by Neale, Kitty
Lorna knew her father had worked in a paper mill, but it had closed many years ago. All she had left of him was a framed, treasured, black and white photograph that she would never part with, along with distant memories of his laughing face. With a sigh she said, ‘I like Margate and feel at home there. Maybe it’s because I can remember being there with Dad.’
‘I doubt that. You were only about two years old at the time and even I can barely remember the place.’
Lorna felt that her mother was probably right, yet there was no getting away from the feeling of déjà vu she experienced in Margate – that every road or street she walked along for the first time felt familiar, as if she had trodden the same route before.
Margate felt like home to Lorna now and as soon as she could decently leave her mother’s house, she would get the train back to where she belonged.
Chapter Nine
Relieved that Lorna’s mother didn’t seem to need her daughter back for more than a flying visit, Ruth threw herself into launching her business with even more energy. She extended her leaflet drop and made a point of contacting anyone local who might be useful. She visited the big hotels and restaurants and the smaller guesthouses and cafés, reckoning that you never knew when a passing comment would lead to something. Word-of-mouth recommendations would be slow to build up but she had to start somewhere.
Meanwhile her new employee was left to answer the phones and deal with any postal enquiries, although there were very few to begin with. Robert Harrison had plenty of experience in property management from his years in London, but he had grown tired of the pace of life there. Even though he was barely into his thirties he wanted something steadier, a place where he could breathe fresh air and didn’t have to get the grime off his collar every time he took off his shirt after a long commute home. He had family in the Margate area, and he had recently inherited a small but elegant flat from a great-aunt. He had saved his salary for years and invested it carefully. Had he wanted to, he could have bought himself a much more impressive property. But he saw no need to. He would wait to see how things went – he wasn’t one to rush into things. He also saw no need to discuss any of this with his new colleagues.
The office door slammed. ‘So, any new leads today?’ demanded his boss, shrugging out of her long black coat. She glanced over to his desk. ‘Is that all the post there is?’
‘Two bills,’ Robert answered calmly, pushing the brown envelopes towards her. ‘And a letter from the manager of one of the seafront hotels, saying you’d spoken to him earlier in the week. One of his guests is thinking of staying on for a couple of months and might prefer a short-term rental to a huge hotel bill, so if you’d like to contact him …’
‘Give me that!’ exclaimed Ruth, reaching for the third envelope, pushing her long hair out of her eyes and scanning the letter. She reached for the phone and dialled. ‘Mr Beasley please.’
Robert couldn’t help thinking he would have wanted to know how much the bills were for first, but evidently that was not his new boss’s style.
‘Oh, Mr Beasley,’ she was saying, ‘how nice of you to have remembered me …’
Goodness, thought Robert. She was actually purring into the phone. But it seemed to do the trick.
‘I’ll certainly do that,’ she went on. ‘Why don’t we make it tomorrow? Yes, that would be ideal. I will see you then.’ Beaming, she put down the receiver. ‘Right,’ Ruth said, turning to him. ‘Now it looks as if there might be a bit of money coming in, you can show me those bloody bills.’
Feeling more like a secretary than a negotiator, Robert did as he was asked, making sure his emotions didn’t show on his face.
The door slammed again.
‘Sorry,’ said the woman who came through it. ‘The wind’s really blustery today.’ She smiled uncertainly at Robert and then turned to Ruth. ‘The school just rang to say there’s a concert and all parents are invited. It’s short notice but Penny will be in it. Would you like to go? I said I’d let them know as their hall is quite small.’
Ruth glanced up, irritated. ‘When is it exactly?’
‘Six o’clock tomorrow evening,’ said Lorna.
‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that, I’ve just made what could be a very important appointment. You’ll have to go instead.’
‘Oh, I was going to anyway,’ Lorna assured her. ‘Can’t have Penny dancing in her first concert with no one to see her. I’d love to go.’
‘That’s fine all round, then,’ said Ruth dismissively. ‘Right, I’ll see you later. I have to go out again – can’t go back to the hotel wearing the same things as last time. Invest for success, as they say.’ She picked up her coat and bag and dashed out of the office, the door slamming behind her.
Lorna was left standing in the middle of the office, uncertain of what to do. Finally she composed herself. ‘Hello, I’m Lorna,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘You must be Robert. Pleased to meet you.’
‘Pleased to meet you too,’ said Robert, shaking her hand and grinning. ‘Would you like a cup of tea? You must be frozen if you’ve been out in that gale.’
‘That would be lovely,’ said Lorna, meaning it. ‘I still haven’t got used to the English weather. And,’ she hesitated, knowing it would sound disloyal, ‘I’ve been to this office lots of times now and it’s always been me who made the tea. Isn’t that an awful thing to say? So I’d love some.’
‘Tea it shall be,’ said Robert, his eyes twinkling, thinking he might as well do something useful – because he certainly wasn’t putting his professional skills to any good use yet.
Later that morning in the other part of the office, Adam was trying to get through to Denis, his usually reliable maintenance man, for the third time. He was lucky. The man finally picked up the phone.
‘Denis!’ said Adam, falsely cheerful. ‘Been trying to reach you, old man. Been off on your skiing holiday, have you?’
‘You’ve got to be joking,’ said Denis. ‘This time of the year? One bit of wind and everyone’s houses fall apart. That’s when a bit of cold hasn’t frozen their pipes or their boilers break down. I can’t keep up with the work.’
‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ said Adam. ‘I was going to ask you about that flat on the second floor, you know the one, with the unusual kitchen.’
‘The bad conversion, you mean,’ groaned Denis. ‘You don’t have to dress it up with estate agent speak to me, mate. I’ve seen the state of the place, remember.’
‘Yes indeed,’ smiled Adam, inwardly cursing. ‘Well, I was hoping to persuade you to take another look at the, er, unique features of its waste pipes.’
‘Blocked again, have they?’ asked Denis. ‘Not surprised one bit. Well, I can’t help. But I’ve got my nephew down from Croydon who’s very handy. Shall I send him round?’
‘Any recommendation from you is good enough for me,’ Adam assured him, deeply relieved. He certainly didn’t want to go anywhere near those pipes himself. ‘Have him pop into the office to pick up the keys. I’ll be delighted to make his acquaintance.’
‘If you say so,’ replied Denis. ‘Name of Joe. Chip off the old block, he is.’ And he put the phone down.
Turning to his paperwork, Adam struck out one item on his to-do list and flicked through his diary. A potential client was due at any minute. Straightening his tie and brushing down his lapels, Adam hastily summoned up what he knew about the man, so that he could make the best possible impression.
Right on time, the door opened.
‘Mr Casson!’ exclaimed Adam, rising to his feet and going to meet the man. ‘Dreadful weather, isn’t it? Let me take your coat. Yes, do sit there. And how is your wife? Still enjoying the amateur operatics?’
The middle-aged man in the slightly faded but still sharp suit grinned ruefully. ‘Oh yes, very much so.’ He sighed. ‘Anyway, it’s about the garden flat I believe we spoke about a while ago. I had private tenants but they’re leaving and I’d rather let it through an agency this time. It woul
d be a weight off my mind, especially as Miriam is far too busy treading the boards to help out.’
‘That’s exactly what we’re here for,’ beamed Adam, reaching for a folder. ‘Now, let me show you our terms and conditions, and I can assure you that your peace of mind is my top priority.’
There was a burst of conversation from the front half of the office and Ruth appeared around the filing cabinets. ‘Adam, I was wondering …’ She stopped. ‘Oh, I do apologise, I didn’t realise you were in a meeting.’
‘Hello, my dear,’ said Mr Casson, suddenly animated. ‘I don’t believe we’ve met.’ He rose to shake her hand.
‘Ruth Hamilton-Smyth,’ said Ruth, trying not to wince as the man held her hand just a fraction too long. ‘I am the owner of the agency in the front office. We offer a property management service with a major emphasis on quality.’ She held the man’s eyes. ‘I’m sure a gentleman like you would understand the importance of that.’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Mr Casson, drawing himself up to his full height, losing all interest in the document Adam had shown him. ‘And what exactly do you mean by that?’
Maybe he wasn’t as daft as he looked, thought Ruth. She smoothed her hair back with a practised gesture. ‘Well, we start from the premise that discerning landlords deserve nothing less than discerning tenants,’ she began.
Adam cleared his throat.
Ruth raised her eyebrows at him. ‘I’ll detain you no further,’ she purred. ‘I need to prepare for an urgent client presentation.’ She turned to go back to her desk, but threw a glance over her shoulder. ‘So nice to have met you.’
‘Well, that’s a wonderful new asset to the business you have there,’ said Mr Casson, slowly picking up the folder once more. ‘She sounds as if she knows exactly what she’s doing.’
‘Oh yes, she most definitely does,’ Adam agreed, thinking that he’d kill her if she made another blatant attempt to poach one of his customers. ‘However, someone such as yourself really needs the reassurance of being in the most experienced hands possible and that’s where I can offer you the very best care.’
‘That does sound right, I admit,’ conceded Mr Casson, signing the paper Adam put in front of him. ‘There, that should do it. Would you like to come round to see the condition of the place and pick up the keys?’
‘I always make a point of personally visiting every property I represent.’ Adam rose to escort the man out of the office. Once he had gone on his way, Adam stepped outside after him. Despite the howling wind, he needed a moment of fresh air to collect his thoughts. It was dangerous having Ruth anywhere near his clients – or at least any male ones. But most landlords were men, and therefore vulnerable to her charms. He was far from immune to them himself. But she couldn’t be allowed to damage his business. He needed to keep her sweet so that he could make his next move when the time was right, but he also had to protect his financial interests. He’d have to think of something, and fast.
Chapter Ten
A couple of mornings later, Lorna was heading for the shops after dropping off Penny at her school. The wind was still gusting hard and although she’d tried to tie back her hair into its usual unflattering style, some of it had come loose and was blowing across her face, blocking her vision.
‘Oh, excuse me!’ someone exclaimed, and she realised she had nearly walked straight into a man. Looking up, she saw a face she recognised.
‘Sorry about that!’ she said, tugging her hair away from her eyes. ‘You must think I’m a complete idiot.’
‘Not a bit,’ said Robert. ‘No harm done.’ He smiled in sympathy at her embarrassment. ‘Are you walking to the seafront? Shall we go together?’
‘I’ve run out of milk,’ she confessed. ‘Normally I’m much more organised but what with Penny’s concert, it totally slipped my mind.’
‘That was last night, wasn’t it?’ said Robert. ‘How did it go?’
She was pleased that he had remembered. ‘She’s not even seven yet so it’s probably too soon to tell but I think she’s got real talent. She keeps to the beat so well, and you can see she’s enjoying every moment of it. Even though she was one of the youngest she remembered everything perfectly.’ She stopped suddenly. ‘Oh dear, I’m gushing, aren’t I? But it makes me so happy to see her. She’s had such an unsettling few months and it’s lovely to watch her doing something she’s good at.’ Nervously Lorna pulled her woollen scarf tighter around her neck.
‘Of course,’ said Robert. ‘She must be a very special little girl.’
‘Oh, she is, she is.’ Lorna nodded vigorously, at which her hair sprang loose from its clip once more. ‘Well, you know I’m only her nanny, not a member of the family, but I’ve watched her grow up and it makes me proud to see her do well.’ She sighed, tempted to say that the child got no support from her mother, but that would be going too far.
‘Look, I realise you’re in a hurry,’ said Robert, ‘but would you like to stop for a tea, or a coffee? I’m early and there’s no need for me to be at my desk until the post arrives.’ Or really at all, he thought. But he could see there was something troubling this woman, and he suspected she might not have too many people to confide in, especially with a boss like theirs.
‘In that case, I’d love to,’ smiled Lorna. ‘That café over there is quite good. I’ve been there several times.’ She nodded to a small but cosy-looking establishment on the corner, and they made their way towards it.
Settling themselves into the seats closest to the window, Lorna took her scarf off and realised her eyes were watering from the gale. ‘Such a relief to be inside,’ she said.
Robert noticed her eyes were warm and bright, and her face was flushed with the warmth of the café. ‘I know,’ he agreed. ‘So, how long have you known this little girl?’
‘Since she was about three,’ she said. ‘She’s Penelope but we all call her Penny. Her mother … her mother has always been so busy that I’m almost like an aunt to her. At least,’ Lorna paused, not wanting to sound boastful, ‘that’s how I think of it.’
‘I’m sure she’s very fond of you,’ Robert replied. He couldn’t fail to notice how her face lit up when she spoke of the child, that air of worry falling away. ‘So you’re the live-in nanny? What about your own family?’
Damn, he’d said the wrong thing. That anxious look came back.
‘None really to speak of,’ she said. Then, when he didn’t answer at once, she added, ‘My mother and stepfather live in London but I don’t see much of them.’
‘I used to work in London,’ he said. ‘Couldn’t wait to leave the place. I much prefer it down here, even on a day like this.’
‘Oh, I agree!’ said Lorna. ‘At least you know what the weather’s like. In London you’re either inside or on a bus or tube. Never need to notice the seasons at all. Whereas I love it in Margate. Even though we’ve only been here a few months I just know it’s my home now. People talk to you and aren’t afraid to pass the time of day. I bet if we’d bumped into each other in London we’d have never done this.’
‘Well, we won’t ever know, will we?’ grinned Robert, thinking he would have noticed her smile even on Oxford Street in the rush hour. ‘So just as well we both ended up here.’
Lorna looked at him and relaxed once more, feeling safe in his presence. There was something about him that made her feel she could tell him anything and before she knew it she’d said the one thing that had been preying on her thoughts. ‘I probably will have to go back to London more often though. My mother’s ill.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Robert said immediately.
‘I’m not sure what to do for the best,’ she admitted. ‘She says she’s all right, that it’s just indigestion, but my stepfather would never have rung me if they really thought that. He can usually hardly bear to speak to me.’ No, Lorna knew she mustn’t get started on that. She collected herself and went on: ‘It’s not as if I can just casually drop by – they know it’s too far for that. But to take t
ime off to see them properly causes problems for Ruth, and I don’t want to inconvenience her when the business is just beginning to take off. And I can’t bear to think of Penny upset.’
Aha, that was the nub of it, thought Robert. No doubt she loves her mother, but it’s Penny who is at the centre of it all. ‘I can see you’re in a bit of a dilemma,’ he said carefully.
She nodded, now not meeting his eyes but staring gloomily at the chequered tablecloth.
‘I wonder if I could help,’ Robert continued. ‘Look, you can say no if you’d rather. But I have friends in London that I promised to visit. I’ll be driving up now and again, and that’s much faster than the train. Do you drive?’
‘I don’t have a car at the moment,’ Lorna admitted, not adding that on the wages Ruth paid it was unlikely that she’d get one anytime soon.
‘So how about if I drove you up when I go?’ suggested Robert. ‘It’s lonely making the journey on my own. You’d be doing me a favour.’
‘Really?’ She couldn’t quite believe it, but turned her gaze from the tomato-shaped ketchup holder to his friendly eyes. ‘I … I suppose that would be much quicker. But where in London are your friends? It’s a big place.’
‘Wandsworth,’ said Robert. ‘They like being near the common. Do you know it?’
‘Yes, yes I do,’ said Lorna. ‘Actually that’s quite good. My mother lives in Battersea, and it’s not far from there.’
‘There you are, then,’ said Robert, his eyes sparkling. ‘Next time I go, I’ll take you along. Or, if you need to go beforehand, just let me know, as they’ll be happy to see me any time. How about that? Do we have a deal?’
‘If you’re sure,’ Lorna said, scarcely able to believe her luck. But she wasn’t at all surprised that this seemingly quiet man had such good friends. She couldn’t imagine anyone being that glad to see her. But Robert would get a warm welcome, she was certain. ‘Yes,’ she said, more definitely now, as their plates of toast arrived. ‘Yes, I’d like that very much indeed.’
