The Little Cottage in the Country

‘Ah, the speed dating. Up there with potato planting, heh, Anna?’ She scowled. ‘I didn’t know there was speed dating here.’

‘There’s not,’ Diane said, grinning. ‘John says it’s at the other Rose and Crown, in Little Bury.’ She paused and slapped her own hand. ‘My bad.’

‘Oh?’ Horatio looked mildly amused. ‘But why should two such beautiful women need to go speed dating?’

‘Because,’ Diane explained, ‘if you can believe it, we’re not taken.’

‘More fool my species.’ Horatio nodded. ‘Lovely to see you both and hope you have a good evening.’ He met Anna’s eye. ‘I’m sorry about what I said to you… About the house… I’m looking into it as soon as I can find the papers. But I’m sure you’re quite right and I’ll do everything I can to ensure you keep it, despite your reservations about staying there.’

‘I did not have reservations,’ she lied.

‘Well, your car driving itself into the chicken hut wasn’t a great start for anyone.’

Diane looked at her and snorted. ‘Really?’

‘No, what’s not a nice start is being told you don’t own the house you’ve moved to, despite having seen the evidence that your aunt left it to you.’

‘Oh,’ Diane breathed as she realised who exactly Horatio was. ‘You’re that man.’

‘Have a nice evening, Mr Horatio.’

He opened his mouth and shut it again before moving off.

‘Are you sure he’s so bad because he seems quite luverly,’ Diane gushed. ‘I mean, really nice.’

‘He’s a twerp.’

‘Oh, come on. He said he’s sorry and even if he thinks he owns the house, let him.’ Diane fluttered her eyelashes. ‘Bet he’s loaded.’

‘Well, for a start, don’t get too excited because he’s married.’ Diane’s smile faded. ‘Second, he’s supercilious, has about a million names and owns a horse called Taittinger.’

‘Anything good?’

‘Yeah, you’re right, he’s loaded. Lives up at Ridley Manor.’ Anna leant in. ‘Also, he’s a Spencerville. You know, my aunt warned me about them, in her letter. Well, he’s one of them. Would explain why he thinks he owns my house.’

‘Well, he seemed nice enough, but yeah, sure, that would rile me too.’ She frowned. ‘I’m going to get us another bottle.’

‘But we’ve barely started this one.’

‘I know, but I need an excuse to find out who the chocolate-box selection of men are.’

Anna watched Diane totter up to the bar. ‘John…’ She spoke as if she was a regular. ‘Can we get another bottle?’

He beamed. ‘Sure thing.’ He gestured to the men. ‘And here are the men.’

‘I can see that,’ Diane purred. ‘But, tell me, who are these delightful creatures?’

‘I rang Tom at the back there to round them up.’ He smiled. ‘They’re here for you.’

‘Right,’ Diane nodded, ‘just us two women and these six guys? That could be, um, awkward.’ Then she quickly changed her mind. ‘Fun.’

‘John phoned us to fill in,’ piped up the shorter one at the front.

‘We do not need your charity. Thank you very much.’ Anna came up behind Diane, her fists twitching with anger. ‘Come on, Dee, let’s go. I don’t need to be patronised. We’re both better than that.’

‘I’d say,’ agreed the young man at the back.

Anna caught Horatio’s eye. He was sitting at the far end of the bar, nursing a glass of red and laughing. He was always laughing at her. ‘Come on, Dee, I don’t have time for this.’

‘Aw, come on, John wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m Tom, by the way.’ The tallest of the group thrust his hand forward and Anna obligingly shook it. ‘Let’s all just have a few drinks. No harm in that, is there?’

John had gone pink. ‘Sorry, I thought you’d like that, ladies.’

Anna sighed and smiled. ‘It was a nice thought.’

‘Look,’ John said, ‘to make amends, first round is on the house.’

They ordered their drinks and then all piled into one of the booths. Anna and Diane sat opposite each other and, as they grew increasingly tipsy, Anna was no longer sure if she was nudging her friend’s leg to get Diane’s attention, or if she was playing footsy with one of the men.

Diane had taken a real liking to the youngest.

‘Twenty-three, you say,’ Diane said, moving her face closer to the man on her left. ‘Your name’s Larry? Wonderful,’ she gushed as if he had just told her he performed surgery on the poor up desolate mountains. ‘I love the name Larry.’

Anna, meanwhile, chatted to Lee, a farmhand on Richard’s farm. However, while she was desperate to get more information on Richard, Lee was more interested in passing on all his knowledge about marmosets.

‘What? As in the monkey?’ She laughed. ‘That’s your passion?’

‘Yeah, love ‘em.’

‘Right, well, does Richard talk to you about marmosets?’ She would discuss anything with Richard and even marmosets appealed.

‘No, he doesn’t get it.’

That was the first thing Richard and Anna had in common. She imagined Lee delivering a speech at their wedding. ‘Richard and Anna often laughed at my love of marmosets and I’d like to think that’s what drove them together.’