keep myself and my home in perfect order, so that we can be happy and comfortable. And you don’t hear Charles complaining, do you?’
Charles. The mention of his name brought Leo back to earth with a bump. Here they were, having a bit of light-hearted banter, when dark secrets seemed to be lurking around every corner.
‘So you think that the perfect body, wonderful clothes and a stunning home is the key to marital bliss, do you?’ Leo asked, determined to carry on as if nothing had shaken her.
‘Look, Leo, could we please order lunch? If this is going to be an inquisition, I need some fuel. And perhaps I will break my own rule and have a glass of something light. A pinot grigio, maybe.’
For the next five minutes, Leo and Fiona studied the menu although Leo was fairly sure that Fiona would probably eat little more than a lettuce leaf or two. She wanted to know about Charles, and the gossip in the shop had suggested there was more to Fiona’s story than Leo was aware of. But a full blown interrogation was never going to work.
They ordered their meals and settled back to sip the wine.
‘Speaking of a stunning home, where are you living now? You’re at the far end of the village, aren’t you?’
‘Yes. About half a mile that way.’ Fiona vaguely pointed with her hand over her shoulder. ‘The house is a bit large for the two of us, but obviously we do have to entertain from time to time - for Charles’ work of course. We’re considering whether to add a conservatory actually; one that stretches the full length of the house so that we can have dinner parties there. The house backs onto the fields, and the views are divine so a conservatory would be a perfect addition to the property.’
Leo resisted the temptation to poke fun at Fiona. Sometimes there was a smugness about her that just begged for a caustic remark.
‘The design we’ve been working on is a bit more ambitious than an oblong box bolted onto the back of the house,’ Fiona continued. ‘So we need to get the plans finalised, and then get the relevant permissions. I don’t think it will be a problem. I’m rather hoping that deliciously sexy builder of Ellie’s will do the work. I’ve spoken to him about it on a couple of occasions and he’s been to check it out. He seems to think that we might be able to achieve what I want. And I’m sure it will all be approved.’
‘Do you think Sean’s sexy, then? Not my type,’ Leo said as her smoked chicken and bacon salad was placed on the table in front of her. Fiona’s lips turned up at one corner.
‘I didn’t think you had a type, Leo. A bit like me, I always thought. Indifferent to the charms of men. Or at least I was. I think it’s time for a change. What about you, though? Why haven’t you succumbed?’ Fiona signalled to the waiter for another glass of wine. It seemed that once she’d decided she was drinking, there was no stopping her. And what was she talking about? Time for a change?
‘You know me. I was brought up by a man who showed me quite clearly the way men think,’ Leo said. ‘Of themselves, principally. That’s been my experience, for what it’s worth. I don’t know if you remember my father, but I’m on a bit of a mission to find out what happened to him. Ellie seems to have made him into some kind of plaster saint, and until we know what happened to him she’s not going to let it go.’
Fiona was intent on fishing the most minute piece of shell from her crab salad.
‘Some things may be best left alone, you know Leo. Sometimes it’s better not to turn over too many stones, because you don’t know what might be crawling around under there.’ Fiona finally seemed to extract what she was looking for, and removed it to her side plate.
‘In my father’s case, I’m sure you’re right,’ Leo responded. ‘There must be some good guys out there, but boy do you have to be lucky. Charles seems the steady type, though, in spite of his rather out of character confession on Saturday night. Were you all right with that?’
Fiona gave her usual tinkling laugh, although to Leo it sounded ever so slightly hollow.
‘I was a bit cross with him. I don’t know why he