Free The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde Page B

yourself?’
    ‘I was busy and you’re always so good with clients,’ said Nevil calmly. ‘No need to get all antsy about it. We’ll find him something. There’s that charming one by the river that was “too flat” for your favourite clients.’
    ‘I’m also sure we’ve got something on the books that would suit him but I want to know why you sent him to a complete no-hoper!’
    Nevil’s expression hardened. ‘Bella, I shouldn’t have to remind you that I am the head of this organisation and sometimes my duties include a bit more than matching houses to picky clients!’
    Bella opened her mouth to respond, rewrote her spontaneous outburst in her head and then said, ‘OK. I just wish you’d tell me what it is that’s keeping you so busy these days.’ She tried a conciliatory smile but retracted it. ‘Conciliatory’ wasn’t going to work for her today.
    ‘I can’t tell you. As soon as I can, you’ll be the first to know. Now, is there anything else? I have a lot to do.’
    Bella shook her head. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ She got up.
    ‘I’m sorry, Bells. Things are a bit tricky at the moment but I’ll make it up to you as soon as possible. We can start planning the wedding!’
    Bella responded to his smile and then left, wondering why he thought planning a wedding was the zenith of any woman’s dreams, and then wondering why it wasn’t the zenith of hers.
    Back in the main office she went over to Tina Stanford’s desk. She was the only one there at the moment, as the other two agents were out. Tina, who ran the organisation really, was a constant. A working mum, she kept her family and the office under firm control, and had a fondness for bright accessories. Today she was wearing a necklace that consisted of glass birds and fruit and flowers in jewel colours.
    ‘Want a hot drink, Tina?’
    ‘I think
you
want one! You check these property details for me while I get you one. I think you need hot chocolate.’
    ‘What would we do without you, Tina?’ Bella said gratefully.
    ‘Photocopying, scanning and putting on the kettle,’ said Tina dryly.
    It was still raining when Bella drove home a bit later. And she still didn’t know if she’d deliberately not told Nevil that she and Dominic knew each other, or if the opportunity just hadn’t come up. And should she come clean now? But she knew she was kidding herself. Nothing would have been more natural than to say at some point, ‘And by the way, we used to work together.’
    It was only while she was under the shower later that she realised it was likely, considering Nevil had told Dominic they were engaged, that Dominic hadn’t mentioned knowing her either.
    But even if she wanted to, could she mention it now, without it looking as if she had deliberately not told him earlier? And if she did, it would involve no end of forensic investigation into how and where and how well they knew each other. Nevil did have a jealous side to him.
    As she dried herself she decided her instinct not to tell him was for the best. What Nevil didn’t know wouldn’t worry him.
    The sunshine the following day matched Bella’s improved spirits. She had decided to stop worrying about Dominic and just get on with her life. The fact that her life was complicated was fine – everybody’s life was, after all.
    But in spite of a good day at work, which included her finally selling a house that had been on their books for months and months because it was so noisy (there were advantages to people being hard of hearing, she discovered), Bella was aware of being quite anxious at the prospect of meeting Dominic when she arrived at Jane Langley’s.
    As only Jane’s ancient Corsa was in the drive, and the usual note about her being in the garden was on the door, she felt enormous relief. Bella kept meaning to mention that announcing to the world that she was out of the house and the door might well be unlocked was probably not a good idea, but now Dominic was living with