Flora's Lot by Katie Fforde (best books under 200 pages TXT) 📗

denied, wondering if what Emma said had any truth in it. 'Anyway, Charles would be more than a project, he'd be like climbing Everestwithout any training. Or oxygen.'

‘Hm.'

‘Anyway,even if I did fancy him, which I so don't, he loves Annabelle. I couldn't disturbthat.'

‘Are you sure he's happy with Annabelle?’

Florathought about this. 'I think so. I don't know he's not.They're very well suited and they've known each other fora long time.' Before her huge falling-out with Charlesshe'd probably have said that Annabelle didn't deservehim. The Charles she'd seen when Annabelle wasn'taround, the Charles who was passionate and knowledgeableabout his business and great with the people heemployed, deserved better than a woman who wantednothing more than to sell up and get out. Andalthough Flora had warmed to Annabelle a bit when they wentshopping together, she was still incredibly self-centredand utterly self-obsessed, which couldn't be fun to livewith. But since the collapse of the ceiling, Florarather thought they were, perfect for each other: thestrict, austere Charles she saw when Annabelle was in the room was clearly thereal one, and Annabelle was welcome to him!

‘Sounds terribly boring,' said Emma, andFlora realised she hadn't been listeningproperly, off in her own little world. She laughed.

‘Itdoes, doesn't it? But I don't suppose it is really. So, let's talk about Dave or your work or somethingmetropolitan.'

‘Ohno, don't let's. I'd like to forget about Dave just for a weekend.’

Floraglanced at her friend, worried, but the look on Emma's facetold her now wasn't the time. 'Fair enough. Shall we call in for some chips?'

‘Haven'tyou prepared a gourmet meal for me on my first night with you?'

‘No.’

Emmalaughed. 'Chips it is then. I do miss you, Ho. I'm reallylooking forward to you coming back to London.’

*

'You'llhave to ring him,' Emma insisted the next day, puttingdown her tea towel. 'He's your landlord and you need a dining table. Now.’

Flora smoothedon some hand-cream. She and Emma had just done the washing up afterlunch and William wasscooping the insides out of aubergines.

‘It'sAnnabelle's cottage. She's responsible,' Flora pointed out.

‘Ring her then! I'm sure she'dunderstand about having people to dinner and not having a table.'

‘OK.But it'll have to be quite a big table. It'll take up all the space inthe cottage.'

‘Notif it folds down or has leaves or something. I don't know why you didn't get it sorted out earlier.'

‘I toldyou, Charles and I had this awful row, and although we did both apologise, it wasin that way when you know you have to saysorry, but you're not.' It had beennearly two weeks since they'd had a civil conversation.

‘I do understand but we still need atable.'

‘Iwas busy, Em! I'll do it now,' Flora snapped, feeling more harassed bythe minute.

‘We'dhave much more room it we ate outside,' offered William. 'The rain's cleared up and it could be a really niceevening.'

‘Weatherwise, you mean,' said Flora, who didn't think it could possibly be nicein any other way.

‘Yes. Why don't you ask your cousin—'

‘Hisname is Charles,' said Emma, who wasn't getting on with William quite as well as Flora would have liked.

‘If he'sgot a large picnic table we could put a bit of board on,' William went on.

‘Howmany people are we going to be?' asked Emma. 'Only six,' said Flora. 'It's not a huge number. An ordinarytable would be fine.'

‘Aslong as it doesn't come on to rain and we have to rush indoors with it,'William explained.

‘Ohno, you're right. Annabelle would freak if inside furniture got wet or anything. I'll suggestsomething like that,' said Flora.'But I'll go and get it. We want to get the table set in plenty of time. If we're going to eat out it would be nice to decorate it with wild flowers andthings.'

‘Aren't you getting just a little toorural, Flo?' suggested Emma.

‘Notat all. It's just nice to appreciate nature's bounty’

‘Pick upthe phone,' ordered Emma, not impressed. 'There isn't a phone. I'll have to takemy mobile outside, for the reception.’

Flora wentinto the front garden, glad to be on her own for a minute, but not relishinghaving to ring Charles. At least if she gotAnnabelle, she knew she'd understand the problem.

Charles answered. Although she knew hewas perfectly likely to pick up the phone,hearing his voice panicked her. 'Erhello, it's me.' Flora always forgot her name when she was nervous.

‘Flora,' he said.

‘Yes, sorry. I'm just ringing about thetable. For tonight?'

‘Oh.Yes. You'll be needing one.' Flora heard Anna-belle's voice in the background. Then she snatched the phone.

‘Flora?What's the matter? You're not cancelling, are you?'

‘No.I'm just asking if there's a table we could use. We don't want to eat onour laps.'

‘OhGod, I forgot we'd sold the table. I'll organise Charles to do something about it immediately. When do you wantit?'

‘Well,I would like to have time to set it before you all come, but I suppose—'

‘Ofcourse you must have it sooner than that. Don't worry. Um, did yourfriend arrive all right?'

‘Ohyes. I picked her up from the station last night.’

‘And - um - the man I saw . . . ?’

Inher slightly frazzled state, Flora couldn't remember quite whatshe'd said to Annabelle about William, but decided tostick to William's suggestion that he was an old friend of Emma's. 'Oh yes,he's here too. He's doing the cooking.'

‘OK. I'llsend Charles over with the table, then.’

Now they'd convinced Flora that theycouldn't possibly pass as a couple, Williamand Emma began to get on much better. They'd gone off to the woods together quite happily. Whether they wereintending to gather the makings of astarter, Flora wasn't entirely sure.She was making chocolate mousse when Charles arrived.

She saw himdrive up and went out, wiping her chocolateyhands on the tea towel she had tucked into her belt as anapron. She was in some ways relieved to see him - itwould have been such a bore if they'd had no time to setthe table nicely - but she wished Emma and Williamwere here to diffuse things if it got heated.

‘Hi,Charles,' she greeted him neutrally. 'This is very kind of you.'

‘Notall that kind. You should have had a table all along. I'll bring it in.I've got some wine, too. Save bringing it later.'

‘Lovely.Emma