A Vengeful Reunion

Leonie exclaimed in surprise. She’d attended primary school with both Chris and his sister Jenny. It came as a shock to hear that the new ‘sprog’ was Jenny’s third son.

Chris was all for providing Leonie with a vast fry-up, like the one he was devouring himself, but she shook her head, laughing.

‘I’ve had breakfast. And if I ate one like that every morning I’d need a new wardrobe.’

He grinned. ‘My turn for the milking this morning, I need refuelling. Besides, I’m a growing lad.’

‘Heavens, I hope not!’

‘How did the party go?’ he asked, as he went on with his meal.

‘Very well. I’ve left Mother and Kate serving coffee to the female revellers. There was no sign of life from Adam’s place.’

Chris made himself a sandwich with the last of his bacon and sat back, looking at her with open pleasure. ‘You look very perky for the morning after, Leo. Downright gorgeous, in fact.’

‘Why, thank you, kind sir,’ she retorted, fluttering her eyelashes. ‘Though if I do it’s a wonder. I spent half of yesterday travelling, and the other half partying. I’ll probably collapse in a heap today at some stage.’

Chris got up, eyebrows raised, in response to a knock on the back door. ‘Like Piccadilly Circus here this morning,’ he said, grinning.

The grin was missing when he returned with the new arrival.

‘Hello, Leo, I didn’t know you were here,’ said Jonah briskly. ‘I’ve come to collect the shotgun Denzil promised me.’

After years of never laying eyes on Jonah Savage, Leonie could hardly believe she was in his company for the third time in less than twenty-four hours.

‘Good morning,’ she said frostily.

Chris gestured towards the teapot. ‘Like a cup, Jonah? My father’s out with the dogs; he won’t be long.’

‘No hurry. No tea, either, thanks.’

There was an awkward pause while Jonah surveyed the easy familiarity of the scene with a look which set Leonie’s teeth on edge.

Chris cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘I’ll just go out and look for Dad,’ he announced, and took himself off with such obvious relief Jonah raised a supercilious eyebrow.

‘I trust I didn’t interrupt anything.’

Leonie shrugged. ‘I was just telling Chris about the party.’

‘I see. Did you enjoy it?’

‘Yes, very much. Did you?’

Jonah sat down in Chris’s chair. ‘No, Leo, I did not. In fact, once I knew you were home after all I was tempted to invent something life-threatening and stay away.’

‘But of course you couldn’t disappoint Fenny.’

‘Exactly.’ He eyed her searchingly. ‘Leo, every time you mention the child you get that Medusa-like look on your face. Don’t you like Fenny?’

‘How dare you say that? I adore Fenny. But because of you I never see enough of her. And then I come home to find she only has eyes for you—’ She lapsed into silence, furious with herself.

Jonah smiled mockingly. ‘Jealous?’

Leonie’s heated reply was cut off by the arrival of Denzil and Chris Morgan, with a very muddy, excited retriever who greeted her with exuberance. She thanked the Morgans, clipped on Marzi’s lead, refused Jonah’s offer of a lift, and went outside to chat with Chris in the yard for a minute or two before starting off for home.

Steaming up the steep hill from the farm, with a panting Marzi at her side, Leonie had worked off some of her anger by the time a familiar car drew level.

‘Sure you don’t want a lift?’ asked Jonah through the car window.

Leonie gave him a honeyed smile. ‘Certain, thanks. I’m enjoying the walk—and my own company.’

‘Then I’ll leave you to it.’ Jonah nodded coolly, and drove off.

When Leonie reached the gates of Friars Wood she unfastened Marzi’s leash, then stopped off at the Stables, to find Adam’s friends packing themselves into various cars for the journey to the station, or the trip to Edinburgh, with Fenny and Kate in attendance.

Leonie was greeted with enthusiasm, and though some of the faces were ominously pale everyone reiterated vociferous thanks for the wonderful party. There were kisses all round, and hugs for Fenny, then the convoy of cars began to move down the drive.

‘When are you going back?’ asked Leonie, taking Fenny’s hand to walk back to the house with Adam and Kate.

‘After Mother’s Sunday lunch, of course,’ said Adam, who stood three inches over six feet and had an appetite which belied his lanky frame.

‘We ought to be eating leftovers from last night,’ said Kate, giving him a teasing smile, ‘but Mother’s roasting beef and whipping up gallons of Yorkshire pudding batter for her darling son as we speak.’

‘Yummy,’ said Fenny, her hand in Leonie’s. ‘It’s my favourite. Do you have it in Italy, Leo?’

‘Not really, no.’ Leonie smiled down into the small, shining face. ‘But I eat lots of other delicious things.’

‘Is Jonah coming to lunch?’

Leonie devoutly hoped not. ‘I don’t think so, darling. Let’s go and help Mother.’

‘And wake Jess,’ said Adam with relish. ‘And don’t worry about the party leftovers—I’ll take any surplus back with me.’

‘As usual,’ taunted Kate, then shrieked as Adam made a dive for her, slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran with her through the scullery into the kitchen, Fenny and Leonie laughing as they followed them in.

‘Please!’ implored Jess, holding a hand to her head. ‘Less noise, children, for pity’s sake.’

‘Too much champagne?’ enquired Adam as he set Kate down.

‘Too much music,’ groaned Jess. ‘I can still hear that thumping.’

‘Have some more tea,’ advised her mother, ‘then it’s all hands on deck, please. Adam wants to be away in reasonable time.’

To Leonie it was a pleasure all the more acute for being so rare as she sat down to family Sunday lunch. Despite the run-in with Jonah, her walk had given her an appetite, and during the meal she entertained a rapt Fenny with tales of the little girls she taught in Florence.

‘Can’t you come home and teach little girls here, Leo?’ pleaded Fenny.

‘One day, perhaps,’ said Leonie brightly.