Page 89 of Summer of Fire
‘Nice to meet you, Mr King. Thank you for seeing my daughter home.’ Rose’s smile was warm.
Lizzie shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wondering how to graciously avoid further discussion.
‘Please call me, Jack,’ he said, charming Rose with his easy manner. ‘It’s no problem at all. It was very good of her to be available on a Sunday, so it’s the least I could do.’
Lizzie thanked Jack and turned towards the door, desperate to end the awkward meeting and get her mother back into the house.
But that was not to be.
‘Would you care to join us for some tea?’ Rose said.
Lizzie was certain Jack would refuse, but he accepted her mother’s invitation without any hesitation. ‘I’d love to. How very kind,’ he said, following them into the house.
Lizzie’s cheeks burned. She hadn’t planned to introduce Jack to her family, and now she was thrown in the deep end. Juliet was out, but her father and Evie were at home and joined them in the drawing room for tea and cake.
‘This is delicious,’ Jack said, after Rose cut him a slice of jam sponge. ‘Nothing beats homemade cake.’
Lizzie dared not look at him and sat ramrod straight at the table as her parents fell into conversation with Jack and talked about the latest war developments.
This was the last thing she had expected when a romantic relationship with another agent was forbidden. The cake stuck in her dry throat and her heart revved as she tried to act natural. Evie looked at her now and then and she saw the curiosity in her glance.
Finally, Jack stood to leave, and she walked him to the door. ‘What a fabulous family you have,’ he said, his voice low.
‘Thank you. I must admit, I did not expect you to meet them like this! You are full of surprises, Jack King.’
His touch on her cheek was brief but tender as they said goodbye. Lizzie wished she could kiss him but didn’t dare. She wouldn’t put it past Evie to spy on them through a crack in the door.
‘See you tomorrow,’ Lizzie whispered. ‘I loved our picnic.’
‘Me too.’
And then he was gone and for a minute she leant against the door, wondering if she’d dreamt the whole thing.
Jack King having afternoon tea with her family in her home.
‘Well, he is quite marvellous,’ her mother said the second Lizzie returned to the drawing room. ‘Where have you been hiding him?’
Lizzie fought against the blush creeping up her neck as they all stared at her like an interrogating committee. ‘I haven’t been hiding him, Ma. He’s my superior in my new job. There’s nothing to hide.’
‘You could do a lot worse,’ Rose said. ‘He’s so handsome and charming. Successful too, by the sounds of it.’
‘Ma! Whatever gave you such an idea? We have a working relationship, that’s all.’
‘Of course, of course,’ Rose said. ‘Silly me. I thought I sawhim admiring you, and you seemed quite smitten, but I must be mistaken.’
Reginald had resumed reading the paper when Jack left, but he poked his head out from behind it. ‘He seems like a very good sort, but he’s obviously too old for Lizzie, so let’s hear no more about it.’
Rose said, ‘Oh, I don’t know. He’s older, yes, but notthatmuch older. Young women grow up so much faster than young men. A mature man with a bit of life experience is no bad thing.’
Lizzie’s cheeks were flaming red, and she wished she could crawl under the table.
Her mother continued, ignoring Lizzie’s discomfort. ‘Mind you, the poor young lads these days are forced to grow up too quickly with the war.’
Lizzie jumped up to clear the table, eager for any excuse to get away from her mother’s scrutiny.
Evie immediately followed her into the kitchen empty-handed. ‘I saw you with him the other night,’ she whispered. ‘I saw you kissing!’
‘Evie, shush,’ Lizzie whispered. ‘What were you doing spying on me, anyway?’
