she found herself hoping that Jack would pop his head round the door and say “hi”, if nothing else. God, she thought, for an intelligent woman, she was being really stupid.
She handed two pots of fresh coffee to Phil who had waited in the kitchen for them – robbing her of an excuse to go in to the sitting room – and then she decided to take Alastair out for a quick walk before going upstairs to get ready for the evening. Jane offered to take him but Lizzie felt she needed the fresh air.
Outside, the temperature had dropped again and there was now an icy crust forming on the remaining snow. The snowmen had turned into misshapen blobs but they held their ground even if they were half the men they were yesterday.
Lizzie checked on the pigs, Peter and Penelope. The guys had only been to look at them once and had been very well behaved, although Steve did say that he thought they’d be better on his plate. At least none of the guys had tried to ride them so she should be grateful for that. And so far, the chickens had also been left alone. It was only day two though, so there were still two days to go.
The thought of that made Lizzie stop in her tracks. Jack would only be here for two more days and then what? So much seemed to have happened in the last two days and yet really, nothing had changed, except perhaps, the way she felt.
‘It’s me. I know I said I wouldn’t call you but I had to.’
Lizzie heard the voice and recognised it as Ross’s but she couldn’t see him. She was standing outside the feed barn at the back of the converted barn so he must be in there. He wasn’t outside and he was definitely close by.
Lizzie realised he must be talking to someone on the phone and was about to move on when his next words stopped her.
‘It’s about Jack.’
The person on the other end of the line must have said something because after a few seconds Ross said, ‘No. I told you I wouldn’t. You know what Jack’s like.’
At that moment Alastair came bounding up barking so Lizzie had no choice but to quickly walk away. She took a few steps in the opposite direction, then turned and pretended she was just walking towards the small barn.
Ross poked his head out, looked slightly startled, then forced a smile and pointed towards the phone.
Lizzie smiled, nodded and headed away from the barn back towards the house. She would have given anything to know who Ross was calling and what he was going to tell them about Jack, and for one tiny moment she wondered whether Ross was the one who worked with Max and whether it was Max he was now talking to. If only Alastair hadn’t barked, she thought.
But she was being ridiculous. What did she think was going on? That Ross was playing private detective and keeping an eye on her, reporting anything untoward back to Max. That was just plain silly. But one of them did work with her husband and hadn’t mentioned it – and she couldn’t help but wonder why. She shook herself mentally; what was wrong with her? Why didn’t she just ask them? And having realised that it really was that simple, she dismissed it – but she still couldn’t help wondering who Ross was talking to – and what he was telling them about Jack.
Ross waited until Lizzie was out of earshot. ‘Sorry, someone walked by. So, how are you?’
‘How do you think I am? I’m going bloody mental!’
Ross didn’t seem surprised. ‘You’re not the only one. How the hell do you think I feel?’
‘Well then do
It was idiotic and she knew it but Lizzie couldn’t stop herself from feeling just a little disappointed that Jack had been back for almost two hours and was sound asleep in an armchair in the sitting room.
At least he’d smiled at her. That was something she supposed but when Phil came in and asked if they could have some fresh coffee because most of them were awake and had emptied the two Thermos jugs, she found herself hoping that Jack would pop his head round the door and say “hi”, if nothing else. God, she thought, for an intelligent woman, she was being really stupid.
She handed two pots of fresh coffee to Phil who had waited in the kitchen for them – robbing her of an excuse to go in to the sitting room – and then she decided to take Alastair out for a quick walk before going upstairs to get ready for the evening. Jane offered to take him but Lizzie felt she needed the fresh air.
Outside, the temperature had dropped again and there was now an icy crust forming on the remaining snow. The snowmen had turned into misshapen blobs but they held their ground even if they were half the men they were yesterday.
Lizzie checked on the pigs, Peter and Penelope. The guys had only been to look at them once and had been very well behaved, although Steve did say that he thought they’d be better on his plate. At least none of the guys had tried to ride them so she should be grateful for that. And so far, the chickens had also been left alone. It was only day two though, so there were still two days to go.
The thought of that made Lizzie stop in her tracks. Jack would only be here for two more days and then what? So much seemed to have happened in the last two days and yet really, nothing had changed, except perhaps, the way she felt.
‘It’s me. I know I said I wouldn’t call you but I had to.’
Lizzie heard the voice and recognised it as Ross’s but she couldn’t see him. She was standing outside the feed barn at the back of the converted barn so he must be in there. He wasn’t outside and he was definitely close by.
Lizzie realised he must be talking to someone on the phone and was about to move on when his next words stopped her.
‘It’s about Jack.’
The person on the other end of the line must have said something because after a few seconds Ross said, ‘No. I told you I wouldn’t. You know what Jack’s like.’
At that moment Alastair came bounding up barking so Lizzie had no choice but to quickly walk away. She took a few steps in the opposite direction, then turned and pretended she was just walking towards the small barn.
Ross poked his head out, looked slightly startled, then forced a smile and pointed towards the phone.
Lizzie smiled, nodded and headed away from the barn back towards the house. She would have given anything to know who Ross was calling and what he was going to tell them about Jack, and for one tiny moment she wondered whether Ross was the one who worked with Max and whether it was Max he was now talking to. If only Alastair hadn’t barked, she thought.
But she was being ridiculous. What did she think was going on? That Ross was playing private detective and keeping an eye on her, reporting anything untoward back to Max. That was just plain silly. But one of them did work with her husband and hadn’t mentioned it – and she couldn’t help but wonder why. She shook herself mentally; what was wrong with her? Why didn’t she just ask them? And having realised that it really was that simple, she dismissed it – but she still couldn’t help wondering who Ross was talking to – and what he was telling them about Jack.
Ross waited until Lizzie was out of earshot. ‘Sorry, someone walked by. So, how are you?’
‘How do you think I am? I’m going bloody mental!’
Ross didn’t seem surprised. ‘You’re not the only one. How the hell do you think I feel?’
‘Well then do
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