Page 43 of Daydreams at the Farm on Muddypuddle Lane
Dulcie said, ‘Don’t be silly. You won’t get a train at this time of night.’
‘Don’t care.’
‘Grow up!’ her sister snapped. ‘You can’t wait on the platform all night.’
‘I’m not planning to. I’ll find a hotel.’
A hammering on the door made all three jump. ‘Maisie? Maisie! Open up. I need to speak with you.’
‘That’s Adam,’ Dulcie said.
Maisie glowered. ‘No shit.’
‘Watch your language, Maisie Fairfax,’ Beth snapped. ‘Leave this to me. I’ll give him a piece of my mind.’
‘No need. I can give him a piece of my own.’ Maisie squared her shoulders. Shemight be heartbroken and her life, along with her dreams, was falling apart, but she was damned well not going to let Adam see how much she was hurting. ‘What do you want?’ she demanded, opening the door a crack.
He was out of breath and looked dishevelled. ‘To explain.’
‘I don’t want to hear it. Save your excuses for someone who cares.’ She began to close the door and looked down when she met resistance, to find he had his foot in the way. ‘If you don’t move your foot, I’ll break it,’ she warned.
‘Verity isn’t my girlfriend. We are not a couple. We never have been and never will be, despite my mother wishing we were.’
‘She was all over you.’
‘Was she? I didn’t notice.’
‘She had her hand on your leg. And the look on her face...’
‘What look?’
‘Love.’
‘I didn’t notice that, either. And do you know why? Because I’ve only got eyes foryou.’
‘Don’t listen to him,’ Beth shouted from the kitchen.
‘I’m not,’ Maisie called back. But she didn’t close the door.
Adam said, ‘Her parents and mine have been friends ever since I can remember. Mum and Linda had this stupid idea that we would get married, despite me telling Mum I don’t think of Verity in that way. Ithought she’d got the message but since the talk of a merger—’
‘Ah yes, let’s don’t forgetthe merger. You’re going to be on the board of directors.’
‘No, I’m not. I never wanted to be an accountant and I don’t want to join my father’s firm. Look, I don’t care whether it’s a two-bit outfit with an office above the chip shop, or a multi-million-pound company, I’m not interested. I told them that. And I told them again that there’ll never be anything between Verity and me. You are my girlfriend and I loveyou, so I don’t care about them disowning me.’ He stopped and stared at her.
Maisie blinked. Her eyes felt raw and gritty, and she was weary to the bone. But there was a little nugget in that speech that perked her up no end.
‘Did you just say you love me?’ she demanded.
He hung his head and nodded, then peered at her from underneath those luscious lashes of his.
Maisie’s heart began to sing, and she opened the door wider.He loved her! He’d just said so!
But she realised he had also said something else: something she couldn’t ignore. ‘Are your parents really going to disown you if we carry on seeing each other?’
‘It’s just Dad blowing off steam. He’ll come around, and even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need them or their money. What I need isyou.’
‘But they are your parents.’
