the countryside – or in a tree!
‘Aurora’s always lived there and Gabriel visits from time to time. Lord Netherby only found out he had a son when Gabriel was about eleven years old. He’s a nice lad, even if
he didn’t inherit Lavinya’s striking blond looks.’
‘Aurora’s invited me round for tea tomorrow,’ I said. Gabriel’s looks seemed just fine to me.
‘That’ll be nice, dear, but you should really be mixing with people of your own age. Why don’t you pop into the youth club in the village hall? It’s on every Monday
night. You could call in for an hour or so. I won’t mind.’
I muttered a vague reply. I didn’t take in what she was saying. I was too busy trying to get my head round the fact that Torso Boy was Gabriel, son of Lord Netherby.
I’d seen TV programmes about the aristocracy and seen pictures galore of toffs in magazines, but Gabriel was nothing like them. He was so scruffy for one thing . . . I suppose if you have
heaps of money you don’t need to think so much about your appearance. Then another thought hit me.
What do you wear when you go to tea with a lord?
Ava made another milky coffee, but before she could drink it she’d dozed off on the sofa, making little snorting sounds. When her face was relaxed with sleep she looked a lot younger. I
made a mental note to actually listen to her more.
The sound of a key turning in the lock startled me. I didn’t expect Sarah for another day at least, but you never knew with her.
‘We’re in here!’ I shouted.
‘And who are you, exactly?’ a man’s voice replied.
Chapter Eleven
H e looked me up and down and whistled.
‘Jenna, you’ve grown up all of sudden.’
Shame you haven’t, I thought.
‘Sarah not here, then?’ Something in his voice made me think that he knew she wouldn’t be. He was carrying a large canvas bag.
Ava woke up with a start, ‘Kai, love, you’re back! Sarah will be pleased.’
‘I only stopped by to pick up a few bits and pieces. Then we’re off to a festival in Cornwall,’ he said as he bent over and kissed Ava on the cheek.
I’d bet anything the other part of ‘we’ was young and female.
‘Sarah didn’t say you’d be coming round,’ I said.
Kai grinned back at me and asked, ‘Where is she?’
‘She’s gone on a book-buying trip,’ Ava replied.
‘She probably forgot to mention I was coming.’
Hadn’t Sarah gone on and on about how she hadn’t heard from him? Surely Ava would see through him.
‘Ava, you’re looking lovely as usual. Is that a new hair colour?’ He tickled her cheek. Ava turned to mush.
I tried another tactic. ‘I’ll give you a hand, Kai.’
‘No need, unless you’d like to rummage in my underwear drawer.’
He was holding a pretty big bag for just underwear.
‘Wouldn’t have thought you’d wear any,’ I said. Now it was his turn to blush a bit. He came up close and cupped my face in his hand.
‘Quite the sassy lady, aren’t you?’ he said and our eyes locked.
A horn sounded outside. Kai went to the window and waved. I could just make out the hunched figure of a young girl at the steering wheel, looking worried.
‘I’d love to stay and get to know you better, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.’ He left the room.
The upstairs floorboards creaked as he walked around opening and closing drawers and cupboards. I met him at the front door.
‘Any message for Sarah?’ I asked as he was on his way out.
‘Sarah and I don’t need formal conventions to communicate, but tell her I’ll be back for the Netherby Festival.’ As he was leaving, he leaned forward to kiss me on the
cheek.
I left Ava to her photos and went out into the garden for some gulps of fresh air. It was a warm, light evening. I’d been away from home for nearly three weeks. I stretched out my arms and
spun round in a great big circle. The air was hot and filled with tight gangs of insects. I felt a little crazed, affected by the mixture of emotions that swirled
‘Aurora’s always lived there and Gabriel visits from time to time. Lord Netherby only found out he had a son when Gabriel was about eleven years old. He’s a nice lad, even if
he didn’t inherit Lavinya’s striking blond looks.’
‘Aurora’s invited me round for tea tomorrow,’ I said. Gabriel’s looks seemed just fine to me.
‘That’ll be nice, dear, but you should really be mixing with people of your own age. Why don’t you pop into the youth club in the village hall? It’s on every Monday
night. You could call in for an hour or so. I won’t mind.’
I muttered a vague reply. I didn’t take in what she was saying. I was too busy trying to get my head round the fact that Torso Boy was Gabriel, son of Lord Netherby.
I’d seen TV programmes about the aristocracy and seen pictures galore of toffs in magazines, but Gabriel was nothing like them. He was so scruffy for one thing . . . I suppose if you have
heaps of money you don’t need to think so much about your appearance. Then another thought hit me.
What do you wear when you go to tea with a lord?
Ava made another milky coffee, but before she could drink it she’d dozed off on the sofa, making little snorting sounds. When her face was relaxed with sleep she looked a lot younger. I
made a mental note to actually listen to her more.
The sound of a key turning in the lock startled me. I didn’t expect Sarah for another day at least, but you never knew with her.
‘We’re in here!’ I shouted.
‘And who are you, exactly?’ a man’s voice replied.
Chapter Eleven
H e looked me up and down and whistled.
‘Jenna, you’ve grown up all of sudden.’
Shame you haven’t, I thought.
‘Sarah not here, then?’ Something in his voice made me think that he knew she wouldn’t be. He was carrying a large canvas bag.
Ava woke up with a start, ‘Kai, love, you’re back! Sarah will be pleased.’
‘I only stopped by to pick up a few bits and pieces. Then we’re off to a festival in Cornwall,’ he said as he bent over and kissed Ava on the cheek.
I’d bet anything the other part of ‘we’ was young and female.
‘Sarah didn’t say you’d be coming round,’ I said.
Kai grinned back at me and asked, ‘Where is she?’
‘She’s gone on a book-buying trip,’ Ava replied.
‘She probably forgot to mention I was coming.’
Hadn’t Sarah gone on and on about how she hadn’t heard from him? Surely Ava would see through him.
‘Ava, you’re looking lovely as usual. Is that a new hair colour?’ He tickled her cheek. Ava turned to mush.
I tried another tactic. ‘I’ll give you a hand, Kai.’
‘No need, unless you’d like to rummage in my underwear drawer.’
He was holding a pretty big bag for just underwear.
‘Wouldn’t have thought you’d wear any,’ I said. Now it was his turn to blush a bit. He came up close and cupped my face in his hand.
‘Quite the sassy lady, aren’t you?’ he said and our eyes locked.
A horn sounded outside. Kai went to the window and waved. I could just make out the hunched figure of a young girl at the steering wheel, looking worried.
‘I’d love to stay and get to know you better, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.’ He left the room.
The upstairs floorboards creaked as he walked around opening and closing drawers and cupboards. I met him at the front door.
‘Any message for Sarah?’ I asked as he was on his way out.
‘Sarah and I don’t need formal conventions to communicate, but tell her I’ll be back for the Netherby Festival.’ As he was leaving, he leaned forward to kiss me on the
cheek.
I left Ava to her photos and went out into the garden for some gulps of fresh air. It was a warm, light evening. I’d been away from home for nearly three weeks. I stretched out my arms and
spun round in a great big circle. The air was hot and filled with tight gangs of insects. I felt a little crazed, affected by the mixture of emotions that swirled
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