A Roll in the Hay, стр. 34

“I’m guessing that’s what today was about? If you’re that upset?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Susannah said as they made their way up the path to the house. Only Tess’s Land Rover was still parked in the drive. “It looks like we have the place to ourselves, at least.”

Instead of the grand front entrance, she led them around back to the kitchen door. There were signs of stacked trays and crates in the corners, no doubt tidied away after whatever event had been going on. It looked more like a restaurant kitchen than anything that belonged in a family home. A dishwasher hummed in the background.

“Shall we just sit ourselves in here?” Tess asked, nervous about going any further into the house. Her heart rate had returned to normal since her outburst, but she wasn’t entirely confident in how settled things were between them. “Saves me intruding on your private quarters.”

Well, that didn’t come out quite right. They both audibly suppressed a snicker.

“You can intrude on my wine stash instead. I’m sure there’s some left after the gathering. Unless you’d prefer a beer?”

“I do know a little about wine, you know.” Tess took a seat on one of the high white stools that lined the kitchen island, a great big slab of chrome. It was definitely not a kitchen from a stuffy, old period drama, and that made her curious about the rest of the house. “But if you had something you think I’d like in the ale department…”

“Hmm.” Susannah considered her for a moment. “Wait here.” She disappeared out of the kitchen, leaving Tess to consider the scale of it. The rest of the house certainly looked big from the outside, but it must be downright massive. Ten, maybe fourteen bedrooms. It was the kind of stately home people rented out to get married in. Except for how there were people living in it.

“Did you get lost?” Tess couldn’t help teasing when Susannah returned. It always seemed to deflate the tension between them. “Although I can see why you’d need a map even if you live here.”

“It’s not that big, really. Well, relatively, yes. You just…get used to it, I suppose. Here.” Susannah handed over a bottle with a handwritten label.

“What’s this?”

“Something locally brewed. Jimmy used to find the most ridiculous brews all over the place. I haven’t really had cause to dip into them lately.”

“Oh, if this is something special, I couldn’t—”

“Please. It makes me happy to know someone will drink them. I try to push them off on Dave, but he’s a Pilsner man. Whatever that means.”

“I think it’s like being a shiraz person, or something like that.” Tess fished for her keys and pulled the bottle opener free. “I come prepared.”

“In the Brownies, were you?”

“Yeah, and…?” Tess puffed out her chest. “Brownies, Guides, Rangers, and I was a Leader for a while.”

“Were you really?” Susannah cocked an eyebrow. “You forgot about the Rainbows, by the way. Did you skip that stage?”

“Nope, they didn’t have those when I was the right age.” Tess sipped the ale. It was slightly creamy, heavy on the sediment as it dragged across her tongue. Very nice indeed. “What makes you think I’m not the type?”

“Oh no, you are. With your outdoors gear and all those practical skills. Did they have a junior vet badge then?”

“No.”

“Someone told me once it’s harder to get into a veterinary medicine degree here than it is for human medicine. Is that really true?”

Tess nodded. “It certainly used to be. Same for dentistry, I think. Something about fewer universities offering courses. It drives up competition. I was so lucky to get into Glasgow.”

“I bet luck had nothing to do with it.”

“Did you…?” Tess stopped.

“Study anything worthwhile? God no. I scraped my BA in History from Durham, but they were glad to see the back of me. I do think sometimes about trying to learn something more seriously. I’d rather listen to the experts on most subjects. Business, though? I’ve paid my dues there. That’s all on instinct, and I learned on the job.” Susannah swirled the ice in her glass. Something clear.

“Didn’t feel like an ale, then?” Tess asked.

“Can’t stand the stuff. Nothing a splash of vodka can’t cure, though, so I went with a classic.”

Tess had another sip and let the silence settle between them. It was almost comfortable, tucked away from the rest of the world like this. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked just as they had lulled themselves into a sort of calm.

“Just the usual. Old straight white men trying to stand in my way. Apparently it’s not what you do, but who you know around here.”

Tess couldn’t hold back a snort.

“Okay,” Susannah continued. “I have a certain amount of privilege of my own, but seriously. I want to give people jobs. I want to give some animals a nice gentle retirement. And I don’t want to be stuck in this giant doll’s house with nothing meaningful to do. Is that so awful?”

“No, that’s not awful at all.”

“You know, when you’re not shouting at me, you’re actually quite a nice person, Tess.”

“I’m starting to warm up to you, Susannah.” Tess dragged the name out like they were making playground taunts. “And here I was worried I wouldn’t make any new friends when I moved here.”

“Right.” Susannah downed her drink in one. “Who couldn’t do with more friends?”