The Burlington Manor Affair

by Saskia Walker

  Jacobson nodded. “The manor is the best place to start the investigation. Have you any suspicions about the staff there?”

  “Nothing significant, but only three of them are well-known to me. The rest of them have been employed over the years that I’ve been away from the place. I figure that if someone had tampered with the stair carpet—and it looked that way to me—it had to be someone who knew Carmen’s movements when she returned to the property. Apparently she always uses the back staircase shortly after her arrival. There are gardens and a lake beyond the house and she takes a walk there.”

  It still bugged Rex that he hadn’t known that about her. He wanted to know more about Carmen, everything there was to know, in fact.

  “We need someone to talk to your staff. As you suggested on the phone, we could send a couple of men in under the guise of looking at renovation work.”

  “Absolutely. I can arrange that to begin by tomorrow morning.”

  “Two of my men have a particular knack—they can ingratiate themselves into a situation to find out what they want to know.” Jacobson smiled. The man enjoyed his work. It was a good sign. Rex wanted to get to the bottom of this and fast.

  “I need to visit the property next weekend as usual. I want to be sure the place is safe.”

  “You also mentioned your solicitor.”

  “I’ll speak to him this afternoon, give permission for you to access the paperwork. There was a clause in my father’s will that stated what should happen to the estate should both myself and the other part-owner be deceased. To be honest I didn’t take much notice of it at the time, seeing as we were both sitting there in fine health. However, since this happened I want to be absolutely sure what’s going on with that clause. More than my own safety, I’m very concerned for the other co-owner. At the present time I haven’t alerted her to my fears, but I’m keeping her close by my side until we get to the bottom of this.”

  And for a long time after, if I have my way.

  * * *

  THAT AFTERNOON REX stood on the wide marble steps that led up to the apartments where his father’s mistress lived. Once he had her first name, the rest was easy. Nate’s father hadn’t wanted to bad-mouth this Olivia woman, or Charles, but when Rex explained why he wanted to know, that situation changed.

  Olivia Fordyce was her name.

  According to Nate’s father, Charles had bought his mistress a home of her own years ago. It was in her name, and that’s why there had been no mention of it in the property listed in Charles’s will.

  Rex went up to the intercom on the right-hand side of the massive front door to the building. Her name was proudly displayed. He pressed the buzzer. Several moments later the intercom crackled into life.

  “Yes. Who is it?” The voice was female.

  Behind him, he heard the closed-circuit camera whir as it moved in his direction. He kept his back to it.

  “Rex Carruthers. I’d like to have a word with you...about my father.”

  He had to force the last part out.

  The intercom crackled, then went silent.

  At first he thought she wasn’t going to let him in. Then the camera began to whir again. Rex turned to face it. Staring at the small mounted camera above his head, he forced a smile. It wasn’t an easy task.

  The intercom crackled again. “Second floor, top of the stairs.”

  The door buzzed. Rex pushed it open. Crossing the hallway he made his way up the stairs. On the second-floor landing a door flanked by potted plants opened as he approached.

  The woman standing there put up her hand as if to stop him. “Oh, please just let me admire you from a distance.”

  The comment, so blithely delivered and so odd, drew Rex to a halt, as she had no doubt intended. Olivia Fordyce looked sprightly, slender, possibly in her early fifties. She was elegant and refined and she had a beady look in her eyes that he didn’t like.

  “Oh, yes, you do look like Charles now that you’ve filled out, how lovely.” She offered him her hand.

  Rex had known he would find this difficult, but he hadn’t expected his feelings of distaste to be quite so sudden and strong. He didn’t want to shake her hand. He didn’t like the way she spoke about him, as if she knew all about him. Moreover, this was the woman who’d caused his parents to break up. But he had to speak to her, so he resorted to politeness, giving her cold hand a small and perfunctory shake.

  “Do come in.”

  He followed her inside, into a grand sitting room that overlooked the park. Prestige London property, for sure. When Rex was a small boy his father had owned a London house, but he’d sold it. Had he done so to fund this bit on the side?

  “What can I do for you, Rex?”

  The way she said his name held an implied intimacy, as if she knew him well. It irritated Rex immensely. “I understand you knew my father.”

  Her carefully plucked eyebrows lifted and she smirked. “Why are you here?”

  She obviously didn’t intend to ask him to take a seat. Presumably she didn’t trust him or his motives. Then again, she had every reason to wonder why he was here.

  Rex forced himself to focus on the task in hand. He had to check her out because, as far as he could see, she was the most obvious person on his list of people who might hold grievances. “I suppose you are aware of my father’s death?”

  She nodded. “Regrettably so, but I hadn’t seen Charles for many years before that.”

  For whatever reason, it pleased him to see that she was upset by the fact she’d been dumped, too. “I understand you were old friends?”

  She smiled wryly. “Yes.”

  “As you might imagine it’s quite a task dealing with my father’s paperwork and it’s brought about a number of questions.” He paused.

  Her expression didn’t change. She was wary and assessing. Was that a sign of guilt? He had to keep reminding himself that she would be wary. He could have come here to have a right royal rant about her splitting up his parents, now that he’d got hold of her name and address, and a look at her cushy little apartment. Right at that moment Rex didn’t want to address anything other than Carmen’s safety and his ability to protect her. That’s why he was here.

  “There was paperwork that related to this property purchase, you see.” That was a lie. Charles Carruthers had covered his tracks well there.

  “And you want to know why your father bought me a place to live?”

  Suddenly he didn’t want to hear it. “No, I know why.”

  “That saves us a lot of time, then, doesn’t it?” She gave him a sickly sweet smile, as if proud of her status as Charles’s kept woman.

  “It does. My concern is that my father felt responsible for you and that your income has come to an abrupt end because of his passing.” It was a more probing question.

  She took a deep breath, as if surprised. “You’re far more direct than your father ever was. I’m impressed.” She seemed to relax, and she looked at him with more open curiosity. “Your father once took me to see you.” Her focus became distant, as if she were remembering.

  Stagelike, that’s what she was, Rex decided. Amateur dramatics level.

  “You were about thirteen years old at the time and he was on his way to meet you. It was your half-term holiday from Eton.”

  It was disturbing. Why was she telling him this? Did she want him to be disturbed? If so, his suspicion might be well founded. Rex stood his ground.

  “He parked a distance along the driveway. Nobody noticed amid the chaos of the cars arriving. Charles pointed you out when you came out to be collected. I was curious, you see.” She looked directly at him then. “Just as you are curious to see me.”

  She was deliberately letting him know that she was around before his father had married Sylvia Shelby. She wanted a reaction.


  He wasn’t going to give it to her.

  “Once I’d had a good look at you I got out of the car and went in the other direction, back up the driveway toward the town while he collected you. You were none the wiser.”

  The smugness in her smile turned his stomach.

  “As I always said to him, what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

  “Nothing stays secret forever.” He hadn’t meant that to sound like a threat but it came out that way.

  She seemed unperturbed by his reaction. “Oh, you’d be surprised.”

  Her bitterness was obvious, but was she capable of anything more than that? She had her apartment and she didn’t seem to have come upon hard times. She hadn’t answered that question, though.

  “My purpose in coming here was partly because I was curious, but also to ensure that my father’s demise has not left you in need of anything.”

  “It would be nice to have seen him one last time, but I don’t suppose you can organize that now.” She gave a sad smile. “There was no ongoing income, if that’s what you need to know. He used to pay my bills...when he was fucking me.” She paused for effect.

  Rex didn’t react. He refused to allow himself to do so.

  “Then the relationship ended. He gave me a lump sum to invest. To keep me quiet, as it were.”

  “You stuck by your promise.”

  “I did. Until now.” Another sly smile passed over her face. “Once he met Sylvia Shelby he wasn’t interested in keeping another woman on the side. She must have been ‘the one’ as it were. Unlike your poor old mother.”

  What a bitch. She really meant to hurt him. Aside from anything else, her comment made it obvious she’d been kept on the side throughout his parents’ relationship. “It must have been so disappointing for you, being replaced by Sylvia.”

  “Very perceptive. You’re a bright young man...considering you came from a broken home.” Every comment was deliberately barbed. She wanted someone to feel her pain. “I loved your father.”

  Rex had the urge to tell her he didn’t give a toss. He resisted comment, though. It would probably be right up her alley. He couldn’t shake his suspicions, though. She was the obvious candidate. But why seek revenge on them now? She would have to have an accomplice, but he already suspected there was more than one person involved, because of the timing of events on the previous Friday.

  He’d had enough. They were going around in circles here, with her taking a dig at him at every opportunity. The important thing was he knew enough to encourage Jacobson to dig a bit deeper with Olivia Fordyce.

  “Well, thank you for your hospitality,” he said pointedly. “I’ve done my duty to the old man’s affairs so I’ll leave you in peace.”

  He turned away quickly. He didn’t want to feel her icy hand in his again.

  She followed him to the door. “It’s been intriguing, Rex. I enjoyed meeting you.”

  I wish I could say the same.

  Rex didn’t look back.

  Outside, he hailed a taxi. The tube would be quicker but he didn’t fancy looking over his shoulder all the time. Once he got into the cab, he realized the bad vibe hadn’t been left on the pavement outside Olivia’s home, as he’d hoped it might.

  What disturbed him most was the uneasy feeling he’d had after speaking to two women who’d been wronged by his dad—Olivia, and his own mother, Bea. Charles Carruthers had left them both unhappy.

  Rex had never wanted to be like his father. One of his life rules was that he’d never cheat on a woman because of what adultery had done to his family. Yet he’d found himself being more of a womanizer than he liked. That had dissatisfied him. He was already beginning to change when Carmen came back into his life.

  After that second weekend with Carmen his aims for their affair altered. He began to see that she could be his redemption. As she constantly pointed out, however, he had a poor track record, and that meant she was keeping up her guard. He also didn’t want to betray Carmen’s memory of his father by telling her about Olivia—although ultimately he supposed he might have to.

  It was time to show her the letter. That would be a good place to start, and it was something that might force the issue of an ongoing relationship. Which he needed, badly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CARMEN WATCHED REX as he cleared the plates and leftovers from the Chinese takeout they’d enjoyed that evening. He seemed preoccupied. “I think I’ll call Mrs. Amery to see if the stairs have been fixed yet.”

  Rex frowned. “I sent some people up there this week. Professionals.”

  “Oh, so now you’re having things done at the manor without telling me?” She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Might I remind you that I own fifty percent of that property, which means you’re not in a position to take charge of it or do anything without discussing it with me first?”

  He stopped dead and looked at her.

  “For fuck’s sake,” he mumbled to himself.

  Carmen chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lost for words, Rex Carruthers.”

  He ruffled his fingers through his hair and looked as if he was as annoyed with himself as he was with her. That made her curious.

  “I wanted to talk to you tonight,” he said, “not about the house, but about us. I want us to be together. Like this.” He gestured around the apartment, which they were sharing, but which was completely strange and alien to the pair of them. “I want us to be like a regular couple. Dating, living together or whatever.”

  Carmen burst out laughing. Never had she seen him so befuddled. She couldn’t resist teasing him some more. “You want us to live together? Here?”

  “Not here, but somewhere.”

  “That’s a relief. My place is way nicer than this.”

  “You know what I mean. Somewhere mutual. This week has been great, hasn’t it?”

  “It has, once I let you off for changing the ground rules.”

  He strode over to where she sat on the sofa, squatted down in front of her and held her hands in his. “I want to be with you. I’m trying to do the right thing here. Why is it so hard to ask you out on a date?”

  He looked desperate.

  “Maybe we’re not the dating kind?”

  He sighed. “You’re just trying to wind me up.”

  “No, I’m not. Seriously, consider this. You could have any woman you wanted. You weren’t allowed to date me so it got stuck in your head you couldn’t have me. Which made you want it more. That’s what this is all about. I’ve come to terms with it. But you’ve done it now. You’ve achieved the sexual possession of Carmen Shelby. Many years overdue, I agree, but you can now add the notch to your bedpost and move on, as you planned at the outset when you put a strict time limit on it.”

  She hadn’t meant for it to come out that way, but once it was out and she saw the expression on his face, she realized she might have gone a bit far.

  He hung his head, but his fingers were worrying at her hand. “Something changed.”

  His posture and his mood informed her he was serious. The realization made her chest ache, suddenly and painfully. “You really are asking me out, normal style, aren’t you?”

  He lifted his head.

  When she saw his expression the world as she understood it seemed to crumble, leaving her strangely adrift.

  “I am. Just think, we could be together in the city during the week and then go to Burlington for the weekends.”

  It sounded idyllic, but it wasn’t Rex. He’d never lived his life like that, and he was far from comfortable with the notion, even though he was voicing the proposal. He looked as if he had pressing problems, and it wasn’t how she’d expect a man to look while making a suggestion like that. “You don’t do relationships, not for any length of time.”


  “I know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. Besides, from what I can tell, you’re not flush in the relationships department, either.”

  She pulled away.

  Rex shifted, grasping her hand again. “Wait, why do you keep doing this? Why the withdrawal? I’m not blind, Carmen. We get to a certain point and then you cut off from me.”

  Carmen stared down at his hand covering hers. I can’t risk it.

  “Do I have to tie you up and torture it out of you?”

  Knowing that he probably would, Carmen buckled. “No, you don’t. Look, it’s not hard to figure out. I had to become independent. I had to get used to being alone.”

  Rex frowned. “After you mother died?”

  “It wasn’t just that. My dad died when I was very small, but I remember it, and the feeling of loss never went away. At the time my mum was trying to build the company up, and when cancer took him she threw herself into that for a while. I got used to being alone. Then came the golden years at the manor. And you.” She met his gaze. “Then you left.”

  The wounded look in his eyes spoke volumes. “I’m sorry.”

  Carmen had never seen him look so serious, so sincere. “You know the rest. The accident...Mum died, and then Charles withdrew from me, as well.”

  “I didn’t think. Throughout it all, I’ve always had my mother and her family to go back to. It really pains me to think you didn’t have anyone, and that I could’ve been there for you.”

  “I understand why you weren’t, Rex. Don’t worry about that. I don’t blame you. It’s just that for a good while, I felt I couldn’t trust anyone to be there for me for any length of time and I had to be strong. I had to be brave and live up to the ideals that my mother set out for the company. Part of me has always held those golden years at the manor sacred. That’s why I wanted to go back. I know I can’t recapture it—”

  “You can recapture it,” Rex interrupted, “you can make it different, you can make it better. Maybe we can do it together.”