T P P Hl

by SJ

  Sebastian had come into the sitting room, wiping his hands, and he took the phone from Fleur. ‘Rose…how lovely to hear from you! How are you…?’ There was a pause, then, ‘As a matter of fact, I’m doing some decorating for someone at the moment. I was up a ladder when you rang.’ He smiled briefly as he listened, then, ‘Oh…it’s someone called Fleur…Fleur Richardson…she’s been staying at Pengarroth Hall recently…yes…no… She’s actually a friend of Mia’s. Yes…another friend of Mia’s. I don’t think you’ve ever met.’ He raised his eyes at Fleur apologetically, but didn’t interrupt his grandmother again as she continued speaking. Then, ‘Oh…yes, I see. Well…’ he glanced at his watch ‘…I could come over later—maybe about six… What? I don’t know…I’ll ask her but…just a minute…’ He put his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘My grandmother is begging me to go over to her flat later on because she’s got someone staying with her who needs some advice about something.’ He frowned briefly. ‘I don’t like to refuse because the man has been a good friend to our family, and his time’s limited because apparently he’s flying back to Australia tomorrow.’

  ‘Then you must go,’ Fleur said at once. ‘The painting can wait, Sebastian. There are more important things in life.’

  ‘Yes, but I’ve been instructed to bring you as well,’ Sebastian said and, as she went to decline, added, ‘Please say you’ll come, Fleur…’

  Fleur hesitated, but only for a moment. ‘Oh, go on, then,’ she said. ‘If you really want me to.’ Well, how could she have refused? Sebastian already knew that she was not going anywhere that night.

  He raised his thumb at her briefly, telling his grandmother that they’d be there later on, then switched off the phone.

  ‘Really, there’s no need for me to be involved,’ Fleur said. ‘It’s you they want to see, Sebastian…’

  ‘On the contrary. As soon as my grandmother knew I was with a young woman, that was it. She insisted that you come too, says she needs livening up. And when Rose has spoken, everyone obeys!’ He smiled across at her. ‘Actually, you’d like her, Fleur. She’s a real character…and…she meant a great deal to me at a certain point in my life.’

  ‘Mia has often spoken to me about her,’ Fleur said. ‘I always felt quite envious because I never knew my grandparents.’

  ‘Well, I’ll be delighted to introduce you to mine. Well, to one of them,’ Sebastian said, going back into the kitchen and taking up the paintbrush again. ‘Rose is in a class all of her own.’

  Fleur watched as the elderly lady leaned forward to pour some sherry into two glasses, before handing one to her and sitting down opposite.

  ‘Now, my dear,’ Rose said without preamble. ‘With the two men out of the way in the other room talking business, you must tell me all about yourself. You’re a friend of Mia’s, I understand, rather than a friend of Sebastian’s, I mean?’

  Fleur smiled inwardly. The significance of the remark was not lost on her. It was obvious that Rose thought there might be more to this than met the eye. But it was impossible not to warm to the old lady. She was a handsome, tall and elegant woman, her abundant silver-grey hair swept on top in a knot, and with her slender figure, immaculate make-up and pearl nail polish she reminded Fleur of one of the veteran actresses regularly seen in television dramas. She was wearing a cashmere dress in the softest lavender, and on her feet were smart high-heeled black patent leather shoes. The complete picture of a well-to-do lady, Fleur thought.

  ‘I suppose I’m a friend of them both,’ she replied in answer to Rose’s question, ‘though of course I’ve known Mia a lot longer because we were at school together.’ She sipped from her glass. ‘I was very kindly invited to stay at Pengarroth Hall for Christmas, and for a while after that…and Sebastian was there as well, so we do know each other a little better now…’

  Rose nodded, her clear blue eyes fixed thoughtfully on Fleur, and although this might normally have made the girl feel uncomfortable, somehow it didn’t. She couldn’t help feeling perfectly at ease.

  ‘Tell me what you do…where you live, Fleur. And you must forgive me for my questioning…but other people’s lives are so much more interesting than one’s own, don’t you think? Especially when one is older.’

  Fleur found herself explaining everything about herself, surprised at how uninhibited she was feeling. She wasn’t usually this relaxed with strangers.

  ‘So you see,’ she concluded at last, ‘Mia and I go back a long way, and she is the best friend anyone could have. I value her friendship so much.’

  ‘And how did you get on with my grandson? I know he can be…difficult…sometimes.’ Rose’s question demanded an answer! ‘I worry about him a little.’

  ‘Sebastian has been very kind to me,’ Fleur said at once. ‘I was made extremely welcome in Cornwall, and I think they’ve got the most beautiful estate. And Pat, too, was lovely to me. I had a great time.’

  Rose sighed briefly and leaned back in her chair for a moment. ‘It’s just that Sebastian is sometimes misjudged by people who don’t know him, and I want him to be happy. To be understood. I want people to like him—because he deserves to be liked.’

  ‘I don’t think that I find him difficult to understand,’ Fleur began.

  Rose went on, ‘He was always a complete mystery to his parents, you know, because he was a bit wild in his younger days.’ She paused. ‘But he was—and I’m sure still is—very idealistic, and could never see why some people appear to have so much of this world’s goods, and others not. He disliked the idea of inherited wealth, you see. Then, just when he left university, he disappeared—for two whole months! Can you believe it? Nearly drove his mother potty! He left a note saying that they weren’t to worry, that he was perfectly all right, but that he needed to be by himself to think things over.’ Rose took another sip from her glass, while Fleur listened with growing interest. Yes, Sebastian was a complex character, she thought.

  ‘Where…where did he go…where had he been?’ she asked tentatively.

  ‘No one ever knew exactly,’ Rose said, ‘but he told us afterwards that he’d been sleeping rough. Here, there and everywhere. Wanted to see for himself what it really meant to have nothing. To have to live by your wits. And that’s apparently what happened, and I don’t suppose it did him any harm because when he came back he finished his law education and settled down. Mind you, my dear—’ Rose leaned forward conspiratorially ‘—I don’t think he imagined he’d have the running of Pengarroth Hall quite so soon…terrible shock that his parents—my son and his wife—died so unexpectedly.’ She sighed, looking pensive for a moment, and Fleur admitted to suddenly feeling sad for Sebastian. To have so much, yet not to be free.

  ‘Sebastian and I have always been close,’ Rose went on, ‘because we seem to tick in much the same way.’ She paused. ‘When my husband and I got married and he first took me to live at Pengarroth Hall I thought I’d die at the very thought of it! The idea of being lady of the manor didn’t appeal at all!’ She looked rueful for a moment. ‘I’m a city girl at heart and, although I did learn to appreciate all the beauty of the place, London was where I yearned to be for much of the time. Isn’t that a dreadful thing to say? Most people would much prefer the country life. And I know Sebastian feels resentful sometimes, at the lot which has fallen on him.’

  Just then, Sebastian and the visitor emerged from the other room and, presently after a few more minutes’ chatting, Sebastian took Fleur by the arm, looking at his grandmother fondly.

  ‘I’m sorry we can’t join you for supper, Rose,’ he said, ‘because someone has already prepared a meal for us, and we can’t disappoint them. But—’ he paused, looking down at Fleur for a second ‘—I promise to bring Fleur back to see you soon.’

  ‘Please do, Sebastian,’ Rose said. ‘We’ve had a lovely chat, Fleur and I, and you know how much I need you young things to keep me feeling young. And I want to hear all about the Christmas festivities at Pengarroth Hall. Mia told me some of it on the
phone, but I’m sure there’s lots I haven’t heard!’

  Driving back to her flat, Sebastian glanced across at Fleur. ‘You’re subdued,’ he said and, when she didn’t answer, added, ‘What did you think of Rose?’

  ‘I think she is absolutely lovely,’ Fleur replied. ‘Why don’t you call her Grandmother, by the way?’

  He waited a second before answering. ‘Because I don’t often think of her as that,’ he said slowly. ‘She’s always been someone I could talk to—as a friend rather than a relation—and, anyway, I think Rose suits her perfectly. I think she has to be the most glamorous granny in the world.’ He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they waited for the traffic lights to turn green. ‘I hope my little fib about going on somewhere for supper was OK with you.’ He turned to glance across at her. ‘But I couldn’t bear the thought of that curry going to waste.’ He didn’t add that he couldn’t bear the thought of sharing her with others for a moment longer.

  Fleur smiled without looking back at him. ‘Of course it was OK with me,’ she said. ‘Anyway, there’s the painting to finish.’

  It was much too late to do any more painting that night and presently when they’d eaten their supper and shared half a bottle of wine, Sebastian stood up. He was not going to put Fleur in the position of inviting him to stay the night on the sofa bed again, because he had the distinct feeling that the cards were beginning to fall in his favour. It was just a feeling, he told himself, but it would do for now. And caution was advisable!

  He held out his hands, taking both of hers and pulling her up towards him. ‘I must go, Fleur,’ he said softly. ‘But I’ll be back tomorrow and finish that kitchen if it kills me.’

  ‘I don’t want you to do anything that might kill you,’ she replied, ‘because…’ She didn’t go on, she couldn’t go on, because now his lips were fusing with hers, the warmth of their bodies melding until it felt as if they were one person sharing an exhilarating thrill of passionate longing. Her lips were parted, her white teeth gleaming in the subdued light, and Fleur suddenly felt a terrifying thrill that her principles, her determination, were at risk of being blown away. She let him hold her there like that, not wanting to pull away, not wanting this to stop.

  But it did. And it was Sebastian who stopped it.

  ‘I must go, Fleur,’ he repeated softly. ‘But I’ll be back tomorrow. Early.’

  She closed the door behind him, waiting until she heard his car pull away from the street before going back inside and throwing herself down on the sofa. She was trembling all over with suppressed desire, and this self-knowledge both delighted and shocked her. After a few moments, her heart-rate lessened and she began to calm down. She knew very well that if Sebastian had asked to share her bed that night, she would have agreed with not a moment’s hesitation. And she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE next day—without any further interruptions—Sebastian made short work of what remained to be done in Fleur’s kitchen. Finally, at about four o’clock, he stood back and viewed his handiwork complacently.

  ‘Well, although I say it myself, that looks pretty good to me,’ he said.

  ‘And I second that,’ Fleur said as, with her arms folded, she stood in the doorway admiring his efforts. ‘See what happens when you turn up unexpectedly? You didn’t know what you would be letting yourself in for, did you?’

  He glanced across at her as he began putting everything away. ‘As I said, I rather enjoy decorating—in small doses.’ He replaced the lid firmly on one of the paint tins. ‘But I think I’m going to be ready for some supper later.’

  Fleur had prepared some filled rolls for their lunch and she had to admit that she, too, would enjoy something a bit more exciting. ‘We’ll walk to the little Italian place around the corner—I think you’ll like it,’ she said.

  After Sebastian had showered and put on the fresh shirt he’d brought with him, they sat together with a drink in their hands. Fleur looked across at him apologetically.

  ‘Before we eat, Sebastian, I feel the desperate need for a walk amongst some trees—but you needn’t come,’ she said. ‘There aren’t many evenings when I don’t have a stroll in the park—whatever the weather. And there wasn’t a chance yesterday, was there?’

  ‘Of course I’ll come,’ Sebastian said at once, his eyes narrowing briefly. Perhaps out there amongst the natural surroundings which she so obviously loved, he would find the opportunity to ask her a rather important question—something which had been on his mind for some time.

  They made their way to the entrance of the park and Sebastian pushed open the big iron gate. A light rain had begun to fall and it was almost dark, the overhead lights already throwing their guiding beams along the winding paths as they strolled along. Fleur looked up at him.

  ‘I must have walked the length and breadth of this place hundreds of times,’ she said. ‘It’s my bolt-hole in times of stress and strain!’

  He gazed back down at her. The hood of her jacket had slipped from her head and now there were dozens of tiny rain droplets glistening amongst the waves of her hair. At that moment he could easily have said, Well, if you would agree to come and live with me in Cornwall, you could have as many walks as you like, each and every day. But he was still unsure of Fleur, unsure of what her reaction would be, and he knew he must tread carefully. In spite of their passionate embrace last night, in spite of the delectable sensation of her moist lips on his, almost inviting him to seduce her, he felt undeniably wary. It was a new experience for him—because she was unlike any other woman he had ever met, and he would have to use a little cunning if he was to get his own way. Which he knew he was going to, in the end. He cleared his throat.

  ‘I’ve been meaning to…to ask you something, Fleur,’ he began hesitantly, and she looked up at him again quickly, sensing that this was something important! But how important?

  ‘Oh…what’s that?’ she asked lightly, looking away.

  ‘Of course…I don’t expect an answer straight away,’ he said quickly, ‘because you’ll naturally need time to think it over…but it’s something I’ve had on my mind ever since I met you.’ He paused, and Fleur’s heart jumped in her chest like a nervous kitten. He was going to ask her to marry him! Heaven help her—what was she going to say? Wasn’t he just the sort of man—insanely desirable though he was—that she’d promised herself to avoid at all costs? His whole personality shouted importance, determination, authority! Yet, above all that, she knew that she was helplessly in love with him—in love with him so much that her need, her longing for him was becoming a physical pain. She tried to breathe steadily, to calm herself so that when she was forced to respond to his proposal her voice would be steady.

  ‘I don’t think you can guess what I’m going to say,’ he went on, ‘but it would mean a great deal to me if you would agree.’

  ‘Well,’ Fleur replied carefully, ‘until I know what it is, I can’t promise anything, can I…?’

  Would he go down on one knee on the wet grass? Somehow she didn’t think so!

  ‘I’ve had a brilliant idea for an event at Pengarroth Hall, which I think would go down well with everyone in the area,’ he said, ‘and which would be very profitable. But I need someone like you to help me make it work.’

  Fleur stared at him uncomprehendingly. What was this all about? He wasn’t asking her to marry him, after all! How could she have thought such a thing? He wasn’t the marrying kind and never would be! She swallowed hard and kept walking—just a small step in front of him. To say that she felt as if she were standing on the edge of a big hole, about to fall right down to the bottom, would be putting it mildly! Serve her right—her stupid imagination had led her horribly astray! She tried to suppress a painful lump in her throat. ‘Go on,’ she said quietly, feeling almost limp with disappointment.

  ‘I want to stage a summer musical extravaganza in the grounds. There’s a perfect spot for it beyond the kitchen garden at the ba
ck of the house. It’s a kind of natural auditorium, with a raised area perfect for a stage. These summer spectaculars are being done all over the country at the moment, and the money raised for charity can be fantastic! I’d want a full orchestra, singers, a real production with lighting and amplification—and of course I’ve got a huge advantage in knowing Rudy.’ He paused, looking down at her, but Fleur had fixed her gaze straight ahead.

  ‘What…what has he to do with it?’ she asked. ‘And, more importantly, what’s it to do with me?’

  ‘Because I’d want you to be the star attraction, of course,’ he said in a way that suggested she should have known that straight away. ‘You’d be perfect, Fleur. You look wonderful, you’ve got natural stage presence…and your voice, well, people couldn’t stop talking about you after your performance at the dinner.’ He stopped walking now and, taking her arm, turned her towards him, forcing her to look up. ‘What do you think of the idea? Will you back me? Because I couldn’t do it without you. I don’t think I’d want to do it without you.’

  Fleur’s throat was so dry she couldn’t even swallow and she was feeling so let down, so ridiculous, she could hardly bring herself to answer.

  ‘And…Rudy Malone…?’ she asked, the thought of ever having to meet the man again filling her with disgust.

  ‘Rudy will be ecstatic about it,’ Sebastian said at once. ‘I know he can be a pain in some circumstances, but he’s amazing at what he does. His London productions are always brilliant—he frequently gets awards. I’ll only have to say the word and then leave the rest to him.’

  For a moment, Fleur felt angry—and disillusioned. How could Sebastian ask this of her—especially after the way his friend had behaved at Christmas. It was unthinkable that she was going to go along with it… And it seemed to her that Sebastian was obsessed with raising money for charity. It seemed to be the main thing on his mind. Probably helps his conscience deal with his own wealth, she thought. Well, he could find someone else to sing for him!