‘No funny business.’ Ursula struggled to sit upright. ‘I’m not in the market for a man.’
‘I know.’ He continued to smile, and Ellie speculated how long it would be before he made a move on Ursula. A week? Two? An hour?
He spread his hands, speaking to both Ellie and Ursula. ‘A bachelor: gainfully employed, honest and well intentioned.’
‘A third-year student, with her eyes on a career,’ said Ursula, tossing back her hair but smiling. A tinge of colour returned to her face. Ellie considered that this exchange argued well for the success of a future relationship between them. Of course, there was an age gap, probably of about ten years. Did that matter? Probably not. Ursula had outgrown boys of her own age.
Hawk-face bent over Ellie. ‘Are you all right, Mrs Quicke? It must have been quite a strain, all this. And your husband’s away tonight, I understand. Can I lock up for you, or something?’
Ellie wasn’t sure she liked being relegated to the status of being a weak and elderly grandma, but he was quite right; she did feel like one at the moment. ‘I’ll be just fine. You take Cinderella here home, and look after her. But I wouldn’t move on her too quickly, if I were you. Give it time.’
‘Oh, wise woman.’ He picked up Ellie’s hand and kissed it. Then gathered Ursula up, cloak and all. Ellie saw them out of the front door, making sure the deadlock was on and the bolts shot home. And did the same for the kitchen door, which wouldn’t shut properly due to the ministrations of Charlie and his mate, so she put a chair under the doorknob to keep out intruders.
Rose was already in bed, with the television on.
Ellie returned to the sitting room to turn out the lights, thinking that this was the first night she and Thomas had spent away from one another since they’d got married. She missed him. There was so much she wanted to tell him about the evening, and how Ursula had acted. She needed to talk to him about Mia too. Would he agree to their giving the girl a home till she was able to return to university? She ought to be with people who cared for her and could help her back to normality.
She looked at the phone. She couldn’t ring him now, could she? He would be busy with colleagues, discussing all sorts of important things that she would never understand. She had a horrid feeling that some day he would be drawn away from her into the upper reaches of academia, where she would never be able to follow him.
The phone rang. It was Thomas. ‘Are you all right, my dear? I’ve been so worried about you.’
‘I’m just fine. How about you?’ She sank down on to the settee. ‘How did the paper go?’ Midge decided Ellie had settled down, so jumped on to her lap.
‘They seem to approve. How’s your cold? Mine seems much better.’
They went on talking, the house quiet around them, and the cat purring.
Table of Contents
Cover
Further Titles by Veronica Heley from Severn House
Murder in House
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen