by M A Comley
“Bloody hell, I could stand here mesmerised by this display for hours on end.”
He smiled. “Most of the visitors say the same.”
“I’m not surprised. How do your parents feel about people traipsing all over their grounds?”
“They accepted it’s a necessary evil. It takes a fair amount to maintain the mansion.”
“I can imagine. Show me more.” There was a thrill shooting through her veins. She could never have imagined being fortunate enough to date someone with this amount of history to their name, let alone be marrying them. She considered herself a very lucky girl indeed.
They rounded a slight mound and slipped into a wooded area. Something caught her attention through the trees. Her heart sank when she realised it was Jake and he was heading their way, carrying a gun. She gripped Matthew’s arm tighter. He sensed her tensing beside him and patted her hand.
“It’s okay, it’s only Jake. He often comes out here to shoot the game.”
“Ugh…how awful. I hate the thought of innocent creatures being murdered for pleasure.”
“Hardly, but I’m not going to get into an argument about that and spoil our wonderful day together.”
She stopped and stared at him. “Are you telling me you’re pro hunting?”
“Most people are in our situation.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice rising through the octaves.
Jake was closer now. He deliberately took a shot. Lucy squealed and shook her head.
“Was that for my benefit?” she seethed.
“Nope. Enjoy your walk,” he replied, going past them back to the house.
“What’s wrong with you?” Matthew placed a hand either side of her face.
She turned her head away. “Nothing. I hate guns and what they stand for. Nothing ever good happens when someone fires one. I’m sorry if I’m not conforming to what you guys think…”
“It’s okay. Please, if you have a differing opinion to us on hunting then so be it. The last thing I’d want to do is fall out with you about it, Lucy.”
She held his hand tightly. “Promise me you won’t go hunting in the future?”
He shook his head. “I can’t promise that. We have certain traditions we need to uphold.”
She stormed away, in the direction of the gatehouse, she hoped.
He caught up with her within seconds. “Lucy, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so against guns? Speak to me, please.”
A vivid image ran through her mind. Patrick holding a handgun to her head, threatening to pull the trigger. The day he started torturing her like that was the day she realised she had to get away from him and the day she started planning his demise. But how could she tell her fiancé that? The truth was, she couldn’t, not if she wanted to still be in his life.
“I can’t explain it, sorry, it’s something that has stuck with me from my childhood. I respect animals and their place on this earth. I wish other people did the same. I don’t want to fall out with you about this, Matthew, just don’t ever try to include me in any hunts in the future. Okay?”
He raised his hands and took a step back. “You have my word. I’m not one for forcing people to believe in things against their will.”
“Good. Would you mind taking me home now?”
“What about the tour of the house?” He seemed shocked by her announcement.
That’s tough. I need to get away from here. I know I’m overreacting, but it’s been a hell of a week, and now this. I can’t be around people who take pleasure in robbing defenceless creatures of their lives. It isn’t fair, and I want no part of it.
“Please, Lucy, won’t you calm down?” he asked from his seat on the bed. He watched her strip off and replace his clothes with the dress Trisha had lent her.
“I’m perfectly calm. I need to go home.”
“And I’ll drive you. Tell me we’re okay, Lucy? I couldn’t bear it if we fell out over something so…”
She rounded on him, her anger mounting, and finished off his sentence for him. “What? Trivial? Just leave it, Matthew. If you value our relationship, you’ll leave this topic well alone in the future, unless you’re telling me that I’m not allowed to have an opinion of my own now that we’re engaged.”
“Whoa! Talk about going over the top. Where the hell is all this coming from? One minute we were enjoying a wonderful walk together, and the next all this has blown up. I don’t understand and I’m not likely to unless you confide in me.”
“I’ve stated my reasons already. If you choose to ignore or discount what I’ve said, then there’s no hope for us.”
He marched out of the room. Tears pricked, and she had to fight hard to prevent them from falling. She realised she was probably taking things to the extreme but she was battling what she’d been subjected to in the past. She left it a few minutes and then followed him out of the room. Matthew was leaning against the back of the sofa, shaking his head. She walked up behind him and placed her hands around his waist.
“I’m so sorry.”
He swivelled and hooked his arms over her neck. “No, I should be the one to apologise. It’s obvious we have a lot to learn about each other. Do you want to call the wedding off?”
Her eyes widened. “Do you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then let’s ignore what happened today and move on with our lives.”
“If only it were that simple. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I won’t allow you to dictate what I can and can’t be involved in. Countering that, I will never do the same to you. Is that clear?”
“Okay, if that’s the way it has to be. I’d like to go home now.”
“If that’s what you want. I’m sorry the day was spoilt.”
“Why? You didn’t spoil it, Jake did.”
“Jake was doing what comes naturally to him, to us.”
She swallowed noisily. “If I love you then I’ll have to accept there are grave differences between us.”
“Differences that you’re going to have to adapt to, or…”
“Or our marriage will fail, is that what you were going to say?”
“Possibly. I’d hate it to be that way.”
“Maybe it would be a good idea if we took a break from each other for a week or two, if that’s how you feel.”
His arms dropped, and he pushed away from her and headed for the door. “Are you ready?”
She wanted to break down and cry, tell him that she regretted her actions and her snarky comments, but she couldn’t. She had made a vow to herself that she would never be subservient to a man ever again. She had a mind of her own and she was determined that no man would alter her way of thinking about anything in the future.
Lucy followed Matthew out to the car. The tension on the journey home was palpable. He dropped her off outside Trisha’s house and left without giving her a farewell kiss. She unlocked the door and let herself in. Trisha was waiting for her, her arms open wide for her to walk into. Trisha knew, how, she didn’t have a clue, but she knew things had gone desperately wrong between them.
“Come on, don’t cry. Tell Auntie Trisha all about it.”
Her friend led her into the kitchen. She poured a couple of glasses of brandy and handed one to Lucy who downed her shot in one go.
“I’ve screwed up,” Lucy moaned.
“Jesus, I’m not sure how you make that out. Look at the size of the rock you’re wearing.”
“I might as well take it off. I’ve ruined things between us.”
“I thought something was up when he dropped you off without kissing you goodbye. Want to talk about it?”
They sat in the kitchen, and she spilled everything over two cups of coffee.
“Go you for standing up for yourself. I hate any form of hunting, too,” Trisha said, emptying her cup at the sink.
“But is it good to have principles when there is so much on offer? And I don’t mean the money side of things. His love and ador
ation I was talking about.”
“You don’t have to point that out to me, I know you’re no gold digger. The truth is, I don’t know how you’re going to get around it unless you sit down and thrash it out with him. I’m sure you’d be able to meet a compromise between you, if that’s what the pair of you want.”
“It’s what I want, not sure about him. Things were really tense between us.”
“Doh! I could see that for myself. My advice would be to leave it a day or so, see if he calls you first. If not, then you’re going to have to be the one to reach out to him—if you want to continue seeing him, that is.”
“I do. I’ve never felt like this before, I know we’re right for each other. But I refuse to give up on my principles.”
“Then you’re going to be at an impasse, Lucy.”
She covered her face with her hands and growled, then she dropped her hands again. “Me and my big mouth. I think it was the shock of seeing Jake coming at us with a loaded gun in his hands…”
“And it brought back the dreadful memories, yes?”
“Yes.”
Trisha stared into the distance as if contemplating what to say next. Eventually, she said, “Well, now, don’t go biting my head off when I say this, but maybe you should confide in him.”
“Oh God! I couldn’t! Not yet. Maybe a few months or years down the line, but not now. The last thing I’d want to do is scare him off.”
“I promise you, I don’t suppose you could ever do that. He’s head over heels in love with you.”
“So much so that he neglected to kiss me goodbye after a silly little tiff? That’s what I’m struggling to come to terms with. I need to get out of these clothes. Thanks for lending me the dress, sweetie, everyone loved it.”
“Okay, but once you’ve got your Sunday slouchies on, I want an in-depth account of what happened with the parents and how Matthew proposed to you.”
“I’d rather forget about it and talk about something else, if that’s all right with you?”
Trisha smiled and shrugged. “Whatever you want to do is fine by me, love.”
Lucy bashed a clenched fist against her temple. “Actually, what I really need to do is go and pay Keith a visit.”
“I’ll take you if you want. Any news on when you can pick up your car?”
“I’ve arranged to collect it in my lunch hour on Monday, if I get one.”
“You’ve gotta eat. You’ll have to shut up shop for an hour.”
“We’ll see. I can always postpone picking it up. I’ll play it by ear and see what Keith has to say first.”
12
An hour later, Trisha drew up outside Shirley and Keith’s house. Trisha remained in the car while Lucy entered the couple’s beautiful home. Tears filled her eyes the moment she laid eyes on all the photos of the extremely happy couple sitting on every surface. Keith may have smiled to greet her, but the smile soon disappeared. He seemed like a lost soul as he moved around the downstairs, going from room to room as they spoke.
“Keith, why don’t I make you a drink?” Lucy asked, fearing for his state of mind.
“I don’t want a drink. All I want is to know why? Why my Shirley of all people? The police said nothing was taken, so why? And where were you? You should’ve been there with her.” He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction.
“Please, please don’t blame me. You can’t make me feel any worse than I do already. Shirley wasn’t only my boss, she was one of my dearest friends.”
“Phooey! You barely knew her. I’ve loved that woman half my life. They’ve been the happiest years I’ve spent on this earth, and now…she’s gone.” His shoulders dipped, and he bowed his head.
Lucy was unsure what to do next, whether to cross the room and comfort him or remain where she was. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Shirley insisted that I should go at lunchtime. I had an appointment and, as it was busy in town, she decided to work on.”
“I know. She rang me. Oh God, if I miss her this much already, what the fuck am I going to feel like a week from now, and beyond?”
“They say time is a great healer…”
He waved the suggestion away. “Bullshit. Don’t go spouting that rubbish, not within spitting distance of me, Lucy.”
“I’m sorry.” She sighed, her own emotions getting the better of her.
They sat there in a tension-filled, poignant silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Keith blew his nose on a man-sized tissue and straightened his back. “There’s the business to consider in all of this. I don’t want anything to do with it. I have a career of my own to contend with. Any suggestions?”
“I haven’t had a chance to think about that side of things yet. Umm…if you’re asking if I’d be willing to carry on working there, then yes, without a doubt, the answer would be yes.”
The words were barely out of her mouth.
“That’s settled then. You can run it for me. I’ll promote you to manager. We’ll have to discuss the ins and outs about the salary and so forth another time when my head is somewhat clearer.”
“Oh my! Well, if you’re sure?”
“I am. Shirley had nothing but good things to say about you and your work ethic. Don’t let me down, Lucy.”
“I won’t. I swear I won’t. Umm…you want me to run the place single-handedly?”
“Of course not, you’ll be responsible for advertising and interviewing for a girl Friday as it were. Are you up to that?”
“I think so. Keith, I promise you, I won’t let you down. I’ll do this for Shirley.”
“Thank you, I was hoping you’d say that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to continue calling the family to break the news. Then I’ll have the funeral arrangements to consider.”
“Will you be able to do that yet? What with the ongoing police investigation, I mean?”
“I don’t know. No one has told me a damn thing.”
“I could ring them for you, if you’d like me to?”
“Would you? I’d be grateful. I’m not sure I could handle speaking to that detective again. He was rather off when he broke the news, not what I’d call compassionate at all.”
“I’m sorry he treated you that way. Leave it to me. I’ll ring in the morning. Is there anything else I can do for you while I’m here?”
He rose from his seat and shook his head. “No. I’ll cope. Thanks for coming, Lucy, and for accepting the promotion.”
She walked towards him and hugged him. Keith hugged her back, tightly, enough to suffocate her a little.
“I’ll be off then. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, once I’ve spoken to the detective in charge.”
“Thank you. Shirley thought the world of you, I can see why now.”
“I loved her like a member of my family. The place won’t be the same without her smiling face around.”
He nodded. “I hear you on that. Thanks, Lucy, I apologise for laying the blame at your door earlier.”
“Don’t be. You know where to find me if you need to vent at all, okay?”
“Thanks. I just need to get through the next few weeks.”
“We both do,” she said, only her mind was on her own overwhelming circumstances.
She left the house and got back in the car.
Trisha tossed her Kindle aside and asked, “How did it go?”
“As expected. He’s asked me to run the place for him.”
“Wow, that’s so cool. Sorry, was I a little overenthusiastic about that?”
“Let’s go, and yes, a touch. I have to employ someone else. I’m supposed to take over my role straight away, and tomorrow I’ve volunteered to ring the detective in charge to see what’s going on with Shirley’s body.” She shuddered. “Keith wants to start making the arrangements for her funeral ASAP.”
“He’s not hanging around, is he?” Trisha drove away from the house.
“I think I’d be doing the same in his shoes. The poor man is beside himself. They meant the world t
o each other.”
“Any kids?”
“No, I’m not sure if that makes a difference or not. Less responsibility for him, but it also means there’s no one there to help see him through this.”
“You’re there.”
“I know. As if I don’t have enough on my plate already, eh?”
“You’re resilient, made of strong stuff, as you’ve proved time and time again over the years.”
“I hope you’re right. There’s only so much trauma a girl can take in her life, and up until now, I’d say I’ve had my fair share of it, right?”
“You’re not wrong. Fancy lunch out today? It’s on me.”
“You don’t have to do that. Umm…I need to go home and get changed first.”
“We both do. I insist, my treat.”
They dashed in, got changed, and then set off again. Lucy knew exactly what Trisha was up to. She was an expert in distraction techniques. Anything she could think of to keep Lucy from dwelling on her turbulent relationship and having to contend with Shirley’s death at the same time. They ended up at a small gastro pub on the outskirts of Bath. They were lucky to get in. The waitress squeezed them in at a table in the corner where they ate a hearty roast beef dinner, foregoing the dessert menu as they were too full.
After the meal, and with the sun finally making an appearance to brighten their day, Lucy suggested they take a stroll along by the river. They chatted and put the world to rights, talking about every subject that had reared its head in the last week or so. By the end of it, Lucy was adamant about what she should do about Matthew and sent him a text to apologise for her behaviour.
He must have been waiting for her to contact him because he replied instantaneously. Then he rang her as they got back in the car.
“I’m so glad you got in touch. I’ve been a lost soul without you.”
She sniggered. “I think that’s a slight exaggeration on your part, Matthew.”
“I swear it’s not. Look, I want to see you, but I’ve been called away on business. I have to go to Scotland for the week.”
“That’s a shame. It doesn’t matter. I have news of my own to share.”
“What’s that?”