Hideously self-conscious, she thanked them all again and was relieved when the conversation turned to the business again, which it invariably did when the whole Matthews family were together.
Later they wandered outside to check on some lambs that Ellie was hand-rearing and Brooke found herself alone with Jed’s mother.
‘Thank you for today,’ Brooke said shyly, leaning into the shed to look at the lambs. ‘The cake was delicious. A real treat.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ Ellie said quietly, slipping an arm through hers, her eyes warm. ‘I hope you consider yourself part of our family, Brooke.’
‘You’ve only known me for a few weeks,’ Brooke began, but Ellie shook her head with a smile.
‘Time doesn’t matter dear, it’s how you feel about someone that matters. You belong here. The whole family loves you.’
Brooke looked up, startled. Was she referring to her relationship with Jed? ‘Ellie—’
‘Can I ask you something?’ The older woman met her eyes frankly and Brooke bit her lip, wondering what was coming.
‘Of course.’
‘Do you love my son?’
Brooke stared at the lambs, feeling her colour rise. ‘Yes.’
‘I thought so.’ Ellie nodded calmly. ‘Thank you for being honest. So it’s not a lack of feeling that’s the problem, but a lack of trust. You don’t trust him, and I can hardly blame you for that, given your miserable experience of family life. Jed told me, by the way—I hope you don’t mind.’
Brooke shook her head and closed her eyes briefly. ‘I must have shocked you terribly…’
‘For falling for Jed like a stone? Hardly!’ Jed’s mother gave a snort. ‘I was the same about his father, let me tell you.’
‘Really?’ Brooke looked at her curiously. ‘Did you fall in love with him in one night?’
‘In one hour, actually.’ Ellie stared dreamily at the lambs, her mind far away. ‘I’d never been so bowled over by anybody. It was as if my mind and body were no longer under my control.’
‘That’s how I felt,’ Brooke said, and then groaned. ‘But, please, please, don’t tell him.’
Ellie sighed. ‘No, of course I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to, but if it’s any consolation I’m sure he loves you, too.’
Brooke swallowed. ‘Has he said so?’
‘No.’ Ellie was honest. ‘He would never discuss that sort of thing with me. But I do know that women have been chasing Jed since infant school and I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.’
‘That’s just because of Toby,’ Brooke said hoarsely, but Ellie shook her head.
‘I really don’t think so.’ She reached out and covered Brooke’s hand with her own. ‘I’m not interfering, dear. We may be a very close family but we each like our own space, Jed especially. It’s just that I’m very aware that you don’t have your own mother to lean on, and I want you to try and forget that I’m Jed’s mum. If you need a shoulder, then mine’s here, waiting for you.’
With a sniff Brooke gave the older woman a hug, her cheeks damp as she felt loved and accepted for the first time in her whole life.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly and, despite the earlier sunshine, it was raining heavily by the time Jed gave them a lift back to the cottage.
Brooke opened the door and stopped dead with a gasp of horror. ‘Oh, no, Jed!’
‘What’s the matter?’
Jed was right behind her with Toby, and he moved them to one side, looking down as he felt what she’d felt. The hall carpet was squishy with water. He glanced up at the huge damp circle in the ceiling and then took the stairs two at a time to Toby’s old bedroom. It wasn’t long before he came back down.
‘Part of the ro
of has come down and it’s brought the ceiling with it,’ he said flatly. ‘The water must have come through to the hall.’
Brooke shook her head in disbelief. ‘I don’t believe it. They said they’d mended it…’