‘No doubt at all’ Jeannie chortles as she sits down, turning her cup so that the handle is facing the right way for her to lift the remains of her coffee to her lips.
Harriet pushes a plate of biscuits across the table towards her ‘None whatsoever?'
‘It was clear the laddie had just grabbed what first came to hand and there was nothing underneath them at all!’
‘Jeannie!’ Harriet puts her fingers to her mouth.
Jeannie gives a nonchalant shrug. ‘A body notices these things’
‘Not sure that I would’ Harriet comments dryly.
‘Well…it wouldn’t do for all of us to be the same, would it now? Anyways, there he was with the tea and it was only one door that he was after opening. The other one has a squeaky floorboard just inside it as you know and I didn’t hear a thing down the stairs….apart frae them giggling of course, so I knew for certain then, though there was little doubt in my mind before’
‘You didn’t see Helen?’
‘Noo….but she was there right enough, else the laddie was talking tae hisself’
‘Oh dear’ Harriet sips thoughtfully from her cup. ‘I rather think Kester is going to be annoyed with me’
‘Are you saying to me you didn’t send me across there to find out that very thing?’ Jeannie presses her lips together in a smirk, resting her elbows on the table and holding her cup between both hands as she studies Harriet over its rim.
‘I had no idea they were there’ Harriet protests weakly.
‘Haven’t you been one of my ladies since that man was naught but a lad?’ Jeannie sets her cup down and raises her eyebrows knowingly. ‘You’ve been fair worried about the two of them, that I do know. Though I haven’t got it in my mind as to quite why it should concern you so’
‘I want to see him settled…before I go’ Harriet says quietly.
‘And why should him be pounding the bedsprings with that young lady make her the lucky one? Isn’t that what the laddie does as a regular thing?’ The inflection in her voice shows amusement rather than disapproval.
‘I know how he feels about her’ Harriet replies with mild reproof.
‘And you think because the lassie shares his bed you should be thinking of a new bonnet?’ Jeannie laughs ‘Noooo’ she says, getting up from the table and taking her cup to the dishwasher. ‘I’ll tell you fae free, seeing yon laddie there with his muscles and naught on but a pair of breeks that left nothing to the imagination at all, I would nae minded playing hide the sausage ma sel!’
Harriet dabs spluttered coffee from the front of her blouse.
Tawny House, Manor Road
Chapter Eight
Tawny House, Manor Road
‘Ah, Kester’ Harriet flusters slightly. ‘Thank you…yes…you got my message’. She lays the pruning knife on the deep windowsill and walks towards him brushing her fingers together.
‘I did’ Kester replies, straightening from where he is leaning against the doorjamb of the conservatory with his arms folded. ‘And what’s with letting Jeannie have my key?’ he asks.
‘I’m sorry, darling. Truly. There was no sign of life and you didn’t pick up the telephone’ Harriet excuses, avoiding looking at him directly. ‘I thought perhaps you had gone walking. I know you do sometimes after a party…’
‘Whether I was there or not, you shouldn’t have let her have a key!’ Kester, with his arms still folded, turns slowly as Harriet walks past him and into the dining room.
‘But you can trust Mrs. Brown completely!’ She looks back at him in surprise at his tone.
‘That’s not what I’m saying’ Kester relaxes a little. ‘That’s my space, my own private space…’
‘I thought…’ Harriet says as she adjusts the position of the rose bowl in the middle of the table. She lifts her eyes to his face and sighs repentantly. ‘It was in such a mess, darling’
‘My space, my mess. Ok? I don’t come in here prying in your business, please don’t pry in mine’
‘I was not prying’
‘You were interfering. I’ve told you before, if I wanted someone to come in and clean, I would employ someone to come in and clean. I get to it in my own time’
‘And on this occasion Helen would probably have done it for you?’ Harriet’s voice rises indignantly. ‘Your kitchen was never cleaner than when she was here…...’
‘Harriet!’
‘Yes…very well…I apologise. I hadn’t realised you were there. I thought you might appreciate the help’ She acknowledges his protests with a wave of her hand as she walks away from him. ‘My mistake’
Kester groans. ‘Don’t go all defensive on me. I didn’t come over here to have a row’ he says, following her.
‘How are things?’ Harriet enquires archly, pausing for him to open the door for her.
‘You know very well how ‘things’ are. I don’t believe for one second Mrs. Brown didn’t report back in full’ he accuses with wry amusement, looking down at her along the length of his nose, his chin dimpling.
Harriet touches her hand to his face ‘I’m so very pleased’ she says quietly and walks through the door and into the kitchen.
‘And that’s another thing…’
‘I know…and I’m especially sorry to have put Helen in such an embarrassing position. Please apologise to her on my behalf’
‘And what about me?’
‘You should apologise to Duncan’ Harriet replies crisply with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
‘Duncan?’
‘For setting Jeannie aflame with all your ‘muscles and breeks that left nothing to the imagination at all’’
Kester chokes with embarrassed laughter. ‘Tell me that’s not what she said!’
‘Anyway’ she continues with a soft chuckle.
‘Yes…what was it you wanted to see me about?’
Harriet draws a breath through her teeth.‘Your mother telephoned’
‘Oh yeah?’ Kester says with a sigh. ‘And what did she want?’
Harriet delays her reply while she fills a kettle. ‘Your father…is in a spot of bother’ she says, clicking on the switch.
‘Dad?’
‘Yes’ She confirms, pressing her lips together in a grim line.
‘What’s happened?’ Kester frowns, helping himself to a biscuit.
Unable to prevent a tiny snort of laughter, Harriet puts her hand to her mouth. ‘I know I shouldn’t laugh, Kester dear…I should be very cross with him but…’
He looks at her, munching thoughtfully and waiting to see if he should laugh or be annoyed.
‘Apparently…’ Harriet continues with some reluctance ‘Unless I bring my ‘great influence’’ she emphasises the words scornfully ‘…to bear on your father to persuade the girl otherwise…you…will soon become a step-brother’ she announces, steeling herself for his reaction.
‘You what?’ Kester’s eyes widen incredulously. ’Dad’s got someone up the duff?’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite as crudely…but yes. Seems he became involved with a young lady during the filming of his new series…..and this is the result’
‘Way to go!’ Kester sniggers ‘And my mother thinks you should do something about it?’ he shakes his head in disbelief ‘What does she think you can do?’
‘I have no idea’ Harriet raises her shoulders and grimaces ‘But I told her it was no concern of mine and that perhaps if she hadn’t been quite the bitch she was, he would not have had cause to stray. Not in those words of course’
Kester nods his agreement and takes another biscuit. ‘Good for you…and good on him! I hope he stands by her’
‘You don’t mind at all?’ she asks with surprised relief.
Kester shrugs. ‘Can’t pretend I’m not a bit taken aback. It’ll take some getting used to….but…Hell! Why not? I hope he leaves her. I hope he leaves them all. They’re all as bad as one another. Look..’ he says, glancing at his watch ‘Sorry, I didn’t think it would be quite as important as this. I only popped over while Helen was in the shower… Can we talk again later?’
‘Simon and Jeremy are coming for supper…but…’
‘They’ll know all about it, you can bet your life…so maybe later this evening?’
‘Yes…good idea…and probably best that we have a less biased account than your mother’s even if it is just gossip’ Harriet says wryly. ‘I expected to hear from your father…but no’
‘Hiding from your wrath and great influence, I expect’ he says dryly.
Harriet grins ‘Probably. You go, dear. Helen must be wondering where you are…. You will remember to apologise to her, won’t you? I think I am nearly as embarrassed as she must feel’
Kester nods and kisses her cheek. ‘I’ll tell her that. See you later…but don’t wait up…’
‘With Simon here?’ Harriet arches one eyebrow and sighs.
