some sausages and bacon onto a plate then turned to look at me.
âYeah, it was great!â I knew I was lying, but it was necessary in this situation. I didnât want to explain that, while the bed had been lovely, Iâd been awake most of the night worrying about being in the same village as my long-lost biological father. To avoid anything accidentally slipping out, I turned to my phone and the stack of unread emails that had to be dealt with. Business was the solution to every life problem, after all. If I was working towards my goals, everything would be OK.
Or it would be if there were any Wi-Fi.
âIs there a Wi-Fi hotspot anywhere round here?â I asked, trying not to let my frustration seep into my tone. âI need to get work done while Iâm here.â
Rose shook her head. âIâm afraid not, dear. The signalâs always been a bit patchy round these parts, so we just donât bother with it in the B&B. Youâve got broadband at your place, havenât you, Noah?â
Some colour drained away from his face. âYeah, but she needs to be here, doesnât she? She wonât want to schlep up to my cottage to use the internet.â
âActually, that sounds ideal,â I replied. âIf you donât mind, that is? She can work anywhere, after all.â
He didnât say anything and went back to tending the sizzling pans in front of him.
âItâs too early to be working anyway,â Rose said. âYou havenât even had breakfast yet; what do you fancy? Noah does a lovely full English.â
âDo you have any kale or avocado? A green smoothie would be amazing.â
They both turned to look at me, blank expressions on their faces like Iâd spoken in fluent Swahili.
âHuh,â said Noah, âI didnât think anybody actually drank those! Looks like chemical waste, if you ask me.â
âI didnât.â I kept my voice low, but judging by the look he shot me, not low enough.
âOh, Iâm afraid I donât have either of those things.â Rose wrung her hands with worry. âI⦠is there anything else I can get you?â
I shook my head and got up from the table. âNah, I donât really do breakfast. Thanks, anyway. Iâd better get going. Iâve got loads of work to do today.â
Rose looked utterly crestfallen and I felt a stab of remorse in my chest. âOK, if youâre sure. Iâll get some in for you for breakfast tomorrow. Noah, watch this pan while I go and see if weâve got any maple syrup for that Canadian couple in room two.â
I smiled. âThatâd be great, thanks!â
As I left, Noahâs voice piped up. âNext sheâll be asking for bloody quinoa salad on a bed of pearl barley or something.â
âThereâs nothing wrong with liking healthy food, you know. You are what you eat and all that jazz,â I replied.
He left the pan of bacon he was tending to and came over to me. âSo, youâre some unidentifiable substance weâve never heard of and donât want in our kitchen?â
Oh great, I thought, the verbal sparring was starting again. There was no way I was letting him win, though.
âAnd youâre something that might be popular but still liable to cause heart attacks?â
âIâll miss this back-and-forth when you go back home,â he shot back. âWhen is that exactly?â
âNot soon enough for my liking!â
Our latest run-in was interrupted by Rose gleefully announcing sheâd found the maple syrup and the Canadian couple bursting into the kitchen, full of the joys of summer.
âTill next time,â I said, throwing him a sly smile over my shoulder.
*
As my stomach gurgled and lurched thanks to no green smoothie, I found a shred of phone signal to phone Paul with an update on Sunflower Cottage. You had to watch with Paul. He had a reputation for being slippery