Page 103 of Best Summer Ever

Having spent such a successful day with me in the garden on Wednesday, Algy had then made a point of insisting that both Mum and Dad should give Josh taster hours over the next couple of days and that day, Saturday, he’d been with Nick on the fruit farm.

Nick hadn’t needed anything like the coaxing my parents had had and he had also invited Josh to the barbecue. It transpired, however, that Josh had already arranged to spend the evening with Algy, talking and looking through some photos, so he wasn’t available to quell the naysayers himself. Not that Mum would likely have been so forthright with her opinions had he been present, I was certain.

‘Given that you’d asked him to do the vacuuming, Janet,’ Penny mildly pointed out, ‘it would have been impossible for him not to be all over the house, wouldn’t it?’

Mum ignored that and Penny rolled her eyes at me. She was looking radiant, I noticed. Running the busy café and being engaged clearly suited her.

‘And did you know that Algy offered him the use of one of his precious cars as well?’ Mum then tutted. ‘I heard him tell Josh he could have his pick of the lot.’

‘And what did Josh choose from out of the garages, Mum?’ I asked her, with far less grace than Penny had managed because I knew the answer.

‘That tatty old bike,’ said Nick in disbelief before Mum could respond. ‘Out of the Bentley, the Spider and that gorgeous little Mini, he took that mangled, ancient bike!’

That was how Josh was currently getting between Wynbrook and Wynmouth every day. I didn’t much like the thought of him negotiating the narrow lanes on two wobbly wheels, especially given the amount of tourist traffic but, having just listened to Mum, I could understand why he hadn’t perhaps opted for four wheels. Turning up in the village driving any one of Algy’s pristine and valuable cars would have caused further tongue-wagging and of course, I also knew that Josh was wary about driving on what he termed the wrong side of the road.

‘How have you got on working with him today, Nick?’ I asked, keen to find a true and trusted Josh ally among the gathering.

‘Great,’ he said, nodding, as he inexpertly flipped a burger. ‘He was interested in everything and quick to catch on, even though Algy had initially thought he might need babysitting. He worked the entire day without so much as a grumble and I know that a few of the visitors were quite taken with his accent.’ He laughed at some memory of the day. ‘He’s good for business. I’m hoping he’ll be back with me again next week if he can spare the time.’

‘Excellent,’ I said, thinking that was more like it as I vigorously tossed the salad Penny had made and remembered how popular Josh had been during music night at the pub. ‘And you got on well with him too, Dad, didn’t you?’

‘He certainly put in the hours.’ Dad nodded and I began to feel even more hopeful. ‘And he can work, I’ll give him that. Didn’t know much about gardening mind you, but was as keen to learn with me as he was with Nick. Though I can’t help wondering…’

‘You can’t help wondering what?’ I demanded, feeling deflated again.

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Dad, handing out drinks, ‘I know you’re pretty struck on him, Daisy,’ I felt my face flush, ‘but I can’t help wondering if his desire to pitch in might not be some sort of…’

‘Some sort of what?’ Penny frowned.

‘Double bluff,’ said Mum.

‘What?’ I squawked, letting the salad servers clatter in the bowl.

‘Your father and I,’ Mum carried on as Nick and I exchanged a look, ‘think Josh might appear to be pitching in so eagerly to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Sort of to lull us all into a false sense of security before he strikes.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ snapped Nick, sounding every bit as cross as I felt.

‘We’re just being cautious,’ said Dad, giving Mum a look that suggested their conspiracy theory shouldn’t have been made public.

I was pleased it had been though. At least I knew more of what Josh was still up against now.

‘But why would you think that?’ Penny asked, sounding appalled.

‘Because we still don’t know the whole story, do we?’ said Dad.

‘You yourself, Daisy, said that he told you that there’s moreto the situation than he’s let on, but he’s still not shared it, has he?’ Mum then said accusingly to me.

‘He’s not let on or shared it because he’s still sorting it all out,’ I said angrily. ‘Not because he’s got something to hide or is planning how to steal the estate out from under Algy, like his father had wanted to do.’

Neither Mum nor Dad still looked convinced.

‘I think his father, Thomas,’ I therefore continued, ‘has wronged both himandAlgy in ways none of us knows, and until the pair of them have privately talked it all through and come to terms with it, they’re not going to share the details with us or anyone else, are they?’

When I had found out who Josh really was, I had been furious with him, but now I had no suspicions about his motives and was keen to defend him. It had broken me a bit when he said he had tried to imagine himself in my place when I regaled him with tales about growing up on the estate, and having seen him work so hard and spend every spare minute with his grandfather, there was no doubt in my mind that he was the man both the estate and Algy needed.

I was also thinking thatIneeded him again too. Now the dust had settled, I was missing our intimacy. It was only the middle of August and I hoped my summer fling hadn’t been entirely… flung.

‘I suppose not,’ Dad said reluctantly, huffing out a breath.

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