Page 56 of The Importance of Being Emma
I glanced at the clock on the mantlepiece and did a double take. ‘Twelve o’clock already? Would you like some lunch, Flynn? What about you, Mark?’ I risked a quick look and saw that his face was like thunder. ‘I’ve got home-made minestrone and freshly baked rolls,’ I added, addressing Flynn again.
‘I can never resist the offer of a roll,’ he said, and we both giggled.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mark’s mouth twist into an unconvincing smile. ‘Thanks, but I’ve got things to do. Are you around this afternoon, Emma?’
‘Oh dear, I’m not, I’m seeing Harriet at two thirty.’
‘This evening?’
I hesitated, searching frantically for a plausible excuse.
‘That reminds me,’ Flynn put in. ‘Kate’s organising a dinner tonight in my honour, seven for seven thirty, I’m cooking. You’re both invited, and Henry of course.’
‘I don’t think—’ Mark began stiffly.
‘And it sounds as though you two are free, at least,’ Flynn continued, with a sly wink at me. ‘I’ve told Kate not to buy things in specially, I’ll work with what she’s got. It’ll be Flynn’s Cook-in comes to Highbury, without the TV cameras.’
I laughed. ‘Can’t wait.’ Then my face fell. ‘I’d better bring something for Dad, though. Don’t take it personally, he’s just very particular about what he eats.’
He wagged his finger at me. ‘I won’t hear of it, Em. I’ll sort Henry out, I’m an expert at managing fussy old fogies. God knows, I’ve had to keep Stella sweet for years.’
I couldn’t take offence, not with those mischievous green eyes looking into mine. In the distance, I heard Mark say something.
‘What was that?’ I tore my gaze away with an effort; when I looked round, he’d gone.
‘He said he’d see himself out,’ Flynn replied. ‘Not much of a talker, is he?’
As if in response, the front door slammed.
I breathed a sigh of relief. If I could avoid any one-to-ones with Mark for the next few days, I was sure we’d both forget about last night and things would return to normal between us. Anyway, now that Flynn was on the scene, a kiss from Mark Knightley was bloody irrelevant. And utterly forgettable.
Flynn interrupted my thoughts. ‘Shall I give you a hand with the lunch?’
‘Yes, please. I’ll try not to be intimidated by having a celebrity chef around.’
Not that I felt intimidated in the slightest; more as if all my Christmases had come at once. Until, as we crossed the hall, he came out with, ‘What do you think of Jane Fairfax?’
I stopped dead and tried to keep my tone as neutral as possible. ‘Jane Fairfax? How on earth do you knowher?’
He stared past me and his eyes widened. ‘Wow, what a great kitchen! The layout reminds me of Stella’s, which I designed as it happens. It wasn’t difficult, the old bird gave me a free hand — and a blank cheque.’ He walked purposefully over to the island unit and ran his hand over the gleaming granite worktop.
I followed him, frowning. ‘But how do you know Saint Jane of Highbury?’
‘Saint Jane of — ?’ He looked puzzled, then he laughed. ‘Oh, that’s a good one, I’ll have to remember that.’ He strolled across to the Aga and fidgeted with the tea towels on the rail.
I was beginning to wonder if he could even remember my question from two seconds ago; I made one last effort. ‘You see, I’ve known Jane for years, but she’s never mentioned you.’
He spun round and disarmed me with that wicked grin. ‘How could she? We only met three weeks ago, when I was at The Mulberry Tree.’
‘Ah yes, I remember Tom saying you’d been asked to cook there. I didn’t realise it was in Weymouth, though.’
He shook his head. ‘It’s not, the restaurant’s a good hour’s drive away. But the family Jane was staying with are loaded, you know, and they eat there all the time. They came on my first night and that’s how I met Jane . . . And the daughter and her husband as well, but they’ve moved to Ireland—’
I couldn’t resist cutting in with, ‘I know, and I have a little theory about why Jane suddenly decided to move to Highbury.’
He gave me an appraising look. ‘Before you do your Sherlock Holmes impersonation, where’s that soup? I’m starving.’
‘It’s here, it just needs heating up.’ I turned on the hob under a large pan. ‘Give it a stir while I set the table. There’ll just be the two of us, Dad’s having his dry crackers and hot water in the study.’
