told him sternly, picking him up and depositing him in the hall.
Having closed the door, Cally ran her duster over the room’s few pieces of dark oak furniture: a couple of nightstands,a blanket box, a desk on top of which a battered laptop sat charging. Was that all Ash had? A computer and a blanket?
Beneath the window seat she found, at last, some evidence that a child had lived in this room — two shelves of books that, judging by the state of their spines, had passed through more than one generation of Fergusson hands. She studied the titles. Were they all about horses? No. There was also a tatty hardback copy of White Fang.
God, what was that rumble? Did they have earthquakes here, too? Cally hurried to her feet as the mullioned glass of the turret window started to rattle.
Abruptly, the rumble stopped. Kneeling on the window seat, she peered out. A very expensive-looking sports car was parked in the drive below, its low-slung body still managing to gleam despite the dust of the access road. As she watched, a tall man in a suit got out and looked up at the house, pushing his aviator shades up into his short dark hair. An elegant blonde climbed out of the passenger seat, wearing black jodhpurs and riding boots below a rather Victorian-looking high-necked blouse. Cally sighed in envy. Now there was a couple who belonged on the same billboard. Possibly one selling that car.
Were Carr and Lizzie out yet? With a quick swipe of the window sill, Cally hurried down to intercept their guests.
By the time she got there, the blonde was already in the kitchen.
‘You must be Cally,’ she beamed, putting an enormous camera bag down on a chair. ‘I’m Ella. Ella Harrington.’
Taking in the sleek gold hair, the flawless skin, the blue eyes, Cally tried not to stare; she imagined Ella got sick of people doing that. The girl practically glowed. So this was Lizzie’s daughter, huh? Well, of course it was. Why was she surprised?
‘Oh! What a pretty cat. Is he yours?’ Picking the cat up, Ella smiled into his eyes.
Cally gave an inward sigh. Even Doug looked dazzled.
‘Hi.’ Ella’s boyfriend walked in with the rest of the bags. Dropping them, he held out his hand. ‘Luke Halliday.’
Close up, he was much younger than she’d thought. No more than a few years older than Ash, probably. Although comparing the two seemed a bit like comparing two different species.
Cally took his hand. Luke’s eyes — a rather stunning shade of green, thickly lashed — swept over her, taking more time about it than guys who looked like him usually bothered to spend. She felt her cheeks starting to glow. He was hard to look away from.
‘This is Cally,’ Ella supplied, in a gentle tone that suggested girls forgot their own names around Luke quite often. ‘She’s just started looking after the house for Carr.’
‘Pleasure to meet you.’ Luke gave her a devastating smile.
Cally strove to pick her jaw up.
‘Is Lizzie around?’ Ella asked.
‘She’s, um …’ Cally glanced involuntarily out the window, where Carr’s ute and Lizzie’s Land Rover stood side by side. ‘She might be upstairs. I think.’
Ella and Luke exchanged a look. Luke grinned. Ella rolled her eyes.
‘Come on,’ said Ella, sounding amused. ‘Let’s take our bags up.’
‘Can I help?’ Cally offered.
‘No, don’t worry about it. I know the way.’ Ella was already in the doorway. ‘Second room on the right at the top of the stairs, right?’
‘Right.’
‘Thanks.’ She smiled over her shoulder.
Cally watched Ella’s tall, leggy figure sashay away, Luke following at her heels in a manner both meek and predatory, like a leopard on a leash. Cally sighed again.
A few minutes later, she heard Ash’s ute pull up in the drive. She saw him get out and make a slow, appraising circuit of Luke’s car before he headed for the door. There was the thump of Ash taking off his boots in the porch, then he padded in, today’s work-socks sporting a
Having closed the door, Cally ran her duster over the room’s few pieces of dark oak furniture: a couple of nightstands,a blanket box, a desk on top of which a battered laptop sat charging. Was that all Ash had? A computer and a blanket?
Beneath the window seat she found, at last, some evidence that a child had lived in this room — two shelves of books that, judging by the state of their spines, had passed through more than one generation of Fergusson hands. She studied the titles. Were they all about horses? No. There was also a tatty hardback copy of White Fang.
God, what was that rumble? Did they have earthquakes here, too? Cally hurried to her feet as the mullioned glass of the turret window started to rattle.
Abruptly, the rumble stopped. Kneeling on the window seat, she peered out. A very expensive-looking sports car was parked in the drive below, its low-slung body still managing to gleam despite the dust of the access road. As she watched, a tall man in a suit got out and looked up at the house, pushing his aviator shades up into his short dark hair. An elegant blonde climbed out of the passenger seat, wearing black jodhpurs and riding boots below a rather Victorian-looking high-necked blouse. Cally sighed in envy. Now there was a couple who belonged on the same billboard. Possibly one selling that car.
Were Carr and Lizzie out yet? With a quick swipe of the window sill, Cally hurried down to intercept their guests.
By the time she got there, the blonde was already in the kitchen.
‘You must be Cally,’ she beamed, putting an enormous camera bag down on a chair. ‘I’m Ella. Ella Harrington.’
Taking in the sleek gold hair, the flawless skin, the blue eyes, Cally tried not to stare; she imagined Ella got sick of people doing that. The girl practically glowed. So this was Lizzie’s daughter, huh? Well, of course it was. Why was she surprised?
‘Oh! What a pretty cat. Is he yours?’ Picking the cat up, Ella smiled into his eyes.
Cally gave an inward sigh. Even Doug looked dazzled.
‘Hi.’ Ella’s boyfriend walked in with the rest of the bags. Dropping them, he held out his hand. ‘Luke Halliday.’
Close up, he was much younger than she’d thought. No more than a few years older than Ash, probably. Although comparing the two seemed a bit like comparing two different species.
Cally took his hand. Luke’s eyes — a rather stunning shade of green, thickly lashed — swept over her, taking more time about it than guys who looked like him usually bothered to spend. She felt her cheeks starting to glow. He was hard to look away from.
‘This is Cally,’ Ella supplied, in a gentle tone that suggested girls forgot their own names around Luke quite often. ‘She’s just started looking after the house for Carr.’
‘Pleasure to meet you.’ Luke gave her a devastating smile.
Cally strove to pick her jaw up.
‘Is Lizzie around?’ Ella asked.
‘She’s, um …’ Cally glanced involuntarily out the window, where Carr’s ute and Lizzie’s Land Rover stood side by side. ‘She might be upstairs. I think.’
Ella and Luke exchanged a look. Luke grinned. Ella rolled her eyes.
‘Come on,’ said Ella, sounding amused. ‘Let’s take our bags up.’
‘Can I help?’ Cally offered.
‘No, don’t worry about it. I know the way.’ Ella was already in the doorway. ‘Second room on the right at the top of the stairs, right?’
‘Right.’
‘Thanks.’ She smiled over her shoulder.
Cally watched Ella’s tall, leggy figure sashay away, Luke following at her heels in a manner both meek and predatory, like a leopard on a leash. Cally sighed again.
A few minutes later, she heard Ash’s ute pull up in the drive. She saw him get out and make a slow, appraising circuit of Luke’s car before he headed for the door. There was the thump of Ash taking off his boots in the porch, then he padded in, today’s work-socks sporting a
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