Josh slammed on his brakes and Prue nearly went through the windscreen. When she had got her breath back and stopped shaking, she flung round to glare hatred at him. 'You maniac! You scared the living daylights out of me. Isn't one car crash enough for you?'
He showed her his teeth in a wolfish snarl. 'Now, look, I kept my side of the deal—I talked to my sister, I said all the things you asked me to say. Can I help it if she wouldn't buy it?'
Prue was sure it was somehow his fault; if only she could prove it!
'What did she actually say to you, though?'
'Not much.'
Prue didn't like something in his dark eyes; an irony, a hidden amusement.
'She must have said something!' she insisted and Josh considered her, his head to one side and his mouth twisting.
'She laughed.'
Prue's green eyes opened wide. 'Laughed?' she whispered.
He nodded, in my face!'
It was bad news. Prue didn't like it. If Lynsey had laughed in his face, it meant that she hadn't believed a word he said.
'Oh, dear,' Prue said.
inadequate,' said josh, and then he laughed; laughed loudly before he started driving on while Prue sat beside him, quivering with rage.
As she got out of the car Mrs Killane appeared on the steps, her face concerned. 'Josh found you—good! We were worried when Jim told us that you should have got here long ago! Did you get lost?'
'I'm sorry,' Prue stiffly said, joining her. 'I was just wandering along in a daydream.' She pretended not to feel the cold stab of Josh's eyes.
'You have such beautiful views,' she added rather defiantly, and Mrs Killane gave her a brilliant smile, nodding.
'Haven't we? I've often got lost in a daydream, looking at the hills.'
She swept Prue into the house, talking about her favourite local beauty spots, then smiled at her a little shyly, 'I'm so glad you could come,' she said. 'Lynsey is out, and Josh has to go into town to buy something so it will just be you and me. I hope you won't be bored.'
Deeply relieved to find that Josh wasn't going to be present, Prue said,
'Of course not!' following Mrs Killane into a sunny room.
'How's your fiancé?' Mrs Killane asked, gesturing to her to sit down in one of the deep, comfortable armchairs on either side of a low table which was already laid for tea with thin sandwiches, scones and small home-made cakes.
'Much better, thank you. I'm hoping he will be out of hospital in a week.' Prue was finding it easier to talk to Lucy Killane than she had expected; partly because they were alone and she didn't have to keep remembering the reason why she should dislike her. Josh's absence oddly made it easier, too. Whenever he was around, Prue found herself charged with angry energy, but now she felt peaceful and at ease.
'Oh, that is good,' said Lucy Killane. 'Such a pity, to have an accident when you're on holiday, and having come all that way! It must have been very expensive for you, this trip.'
'We came economy,' Prue admitted. 'Neither of us had much money.'
David had some savings, and she was using some of the money she had inherited from her mother; it had seemed a fitting way to spend it, discovering her roots and mending fences with her father.
Mrs Killane sat down and talked for several minutes about holidays, then got up, saying, 'I'll make the tea now, excuse me for a moment.'
While she was out of the room, Prue wandered around, looking out of the window at a rose garden where the wind rustled last, defiant blooms; they had a melancholy look and Prue sighed, turning back to the room arid went to inspect a bookcase full of well-read books. It was always fascinating to see what other people read, and she soon realised the books did not belong to Josh. There were some cookery books, gardening books, but most were novels. Prue recognised many of her own favourite authors: childhood classics like Alice or The Wind in the Willows, mingling with more adult writers like Jane Austen, the Brontes, Georgette Heyer, Angela Thirkell, Jilly Cooper.
Mrs Killane came back with a tray on which were arranged a teapot, covered with a hand-knitted teacosy, a sugar bowl and matching jug in flower- sprigged bone china, cups from the same set and a tea-strainer over a small matching bowl.
Prue quickly turned, a book in her hand, making- an apologetic face.
'I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.. .'