The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde

Jane, at least during the week, that was his responsibility, not hers.
    ‘Jane!’ said Bella when she found her. ‘How lovely to see you. How are you?’ Bella hadn’t called round since the awkward drinks, and so much had happened since, it seemed a long time ago.
    Jane looked round from where she was tying a delphinium to a stake, her shirtwaister dress blending in well with the blue of the flower. She tucked a wisp of hair back into her chignon and smiled.
    ‘I’m very well, thank you! And do you know? I find I quite enjoy having someone else in the house.’
    ‘Well, that’s good!’ said Bella, laughing.
    ‘I was rather dreading it, but Dominic is very good – he’s not in a lot and when he is, he cooks for me as often as I cook for him.’
    ‘So I should hope!’ Bella found she was not exactly pleased that Dominic had got on to such good terms with his great-aunt so soon.
    ‘Let’s go into the house. Needless to say, I made a cake.’
    ‘So,’ said Bella a little later, having sampled the cake, ‘what can I do for you?’
    Jane laughed. ‘I missed your company, of course, but I really wanted to know if you could recommend a good builder. Dominic said he found some patches of damp when he went up to the top floor. We’d like to have it looked at.’
    ‘Sure! I know some lovely firms. If you are going to have work done you’ll need to get a couple of estimates at least.’
    ‘Dominic said he’d sort all that out, if you can just give us some names of reliable people.’
    Bella got out a pen and some paper and began writing things down.
    ‘So how have you been, dear?’ said Jane when Bella had handed her the names. ‘Anything exciting to tell me?’ She had an expectant look, and Bella realised that Dominic must have said something about her so-called engagement.
    ‘Well, now you come to mention it . . .’
    ‘Yes? Should I buy a hat?’
    Bella relaxed and laughed. ‘Not yet, that’s for sure.’
    ‘So you are engaged, but not officially, that’s what Dominic said.’
    ‘Dominic’s right, but I wish he’d let me tell you myself.’ She sighed.
    ‘To be fair, he assumed I knew.’
    ‘Well, it’s very recent – in fact I’m not sure I am, really.’ Jane looked at her quizzically. ‘Nevil more or less announced that we were going to get married. He didn’t actually ask me in so many words. I haven’t said yes or no. But because I haven’t said no, I suppose I’ve agreed to it.’
    Jane frowned. ‘You don’t look every enthusiastic, my dear. Surely most young women are excited at the prospect of getting married.’
    Bella shrugged. ‘It’s put me into a bit of a whirl.’
    Jane nodded, obligingly not asking more questions, possibly picking up that this was not a cheerful topic of conversation for Bella. ‘Did you know? I’m going to be eighty-five next week.’
    ‘Really?’ Bella was genuinely surprised. ‘I suppose it’s all the gardening that keeps you so fit, but I’d have put you in your early seventies.’
    Jane had a timeless quality to her; she still wore the cotton dresses she would have adopted in her fifties and she had probably also had her chignon, white now, for a long time.
    Jane smiled. ‘Well, thank you, but I do have to think about my position here, I think.’
    ‘Dominic’s been getting to you!’ said Bella instantly.
    ‘Really, he hasn’t. But it is a big house and I can’t manage the entire garden myself. I’ve let a large section go to grass. It would be better if this house had someone living in it who wanted a lot of garden – more garden than I can cope with.’
    A thought came to Bella, but it would take so much tactful arranging that she mentally filed it under ‘good ideas but just too difficult’. ‘Well, don’t move until you absolutely have to. And you could always get help with the garden.’
    Jane nodded. ‘I will when I find someone I can trust to do what I would have done myself. Aiden – your friend – is very good,