The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (36 page)

She said, ‘whilst I’ve had people laugh at my jokes before, I’ve never had to perform the Enrich manoeuvre on them afterwards.’

Still laughing he looked up and into eyes that were bright with humour. The smile slowly slid from his face as he stared at her. Her own smile wavered then disappeared as she looked down. He was left looking at the top of her head as she continued eating her food. After a few seconds he also resumed eating. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, had she seen something in his eyes, had he seen the lust he had suddenly felt, or had she seen the same something that he had seen in the mirror earlier? The eyes of a predator. Whatever it was she’d seen it had wiped the smile of her face and caused her to become suddenly nervous.

They didn’t say much as they ate and when they’d finished he asked if she would like another drink. She seemed a little embarrassed as she looked at her lemonade. He said, ‘do you mind if I choose for you? I promise not to pick something that will give you a roaring hangover.’

She laughed, ‘then yes, please.’

He gestured to Bob who once again came hurrying over. Adela told him the food had been wonderful, and that spicy meatballs was indeed Iris’s speciality, and would she thank her on their behalf?

Well pleased he said he would pass on her message. Hennessey asked for another beer and a snowball for Adela.

‘Snowball’ said Adela, ‘that’s sounds nice.’

‘Have you never had one?’

‘Er, no, I don’t drink much. Just enough to stop the screaming in my head.’

He drew back and looked at her in amazement but she was looking over his shoulder her

face straight. Then she turned and looked at him and the smile she gave him was as

mischievous a smile as he’d ever seen. He twisted his lips in a grimace and said,

‘you really had me going there, I think you’re a little bit…’ he stopped and now it was

her turn to draw back in surprise but he finished, ‘naughty, Miss. Faraday.’

She said, ‘sorry about that, I couldn’t resist.’ She didn’t sound in the least contrite and he gave her another grimace. She laughed and said, ‘no, I don’t imbibe, except at Christmas perhaps, when we had punch or something, and then only a small amount.’

He tried not to laugh at her use of the word, “imbibe,” but said, ‘well, as I said, a snowball

is very low in alcohol. It won’t do you any permanent damage. It’s lady’s drink.'[

She laughed. He recalled her hesitation and embarrassment when deciding what to order. So, she was not a drinker, but there seemed more to it than that. Maybe she had been married to an alcoholic, or at least seen the effects of alcohol on people and was determined not to go that way.

The drinks came and he watched her face as she took her first sip of the snowball. She closed her eyes and licked her lips tentatively as if testing the taste. Then as though she found it to her liking she moved her tongue from one end of her lips to the other. Hennessey watched her closely; there was something infinitely sensual about the way she did that. She opened her eyes and said, ‘oh, that’s very nice, creamy.’

He smiled, ‘I’m world renowned for my talent in choosing lady’s drinks.’

She laughed heartily and any nervousness or wariness she had felt earlier when he had looked into her eyes had vanished.

The place began to fill up as Bob said it would, and a lot of people looked their way curiously. They talked, he about Mississippi and its history and places of interest, she about England and her home in Cornwall. She told him about her mother’s death, although she did not mention what she had died of. She said, ‘my brother now lives in my old home and they’re restoring it.’

‘You looked after your mother but she gave the house to your brother?’

‘Well, to both my brothers. David bought Daniel’s share.’

‘So you have nowhere to live when you return home?’

‘Oh yes, I bought a house just before I set out on my trip.’

‘Oh, so your mother left you enough money to do that.’

She looked down at her drink but not before he had seen the hurt, sad look in her eyes.

He said, ‘sorry, I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question.’

She looked up quickly, ‘no, it’s not that. My mother left me nothing in her will, I bought the house from my, er, savings.’ She did not want to tell this man, who was after all a stranger, about her win.

His voice was soft as he said, ‘I see. I’m sorry that your mother did that to you. I can see that it hurt.’

‘It did, but she was ill, very ill. At the end she didn’t really know what she was doing.’

Adele didn’t tell him that her mother had made out her will fifteen years previously, so obviously never had any intention of leaving Adela anything. That she must have hated her even then.

Hennessey thought, ah, it was the mother then who was the alcoholic.

She smiled suddenly, ‘but anyway, I bought this lovely old farmhouse in Tredegar, about five miles from where I was born and raised. It’s called Farriers Keep. Doesn’t that sound romantic?’

He smiled, ‘is that why you bought it, because the name sounds romantic?’

‘Of course.''

He laughed and she said, ‘no, I’m joking, well, partly joking. I’d seen this house many times on my walks as a child and promised myself that one day I was going to live there in Farrier’s Keep.’

‘And now you are.’

‘And now I am.’

‘So your childhood dream came true.’

‘Yes, which proves even seemingly impossible dreams can come true. You just have to be patient.’

‘And you’ll live there with your husband.’

Her face was pink, ‘I don’t have one of those.’

‘I meant when you do have one.’

‘Well, yes, probably.’ She grinned, ‘I’m not moving anyway.’

He laughed and she said she was going to get a dog, that she had always wanted a dog but her mother had not liked the mangy things. And she was going to buy a horse and learn to ride. He told her that if she had set her heart on a dog and a horse then he was sure she would get her hearts desire. That she seemed a very determined woman. She blushed and looked away across the room. He said that she would have to live up to the house’s name and learn how to shod horses and generally care for their feet. She said she hadn’t thought of that but she was sure she would enjoy doing it.

He asked more about Cornwall and Devon and she told him he must come there one day for a holiday and stay at Farrier’s Keep. She said he could stay in the loft space above the barn, she wouldn’t charge him too much for room and board and he laughed out loud. The fact that he was laughing a lot was not lost on him.

The door opened and Hennessey who was facing it looked up as he had done every time it had opened, it was a lesson he had learned over the years and had served him well.  It always paid to have a good view of the door and to watch and size up anyone who entered.

Most of those he observed had given them a cursory glance at first, but then had looked over with interest as Bob filled them in on who his companion was. But this time he stiffened as the figure entered and glanced around, his eyes coming to rest on the two of them.

CHAPTER 14.

    
Hennessey sat back in his seat and watched the man approach. Sheriff Taylor ignored Hennessey as he took off his hat and said, ‘good evening, Miss. Faraday.’

She looked up and smiled, ‘oh, good evening, Sheriff, it’s nice to see you again.’

‘Nice to see you too. I hope Bob has taken care of you.’

‘Yes indeed, Iris too. We’ve eaten here, we had the spicy meatballs. Delicious.’

‘Yes, she’s renowned for her food, especially anything spicy.’

He now looked at Hennessey and Adela said, ‘oh I’m sorry, this is Sterling Hennessey, he’s staying in Eden, at the Horse and Hind.’

The sheriff studied Hennessey’s face and Hennessey had the feeling that he was already aware of his name and that he was weighing him up and found him wanting. The sheriff was not as stupid as he looked.

The sheriff said, ‘can I ask your business here in Eden, Mr. Hennessey?’

Sheriff or not, Hennessey knew he had no legal reason to ask him that question, but it might seem odd if he refused to answer so said, ‘I’m just passing through on my way to North Carolina for a family wedding. I thought I would take time out to visit old haunts.’

‘You’re from these parts?’

‘I was born here in Mississippi but I now live in Texas.’

Lomax nodded but did not seem to be overly impressed that Hennessey was one of his own; on the contrary he seemed disappointed. He said, ‘well, welcome to Eden, Mr. Hennessey.’

His welcome was as insincere as Hennessey’s smile. ‘Thank you, sheriff.’

The sheriff said, ‘you’ll see Miss. Faraday safely home now, Mr. Hennessey.’

It wasn’t a request but an order and Hennessey had the sudden urge to punch the guy, instead he said, ‘of course, sheriff. You can rest assured she will be more than safe with me.’

Lomax held his eyes a moment longer then turned back to Adela, the hard lines of his face softening, ‘you have yourself a nice evening now, Miss. Faraday.’

‘Thank you, sheriff, you too.’

He nodded at her then at Hennessey but it was more a reinforcement of his earlier request that he keep her safe than a farewell.

Hennessey watched him walk away then turned to Adela who said, ‘he’s a very nice man. Do you know he sort me out on my first day here and welcomed me personally to Eden?’

‘Really? He certainly seems the kind of cop who goes above and beyond the call of duty.’

She laughed, ‘you mean you didn’t get the same welcome?’

‘'Fraid not.’

‘Obviously you’re not as important as me.’

He narrowed his eyes in mock impatience at her teasing, ‘obviously not. But you wouldn’t get the same treatment if you didn’t have that cute accent.’

‘Ah but I do, so that means I take precedence over you in this town, so there.’

He pursed his lips in exasperation and she laughed and after a second or two he joined in.

She said, ‘you know your name means money where I come from.’

‘Money?’

‘Yes, as in pounds Sterling.’

‘Really? Well I always wanted to be worth something.’

‘Although in the current climate you’re not worth as much as you once were.’

He laughed and wondered what five million dollars was worth in pounds Sterling.

Suddenly she yawned and immediately covered her mouth and said, ‘oh God, I’m so sorry, I don’t know where that came from.’

‘Must be the company.’ He reached into the back pocket of his pants for his wallet.

She blushed bright red and was very quick to reassure him, ‘oh no, not at all. I’ve enjoyed this evening very much and the company is excellent. Honestly I’m just…’

She broke off as the grin spread across his features and she realised he was teasing. She said, ‘you’re mean.’

He laughed, ‘sorry, I was just getting my own back for your comments about my not being worthy of the sheriff’s personal greeting.’

‘I know now why.’

He laughed again and said, ‘but you’ve obviously had a long day, what with all that sight seeing and confronting big bad truckers in diners, not to mention cleaning up after clumsy waitresses.’

Her smile faltered, ‘now that
is
mean, she was not clumsy just nervous. It was only her second day there.’

Again she had leapt to the defence of another, first Lando then the waitress. No, Desi was the first person she had protected and defended since she’d arrived in this country. She seemed to have a penchant for helping people. It probably stemmed from looking after the mean minded mother.

He said, ‘sorry, I was joking. But you’re right, it
was
mean.’

She smiled, ‘you’re forgiven. Besides, you helped us to clean up too, so you can’t be all bad.’

You’ll know soon enough how bad, Miss. Benevolent he thought, but smiled back and said, ‘well, I’d better walk you home, make sure you’re safe and sound, I don’t want to get my ass hauled off to jail by the dutiful sheriff.’

He could she was trying to figure out whether or not he was making fun of her again. He was, and the sheriff too, but he smiled as if he was joking and she returned it.

He threw enough cash on the table to pay for their meal and drinks plus a good tip.

She rummaged in her bag and said, ‘please, let me pay for this as a thank you for this afternoon, for helping me out, and the ride home.’

‘There’s no need to reward me for that.’

‘But you did me a favour and I’d like to repay you, please let me take care of this.’

He felt the irritation growing in him. He said brusquely, ‘look, I didn’t help you out or give you a ride for a free meal.
I
asked
you
to dinner and where I come from that means I pay, so unless you want to stand here and argue all night I’m paying, okay?’