Second Chance with Lord Branscombe

by Joanna Neil

  ‘Mum—this isn’t a good time. We’re just about to go into a meeting.’

  ‘Oh, who cares about meetings? I’ve a basket full of food in the car—I thought we’d spread out a cloth on the grass and enjoy ourselves.’

  Sophie sucked in a swift breath. Beside her, she felt Nate stiffen and she couldn’t help worrying about what he might be thinking. It was embarrassing when her mother had these manic episodes because to her everything seemed normal and she didn’t see that she was doing anything out of the ordinary.

  All the times before in the past when her mother had gone off her medication came flooding back, making her stomach churn. Her mother could either go into a deep depression or feel so full of energy that she could take on the world. It was difficult to know how to deal with her sometimes. From experience, Sophie knew that any attempt to turn her mother off her goal would only end in her taking offence. Despite her seeming confidence, her illness meant she was in a highly vulnerable state.

  ‘All right,’ Sophie said, trying to talk in a soothing manner. ‘Let’s think about this. It’s going to be dark by the time we get things sorted—so perhaps this isn’t the ideal place for a picnic. How would it be if I take you back to the cottage to see Rob and Jessica? I’m sure they would love to see you and take a look at the food you’ve brought with you. They could help you set it out and you could have a picnic at the cottage.’

  Her mother moved her head from side to side as she thought about that. ‘Okay,’ she said at last, and Sophie gave a silent sigh of relief.

  ‘Good. Where’s your car? Is it close by?’

  ‘Yes, it’s over there.’ Her mother waved a hand towards a side street.

  ‘Ah, I see it.’ Sophie swallowed carefully, conscious all the while of time passing by and of the village hall filling up with people. She was worried about the effect this disruption must be having on Nate but he stayed silent, simply watching her with her mother, his mouth making a flat line. He was clearly disturbed by the turn of events but he wasn’t going to interfere and make the situation worse. Sophie had said she would go with him to the meeting and she didn’t want to let him down, but she had to take care of her mother. ‘Mum, have you brought your tablets with you—are they in your bag?’

  ‘Tablets? I hate taking them...and I don’t need them. I feel great!’

  ‘I know you do...but do you have them with you? Can I look at them?’

  ‘Oh, this is wasting precious time.’ Even so, her mother searched in her bag and triumphantly produced a bottle of capsules. ‘Here, you might as well throw them away.’

  Sophie took the plastic bottle and slipped it into her own bag. While her mother was preoccupied with the contents of her leather purse, she glanced at Nate and said softly, ‘I’ll drive her to the cottage—Rob and Jessica will look after her. It shouldn’t take too long—I’ll try to be back for the start of the meeting.’

  ‘You’d better send them a message to let them know you’re on your way.’

  She nodded. ‘I’m sorry about this.’ It seemed she was always having to apologise. ‘I did tell you my family is always going through problems of one sort or another.’

  ‘Yes, you did, and I remember how it was from when you all lived here before, but it’s okay. It can’t be helped. I’ll follow you in my car and make sure everything’s all right.’

  She hadn’t expected him to do that. ‘Are you sure? What about the meeting?’

  ‘With any luck, we should be back in time.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She exhaled slowly. She felt better already. She turned back to her mother. ‘Come on, Mum,’ she said, taking her arm and leading her away. ‘It’s been disturbing for you lately, hasn’t it, with everything that’s been going on at home? But it’s all working out fine.’

  ‘Yes, it’s good now. Rob and Jess are with you. They’ll be all right.’

  Sophie settled her mother in the car and took a moment to phone Jessica and tell her that they were on their way.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Jessica said. ‘I’ll make sure she takes her tablets. She’ll probably sleep for a while afterwards. They often have that effect on her after she’s left them off for a while.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Back at the cottage, Jessica and Rob welcomed their mother and settled her in the recliner armchair. They started to talk to her about things that were on her mind. Over the years, they’d all found this was the best way to deal with her wild mood swings.

  Satisfied that she was being well looked after, Sophie went out and slid into the passenger seat of Nate’s car.

  ‘Is she okay?’

  ‘I think so. Rob’s setting out the food and Jessica has persuaded her to take a tablet.’

  ‘Good.’ He started the car and they set off once more for the meeting.

  Nate pulled up opposite the village hall. He cut the engine and looked about him, frowning. There were men and women outside the hall, holding cameras aloft, and some had recording devices. These weren’t villagers.

  ‘It’s the press,’ Nate said through his teeth, his mouth making a grim line. ‘Who would have told them about the meeting?’

  ‘Isn’t that the chairperson from the parish council speaking to one of them?’ Sophie murmured. ‘He looks quite pleased with himself. I think we can guess who told them.’

  ‘He’s gone too far this time.’ Nate stepped out of the car and went towards the gathering of people. Sophie followed him.

  ‘There he is.’ The crowd surged towards him, cameras flashing, following him as he walked into the hall.

  ‘Are you selling out, Branscombe?’ a reporter shouted.

  ‘Are you going after the money like your father?’ another called out.

  Nate tried to speak to the assembled people but was cut off by another journalist. ‘Sins of the father,’ the man said. ‘What do you say to that, eh? Makes a good headline, don’t you think?’

  Nate tried to go on with what he wanted to say. People seemed disturbed by what was going on and Sophie caught a glimpse of her father in his wheelchair at the side of the hall, being kept back out of harm’s way by his friend. He looked concerned by the turn of events.

  ‘I agreed to come here this evening to talk to all of you and try to put your minds at rest,’ Nate began. He didn’t get a chance to go on.

  ‘How can you do that? Your father’s landed you right in it, hasn’t he?’ one of the reporters interrupted.

  ‘Yeah, how are you going to sort out his mess?’ another one enquired. ‘Are you going to make a mint from selling out to Peninsula?’

  Nate braced his shoulders. ‘Okay, that’s enough,’ he announced in a brisk tone. ‘Either you back off or this meeting is not going ahead.’

  ‘Peninsula Holdings are going to put this place on the map. They’ll build hotels and a shopping mall. That’ll all be down to you, won’t it?’ A man with a camera stepped up to Nate and took his picture.

  Another held out his recording device. ‘What do you say to the people who want to keep their village exactly as it is now?’

  Nate’s jaw clenched. ‘That’s it. I’m leaving. If the people who are villagers or tenants on the estate want to talk to me, they can come to the Manor House tomorrow evening at seven. The press are not invited.’

  He looked at Sophie. ‘Are you coming with me? I’ll understand if you don’t want to.’ He swivelled around and walked swiftly back to the car.

  Sophie followed him, eyes wide, anxious about the disastrous way things had erupted and desperate to talk to him. As she turned to go, she couldn’t be sure but she thought she saw Jake among the crowd. Had he gone there to take part in the meeting?

  Then, as she hurried away, she caught sight of her father’s expression. ‘I’m sorry,’ she mouthed silently. He was taut with disbelief at the way things had gone. Sh
e didn’t like to dwell on what he thought of her being with the son of the man who’d caused his disability, but at that moment she felt like a traitor.

  She slid into the car beside Nate and he gunned the engine into life. The journalists were blocking the road back to the cottage, so he reversed quickly, turned the car around and headed out along the main highway.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked.

  ‘To the Manor House.’ He shot her a quick glance. ‘Is that okay with you?’

  ‘I suppose so.’ She frowned. ‘I can’t help thinking it would have been better if you’d stayed to talk to the villagers.’

  ‘You’re probably right, but I wasn’t going to take part in a circus. I told the organisers “no press” but they didn’t keep to their word.’

  ‘They’ll probably be on their way to the Manor right now,’ she said quietly. ‘You could be heading right into another confrontation.’

  ‘Yes, I expect that’s true. I could drive to the Wayfarer’s Inn instead—it’s out of the way, no one will guess we’re there, and we can talk over dinner. What do you think?’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  The Wayfarer’s Inn was off the beaten track along a country lane and served the residents of another small village further inland. It was set against a backdrop of tall trees and had a garden where people could sit outside at rustic tables lit by old-style lanterns. Sophie and Nate chose to go inside and found a table in a corner made private by a wooden trellis and strategically placed tubs filled with greenery.

  Sophie was surprised to find she had an appetite despite the fact that she’d shared a meal with her brother and sister less than three hours ago, but Nate was making up for missing out on a proper meal earlier that day. They ate chilli con carne with pilau rice and sour cream, and finished off with apple-and-raspberry crumble. They talked about his father, who was struggling with lung problems after his heart attack.

  It was only later, when Nate’s mood had mellowed a little, that Sophie asked him about his plans for the estate.

  ‘What would you have said at the meeting?’ she asked him as they drank rich dark coffee. ‘Do you think you would have managed to appease them?’

  ‘Some people might have been satisfied, but others possibly not. The thing is, I don’t have a lot of options. My father borrowed money to finance his investment abroad and that has to be paid back.’

  She frowned. ‘I can see why it’s been such a worry.’

  ‘Yes.’ He made a wry face. ‘I’ve been trying to organise ways to save the estate, but they won’t be to everyone’s liking. For a start, I would have to terminate short-term leases so that I can sell those properties. That would only apply to newcomers who rent property for the holiday season. We get a few people who come over from France or Spain, wanting a change of scenery. In the winter, the houses are difficult to let unless business people want to stay while they’re over here for conferences and so on.’

  He refilled his cup from a cafetière and spooned brown sugar crystals into his coffee. ‘I’ll see if I can start some kind of farming project, and I thought we could make more use of the lake—maybe restock it with fish and organise fishing weekends. I’m sure they would go down well.’

  ‘You’d have to have somewhere for them to stay locally.’

  He nodded. ‘I could get some log cabins built by the lake...have facilities put in and so on, but it will cost quite a bit initially. I’ll put my own money into that but it will be some time before the venture pays for itself.’

  ‘So, all in all, it would have been simpler for you to sell up and have none of this problem?’

  ‘It would. It’s taken a while for the accountants to look into everything but I’m fairly sure we have some viable options now. I think I can safely turn down any offer Peninsula makes.’

  She smiled. ‘That’s such a relief. It sounds as though you’ve tried really hard to find a solution.’

  ‘I have.’ He reached for her hand across the table. ‘Above all, I’m doing this for you, Sophie. I told you I would do everything I can to make sure you and your father can keep your homes. I’m going down this route because I feel we—my father and I—owe it to your father to help him any way we can to make up for what happened to him, and I’m doing it because I care about you and I want you to be happy.’

  ‘Thank you. I... I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful to you.’ She leaned forward in her seat and placed her free hand in his palm. He cupped her hands and bent his head towards her, brushing her lips with his own, sending an instant wave of heat to course through her body.

  ‘You know I want you, Sophie...more than anything. I’d move heaven and earth for you. I want to take you in my arms and kiss you right now and let you know just how much I’m aching for you.’

  She kissed him, closing her eyes, oblivious to their surroundings. Her lips were aflame, her blood fizzing with excitement. Hidden by the screen, they were in their own secluded world, and in that moment she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

  ‘We could get a room here,’ he said softly, his voice rough around the edges, his hands trembling a little. ‘I need you so much. Tell me you feel the same way.’

  ‘I want you,’ she said huskily. ‘I do...but... I’m not sure it would be the wisest thing... There are so many reasons why this would be all wrong... You and me—we’re from different worlds.’

  ‘That doesn’t matter. Why should it matter?’

  She thought about it. He was offering her a night of bliss, of joy and ecstasy, the fulfilment of all her longings...but that was all he was offering. Could she put her uncertainties about everything that had happened between them and the problems between their families to one side and give in to temptation, take what he was prepared to give, for now?

  Her musings were short-lived. A waiter approached and they broke apart, just as her mobile phone started to trill. Still shaken by her need for Nate, she did nothing, but took deep, slow breaths, trying to bring herself back to normal.

  The phone kept on ringing. ‘They’re persistent, whoever they are,’ Nate said drily. ‘Perhaps you’d better answer it. It might be to do with your sister, or your mother.’

  She nodded. The waiter asked if there was anything they needed and Nate asked for the bill. He had himself under control, as if nothing had happened between them. Either that or he was very good at hiding his feelings.

  He’d had to remind her about the worries over Jessica and her mother. What had she been thinking? How could she possibly spend the night here with him when her family needed her? She couldn’t leave them to their own devices so soon.

  She looked down at the screen on her phone. ‘It’s Jake,’ she said flatly. ‘I thought I saw him outside the village hall earlier. He’s probably worried in case the press caught up with us.’

  Nate’s head went back a fraction and his gaze narrowed on her. He didn’t like the fact that Jake was calling her.

  Jake’s voice was brisk and matter-of-fact. ‘I had to ring you,’ he said. ‘I tried to get to the Manor House in case you were there, but there are a dozen reporters at the gate. I know you’re with Nate—I saw you leave the meeting with him—but I don’t feel I had any choice but to get in touch. Your father’s very concerned about what happened at the hall tonight. I spoke to him and he’s in a bad way, very shaken up. I think he might be suffering a panic attack of some sort.’

  ‘Thanks for letting me know, Jake. I’ll go and see him.’

  ‘I told him you would.’

  ‘Yes...okay.’

  She cut the call and told Nate what was happening. ‘I’ll have to go over to Dad’s house and try to calm him down. You can stay here, if you want—Jake said the journalists are at the Manor. I’ll get a taxi to take me home.’

  He shook his head. ‘I’ll take you, and then I’ll
go to the Manor House. I’m not going to let a bunch of reporters keep me away.’

  She frowned. ‘So we could have gone there earlier?’

  ‘I guess so.’ He nodded. ‘It’s just that when you suggested there might be a problem, I thought this place might be more romantic—I suppose I leapt at the chance to spend time with you somewhere you might feel comfortable. I didn’t have an ulterior motive, but I wanted you to be able to relax.’

  ‘Hmm...and I did. You’re right—this is a lovely inn.’ She made a wry smile. ‘And I was relaxed enough to be very tempted by your offer of spending the night, until I started to think about everything that’s happened. My family has to come first. We’ve had more than one chance but it’s just not meant to be.’

  ‘I won’t let you down again, Sophie,’ he said.

  ‘I’d like to believe that.’ She stood up and he went with her towards the exit door.

  ‘And you know I won’t give up trying to win you over, don’t you?’

  ‘Mmm... I guessed as much. You always were persistent.’

  He studied her as he held open the door to let her through. ‘You don’t believe I can be good for you, do you?’

  She returned his gaze. ‘No. There are so many reasons why I should steer clear of you, and an equal number of reasons why I can’t—my head and my heart are at war and I’ve no idea what to do about that.’

  He smiled. ‘That’s easy. Listen to your heart every time...and let me take care of the rest.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘YOU WERE THERE with him at the meeting—you were there with Nate Branscombe.’ Sophie’s father glared at her angrily next morning. ‘How could you do that? How could you ally yourself with him when you know how I feel about that family?’

  ‘Nate’s okay—he’s not done anything wrong. He wasn’t the one who hurt us.’ Sophie tried to defend Nate but her father wasn’t having any of it.

  ‘He’s in charge now and if things don’t go his way he’ll sell us out, plain and simple. He’s a Branscombe through and through. And all this time you and he have been getting close again—I can see it in the way you look at him, in the way you talk about him... Don’t fool yourself that he cares about you, Sophie. He’ll do the same as he’s always done with women and drop you as soon as things start getting serious. Didn’t you learn anything when he left after my accident? He didn’t stay around to help you pick up the pieces, did he?’