Having been introduced to the finer points of the game by the twins and been beaten not once but twice each by a beaming Jake, they finally made their way to sit down on a garden bench just as Max appeared with a tray bearing two cups of cappuccino, an espresso and some orange juice for Jake and Ruby.
‘It’s been like Piccadilly Circus here this morning,’ he said, handing the drinks round. ‘Visitors and phone calls from all of our guests - well, most of them anyway.’
Ellie gave him an enquiring glance.
‘Fiona called to say how “super” it all was - not that I’m convinced she could remember anything past the canapés. She was in a bit of a strop with Charles, who had disappeared to play golf.’
Ellie shook her head. ‘I’m surprised he’s speaking to her. I’ve known her for years, and I’ve never seen her like that.’
‘Tom called round just after you’d gone out too. God knows what he made of Fiona’s antics last night.’ Max grinned as if he could imagine only too well. ‘He brought his daughter round too - Lucy, she’s called. A sweet kid, if a bit shy. You only missed him by a couple of minutes. Sean arrived at about the same time. He brought you a gift Ellie. Said he felt bad about turning up out of the blue last night without anything to offer the hostess, so he called in at the gift shop in the garden centre this morning. I’ll go and get it.’
It only took Max a few seconds to pop into the house for the gift, which had been beautifully wrapped - not, Leo suspected, by Sean. He handed it to Ellie, who placed it on the small table by her side. Max sat himself down cross legged on the grass facing the two women on the bench.
‘Well, open it then,’ Max said, with an eager smile.
Ellie carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal a scented candle in glass. She placed it back on the side table.
‘That was kind of him, but completely unnecessary,’ she said.
‘He was disappointed that he’d missed you - and he wouldn’t stay for a cup of coffee. He said that the present was perhaps something that you might like in the bathroom when you’re taking a long lazy bath.’
Ellie made a ‘pff’ sound, as if the chances of that were quite remote.
Max turned his attention to Leo, giving her what could only be described as a knowing smile.
‘Not sure what you’ve been up to with our resident policeman, Leo. When I said that Ellie wasn’t around and had gone shopping, Tom hung around for a while. I got the feeling that he was hoping to see you, but in the end he had to go because his ex-wife was at his house.’
‘If his ex-wife’s still on the scene, I think you can stop playing cupid.’
Max shook his head slowly from side to side.
‘She brought Lucy, that’s all. One of the joys of divorce with kids - you still have to see the ex.’
‘Yes, well keep out of it Max. I might enjoy an hour or so of Tom’s company, but I’m not after his body. Or if I was, it would be on a needs basis rather than a happy ever after. Stop interfering.’
As if to take the edge of her words, Leo picked up a stray tennis ball from the path and aimed it Max’s chest. He promptly fell backwards on the grass, groaning and shouting for the twins to come and help him. Auntie Leo had tried to kill him.
* * *
Ellie watched her husband and children rolling around on the grass and felt that her heart was going to explode with love for them all. Max was wearing an old pair of baggy black shorts and a white running vest that had seen better days, but he still managed to look beyond beautiful to her, even though he would hate that description. He had the kind of skin that easily picked up a tan, and his deep brown eyes were shining with happiness and laughter as he played with the twins. More than anything she just wanted to leap on top of him, and roll around the garden with him and the kids. But the knot of anxiety that was tightening by the hour in her stomach prevented her, and she knew that her laughter sounded forced.
Leo was looking at her, and Ellie couldn’t miss the concern in her