She pushed away the thought of being an intruder and gazed along the length of the river stretched out in front of her. She could sit here if she wanted. Euan had told her to go where she liked. It was such a tranquil setting with a creative feel. It was easy to imagine Lucy would have liked it here. Maybe, if it was okay with Euan, she could spend some time at the studio. It would be the perfect place to sketch on a day with better light and she could leave her beads spread out on the table in the kitchen.

Keely pulled herself up. What was she thinking? She couldn’t expect Euan to extend his hospitality for much longer, although both Euan and Flynn had seemed happy for her to stay, at least until the Divine Wine and Dine weekend. She stood and made her way back to the house. The other night her mother had grilled her for several minutes on the Levallier men. It was when she’d started questioning their motives that Keely had become annoyed and made an excuse to end the call. She understood why her mother was worried but she wasn’t going to have the comfortable comradery she felt with Euan spoiled. She wasn’t ready to include Flynn in that statement but at least he was being civil most of the time.

She glanced up. The weather was looking as if a shower was imminent so she put her head down and quickened her steps.

Flynn appeared from between the rows just in front of her. He was looking the other way, inspecting one of the rose bushes that grew at the start of alternate rows of vines. She briefly toyed with the idea of ducking into another row to avoid him then decided she needed to be more confident where Flynn was concerned. She straightened her shoulders and strode on.

The rose bush was covered in young blooms and, as she came up behind him, Flynn stooped to sniff one.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they,” she said.

He jerked back as if he’d been pricked by a thorn. “A beautiful nuisance.”

“Oh…” Keely’s resolve flooded away and she felt awkward with him again.

“Lucy planted them.”

“Out here?”

“The roses supposedly foretell what is going to happen to the vines,” he said.

Keely looked from Flynn to the rose bush, totally lost for words now.

“Euan says they are the first to show water loss and bug infestation.”

“Are they?”

“I’d rather rely on checking the vines themselves,” he said. “The roses just get in the way.”

Keely looked down at her feet. Perhaps that’s what he was thinking about her. He’d only accepted her presence because Euan had asked him to.

“I’d better get going. Hugh needs some help replacing a pipe.”