Tess was tempted to ignore the email from Finn, but anything at her work address was visible to any of the other partners.
Besides, a day of looking at horses in need of retirement homes sounded like it could be good for the soul. Even if she was having to do it in the company of the woman who kissed her a couple of weeks ago, and then rejected her in the space of five minutes.
It would have been very cool, not to mention incredibly mature, if Tess could say she hadn’t given that debacle a moment’s thought since. Unfortunately, it had been the one thing she couldn’t stop thinking about. Susannah might present that stuck-up image to the world, but she kissed more beautifully than she had any right to.
Tess stabbed at the phone screen with her thumbs as she replied.
Ok. Just let me know what time to pick up S and we’ll go from there.
Lady Kiss-and-Change-Her-Mind would assume they were going in her car, but Tess was still feeling defensive about hers. It was perfectly capable of doing the job, and if she had to be out for hours with someone who kissed her and then thought better of it, then she was at least going to have home-court advantage. And control over the music.
Turning back to her coffee, Tess shoved her phone back in her pocket and contemplated the carrot cake Joan was putting in the glass display case with the same care and attention as a woman who’d been charged with cleaning the Crown Jewels.
“If you’re going to ask for a slice, do it before I close this case again,” Joan said when she caught Tess staring. “But what you really want is one of these strawberry tarts.” She nodded to the small tray containing six little mountains of juicy strawberries, shining under their sticky-sweet red syrup.
Tess reddened. They looked glorious, and her tummy gurgled in agreement.
“You’re blushing at a cake?” Joan asked as Tess came over to the counter.
“No, it’s just…it’s silly.” Tess shook her head. “‘Strawberry tart’ was just a stupid thing people used to call me in school. No one as witty as teenagers, eh?”
“And were you?” Joan asked, a hint of challenge to the question. “A tart?”
“I think it was supposed to be ironic. Wasn’t exactly dating up a storm back then. Don’t think I knew what a lesbian was, never mind that I was one.”
Joan made a little scoffing noise, but she slid a tart onto a plate for Tess. “This one’s on me.”
“What for? I mean, thank you. But why?” Tess never had learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“I heard what you did for Mrs Thompson last week with her cat. Plenty of people would have made her come to the surgery, but she wasn’t fit for that. It was kinder, letting the poor puss go at home.”
Tess nodded. Being able to reach most patients within a few minutes made simple acts of compassion much easier to offer, and the appointments at this practice weren’t crammed back-to-back like they had been in her old surgery. It didn’t hurt that home visits made the worst part of her job a little easier.
“It’s the least I could do. Do you look in on her? I’m worried she’ll be lonely.”
“I do. We look after each other here; you’re getting to see that.” She paused. “I’ll be honest, Dr Robinson. I wasn’t sure about you when you first rocked up to Hayleith. But apart from your poor taste in drinking establishments, you’re settling in nicely.”
Tess wanted to protest that she wasn’t going to another town entirely when the pub was right next to her house, but she knew enough to bite her tongue. “It’s nice to be so welcomed. I can really see myself settling here, especially now that my house has furniture and I actually have all my clothes again.”
“You’d be even more settled if you met a nice young lady. No luck at the Kilted Coo?”
There was a knowing glint in Jean’s eye. For someone who hadn’t even been there, she seemed quite aware that something had gone on.
“No, it was a bit much for me in the end. All that showing off and parading around looking for dates? I ended up going for a walk. I’ll just take this over—”
“Go anywhere nice on your walk? There are some lovely trails around there.” Joan prepared another coffee without Tess having to ask. “You shouldn’t wander off on your own, mind.”
“Oh, I was perfectly safe. And I didn’t say I went alone,” Tess replied, throwing in a little wink for good measure. “I wouldn’t be picking out a hat for the wedding, though, if you catch my drift.”
She expected a witty remark in response, but instead Joan looked straight over her shoulder and said, “Hello there, Lady Karlson. Usual is it?”
Let her be kidding. Let it be an elaborate set-up to confirm a lucky guess. Tess risked turning around, hoping she would see nothing but a half-empty café behind her. She knew as she did that her hope was unfounded, because she could smell that rich, distinctive perfume and expensive shampoo that she got to experience up close by that bench.
Susannah’s expression was inscrutable. She had her wallet in one hand and with the other she was patting Waffles’ head, because of course the big fluffy traitor had come to get attention but didn’t think to alert his devoted owner to anyone else’s presence.
“Just a double espresso today, Joan. To go.”
“I’ll get out of the way,” Tess said. “Waffles, stop bothering people. Sorry, he really doesn’t give you much choice once he knows you like him.”
“I don’t mind,” Susannah replied.
Waffles gave Tess a reproachful look with his big brown eyes, staying put at Susannah’s side.
Joan turned her attention to Susannah, nodding to Tess as she did. “Dr Robinson here was just telling me about the lovely time she had at the big LGBT night out the other week. Didn’t you mention something about that?”
“I might have mentioned that Finn was trying to drag me there, yes,” Susannah replied.
“You two might well have bumped into each other, then,” Joan persisted, as she worked the machine to produce the requested coffee. “Or crossed paths, if you will.”
“I really do have to be getting on.” Susannah set some cash on top of the counter and almost snatched the paper cup from Joan’s hand as soon as she offered it.
“We’re going out to see those horses tomorrow, yeah?” Tess should have let Susannah escape as quickly as possible, but some annoying little impulse asked the question to make her stick around.
“If that’s what the calendar says, then yes. I understand if you’re too busy.”
“Not at all. Finn’s letting me know what time to collect you.”
“But—”
“Thanks for the strawberry tart, Joan.” Tess picked up the plate and her coffee, relieved when Waffles followed her back to the table. His first loyalty would always be to snacks he thought he could steal.
For a moment, it looked as though Susannah would swing by Tess’s table to argue about who would get to drive, but instead she sauntered out on those long legs, forcing Tess to keep her eyes front and not appreciate the sight of Susannah Karlson walking away.
Tess was ten minutes early, so she killed the engine and took a proper look at the Midsummer mansion from the front. She must have been right in her previous assessment of at least ten bedrooms. The two wings of the house were as grand as each other, and Tess found herself speculating which of those huge windows marked Susannah’s bedroom.
Years ago, when it had first opened to summer tours, Caroline had dragged Tess around Buckingham Palace with a bunch of tourists. While they’d all seemed fascinated by antique tea sets and heavy silk drapes, Tess had spent most of the time counting down the minutes until they’d be free to leave. She’d never been dazzled by opulence.
Did Susannah have one of those ridiculous four-poster beds? Not that Tess would get to see it anytime soon, not when they couldn’t make it to a second kiss. What did someone even put in all those other rooms? Was there a gym? Susannah obviously worked out and…huh. That kiss had really done a number on Tess’s attention span when it came to the lady of the manor.
She was just debating if there was time to nip down to the stables and say a quick hello to the horses, who hadn’t needed much attention from her since Billie Jean’s leg recovered, when Susannah came marching out the front door.
The look today was every bit the country gentlewoman: Creamy jodhpurs, pulled taut across Susannah’s shapely thighs, disappeared into those familiar riding boots. On top, the lightly quilted navy Barbour jacket was buttoned and belted, but it offered a glimpse of grey cashmere under it. No riding helmet, since they were just going to look at horses, but Susannah had her hair back in a low bun.
She stopped just short of the car and gave it a once-over, shaking her head slowly before opening the passenger door and easing her way in. “You’re on time. Good,” was her idea of a greeting. “Sure this thing can handle the rougher roads? This farm really is in the back of the beyond. We’ll be almost in England.”
“Oh no, not England,” Tess deadpanned. She started the car, and of course it decided not to take first time. Muttering curses under her breath, she tried again. This time the engine roared into life. With just a sideways glance at Susannah’s doubtful expression, Tess jabbed at the sound system and let the playlist she’d been listening to remove any need for conversation.
They were all the way down the long driveway and onto the main road before Susannah reached out and turned the volume back down.
“Do you mind?” Tess could adjust it back up from the steering wheel, but she was too curious about whether Susannah wanted to talk. Maybe she was just being territorial and petty. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
“Melissa Etheridge? Really? Were they all out of new CDs at the cliché factory?”
They passed the pub and both raised a hand to wave to Babs as she stood outside arguing with a delivery driver.
“First of all, it’s a playlist, so she’s not the only one on there. Secondly, Melissa is a legend, and I won’t stand for besmirching her name in this car.”
“Besmirching?”
“You know what I mean. I’m sure you’d rather we listened to something classical on a BBC station, but some of us like a song you can sing along to.” Tess let her speed pick up as they got out of the populated part of town. It was all long and winding roads from here. She almost always checked her routes before driving anywhere, scrolling through her map app like she’d be tested on it. If only she’d been so diligent on the day she arrived in Hayleith.
“You don’t know the first thing about my music tastes,” Susannah replied, reverting back to that frosty voice she usually reserved for her meddling sister-in-law. “For all you know, I could be the karaoke queen of the Scottish Borders.”
“I hate karaoke.”
“That’s like saying you hate fun,” Susannah said, and it was genuinely impossible to tell whether she was serious or not.
Tess lapsed into the silence, letting Melissa give way to Pat Benatar, which Susannah actually hummed along to.
Only the SatNav spoke for the next few miles, before curiosity got the better of Tess. “This one of your standards at karaoke, then?” she asked.
Susannah exhaled loudly in dismissal. Right, so she was just playing games, then. “I’m more of a Cher person, actually. Needs to be something you can really belt out.”
Tess gave her a quick look, but Susannah was focused on the road ahead, apparently deadly serious. “Well, forgive me if I say I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Fine. I’ll have Babs arrange one of her infamous karaoke nights. Of course, you’ll have to sing too, otherwise there’s no deal.”
“Sure,” Tess felt confident in her assessment now. “I’ll be right up there. Right after you. Maybe I’ll go country. Dolly Parton?”
“Not sure you have the chest for that,” Susannah said, although it was more like she was muttering it to herself.
Tess wriggled a little beneath her seatbelt. It wasn’t like she wanted to be super busty, but she was hardly flat-chested. Most importantly, Susannah was the one bringing up physical attributes, which suggested she’d been thinking about them. Point one to Tess. It was just a shame she had no idea what they were playing, how the points were really awarded, or what a win would look like.
“If you want to stop for coffee or something at any point, I don’t mind,” Susannah piped up a bit later, turning the music down. “It’s the least I can provide, if you’re driving.”
“It’s okay, I’m billing you for the time, remember?”
“Right. Isn’t it nice we’re back on familiar ground, Doctor?” Susannah folded her arms over her chest, looking out the side window.
If Tess didn’t know better, she might have thought Susannah’s feelings were hurt this time. They did keep stumbling into each other that way, finding every sharp edge that hadn’t been sanded away yet, falling over every tripwire when it came to volatile topics. “Just keeping the business side ticking over,” Tess offered. “Doesn’t mean it isn’t…nice to be going out with you today.”
That got her a pointed look, but Tess concentrated on the light traffic in front of them.
“You made it sound like a chore earlier,” Susannah said.
“Going to see some new horses isn’t a chore. And neither is being around you. Just because of that little mistake the other week…well, doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends. We obviously need a bit of practice at it.”
“Was it?” Susannah asked after a moment, staring resolutely at the road ahead as though she were the one driving. “A mistake for you? Only you seemed fine with the idea until you got the wrong end of the stick.”
Tess gripped the steering wheel harder. Great. Nothing made humiliation more fun than reliving it. “I gave you a pass at the time, Your Ladyship. You did something. You regretted it. Sure, you got those regrets a little quicker than most, but I understand.”
“I’m beginning to see you don’t understand at all,” Susannah replied, snippy again.
Unfortunately snippy and bossy both looked extremely good on her. Time for Tess to stare dead ahead, Susannah’s gaze burning into her cheek.
“If you had listened to my explanation, you’d have heard that it was nothing to do with regret,” Susannah said. “In fact, I don’t regret it even now, despite you being utterly impossible.”
“It’s coming up on the right,” Tess said, beating the SatNav to it by a few seconds. “And what do you mean you don’t regret it? Nobody ducks out of a second kiss like that with no reason.”
“I did have a reason. I was pausing, and it wasn’t about you. It was just…reacting to you. To that kiss. And it was very much worth taking a moment to reflect on. Until you jumped to the wrong conclusion, anyway.”
Tess told herself it was the bassline of the song hammering in her ears, but it was barely audible. The kiss wasn’t a regret. The kiss really had been worth taking a moment to appreciate. Did that mean Tess and her temper had skipped out much too soon? Did she really dare hope that the hot, powerful lady of the manor might still be open to yet further kissing? That was definitely something to find out. Preferably not while operating a moving vehicle.
“Well, it was the only conclusion available to me in the moment.” Tess had to hope that sounded like enough of an apology without actually being one.
Susannah opened her mouth as if she was going to argue, but she cleared her throat and nodded instead. “This is it,” she said. “We’re here.”