‘Oh, well that’s all right then.’ Bryn smiled and clapped his friend on the back. ‘Wouldn’t want to be losing touch.’
‘It’s a shame you have to sell. Lovely area this.’ Josh felt for the man, but farming was a hard life and he couldn’t blame the son for wanting out. You had to have a passion for it in order to carry on. A passion he himself possessed. Although he’d never got on with his father, he had loved the life of a high country farmer. Even working for other people had been enjoyable. He was itching to get back to it now, just not in New Zealand. Maybe this was another sign? With the Home Farm lands plus those of Merrick Court, he could have quite a large flock.
Something made him hesitate though. He still wasn’t sure he was ready to commit himself to anything. Josh decided he’d make some discreet enquiries, find out which estate agent was handling the sale of the Home Farm and the asking price. Perhaps he could go and look around as well, walking the perimeters of the fields to gauge exactly how many sheep it could support.
‘Come over any time, young Owens,’ Fred said as if he’d been reading Josh’s thoughts. ‘The wife’ll be pleased to meet the new owner of the Court. She used to work there in the kitchens, back in the day, so she’ll have some tales to tell you.’
‘Thank you, I’d love to hear those so I’ll definitely do that.’
Fred turned back to Bryn. ‘Don’t suppose you know anyone who’s good at shearing? Andrew and I had a big argument and the idiot went off in a huff. I’ve no idea if he intends to return to help me out. Hasn’t been in touch, not even with his mother. I have one shearer booked, but it’ll be hard to find another at such short notice. It’ll be slow going with just two of us and no one to help get the sheep into the pens.’
Fred was looking genuinely worried. Josh knew that the sheep had to be sheared at a certain time of the year and it was hard work. ‘I can do it,’ he offered. ‘Hired myself out every year back home.’
‘Really? You sure?’ Fred peered at him, hope lighting his deep-set eyes.
‘Of course. I’m pretty quick, I promise.’ And it wasn’t a boast. Josh had taken part in sheep-shearing contests and could fleece a sheep in under a minute with an electric cutter, although when not competing he took a bit more time than that in order to do it carefully.
‘Well, I never.’ Fred stuck out his hand again and Josh shook it. ‘I’d be very grateful to you. We start Monday the week after next.’
Josh found that he was looking forward to it immensely.
Chapter Seventeen
Merrick Court, 11th June 2016
Tess didn’t see much of Josh during the next week as she was busy in her workshop. She’d had a couple of orders through the internet and wanted to finish them as soon as possible. The more satisfied customers she had, the easier it should be to spread the word about her business.
By Saturday morning she’d run out of pieces of furniture to paint and sell on, so it was time to buy more stock and today happened to be auction day at the local auction house. She needed a steady supply of new items, so after a quick breakfast she left Vincent with Bryn in the potting shed and set off to see if she could pick up some bargains.
It was a small, family run firm that seemed to specialise in house clearances and they sold everything from garden gnomes to proper antiques. There were outside lots, usually consisting of things like flower pots, garden tools and bicycles, while inside there were pieces of furniture, fine china and glass, antiques, paintings and books, plus much more besides. Tess loved it.
‘I don’t know why you want to go rooting around among this smelly old stuff,’ Giles had said, the one and only time she’d taken him with her. ‘Just go into the attics at Merrick Court if you want old things.’
But Tess didn’t want to do that. Everything in his attic belonged at Merrick Court, whether it was in use or not. What she needed were bits of furniture she could do whatever she wanted with. Sand them, paint them, polish them or a combination of all three. It would have seemed wrong to take any of Giles’s family possessions and sell them on. They were just on loan to the present generation, or that’s how she saw it.
She arrived early and bought a catalogue, marking the lots she was interested in before the bidding started. There were a couple of milking stools outside, slightly the worse for wear but salvageable, and inside she found a wash stand, two mirrors and a lovely pine table. On closer inspection, she also found an old chest, which would look fabulous painted she decided, and a set of four chairs in the Shaker style.
‘Isn’t there enough furniture at Merrick Court already?’
The voice behind her made her jump, but at the same time sent a tingle down her spine. She just loved that sexy Kiwi accent, it was irresistible. She straightened up from where she’d been checking that the old chest wasn’t riddled with woodworm and tried not to let the sight of him affect her. Every time she saw him, though, her heart beat a little faster. It was ridiculous. ‘Josh! What are you doing here?’
He smiled and shrugged. ‘Bryn told me you’d come here and I can never resist a good auction.’ He glanced around and chuckled. ‘Not that I’m sure this is any such thing, but still …’
‘It’s okay. You can get some bargains, but it depends who you’re bidding against.’ There were dealers who came from some of the larger towns, even London sometimes, and they would pay silly money as they could easily charge more for things in their shops. Tess never bid against them as they would always win.
‘I guess we’ll see. You buying that?’ Josh nodded at the chest.
‘If I can get it cheap, yes.’
‘You can never have too many chests, eh?’ he said, looking at it as if he couldn’t see its attraction.
‘It’s not for me. It’s for my business, Much Loved. I buy stuff like this, do it up and sell it, and this will look great once I’ve tarted it up a bit.’
‘Ah, I see. Bryn said something about you being an artist. I didn’t realise that included painting furniture. Canvases not good enough for you?’ he teased.
Tess punched him on the arm, which made her knuckles smart as it was like hitting a stone wall. ‘It’s different. I add things like flower decorations or if it’s for a child’s room, for example, maybe some cute animals or something. This would make a great toy chest.’
‘Okay, I get you. Sounds like a good thing to do and this old box could sure do with “tarting up”.’
‘What about you? Are you buying anything? Maybe you could make a killing in New Zealand with some English antiques?’
‘Don’t know. We’ll see if anything catches my eye.’ He waved a bidding card at her. ‘I got one of these just in case.’
‘Good plan. I’m just going to have a quick look in the other room.’
‘I’ll come with you. If that’s okay?’
Tess liked that he asked and didn’t just assume. She nodded. ‘Sure.’ It was nice to have company for once, someone to point things out to and discuss them with. Someone who doesn’t take the mickey, a little voice inside her added, but that made her feel disloyal. Giles hadn’t exactly done that, but he’d also never made her feel as though her furniture sales were anything worthwhile since she didn’t earn any huge sums. He would probably have preferred her to deal in proper posh antiques.
In the next room there were some serious antiques – mostly brown furniture and old sofas and chairs, but Tess had no intention of buying those. There were also several tables full of china, glass and porcelain figures.
‘Please tell me you don’t collect those,’ Josh whispered and pointed at some figurines of girls in ball dresses. ‘I can’t stand stuff like that. Totally useless crap.’
‘But they’re so beautiful,’ Tess said, pretending to be entranced by them. ‘And they’re worth a lot of money. That’s why they’re kept in these glass cases instead of on the table. I wish I could afford one.’
‘Seriously?’ Josh looked horrified. ‘People pay good money for those?’
Tess laughed. ‘They do, but
I was pulling your leg. I hate them too.’
‘Thank Christ for that!’
‘These, on the other hand, I would love to collect.’ Tess had stopped by a pair of Staffordshire Foo dogs, or ‘mantle spaniels’ as the catalogue called them. ‘Aren’t they just adorable?’
‘Er … I wouldn’t say that exactly. Funny, maybe. Ugly, definitely.’ He studied her expression. ‘You joking again? Or do you actually like them?’
She made an apologetic face. ‘Sorry, but, yes, I really do like them. I can’t explain why; they just appeal to me. But don’t worry, I can’t afford to waste money on stuff like that right now. I have to eat.’
‘Hmm.’ Josh threw a final glance at the Foo dogs and followed Tess into the last room where the paintings for sale were displayed.
‘Oh, look at this frame,’ Tess whispered and held up an old oil painting of a vase of flowers. The painting itself was fairly ordinary, but the frame was spectacular with curly rococo bits and faded gilding. She could turn this into a gorgeous mirror.
‘Yep, nice. Why are we whispering, actually?’
Josh had bent towards her ear and Tess felt his cheek brush hers, making her supremely aware of how close they were standing. She had an almost irresistible urge to lean back towards his broad chest, but forced herself not to. What would he think? Desperate widow throws herself at first available hot guy … And her husband’s heir, on top of everything else. Rosie’s accusation flitted through her mind. No, she wasn’t going there. She concentrated on his question instead.
‘Because I don’t want other buyers to know I’m interested, otherwise they might want this too.’
‘Oh, right. Okay, I won’t tell a soul.’
Tess sent him an exasperated glance and had a hard time tearing her gaze away from his twinkling eyes. They were so green, even in the slightly dim light of this side-room. And as for those long lashes, they really shouldn’t be allowed on a man …
She noted down a couple more possible paintings with frames that could be embellished in various ways, then they made their way outside where the auctioneer was just starting. He had hundreds of lots to get through, but some went for just a few pounds and he made short work of the long list, stopping occasionally to joke about some of the items.
‘He’s good,’ Josh whispered. ‘But it still takes a long time, huh? I’m going to go inside and get a snack. Want something?’
There was a small cafeteria selling sandwiches, cakes, crisps and chocolate bars. Tess hesitated, then gave in. ‘Yes, why not. A Kit Kat please?’
‘One Kit Kat coming up.’
He gave her that supermodel smile as he took her order and Tess thought it was a good thing she wasn’t made of chocolate or she’d be a puddle on the ground by now. She shook her head at herself. What a sad case. But he was seriously hot and she had noticed quite a few of the other ladies present checking him out. So it wasn’t just her.
She eventually got her milking stools for four pounds. ‘Excellent,’ she muttered and made a note on her catalogue. She looked at Josh, who was munching his way through a Mars bar. ‘There’s nothing else I want out here. Do you? If not, we can go and bag some chairs in the inside saleroom. This auctioneer will be heading in there when he’s finished here.’
‘Fine with me.’
Other people had had the same idea, so they ended up sitting on an old church bench together. It wasn’t very wide and Tess tried not to notice how she was squashed up against Josh from shoulder to knee, but every time he moved, little arrows of heat shot through her. She couldn’t get up though as that would have meant having to explain why. And truth be told, she found it exciting being so close to him.
They didn’t have to wait long and it seemed to be her lucky day as she managed to get all the items she wanted. Most were bargains too. ‘You must be some kind of good luck charm,’ she told Josh. ‘This is amazing! I should bring you every time.’
‘I don’t know about that, but I’m glad you’re getting the stuff you want.’
‘What about you? Anything caught your fancy yet?’
He glanced at her, deliberately looking her up and down, then grinned. ‘Yee-es …’
‘Very funny.’ Although her heart made an extra somersault at the thought that he might mean it, she knew he was just joking. He’d travelled the world, probably met some stunning women. And she was sure he could have pretty much anyone he wanted. No reason why he’d want her.
‘Well, okay, I’m waiting for some lots in the other room,’ he told her. ‘Are you going home now or do you want to keep me company?’
‘I don’t mind staying a bit longer. It’s fun to watch.’ And it was even more enjoyable spending time with him, but she didn’t add that, just followed him towards the other room.
In the doorway Josh narrowly avoided colliding with someone and as Tess peered round him, she couldn’t stop a small gasp from escaping. ‘Marcus!’
‘Well, hello, Lady Merrick! Fancy meeting you here.’ Marcus stood blocking their way. The dimpled smile was in evidence, although it faded somewhat when he glanced at Josh. ‘And you’ve brought the handyman to carry the heavy stuff, I see. Very sensible.’
Something about the man’s smile made Tess suspect the meeting wasn’t accidental. But how had he known she’d be here?
She felt Josh bristle at being called ‘the handyman’ and rushed in with a reply. ‘Uhm, yes. Are you into antiques?’
‘Of course. I’m quite the connoisseur.’ Marcus laughed. ‘I’m surprised I haven’t run into you before.’
Tess wasn’t as she was sure this was his first time here and he didn’t look like he belonged in such a provincial auction room. He’d swapped his flashy suit for smart casual, but his clothing was still in sharp contrast to everyone else’s jeans and T-shirts. A goldfish in a pond of brown carp.
‘We need to get on. I think they’re nearly at the right number.’ Josh stepped to the side to allow Tess past him and she was grateful he refrained from commenting on Marcus’s words.
‘Yes, sure. Bye, Marcus.’
He just nodded, flashing his smile again, but she felt his gaze on her as she walked into the next room and soon afterwards she noticed he followed them, sitting down near the door. It was as though a shadow had been cast over an otherwise lovely day for Tess, but Josh pretended Marcus wasn’t there.
Tess watched as the auctioneer went through a couple of lots, a photo of each one appearing on a screen so that even the people at the back could see what was on offer. After a while, the Foo dogs came up, and she couldn’t help a wistful sigh from escaping. They were so cute, with their funny little faces and spaniel ears. She’d have to get a proper job in order to afford things like that though.
The bidding started, and there were only two bidders, neither of which seemed particularly enthusiastic. When the auctioneer got to twenty pounds, one gave up and the other one obviously thought she’d won. Then Josh put his card up.
‘Josh! What are you doing?’ Tess stared at him.
‘Nothing.’ His card went up again. Twenty-four pounds.
‘Seriously, you don’t want those.’ She grabbed his arm and gave it a little shake.
‘No, but you do.’ He smiled at her as the auctioneer’s gavel fell. ‘Great, I got them. It will be an early birthday present. Or late, maybe? When’s your birthday?’
‘What? August, but really—’
‘Early then. Hey, you’ll be doing me a favour taking them off my hands. I wouldn’t give them houseroom, honestly. Now shhh, here comes something else I want.’
Tess gave up arguing for now. It wasn’t as if she could make the auctioneer take the Foo dogs back. Once the gavel fell, the deal was done. But why had Josh bought them for her?
She watched as he bid on a beautiful walking stick with a silver top in the shape of a ram’s head. To her surprise, Marcus also started bidding and the price skyrocketed. ‘Josh?’
‘Yeah, I know what he’s doing,’ he said between clenched
teeth. ‘But I don’t care.’
In the end, Marcus gave up, but the smirk he sent their way showed that he’d never actually wanted the walking stick. He’d just been bidding in order to make Josh pay more than the actual value.
‘Stupid bastard,’ Josh muttered.
‘Why did you want a cane? Do you have a gouty foot or something?’ Tess joked to try and break the tension.
‘No, I’m not that old. Jeez, first you think I have ten kids, now this …’ But he was smiling again so she could see her ploy had worked. ‘It’s not just a walking stick,’ he explained. ‘It’s one of those cool ones that has a sword inside it. I’ve always wanted one of those. And what better for a former sheep farmer than one with a ram’s head?’
‘True. So is that it? Sure you’re not buying that porcelain lady too?’
Josh pretended to shudder. ‘No, thanks, but I’m waiting for one more lot.’
It turned out to be an old hat and Tess wondered what on earth he wanted with one of those, but decided not to ask.
‘Right, that’s it.’ Josh headed for the foyer. ‘We’d better go and pay.’
He manoeuvred her into the queue in front of himself. Just then, Marcus came out of the saleroom and he smiled at Tess as he passed her on the way to the door. ‘I’ll see you very soon, Lady Merrick,’ he whispered, but loud enough for everyone around them to hear. Tess didn’t reply. It sounded like a threat and if he’d been trying to unsettle her today, he’d succeeded. She tried to shake it off. She wouldn’t allow him to ruin the day.
Josh glared at Marcus’s retreating back, but didn’t comment. He turned back to Tess. ‘Just out of interest, how are you planning on getting all your booty into your Mini?’
‘One thing at a time. The back seats come down and I’ll just have to drive back and forth.’
‘Not today. I brought Bryn’s Landrover. I’ll take the bigger pieces of furniture.’
‘Really? Thank you, that’s very kind. Are you sure?’
‘Yep, on one condition.’
‘What? You can smash the Foo dogs?’
The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight Page 16