gardens.'
'It sounds wonderful,' she said reluctantly.
'So you'll come to the meeting tomorrow night, then?'
'Yes, I suppose so. Where are you going to get all the flowers from?'
'Bedding plants from the local nursery mostly, bought from donations dropped into the large glass bottle on the post-office counter. In a few weeks' time the mayor from the nearest town and his deputy will judge each village's display.'
'If we win, we're going to have a party on the village green, and in the evening it's the ball, which is a yearly event. That will take place whether we win or not. So you and your mum will be able to bring your long dresses out for an airing.'
'It's incredible,' she said wonderingly. 'Until a few moments ago I thought that the only thing I had to look forward to was the sack.'
'What are you on about?'
'Well, I did put my foot in it this morning.'
He was smiling. 'Let's just call it a breakdown in communications, shall we? If I've upset you, I'm sorry. I've been feeling low of late, bogged down with callouts from the police for one thing. Deaths and injuries are unpleasant to confront but they're part of the police surgeon's job. Somebody has to make sure there has been no foul play, and I flatter myself that I have a more sympathetic approach than some.'
He was on his feet and crossing the room to be beside her and as their glances met there was a look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. She could smell his aftershave. He reached out for her and as his arms closed around her Fenella thought that this was going to make up for the morning's fiasco.
His kiss was gentle at first, caressing, exploring the soft pliancy of her mouth. Then hunger began to take over. The hunger of a man who had been on a long fast, and as she melted in his arms Fenella knew beyond doubt that this was what she wanted. Max holding her close, taking her heart into his keeping.
He was different to any man she'd ever met. Strong, clever, dedicated to both of the demanding jobs that he had taken on, and amazingly he seemed to want her as much as she wanted him. She prayed that his passion wasn't going to be a fleeting thing, and almost as if she'd wished it upon herself, his arms fell away and he said raggedly, 'I didn't come here for this, Fenella. I came to apologise for this morning, but I have only to see you and I'm on fire.'
'So what's the problem?' she asked softly.
'There are a few.'
'Such as?'
'The fact that you haven't known me long is one. Me being your employer is another, and some time ago I had a bad relationship that caused me a lot of heartache.'
'And you don't want to risk having another?'
He shook his head. 'It isn't that, as I wasn't entirely blameless. But over the years I've come to the conclusion that he who walks alone lives the uncomplicated life.'
'That is crazy and you know it,' she said flatly. 'You are adopting the once bitten twice shy way of life and I would have expected more than that of you.'
He didn't take her up on that. Instead he told her, 'I'm going before your mother comes back and gives me a blast for upsetting her daughter.'
'Mum has enough of her own affairs to think about at the moment,' she told him dispiritedly. 'Simon is due to be discharged next week. She'll be moving into his place to look after him, which leaves me queen of the castle. She has signed the cottage over to me.'
'Great! Except for one thing.'
'What?'
'It's a bit isolated for you to be living alone up here.'
'I might not be. Someone told my mother that many years ago two old ladies lived here. They worked in one of the mills in the area, and in what little free time they had in those days they smoked clay pipes, one at each side of the fire, and that sometimes you can smell the tobacco smoke.'
'Are you sure that it isn't just the chimney that needs sweeping?'
She ignored the jest and went on to tell him, 'We can't all live in up-market converted barns a stone's throw from the village. Not when we're
'It sounds wonderful,' she said reluctantly.
'So you'll come to the meeting tomorrow night, then?'
'Yes, I suppose so. Where are you going to get all the flowers from?'
'Bedding plants from the local nursery mostly, bought from donations dropped into the large glass bottle on the post-office counter. In a few weeks' time the mayor from the nearest town and his deputy will judge each village's display.'
'If we win, we're going to have a party on the village green, and in the evening it's the ball, which is a yearly event. That will take place whether we win or not. So you and your mum will be able to bring your long dresses out for an airing.'
'It's incredible,' she said wonderingly. 'Until a few moments ago I thought that the only thing I had to look forward to was the sack.'
'What are you on about?'
'Well, I did put my foot in it this morning.'
He was smiling. 'Let's just call it a breakdown in communications, shall we? If I've upset you, I'm sorry. I've been feeling low of late, bogged down with callouts from the police for one thing. Deaths and injuries are unpleasant to confront but they're part of the police surgeon's job. Somebody has to make sure there has been no foul play, and I flatter myself that I have a more sympathetic approach than some.'
He was on his feet and crossing the room to be beside her and as their glances met there was a look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. She could smell his aftershave. He reached out for her and as his arms closed around her Fenella thought that this was going to make up for the morning's fiasco.
His kiss was gentle at first, caressing, exploring the soft pliancy of her mouth. Then hunger began to take over. The hunger of a man who had been on a long fast, and as she melted in his arms Fenella knew beyond doubt that this was what she wanted. Max holding her close, taking her heart into his keeping.
He was different to any man she'd ever met. Strong, clever, dedicated to both of the demanding jobs that he had taken on, and amazingly he seemed to want her as much as she wanted him. She prayed that his passion wasn't going to be a fleeting thing, and almost as if she'd wished it upon herself, his arms fell away and he said raggedly, 'I didn't come here for this, Fenella. I came to apologise for this morning, but I have only to see you and I'm on fire.'
'So what's the problem?' she asked softly.
'There are a few.'
'Such as?'
'The fact that you haven't known me long is one. Me being your employer is another, and some time ago I had a bad relationship that caused me a lot of heartache.'
'And you don't want to risk having another?'
He shook his head. 'It isn't that, as I wasn't entirely blameless. But over the years I've come to the conclusion that he who walks alone lives the uncomplicated life.'
'That is crazy and you know it,' she said flatly. 'You are adopting the once bitten twice shy way of life and I would have expected more than that of you.'
He didn't take her up on that. Instead he told her, 'I'm going before your mother comes back and gives me a blast for upsetting her daughter.'
'Mum has enough of her own affairs to think about at the moment,' she told him dispiritedly. 'Simon is due to be discharged next week. She'll be moving into his place to look after him, which leaves me queen of the castle. She has signed the cottage over to me.'
'Great! Except for one thing.'
'What?'
'It's a bit isolated for you to be living alone up here.'
'I might not be. Someone told my mother that many years ago two old ladies lived here. They worked in one of the mills in the area, and in what little free time they had in those days they smoked clay pipes, one at each side of the fire, and that sometimes you can smell the tobacco smoke.'
'Are you sure that it isn't just the chimney that needs sweeping?'
She ignored the jest and went on to tell him, 'We can't all live in up-market converted barns a stone's throw from the village. Not when we're
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