in group lessons, but it was clear that he was passionate and talented and ready to learn. Over the past week he had grown fond of this fatherless boy who was prepared to go out on a bitterly cold day and get wet.
The only embarrassing part was how grateful Peter’s mother and uncle were, and now he nodded away their thanks before watching them melt back into the crowd of friends and neighbours, some of whom Ethan recognised from the family parties he had been invited to at the Chance house when he was a teenager. Mari’s aunts certainly had not changed much—they were still as eccentric as ever.
Rosa was certainly cast from the same stock. But Mari? She was so different.
She certainly was not the awkward, gawky sixteen-year-old girl that he remembered.
When had Mari finally learnt to stand ramrod-straight with her head upright? What had happened to the girl who had been so cripplingly shy that she’d found it impossible to look at a boy eye to eye? And the old Mari certainly would never have had the confidence to wear a fitted dress like that! A dress designed to make best use of her stunning figure. Elegant, sophisticated and formal, it was the perfect dress for a professional woman who wanted to get the message across that she would not tolerate any form of unwelcome familiarity.
If it had not been for Kit, Mari would probably have stayed a complete mystery to him. Just another girl, who happened to be living next door to their holiday home.
And yet … Marigold Chance was the girl he
could
have asked out a thousand times, if the words had not choked in his throat each time he’d almost said them.
Ethan winced at the memory of how inadequate his best friend’s younger sister used to make him feel. Mari could never be interested in him as anything more than a friendof her late brother. Why should she? Mari was a loner. Unapproachable. Contained. She didn’t need to be part of a gang or play team sports to make a connection. She was happy in her own company—and he had envied her that. He had resorted to teasing her simply to get a reaction—any reaction—which meant that she took the time to notice that he existed.
What an idiot! He should have had the courage to ask her out at least once. Or at least explain that he was teasing her because he was attracted to her and was simply desperate to make her notice him.
And now Kit’s sister Mari was a lovely talented woman. In an amazing dress that fitted her in all of the places guaranteed to press the right buttons in the perfect sequence. Buttons he knew he had to turn back off. And fast. And those legs!
Gorgeous and intelligent. Now that was a killer combination.
She would never forgive him for being on the boat with Kit the day he died. Just as he would never forgive himself. Each of them had found their own way to get through each day—but it never went away.
All the more reason for him to keep hisdistance, finish the house then get on with the work he had come here to do.
Mari shook her head in exasperation as Ethan dazzled her uncle and cousins with tales of derring-do and sailing adventures. He really did have the charm offensive down to a well-practised art and it took several minutes of manly back-slapping before Ethan glided up to Mari with her flute of champagne and his glass of cola, as though they were on the deck of a cruise ship, and started to say something.
Except that, just as she leant closer to try and hear what he was saying against the party noise, the laughter and chatter dropped away, Ethan stopped mid-sentence and looked over her shoulder in silence towards the entrance. He was white-faced with alarm, his eyebrows drawn tight together in concern and dismay.
‘What is it?’ she asked, concerned. ‘Has something happened?’
And then Mari turned and saw why everyone had gone silent. Rosa was standing just inside the side door, her face ashen, holding her left forearm out in front of her. Her dress was covered in mud and slush
The only embarrassing part was how grateful Peter’s mother and uncle were, and now he nodded away their thanks before watching them melt back into the crowd of friends and neighbours, some of whom Ethan recognised from the family parties he had been invited to at the Chance house when he was a teenager. Mari’s aunts certainly had not changed much—they were still as eccentric as ever.
Rosa was certainly cast from the same stock. But Mari? She was so different.
She certainly was not the awkward, gawky sixteen-year-old girl that he remembered.
When had Mari finally learnt to stand ramrod-straight with her head upright? What had happened to the girl who had been so cripplingly shy that she’d found it impossible to look at a boy eye to eye? And the old Mari certainly would never have had the confidence to wear a fitted dress like that! A dress designed to make best use of her stunning figure. Elegant, sophisticated and formal, it was the perfect dress for a professional woman who wanted to get the message across that she would not tolerate any form of unwelcome familiarity.
If it had not been for Kit, Mari would probably have stayed a complete mystery to him. Just another girl, who happened to be living next door to their holiday home.
And yet … Marigold Chance was the girl he
could
have asked out a thousand times, if the words had not choked in his throat each time he’d almost said them.
Ethan winced at the memory of how inadequate his best friend’s younger sister used to make him feel. Mari could never be interested in him as anything more than a friendof her late brother. Why should she? Mari was a loner. Unapproachable. Contained. She didn’t need to be part of a gang or play team sports to make a connection. She was happy in her own company—and he had envied her that. He had resorted to teasing her simply to get a reaction—any reaction—which meant that she took the time to notice that he existed.
What an idiot! He should have had the courage to ask her out at least once. Or at least explain that he was teasing her because he was attracted to her and was simply desperate to make her notice him.
And now Kit’s sister Mari was a lovely talented woman. In an amazing dress that fitted her in all of the places guaranteed to press the right buttons in the perfect sequence. Buttons he knew he had to turn back off. And fast. And those legs!
Gorgeous and intelligent. Now that was a killer combination.
She would never forgive him for being on the boat with Kit the day he died. Just as he would never forgive himself. Each of them had found their own way to get through each day—but it never went away.
All the more reason for him to keep hisdistance, finish the house then get on with the work he had come here to do.
Mari shook her head in exasperation as Ethan dazzled her uncle and cousins with tales of derring-do and sailing adventures. He really did have the charm offensive down to a well-practised art and it took several minutes of manly back-slapping before Ethan glided up to Mari with her flute of champagne and his glass of cola, as though they were on the deck of a cruise ship, and started to say something.
Except that, just as she leant closer to try and hear what he was saying against the party noise, the laughter and chatter dropped away, Ethan stopped mid-sentence and looked over her shoulder in silence towards the entrance. He was white-faced with alarm, his eyebrows drawn tight together in concern and dismay.
‘What is it?’ she asked, concerned. ‘Has something happened?’
And then Mari turned and saw why everyone had gone silent. Rosa was standing just inside the side door, her face ashen, holding her left forearm out in front of her. Her dress was covered in mud and slush
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