Free Wild Oats by Veronica Henry

round Lydbrook wringing her hands like a wraith. Hamilton, unaware as he was of his surroundings, would presumably be unaffected.
    But how could they go back? They’d sold their house; he’d given up his job. And the agency needed him – he couldn’t just abandon it now it was up and running again. They would jolly well have to stick it out. He would just have to find a way of bringing Zoe round.
    He looked up with a sigh as Tiona came out of her office. The sight of her brought a smile to his lips. He didn’t know what he’d have done without her. She was an angel in disguise; his saving grace. She’d held the office together when Hamilton had got ill but, as she explained to Christopher, there was only so much she could do without access to money. She was an absolute trouper, tirelessly pounding the streets of Ludlow and its environs doing viewings and valuations, leaving him free to shore up the agency’s infrastructure and work on strategic alliances. She seemed to have boundless reserves of energy and enthusiasm for her job, typing up particulars late into the night as she didn’t trust anyone else who worked there not to contravene the Property Misdescriptions Act. Anyway, Tiona was proud of her particulars. She had a well-thumbed Roget’s Thesaurus on her desk. Delightful, breathtaking, charming,enchanting: she never used the same adjective twice.
    He didn’t know how to thank her. Of course, what she really needed was a whopping great pay rise, but he couldn’t promise her that yet, not until things were more stable. They were just starting to get some fees in again, but there were a lot of below-the-line costs to cover before he could start dishing out bonuses.
    He watched her cross the room towards him, in a pale-pink V-necked cardigan that gave just a hint of cleavage, a flowery skirt and ballet pumps. Her face was like a china doll, with long eyelashes and rosebud lips that were curved up into a sweet smile.
    ‘Guess what? I’ve got a sale on Silver Street already. Mrs Turner’s very keen to push it through as quickly as possible.’
    ‘Fantastic. Well done.’
    Tiona dimpled at him modestly.
    ‘I didn’t really have to do anything. It sold itself.’
    Christopher put the lid on his fountain pen defiantly.
    ‘Let’s go for a drink.’
    Her eyes widened like saucers.
    ‘Why?’
    Christopher searched round for a reason, then snapped his fingers as inspiration struck.
    ‘Because we can?’
    Tiona wrinkled her nose and laughed.
    ‘Why not?’
    She walked past him to get her coat, and Christopher breathed in the scent of old roses. It made him feel quite giddy as he slipped on his jacket, then placeda chivalrous hand in the small of Tiona’s back to escort her out of the door. As the big brass latch clicked shut behind them, he felt a tiny thrill, as if he was about to do something illicit. But that was ridiculous – if he couldn’t take one of his workforce out for a congratulatory drink, then what was the point? And the Royal Oak in Upper Faviell was on the way home, so he wouldn’t be too late.

6
    When Jack and Jamie finally found themselves alone, they took the dregs of the champagne into the kitchen while Jamie cooked supper. Jack had protested that she shouldn’t be doing it, but she insisted that it wasn’t a chore but a pleasure. It seemed natural for her to step into her mother’s shoes. Besides, Jack couldn’t cook for toffee. So she sent him out to the greenhouse for courgettes and tomatoes, and while she chopped them she told him of her journey, her adventures, her narrow escapes – edited highlights that didn’t include the occasional irresponsible one-night stand or three-day romance that she’d felt inclined to indulge in with other travellers she’d met on the way. The need for someone to hold her had been overwhelming at times; the comfort of another body. Then Jack filled her in on local gossip.
    Neither of them touched on the painful subject of Louisa, or their