managed a hello before she shoved me back out of the door. Said she didn’t have time tonight.’
‘Weird.’
‘Very,’ Lily agreed.
What on earth could Evelyn be up to that she didn’t want her daughter to find out about? Cora loved a good mystery, and the idea of Evelyn Thomas having a secret was a particularly juicy one.
‘Maybe she had a hot date,’ Cora said, making Lily laugh.
‘Can you imagine?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m more worried that she’s suddenly developed an addiction to an online psychic or something.’
Cora giggled. ‘Maybe she
is
an online psychic. Something to bring in a little extra cash…’
The mental image of the immaculately dressed Evelyn Thomas wrapping a tie-dye scarf over her perfectly styled hair, and wrapping a skirt with bells over her suit had Lily spluttering wine over Cora’s sofa.
‘Why do you still have stuff at your mum’s anyway?’ Cora asked when Lily had regained some measure of composure.
Lily shrugged. ‘Just do. Edward doesn’t like a lot of clutter around the cottage. And I have –’
‘A lot of clutter,’ Cora finished. ‘I remember. Your room there was an absolute tip.’ Cora had taken to tidying it up a bit when Lily wasn’t looking. She still had no idea how Lily had ever found anything in there.
‘My studio still is, when I’m deep into a new project,’
Cora grinned. ‘Doesn’t surprise me.’
The front door crashed open, as Rhys forgot about the umbrella stand behind the door again. Cora jumped to her feet to welcome him home and instruct him to lay the table.
‘Let me just get changed first,’ he said, and Cora bit down a feeling of irritation. Why couldn’t he stay in his suit for dinner? So much more appropriate when they had guests than jeans and a T-shirt. Even if the guest was only Lily.
‘So, how were your days?’ Rhys asked later, spearing a mouthful of salmon and asparagus.
‘Busy,’ Cora said. ‘I finalised the timings with the car company, proofread the orders of service – eight errors, by the way – and spoke with the seamstress about adding some little satin flowers to the younger bridesmaid’s shoes. Oh, and I’ve spoken with the florist about the table centrepieces, but I’m still not a hundred percent sure about the foliage. I might get her to make up some more samples before I commit.’
‘Is it that important?’ Rhys barely looked up as he spoke. ‘I mean, they’re just flowers.’
‘They’re what our guests will be looking at for the entire meal,’ Cora said. ‘They’re important.’
Rhys gave her a grin. ‘Well, I know I’ll only have eyes for you.’
Cora couldn’t help but smile back. He might not have much interest in the details of their wedding, but at least he could be counted on to say the right thing, now and then.
‘What about you, Lily?’ Rhys turned to their guest, topping up her wine glass again.
Lily shrugged. ‘Same old. Oh, but I did have lunch with Alex.’
‘My Alex?’ Cora frowned. ‘What was he doing up at the Mill?’
Lily’s gaze darted away, the way it always did when she was about to lie. But about what? ‘Just revisiting old haunts, I guess,’ she said. Which would have been a perfectly reasonable reason, if Cora hadn’t known she was lying.
‘How’s he settling in?’ Rhys asked.
Lily grinned. ‘Really well, I think. Seems to have his whole life planned out here.’
Well, if he had, he hadn’t told his own cousin much about it. Although he seemed perfectly happy spilling to her best friend.
‘And how’s Edward?’ Cora asked. Maybe Lily needed the reminder of the most important man in her life.
But Lily just shrugged. ‘Okay, I guess. To be honest, he’s been working so much I haven’t seen much of him, really.’
She was frowning. Frowning and looking away again. Cora felt something cold settle in her chest. ‘Any further along with the wedding planning?’
Lily reached for her wine. ‘Not really. Edward’s talking about
‘Weird.’
‘Very,’ Lily agreed.
What on earth could Evelyn be up to that she didn’t want her daughter to find out about? Cora loved a good mystery, and the idea of Evelyn Thomas having a secret was a particularly juicy one.
‘Maybe she had a hot date,’ Cora said, making Lily laugh.
‘Can you imagine?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m more worried that she’s suddenly developed an addiction to an online psychic or something.’
Cora giggled. ‘Maybe she
is
an online psychic. Something to bring in a little extra cash…’
The mental image of the immaculately dressed Evelyn Thomas wrapping a tie-dye scarf over her perfectly styled hair, and wrapping a skirt with bells over her suit had Lily spluttering wine over Cora’s sofa.
‘Why do you still have stuff at your mum’s anyway?’ Cora asked when Lily had regained some measure of composure.
Lily shrugged. ‘Just do. Edward doesn’t like a lot of clutter around the cottage. And I have –’
‘A lot of clutter,’ Cora finished. ‘I remember. Your room there was an absolute tip.’ Cora had taken to tidying it up a bit when Lily wasn’t looking. She still had no idea how Lily had ever found anything in there.
‘My studio still is, when I’m deep into a new project,’
Cora grinned. ‘Doesn’t surprise me.’
The front door crashed open, as Rhys forgot about the umbrella stand behind the door again. Cora jumped to her feet to welcome him home and instruct him to lay the table.
‘Let me just get changed first,’ he said, and Cora bit down a feeling of irritation. Why couldn’t he stay in his suit for dinner? So much more appropriate when they had guests than jeans and a T-shirt. Even if the guest was only Lily.
‘So, how were your days?’ Rhys asked later, spearing a mouthful of salmon and asparagus.
‘Busy,’ Cora said. ‘I finalised the timings with the car company, proofread the orders of service – eight errors, by the way – and spoke with the seamstress about adding some little satin flowers to the younger bridesmaid’s shoes. Oh, and I’ve spoken with the florist about the table centrepieces, but I’m still not a hundred percent sure about the foliage. I might get her to make up some more samples before I commit.’
‘Is it that important?’ Rhys barely looked up as he spoke. ‘I mean, they’re just flowers.’
‘They’re what our guests will be looking at for the entire meal,’ Cora said. ‘They’re important.’
Rhys gave her a grin. ‘Well, I know I’ll only have eyes for you.’
Cora couldn’t help but smile back. He might not have much interest in the details of their wedding, but at least he could be counted on to say the right thing, now and then.
‘What about you, Lily?’ Rhys turned to their guest, topping up her wine glass again.
Lily shrugged. ‘Same old. Oh, but I did have lunch with Alex.’
‘My Alex?’ Cora frowned. ‘What was he doing up at the Mill?’
Lily’s gaze darted away, the way it always did when she was about to lie. But about what? ‘Just revisiting old haunts, I guess,’ she said. Which would have been a perfectly reasonable reason, if Cora hadn’t known she was lying.
‘How’s he settling in?’ Rhys asked.
Lily grinned. ‘Really well, I think. Seems to have his whole life planned out here.’
Well, if he had, he hadn’t told his own cousin much about it. Although he seemed perfectly happy spilling to her best friend.
‘And how’s Edward?’ Cora asked. Maybe Lily needed the reminder of the most important man in her life.
But Lily just shrugged. ‘Okay, I guess. To be honest, he’s been working so much I haven’t seen much of him, really.’
She was frowning. Frowning and looking away again. Cora felt something cold settle in her chest. ‘Any further along with the wedding planning?’
Lily reached for her wine. ‘Not really. Edward’s talking about
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