Page 54 of Best Summer Ever

‘It was only yesterday,’ Josh said, pulling my hands away, ‘but past hurts, especially the kind I’m guessing you’ve most likely been subjected to, take longer than that to heal, don’t they?’

‘I suppose so,’ I said, as I wondered what I’d done to deserve having him turn up in my life, right when I needed someone like him.

‘And you didn’t know that someone looking like Marguerite was going to roll up and test your faith in me so soon, did you?’

‘Hey,’ I huffed, and he grinned, ‘you don’t have to keep referring to how she looks.’

‘I know,’ he said, ‘I’m only winding you up. It’s human nature that you were bound to feel something though, wasn’t it? And if I’d have realised that sooner, I would have told you last nightwhy I was going back to see her today and saved you a sleepless night.’

‘I didn’t not sleep only because I was thinking about you and Marguerite,’ I reminded him.

‘Have I got another star?’ he wheedled.

‘You have.’

‘That’s all right then,’ he said, pulling me right into his arms. ‘And just for the record, if a handsome guy had turned up out of the blue and shown an interest in you, Daisy, I would have felt jealous too.’

‘You would?’ I asked, looking up at him.

‘I definitely would.’

‘In that case,’ I sighed, ‘you might want to change your mind about coming to the manor today after all, because Algernon Alford is a total fox.’

It wasn’t until I’d driven halfway back to Wynbrook that I realised I could have gone with Josh to the pub and then we could have made the trip to see Algy together. I did consider turning back, but there wasn’t anywhere safe to do a three-point turn on the narrow road and therefore carried on.

‘So, what do you think?’ Algy asked, once I’d unboxed everything and set it all out on the kitchen table in the manor.

‘It looks simple enough,’ I said, checking the instructions again before I set about putting the camera together and turning it on. ‘I don’t think it will take me long to get it up and running.’

‘And remind me again how we can check the footage,’ Algy asked.

‘There’s a screen on the camera we can watch it on or wecould set it up through your PC if we want a more detailed look,’ I explained again.

‘We could do that if something really exciting turns up, couldn’t we?’ Algy said, his eyes shining.

‘Like your cat, for example.’

‘Yes, like my Luna, for example.’

I wasn’t sure that was the only thing he was now hoping might appear.

‘What else are you expecting to see?’ I frowned.

‘Well, the cat’s at the top of my list, obviously.’

‘Obviously.’

‘But after that, something completely out of the ordinary,’ he told me. ‘Black shuck or that panther that certain locals reckon still prowls about the roads around the estate at night would be just the thing.’

‘The panther they only ever happen to see on a walk back home from the pub after a skinful,’ I said sardonically.

‘Well,’ Algy sniffed, ‘you never know.’

I rolled my eyes at that.

‘Whatever pops up, it will be good to see it before…’

His words trailed off and I looked up at him.

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