‘The offer. I made the offer for Ravenscourt and you have accepted it.’
‘That’s not true,’ she burst out. ‘Oh, why do you torment me so? It’s a business that’s bought it. I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, but it’s not you, you don’t have enough money. You told me you didn’t; that you couldn’t afford to pay to use the house to photograph your brochure.’ She accused him before he could deny it.
He grabbed her hands, holding them tight in his own, determined now to have no more misunderstandings.
‘Lorna, you have decided that I have no money. You have decided that I don’t love you but swallowed my revulsion and kissed you, and later when you were most vulnerable after Daisy’s birth, said I loved you so I could get my hands on Ravenscourt. Admit it.’ He shook her hands impatiently. ‘Both of us have been badly hurt and we’re like two hedgehogs that can’t get near each other because we’re too prickly to trust each other’s feelings. Why can’t you accept that I love you? Even if you hadn’t inherited Ravenscourt, I would still love you.’
She looked bewildered, as if she assumed this was some trick. Like him, she’d built a wall around her emotions, protecting them from further pain, but he was determined to knock them down.
‘But Nathan, you said you had cash flow problems, you haven’t…’ she paused, looking embarrassed, ‘well, you haven’t made an offer you won’t be able to honour, have you?’
‘Of course not.’ He sounded offended, then checked himself. He explained that he had said that he couldn’t afford to pay the rent on a suitable venue for his brochure, which was true at the time, but that now he had rearranged his financial affairs and he had the funds. He said more gently.
‘Lorna, you, and perhaps Gloria and Rosalind, have decided I have no money and perhaps my way of life confirms this. A man of my age living with his mother, cooking hams,’ he laughed. ‘I have a few Internet businesses of my own, with partners. I put them aside when my father became ill and I had to sort out his affairs. I told you that, but maybe you didn’t take it in. My marriage broke up, I sold my flat in London, walked out of my job.’
‘It sounds worse and worse,’ she said.
He linked his arms round her waist, smiling at her. ‘I need somewhere of my own to live and to run my business from, so I made the offer for Ravenscourt.’
She did not look convinced. ‘My ex-husband’s mind was changed by being given anti-depressants and I’ve lost trust in people. Inheriting Ravenscourt panicked me; I must sell it and you say you made the offer I’ve just accepted, but I’m sorry, it doesn’t sound as if you have enough money to cover it.’
‘I promise it’s fine,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve just sold one of my Internet businesses for a fortune, a holiday letting thing, so I’ve plenty of money for Ravenscourt. I plan to expand and move my food business to it, get someone else to run it. Beth, perhaps,’ he watched her.
‘I see, so it all worked out for you in the end,’ she said quietly.
‘Not quite.’ He stroked back her hair, which the wind had blown over her face. ‘None of it will work unless I have you.’ He held his hands out to her and she saw that his wedding ring was no longer on his finger ‘I love you,’ he said pulling her to him, ‘I want it all, you and Ravenscourt, together.’
He saw the joy in her face, slight at first, as if she couldn’t quite believe it. She said, ‘But surely there are other women you’d rather be with.’
‘Of course there are other women,’ he said in exasperation, ‘but I don’t want other women. I want you, in that huge, pink nightdress and those long, black boots, they were a real turn on,’ he laughed, kissing her.
At last they drew apart and, holding hands, they walked over the field and back through the trees. There was Ravenscourt, lit by the winter sun as if it were waiting patiently for the next phase in its history. Nathan put his arms round her, holding her close, ‘We shall save Ravenscourt together,’ he said, as he kissed her.
Epilogue
Christmas At Ravenscourt
A whole year had gone and what a year it had been starting with Daisy’s birth then coming together with Nathan and the two of them saving Ravenscourt. Lorna stood outside the house now in the dark, the snow falling silently around her. She shut her eyes a moment and could feel the silence around her and the cold touch of the snow flakes on her face.
She’d come from Clara’s cottage with Nathan’s Christmas present; a cheerful Norfolk terrier. He loved dogs but Gloria told her he wouldn’t have another one until he was settled somewhere. This was her surprise present for him. She’d chosen – or rather the puppy had chosen her – from a litter of a friend’s dog. She’d decided to give him to Nathan today, Christmas Eve.
The lights from the windows of Ravenscourt glowed out in the dark. It was only teatime and soon the curtains would be drawn, locking in the magic of the house, the feeling that all the slumbering memories of the past years had been given new life.
She lingered a moment outside the massive front door flanked by two carriage lamps, lighting up the wreath hanging from the brass knocker. Lorna smiled. When she opened the front door this time, there’d be no film extras acting out ‘happy’ guests, no room concocted in the corner of a bleak warehouse, no glitzy paper hiding imagined presents.
She opened the door. The puppy pulled forward on his lead, barking an introduction. The hall was garlanded in fresh evergreen leaves with fruit, berries and gold painted walnuts threaded through them. A huge, sparkling tree stood by the stairs; logs glowed in the fireplace, the scent of apple wood mingled with the sweet smell of roasting ham. There were sounds of people laughing, of music. Fergus, she thought fondly, this is how you wanted it to be, I wish you were here to share it with us.
Kit, Nathan’s son, ran by, closely followed by Marcus. She heard Gloria’s infectious laugh coming from the drawing room. Marcus stopped and whirled round to face her.
‘A puppy.’ His face lit up, he called to Kit and then they were all there; Sonia, Gloria, Justin and Ellie, Rosalind with Ivan (happily back together), and their daughters, Adrian here with his sister for Christmas on one of his frequent visits back home, and Flora carrying Daisy, who shrieked with excitement when she saw the terrier, who nearly wagged his bottom off with delight at being the star of the show.
‘What’s happening?’ Nathan came down the stairs; she smiled at him over the heads of the others.
‘Just your Christmas present,’ she said.
The others stood back and Nathan came into the hall. The little dog watched him with excitement. He put his arm round her as the puppy jumped up at him, licking his hand. Who would have thought so much could have happened in a year? She was so happy, complete again, surrounded by her children, her granddaughter, Nathan, the man she loved, and her best friends. This year, Christmas at Ravenscourt would be a triumph.
A Letter from Mary
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for choosing Difficult Husbands, I hope you enjoyed reading my novel just as much as I loved writing it.
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Mary
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