'Are you sure?'
Eileen was looking at her with such compassion in her eyes that Fliss was tempted to confide in her. This was when she missed her mother most. Her father did his best, but he was a man. He didn't always understand how she was feeling.
But she didn't have the right to discuss Matt's affairs with anyone, and, forcing a rueful smile, she said, 'It's been a long day. Thank goodness it's the weekend.'
Eileen hesitated. 'Is the job at the big house getting too much for you?'
'Oh-no.' Once again, Fliss's colour deepened. 'Um-I'd better give these orders in,' she added, easing past her employer's wife with some relief. 'Or your customers will be complaining.'
Eileen let her go, but Fliss knew she wasn't entirely satisfied with her answer. She hoped the older woman thought it was just because she was tired. She would hate any more gossip to find its way to Matt's ears.
Fliss had hoped to stay in bed a little later the next morning, but at seven o'clock Amy came bounding into the room. She'd taken to copying her mother's example and sleeping in cotton boxers and a T-shirt, and now she bounced onto the bed and crossed her bare legs.
'It's another lovely morning, Mum,' she announced brightly, as her mother struggled to get her bearings. 'Do you think we could go to the beach?'
'The beach?' Fliss shook her head in some bewilderment. She'd slept only fitfully again and she was having trouble in assimilating the fact that it was Saturday and she didn't have to go to work. 'Oh, I don't know … '
'Come on, Mum,' Amy was pleading. 'You know we always have a good time at the beach. And we haven't been for ages and ages.'
'At least a month,' agreed her mother drily. 'Amy, I've got housework to do. And shopping. You can come into Westerbury with me, if you like.'
'I don't want to go shopping,' said Amy moodily. 'We always go shopping. I wanted us to have some fun together. Kelly Mason says that her mum and dad always take her out at weekends.'
Fliss expelled a weary breath and eased up against her pillows. She could have pointed out that Kelly Mason's mother had all week to do her household chores. She didn't have a job outside of looking after her husband and family, but Amy didn't want to hear that.
Besides, Fliss had to admit she was right. She did usually spend Saturdays shopping or working in the garden, and it was only natural that Amy resented her preoccupation with such matters. But going to the beach …
'How about having lunch at McDonalds?' she compromised, knowing Amy loved eating out, but the little girl only picked disconsolately at a thread hanging off the bed sheet.
'I'm not hungry,' she muttered, pursing her lips, and Fliss sighed.
'Amy-'
'It doesn't matter,' she said indifferently, sliding off the bed. 'I'm going to give Buttons his breakfast.'
Which was something else she had to do, Fliss reminded herself, unable to suppress a yawn. Unless she got some netting, the rabbit's enclosure would never be made. Her father had made his order and he wouldn't do anything else until she supplied the materials.
With a feeling of tiredness that had little to do with her restless night, Fliss swung her legs out of bed and got up. When she opened her bedroom door she found that her father had beaten her into the bathroom. She could hear the shower running, and, realising he was going to be some time yet, she went downstairs to use the toilet there.
There was no sign of Amy, but she wasn't worried. Although the child was unlikely to have got dressed before she went out, it was a warm, sunny morning and she'd come to no harm going outside in just her sleeping shorts and T-shirt. Besides, Harvey was obviously with her, and he'd bark if anyone was about.
After attending to her immediate needs, Fliss washed her hands and then spooned coffee grains into the filter. With the reassuring sound of the coffee straining into the pot, she linked her hands together and stretched her arms above her head.
It was so good to feel her spine expanding, to feel all the kinks disappearing beneath a sudden wave of well-being. At least she was fit and healthy, she reminded herself firmly, her spirits lifting. She should be grateful for that.
She frowned as she looped one arm over her shoulder to meet the arm she'd twisted behind her back. Perhaps she and Amy could go to the beach, after all. She was up early enough, goodness knew. If she hurried and got her chores done straight after breakfast, she could leave the shopping until they got back.
She was reversing the exercise when the back door opened behind her. Guessing it was Amy, she didn't immediately turn to look at her. She was too busy anticipating how delighted her daughter was going to be when she broke the news, and only when the cooler air from outside drifted about her bare midriff did she say, 'Can you close the door, Ames? Please.'
She was arching her back in a final stretch when a disturbingly familiar male voice said, 'Amy's coming. She's just checking on the rabbit, I think.'
Immediately, Fliss abandoned her exercises, and swung round to face him. 'What are you doing here?' she demanded, the shock of being discovered in her night wear briefly obscuring the fact of how unusual it was for him to leave the house. 'Where's Amy?'
Matt tucked his fingers beneath his arms, an expression of mild amusement giving his dark features a disturbingly sexual appeal. Like her, he was wearing shorts, though she guessed he hadn't slept in his. And a black vest, that revealed surprisingly muscled biceps for a man who supposedly led a sedentary life. Just looking at him like this made her toes curl, and the ache down in her belly caused a moist heat to make itself felt between her legs.
'As I said before, she's coming,' Matt declared, his eyes surveying her just as thoroughly as she was surveying him. 'I think she wanted me to speak to you first.'
Fliss's heart sank. 'What's she done now?' she asked wearily, deciding she couldn't worry about her appearance right now. What she was wearing was decent enough, even if her nipples were etched unmistakably against the thin cloth of her T-shirt. 'Don't tell me she's been annoying you again.'
'As far as I'm aware, Amy has never annoyed me,' he retorted, emphasising the last two words. 'I like her. She's a good kid.'
Fliss breathed through her nose, trying to subdue the erratic beat of her heart. 'I know that,' she said. 'Unfortunately, that doesn't stop her from getting into mischief.' She paused, and then, as the reality of his presence registered, 'I'm sorry. Were you looking for me?'
Matt sighed. 'In a manner of speaking, I guess.'
Fliss frowned. 'You haven't come here to speak to my father, have you?'
'Unlikely.' Matt's lips twisted. 'My information was that he isn't up yet.'
'From Amy?' Fliss blew out an exasperated breath. 'Well, sorry to disappoint you, but he is up. He's in the bathroom, but I have every reason to believe he'll be down here any minute now.'
'Magic.' Matt pulled a wry face. 'OK, here's what I came to say-Amy tells me you don't have time to take her to the beach-'
'Amy told you that?'
'Yeah.' Matt shifted his weight from one foot to the other. 'All right, I'll admit it. She did come over to the house. The dog-what's its name? Harvey?-had got into the garden and she was looking for it.'
Fliss snorted. 'Yeah, right.' She gave him a pitying look. 'Believe me, if Harvey was in your garden, Amy must have put him there. There's no way he could get out of this garden without someone opening the gate.'
'Perhaps she was taking him for a walk?' suggested Matt mildly, but Fliss only made another impatient gesture.
'In her nightclothes?' she demanded scornfully, and Matt gave a lazy shrug.
'Why not? You apparently do aerobics in yours.'
Fliss felt the colour flood into her throat. 'In my own kitchen,' she retorted indignantly, and his lean mouth tilted in an incredibly sexy grin.
'OK,' he conceded. 'That wasn't fair. I'm sorry. But it's true, isn't it? You did tell Amy you couldn't take her to the beach.'
'I might have done.'
Matt waited a beat. Then, he said, 'I wondered if you'd allow me to take her out.'
'You?'
Fliss was taken aback and it showed, and Matt's mouth compressed. 'Yeah,' he said flatly. 'I knew it was a crazy idea, but I had to run it by you.' He half turned. 'Forget it. I'll see you Monday morning at the usual time-'
'Wait!' Fliss didn't know what possessed her, but she couldn't let him go like this. 'I-let me think about it, at least.'
Matt paused, and eyes dark as sin impaled her with a sceptical look. 'What's to think about?' he asked. 'You hardly know me. I know that. You don't know if you can trust me. Like I said, it was a crazy idea. Why don't we both forget I ever mentioned it?'
Fliss shook her head. 'I can't do that.'