‘Yes, I’ve come across people like that,’ he said.
‘So I think Gracie finally realised that if she went ahead and married Howard, her life was going to be seriously miserable.’ She grimaced. ‘She tried to blot it out by drinking champagne. It didn’t work. So, for the first time ever, I was the sister who did the rescuing—with a lot of help from you.’ She bit her lip. ‘The wedding was meant to be next weekend.’
‘So Grace was a runaway bride?’ He looked surprised.
‘No. She didn’t jilt Howard at the altar—she’d never do anything that mean. But they’d been engaged for four years and he never swept her off her feet, not once.’
‘Being swept off your feet is overrated,’ Hugh said. ‘You’re more likely to fall into a puddle of slurry.’
‘Slurry?’ she asked, not understanding.
He grinned. ‘You’re definitely a townie, then. Slurry is liquid manure. Used as fertiliser on fields.’
She pulled a face. ‘That’s vile.’
‘Exactly how it smells. You always know when it’s muck-spreading season.’
‘It’s not muck-spreading season now, is it?’
He laughed. ‘No.’
‘Good.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Righty. Time to play my part, I guess. Ditzy and unsuitable girlfriend with a terrible taste in clothes—that’s me, right?’
‘Right. And thank you for saving my bacon. I appreciate this. Even if it might not seem that way.’
He took their bags from the car and they went into the house. Bella noticed the sweeping staircase coming into the hallway and the Regency striped paper on the walls; the house really was gorgeous, and she itched to explore, though she knew it would be rude to ask.
Three dogs came rushing down the hallway to meet them, their tails a wagging blur.
‘I forgot to warn you about the mutts,’ he said. ‘Sorry. Are you OK with dogs?’
‘Very OK. I grew up with a dog,’ she said, and bent down to make a fuss of the chocolate Labrador, Westie and Cocker Spaniel.
‘This lot are Lennie the lab, Wilf the Westie and Sukie the spaniel,’ he introduced them.
The dogs wriggled and shoved each other and tried to get closer to Bella. ‘They’re lovely,’ she said, laughing. ‘Hello, you ravening beasties. I’m sorry, I don’t have any treats for you because I wasn’t expecting to meet you, but I can rub your ears and scratch your backs for you, and I’ll play ball with you for a bit if you want.’
‘Do that and they’ll pester you for the whole weekend,’ Hugh warned.
She smiled up at him. ‘And that’s a problem, how?’
A woman who looked so much like Hugh that she had to be his mother came into the hallway and hugged him. ‘Darling, I’m so glad you could make it.’
OK, so now she had to be Miss Ditzy. Breathe, Bella reminded herself, and stay in character. She stood up and gave her best attempt at a goofy smile.
‘Bella, this is my mother, Elizabeth Moncrieff,’ Hugh said.
‘Libby will do nicely,’ Hugh’s mother said. ‘We don’t stand on ceremony in this house.’
‘Ma, this is my friend Bella Faraday,’ Hugh continued.
‘Like the scientist?’
Libby had perfect manners, Bella thought, and didn’t even look the remotest bit fazed by Bella’s outlandish dress. ‘Yes, like the scientist,’ she agreed, before remembering that she was supposed to be playing the part of someone who would probably never have heard of Michael Faraday, let alone known who he was.
‘I’ll just show Bella up to her room,’ Hugh said hastily.
‘She’s in the Blue Room, next to yours. I hope that’s all right?’
‘Thank you, Mrs Mon—’ Bella began.
‘Libby,’ Hugh’s mother reminded her.
‘Libby.’ Bella opened her bag and took out the beautifully wrapped package of dark chocolates she’d bought earlier. ‘And these are for you, to say thank you for having me.’
‘How lovely.’ Libby went pink. ‘And I recognise that packaging. These are my absolute favourites. That’s very kind of you.’
‘My pleasure. I’m glad you like them,’ Bella said. ‘Don’t let Hugh anywhere near them. He’s a chocolate fiend. But I guess, as his mum, you already know that.’
‘Oh, I do,’ Libby said feelingly.
‘Let’s go and put our things upstairs,’ Hugh said.
‘Come down when you’re ready. Everyone will be in the dining room,’ Libby said. ‘And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Bella.’
Bella followed Hugh up the sweeping staircase and all the way to the end of a corridor.
The Blue Room was enormous. It was very plain, with cream walls and a polished wooden floor with a navy rug in the centre, but what really caught Bella’s attention was the ancient wooden four-poster bed. She’d always wanted to sleep in a bed like that. ‘This is amazing,’ she said.
‘I’ll put my things next door. I’ll call for you in a few minutes,’ he said.
Was Hugh’s bedroom anything like this? she wondered. Were there things from his childhood that would give her a clue about what made him tick?
Not that she should be thinking about any of that. She was simply doing him a favour and playing a part. None of this was real, she reminded herself.
To distract herself, she went and looked out of the window. The room overlooked the garden at the back of the house: a perfectly striped lawn, with borders all full of tulips, and a stone wall at the end of the lawn with what looked like espaliered trees full of blossom. It was a million miles away from her own suburban upbringing. How wonderful it must have been to have a garden like that to run around in and explore as a child.
Then there was a knock at the door. ‘Bella?’
‘Come in.’
Hugh remained in the doorway. ‘Ready?’
She nodded. ‘I was just looking at the view. It’s gorgeous.’
‘Yes, it’s pretty good. I guess I didn’t really appreciate it when I was younger.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Let’s go and face the hordes.’
She walked over to join him. ‘Though you might have to roll your eyes at me to remind me to be Miss Ditzy. I already made a couple of mistakes with your mum.’
‘It’ll
