Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (13 inch ebook reader TXT) 📕

‘Ayoga studio?' said Charles. 'What would you want that for?'

‘Oh,I just thought I could take it up. It's very calming and a good way ofgetting rid of negative karma.’

Floraglanced at Annabelle, momentarily distracted. 'And the kitchen is vile, it'sthat very orange pine, with too many small cupboards,' she said.'You'd have to rip thatout and start again.'

‘Well,I said his wife was a stupid woman. No taste,' said Annabelle.

‘Notaste but a lot of furniture,' said Flora. 'She left Henry hardly any.'

‘Isuppose if he wanted to keep the house he had to sell off a lot of it topay her off,' said Annabelle. 'I wonder who did the sale?'

‘Notus, obviously,' said Charles. `So did he say if he was likely to sellthe house itself?'

‘Hesaid he wanted to earn some money to do it up, then sell it. Or he might keep it. I don't think he quite knows what hewants to do.' She took another bite of sandwich, for protection.

‘Well,you could do a lot worse than him,' Annabelle repeated.

‘Don'tbe ridiculous!' said Charles. 'Why on earth do you think Flora should go out with Henry Burnet, of all people?’

Annabelleshrugged. 'No need to get all worked up, Charles. He's quite good-looking andFlora needs someone to take her around,doesn't she? You told me she was agirl who liked to have lots of boyfriends.’

Florablushed at being referred to in such terms. 'I'vereally been too busy for much of a social life since I've beendown here, but it is nice to have a friend.' She lookedat her handbag as it moved slightly and played 'Jingle Bells'. 'Oh, so sorry,'she said, embarrassed. 'That's my phone. Do you mind if I take the call?'

‘Of course not,' said Annabelle.

Flora movedaway from the table. It was Henry. 'I've got a table. Grantly Manor. Areyou interested?'

‘Yes. When for?'

‘Tonight. Terribly short notice, I'mafraid.’

Floraconsidered. She'd lent her copy of The Rules to agirlfriend, but she was fairly sure you weren't allowed to acceptan invitation for Saturday made later than Wednesday.There had to be three clear days in between theinvitation and the date. No way were you allowed to accept a date for the same day.

‘It's extremely short notice.'

‘Sorry.I thought I should strike while the iron was hot. You're always sobusy.'

‘Next week would be better.'

‘Notables available for next week. It's now or about three weeks away.'

‘I was going to wash my hair . . .’

Henrylaughed. 'That takes about five minutes. You can't use that old excuse any more.’

Floraconsidered. The Rules were made to be broken and shedidn't want to marry this man, after all. 'I'll wash it anyway. Shall I meet you intown?'

‘No, I'll pick you up.’

Florahesitated for a second. 'OK. I'd better give you directions. Or do you have a fax?'

‘I do.'

‘I'llsend a map from the office.' She didn't necessarily want Charles and Annabelle to hear her givingHenry directions to the cottage.

When shecame back to the table she couldn't help a littlesmile of satisfaction tugging at her mouth. 'That was Henry. He's got the table at GrantlyManor.'

‘Oh?' asked Charles, frowning. 'Whenfor?’

Florawished he hadn't asked that. It took the gilt off the gingerbread, somewhat. 'Tonight.'

‘Theymust have had a cancellation,' said Annabelle, who obviously hadn't readThe Rules.

‘Well, it'llbe fun, whatever. And now I must fly, I've got loadsto do because I was out half the morning.’

Flora wentback to the office in a buoyant mood. She wasexcited about the thought of going out with Henry, she toldherself. If Charles was cross about it, then too bad. He was a silly oldstick-in-the-mud. She reflected that usually when men were grumpy shejust wanted to tip a bucket of water over them and tell themto snap out of it, but Charles's grumpiness was quite sexyin a Mr Darcy kind of way. And she was uncomfortably aware thatat the back of her mind there was a small voiceasking whether perhaps Charles was annoyed at her goingout with Henry just because it was Henry, or whetherhe'd have objected to anyone she went out to dinnerwith. But no, mentally she gave herself a little shake, he'dmade his position quite clear on Thursday night.

‘Hi,Geoffrey,' she called when she got back. 'What are you up to?'

‘Oh, Flora, I'mglad to see you. Virginia's daughter was on the phone. She wantsphotos of all the good pieces for the website. I wouldn't knowwhere to start.' 'No probs. I'll borrow the digital camera. I'm sure there'ssomewhere in the cellar we could rig up an area with a whitecloth to set the pieces off. Shall we go and look?' Theywent downstairs together. 'I've done this sort of thing heapsof times. When I worked in an art gallery.' 'Charles hasput stickers on the ones to be on the website,' said Geoffrey, opening adoor. 'What about in here? Not too crowded. You're very cheerful.'

‘Justback from the pub. Charles and Annabelle are still there. Charles was in a grump, but I expect Annabelle knows how to make him feel better. They're verywell suited, after all. I think this would be fine.'

‘Well suited, are they?'

‘Oh yes.Both stiff as pokers, although at least Annabelletried to stop him going on at me about visiting BurnetHouse. I'll borrow that cloth over there. It looks big enough.'

‘Should be, it was a double sheet,once.’

Flora founda nail to hang it on. 'Henry wants a reduction incommission. I said I couldn't give him one, that I'd haveto ask Charles. I wish I had the authority to do it myself.After all, I'm an equal partner, technically speaking,anyway. But not in any other sense. Anyway, what are you doing working on aSaturday?'

‘I told you. And you know there's a loton at the moment, and Edie's gone off to aplant sale with a friend.’

‘Ah.'

‘Andyou don't see Charles and Annabelle working on Saturday unless there's something very special on.'

‘Charlesdoes work very hard. He was at a farm valuation untillate last night.' She knew this because she had seen thenote he'd left for Louisa when she came in. She'd beentempted to type it up herself and might have done if shehadn't gone out. In a bizarre way the thought of sittingwith ear plugs, listening to