The Stranger Next Door by Miranda Barnes Page A

start.'
    'Oh, that's a pity. I'm one of the few people who haven't met him yet.'
    'And I was looking forward to seeing him again,' Derek said. 'Our only other meeting was a bit of a breathless encounter.'
    Anna was disappointed, too. As she urged her visitors to sit down at the table, she couldn't help wishing a certain other person had been present as well.
    'Mum!' Lisa called moments later. 'Mum, can you come and help me, please?'
    Anna groaned. 'Excuse me just for a moment. Derek, can you pour the wine, please?'
    She hurried into the hall. 'What is it, Lisa?'
    She stopped, confronted by the sight of Lisa wielding a huge bunch of flowers.
    'Look what he's brought!'
    'Who …?' Anna eyes moved past the flowers and Lisa. 'Daniel!'
    'Not absolutely too late, I hope?'
    'Of course not,' she assured him, reaching forward to kiss his cheek.
    Too late, aghast, she thought, Oh! What am I doing?
    But Daniel just smiled.
    'Mum! They're heavy,' Lisa complained.
    'Into the kitchen with them. Daniel, come and meet my other guests.'
    'Daniel Ferguson,' Anna said proudly. 'Here he is, Pippa. He's come after all.'
    It went well from the start. Derek stood up to shake Daniel's hand. Pippa gave him one of her very best smiles. And Daniel …. Daniel was fun.
    'Sorry I'm late everyone. I got lost.'
    'Coming here?' Pippa asked.
    'Coming here. The light was appalling.'
    'Oh, Daniel!' Anna protested, laughing.
    'It's easy done,' Pippa pointed out. 'Isn't it, Derek?'
    'Easy,' Derek agreed. 'Many's the time, coming back from The Original Oak, I've lost my way.'
    'Sometimes,' Daniel said portentously, 'a man just needs help.'
    'Spot on!' Derek agreed.
    'I'll bring the rice,' Anna announced, hurrying away.
    'So, Daniel, you're leaving the Army?' Derek said. 'Or you've already left. Any plans?'
    'First to get well again. Then to enjoy my life here.'
    'Sounds good to me.'
    'You're going to stay?' Pippa asked.
    'Oh, yes.' He threw Anna a smile. 'If my neighbours will let me, that is.'
    'That's asking a lot,' Anna said.
    'I know, I know! You have a lot to put up with.'
    'Well,' Pippa said, 'if you get chucked out, move into the village. We're very friendly down there – not like these snobbish folk up on the hill.'
    'That's very kind of you, Pippa.'
    'Cheek!' Anna protested.
    'Army pension good enough to live on?' Derek asked.
    'Derek!' Pippa protested.
    'Certainly,' Daniel said. 'Better than you'll get eventually from local government, I would think.'
    'That wouldn't be hard! Anyway you chaps certainly earn it.'
    'But I plan to work for a living anyway.'
    'Oh?' Pippa said. 'Get a job, you mean?'
    'Start a business.'
    'Really?'
    'I have half a mind to open a shop.'
    'Selling what?'
    'Fishing rods.'
    'Are you serious?' Anna asked.
    'Absolutely. I've noticed Branton doesn't have many shops like that.'
    'Hardly any,' Derek agreed.
    Pippa began to laugh. After taking a moment to recover, Anna went for the rhubarb crumble.

 
    Chapter Seventeen
     
    The next morning Anna ran into Pippa in the village shop.
    'We really enjoyed last night, Anna.'
    'Good. So did I.'
    They peered at the vegetables together. Pippa grimaced.
    'They're not up to much, are they?' Anna whispered with resignation, gazing at the baskets of tired carrots and shrivelled cabbages.
    'Terrible! And so pricey, too. I wish I'd asked Derek to get some in town. I bet you're looking forward to being able to drive to the supermarket.'
    'They have a lot better choice, don't they? But the money I save on the veg, I'll probably spend on the petrol.'
    'That's true. Anyway, we have to buy some things here. We've got to keep Rhoda going. Otherwise, there won't be a village shop when we want that extra loaf or we've run out of milk.'
    They wandered on to the canned vegetable shelf. Baked beans or mushy peas, Anna wondered. Or sweet corn?
    'You've been a naughty girl!' Pippa whispered fiercely.
    'Me? What have I done?'
    'Keeping secrets.'
    'I don't have any secrets to keep, Pippa, and I wouldn't be able