Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt Page B

deepened. “We’re a state school. We don’t need brochures.” He pronounced it
bro-shurs
, putting equal emphasis on both syllables.
    â€œJust a thought,” Lucy murmured, and he brandished a piece of paper at her.
    â€œI have a draft of an e-mail here. It’s to the board of governors. There’s a meeting next week, and I need them all to receive the agenda. Could you forward this to the board? The addresses should be in the contacts folder on the e-mail server.”
    â€œI probably can manage that,” Lucy answered. E-mail she could do.
    â€œThank you,” he said, his voice terse, and he turned to head back to his office.
    â€œA bunch of us are going to the pub tonight,” Lucy called after him. The words popped out of her mouth before she could think better of them, or consider her motive. “Just for a drink after work. Why don’t you join us?”
    Slowly he turned around. He looked, Lucy thought, rather dumbfounded by her invitation. “Thank you, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œPeople like to relax at those kinds of social occasions,” he answered stiffly. “If I was there, they wouldn’t be able to.”
    â€œBecause you’re the boss or because—” She stopped suddenly, biting her lip. Behind her Maggie had stopped shuffling papers and was clearly listening to this exchange with avid interest.
    â€œBecause?” Alex prompted, his frown fast becoming a scowl.
    â€œYou’re a bit . . . stern,” Lucy allowed, and Maggie suppressed something that sounded like a cross between a cough and a laugh. Alex stared at her for a long moment and Lucy wondered if she was about to get fired.
    â€œOnly a bit?” he finally said, and to her amazement his mouth quirked upwards in the tiniest of smiles. Lucy stared at him in shock, and then grinned back. Alex Kincaid had actually made a joke.
    â€œEnjoy your night out,” he said quietly, his expression back to its usual stony stare, and he returned to his office, closing the door behind him.
    Shaking her head again, Lucy turned back to the computer and from behind her she heard Maggie rustle papers.
    â€œNow, that was interesting,” Maggie said, and Lucy decided not to ask what she meant.
    An exhausting but fairly productive day’s work later, Lucy was closing down the office, the children having all spilled out of the school an hour ago, and was ready to head to the pub with a few of the teachers. Maggie had taken off after lunch, claiming Lucy could handle everything that came her way, although Lucy wasn’t convinced of that. She’d managed to disconnect three calls—two of them meant to go through to Alex—and logging the afternoon register—something she didn’t see the point of—had taken the better part of an hour.
    At half past two Alex had come out of his office to inform her he would take his own calls. Meekly, Lucy had agreed. Transferring calls was not turning out to be one of her skills.
    Now Diana, the red-haired Year Five teacher, waited for her by the door. “So, how are you finding Cumbria?” she asked as they left the school together.
    Lucy thought of the endless rain and wind, her sister’s glare and ensuing silence. “I like it so far. I think.”
    â€œSo what made you come all this way, then?” Diana asked as she buttoned up her coat. The wind blowing off the sea felt like it was straight from Iceland, which, considering their location, it probably was. “I know you have a sister here, Juliet, but it’s an awful long way from America.”
    â€œI was at a loose end, and I thought I’d like a change.” Diana nodded, and thankfully didn’t press. Lucy imagined telling her, or anyone, the full, unvarnished truth. “What about you?” she asked. “You don’t sound like a local, either.”
    â€œNot