happy to be rostered on public holidays, Christmas and Easter; in fact, he preferred it. But at the end of every two weeks he had three days off for the farm. For his sanity.
His farm was his place, his sanctuary, his solitude.
Solitude? Lily?
The entire hospital now believed he was taking Lily there.
In the brief moments he’d had to himself since settling Lily into his apartment, he’d decided that he’d go to the farm as usual this weekend and that she’d stay where she was. Only now he’d started a lie.
Lily was deemed his long-term lover. He’d hardly go away to the farm the moment she arrived.
If he did, everyone at Kirribilli Views would know she was ‘home alone’, and what’s worse, he wouldn’t put it past them to drop in on Lily. To sympathise? To check on her for him?
He could see Teo dragging her to his party whether she willed it or not. The man’s charm was legendary.
He didn’t mind if Teo’s charm was second to none, he told himself, but …
But his thoughts wouldn’t go further than that one word.
One lie and a whole skein of deception had appeared.
Should they both stay here?
If he stayed here he’d be either pacing the hospital with nothing to do or he’d be pacing the apartment. With Lily.
So … Farm?
Would she come?
How did you persuade a stranger?
But she wasn’t a stranger, he told himself grimly. She was his lover for a month.
Including farm time.
‘John says you’re going to the farm for the weekend. Oh, that’s lovely. What’s it like? He never tells us anything about it. He keeps everything so quiet. He’s kept you so quiet.’
To say Lily was bewildered was putting it mildly. She’d opened the door, hoping the doorbell signalled a delivery or something equally innocuous, and an immaculately groomed woman with eyes darting everywhere swept right in.
‘I’m Ginnie Allen. My husband’s a clinical psychologist at the Harbour. We live in the apartment on the next floor up. I’m so happy to meet you. Oh, he’s wicked, your Luke, fancy keeping you to himself. Has he told you Teo’s having a party this weekend? Everyone’s aching to meet you but he says you’re going to the farm. He always goes to the farm. Surely you’d prefer the party?’
Lily clutched her bathrobe round her. Actually, it was Luke’s bathrobe. Big and black and masculine, it fell to the floor and made an ungainly train.
She’d just woken. Her hair was ghastly. She was wearing no make-up. The woman before her looked like she’d just stepped out of Sporting Vogue.
To say she felt at a disadvantage was an understatement.
‘And you’re Lily …?’ Ginnie waited for her to complete the name.
‘Yes,’ Lily said discouragingly, backing away slightly. ‘And I’m sorry, but I’ve been ill. If you could excuse me …’
‘Oh, of course, you tuck yourself straight back into bed and we’ll talk there. Would you like me to make us both a nice cup of tea?’
Tea had suddenly lost its appeal. ‘I’d rather—’
‘Coffee? No, dear, tea’s much better. And toast? You need to keep your strength up if you’re going to spend the whole weekend with Luke.’
‘Hi, Ginnie.’
Luke. He stepped out of the apartment elevator in his suit and tie, with his briefcase in hand. Doctor coming home from work—to be greeted by the little woman in his bathrobe, and her new best friend, Ginnie.
‘Luke!’ Ginnie gave a crow of delight and hugged him before he had a chance to defend himself. ‘Oh, wow, congratulations. You and Lily … I had no idea.’
‘We’re hardly announcing diamonds,’ Lily said dryly, thinking she’d better nip this in the bud. ‘Are you congratulating Luke on sharing his bathrobe?’
‘I’ve no intention of sharing,’ Luke said, and looked across Ginnie’s head to smile at Lily.
And that smile …
Oh, that smile. She really was her mother’s daughter, she thought, suddenly feeling frantic. If Luke had been the vicar …
She thought suddenly of the vicar, and for some stupid reason the thought made her want to chuckle. And wince. How could her mother fall for someone like the vicar when there were men like Luke in the world? Men who owned bathrobes like this. It must be cashmere, she thought. It was a caress all on its own.
His smile was a caress all on its own.
‘I can’t believe you’re not coming to Teo’s party,’ Ginnie said reproachfully, letting Luke go and regarding him with huge disappointed eyes—and Luke’s expression became a bit hunted.
He always goes to the farm … Lily wasn’t sure what was happening here, but he didn’t look the least bit like he wanted to go to any party. Well, neither did she. She didn’t know what was going on but he’d lent her his bathrobe. He’d lent her his bed. Maybe she could afford to be generous.
He always goes to the farm …
‘I’m not a city girl,’ she told Ginnie. ‘That’s why I’ve only agreed to come and stay here for a month. That’s why Luke and I can’t be … as together as we’d like. But now I’ve been ill I’m—’
‘Pining,’ Luke finished for her, his smile still lurking. ‘For the fjords.’
She cast him a look that was meant to put him in his place. ‘For fresh air,’ she told him. ‘For the smell of … sheep.’
‘Horses,’ Luke said.
It was becoming more difficult to be generous. Especially when he was still smiling.
‘Especially for the smell of horses,’ she amended. ‘Eau de horse will cure me faster than anything.’
‘You like farms?’ Ginnie sounded incredulous.
‘What’s not to love?’
‘Well, horses for a start,’ Ginnie said, and shuddered. ‘They bite.’
‘Not my horses,’ Luke said.
‘Well, we wouldn’t know,’ Ginnie said, suddenly waspish. ‘We’ve been practically next-door neighbours for four years and not one invite. You know we’d all love to see your farm. It’s like you’re keeping it a secret. It’s like you’ve been keeping Lily secret.’
‘It’s because I know you hate horses,’ Luke said blandly. ‘Lily loves horses. She rides ‘em to the manor born.’
Lily blinked. She loved horses?
Actually … she did.
A farm with horses. She thought suddenly … what was being proposed here? A couple of days on a farm with horses.
She might even put up with Luke Williams for that.
‘Well, I think you should stay here,’ Ginnie said crossly. ‘Look at her.’ She motioned to Lily-In-The-Bathrobe. ‘She looks sick.’
‘Gee, thanks.’ But she was wobbly.
‘My car’s lovely,’ Luke said reassuringly. ‘Aston Martin, deep leather seats, pure luxury. And Lily even managed to protect them with her paper bag,’ he told Ginnie. ‘She’s a heroine, my Lily. I’m thinking she can sleep all the way there.’
My Lily. The words hung.
This