If the cottage looked like it belonged on some charmingly rustic lane in the English countryside, then the couple who welcomed them inside looked as if they belonged right with it, Elaine all apple-cheeked sweetness in a floury apron, Johnny large and booming with a broad English accent. It was entirely the opposite of what Rosario imagined when Lyra had first told her she'd been abducted while hitch-hiking with a giant man. In fact, the two of them looked so wholesome, in a kitchen painted with flowers and smelling of fresh baking, they might as well have walked straight out of a storybook.
Rosario didn't know what to do other than smile at them both diffidently and shake the hand that was offered her. "Yeah, uh, yeah, that's me. Good to meet you both."