Time to Pay by Lyndon Stacey Page B

presume?’ Eve broke in, arching black brows drawn down over equally black eyes.
    â€˜Yes, and the local TV and radio stations.’
    â€˜Good. What are you feeding them?’
    â€˜Just canapés and stuff. Pippa’s taking care of that,’ Giles told her, and they became immersed in the details.
    Eve was clearly in her element. Her deceptivelylanguorous air hid a razor-sharp mind, and Gideon guessed there was nothing she would like better than to be planning a marketing coup.
    Be careful, Giles, he thought, as he watched the pair. You’ll find you’ve got yourself a business partner before the night’s out.
    When the supper party broke up, just before one o’clock, the sky was clear and moonlit, and Gideon and Eve turned down the offer of a lift back to the Gatehouse in favour of walking the quarter-mile or so.
    As the door shut behind them, Eve wrapped her long, woolly coat around her and, tucking her arm through Gideon’s, said, ‘I like Giles and Pippa.’
    â€˜Good,’ he responded, trying not to dwell on the way Lloyd’s arm had wrapped possessively around Pippa as they’d turned back into the house.
    â€˜Have you ever dated her?’ Eve asked after a moment.
    â€˜Who, Pippa? No. We’re just friends. I’ve known them for ever.’
    â€˜You don’t like her being with Lloyd.’
    â€˜I don’t think he’s good enough for her.’
    â€˜Is that all?’
    â€˜Yes . . . Why?’
    Eve didn’t answer. For a moment there was only the sound of their footsteps crunching on the gravel, then she said, ‘I don’t think they’re in love.’
    â€˜Lloyd and Pippa?’ Gideon was surprised. ‘But he’s obviously staying the night.’
    â€˜So am I,’ she pointed out.
    The following morning brought a telephone call from Tilly Daniels.
    It was past nine and Gideon had been lying in bed listening to the birdsong outside his window and enjoying the play of the sunshine on his closed eyelids.
    He opened his eyes. Beside him, Eve lay sprawled on her back, apparently asleep, her dark hair tousled on the pillow and her long lashes touching the smooth caramel skin of her cheeks. She had only the faintest of laughter lines and no hint of silver in her black mane; Gideon imagined she’d probably look the same for another fifteen or twenty years.
    The phone trilled on the bedside cabinet on Eve’s side of the bed, and without opening her eyes she reached out a slim brown arm and located it, handing it across to Gideon.
    â€˜Hello?’
    â€˜Gideon? It’s Tilly here – Tilly Daniels. It’s not too early, is it?’
    â€˜No – not at all,’ Gideon said. ‘How can I help?’
    â€˜Well, it’s about Nero. I was lying awake last night, worrying about him. The thing is, you and Damien were getting on so well with him, but since . . . well, you know . . .’
    â€˜Yeah, sure.’
    â€˜Well, since then he’s been a real pig, and I’m not sure I can cope with him. It’s partly the lack of time. One of my lads didn’t turn up for work yesterday and I’ve still got a yardful of horses to deal with – except for a couple whose owners whisked them away as soon as they heard about Damien. Nero needs more attention than I cangive him, and the lads that I’ve got left aren’t too happy about managing him . . .’ Her voice tailed off.
    â€˜And you’d like me to have him for a while, and continue his training,’ Gideon said.
    â€˜I hate to ask, but would you, Gideon? It’d be a weight off my mind. I don’t really want to sell him – even if I could in his present state – because Damien thought such a lot of him, but just at the moment . . .’
    â€˜Well, I’ll have to check with Pippa, but I’m pretty sure she’s got