The prospect of heading back to the pub to sit in her room didn’t hold much appeal, so she found herself agreeing, and followed him up the steps to the front door. They entered a wet room, where he kicked his boots off and placed them on a bench. Elle did the same with hers and wiggled her toes in delight at the sudden freedom of escaping her heavy walking boots. She glanced around and saw a hat rack with a few different caps and hats hanging on it, and a long farmer’s coat, much like the Australian oilskins back home.

The front hall was almost empty, with just a small table and mirror, and a huge round rug on the floor. Then, as they walked through to the kitchen and dining room, Stuart’s tasteful decorating took Elle by surprise. It didn’t look like a house he had inherited from his grandparents—unlike at Gran’s place, he clearly hadn’t been sentimental about holding onto all their old furniture. The artwork and furnishings were modern and sleek. His kitchen looked like it had recently been renovated, with a huge marble-topped island bench the feature of the open room. The appliances shone and a huge oven, double the size of anything Elle had ever seen, dominated the opposite wall.

‘I take it you like to entertain?’

He followed her gaze across to the oven and gave another of those lopsided grins she’d liked earlier. ‘Not really. I do like to cook, but my friend who oversaw the interior design for me decided it would give the place a better resale value if it had an entertainer’s kitchen.’

‘That sounds like something my mother would do. Your friend and her would get along great,’ she said with a droll glance, and saw Stuart’s his mouth twitch in a slight smile.

‘Tea or coffee?’ he asked, waiting for her decision as he opened a high cupboard.

‘Coffee, thanks, if you have it.’

‘Not a big tea drinker?’

‘Not really. My gran was, but I tend to only have it when I’m sick,’ Elle said, still taking in the room around her.

‘When you’re sick?’ he queried.

‘Gran would always tuck us up on her lounge if we were home from school sick, with a dressing gown and a hot cup of tea.’ She smiled at the memory.

‘You and your gran were close,’ Stuart said, more pointing out a fact than asking a question.

‘Yes, we are … were.’ It was complicated.

‘I was close to my grandparents too. Probably a lot closer than I am with my parents, actually.’

‘Do you have any brothers and sisters?’

‘No. Just me. How about you?’

‘I have three. Two brothers and a sister.’

‘Wow, big family.’

‘Yeah, I guess.’