by Dilys Xavier
Richard tried to suppress a smile as he followed James Watt into his office. Now the boot was on the other foot. The clerk who had muttered something about it being too late to see to it must have realised it was more than his job was worth not to find the time. As they sat down, Richard introduced Nicole and explained that she had worked in a solicitor’s office and had offered to help him sort things out.
‘Well, that’s not good enough really,’ the man said, officiously. ‘Your solicitors should be handling all this for you.’
James Watt came by again to see how things were going, and when Richard patiently explained everything again, he suggested that he phone the solicitors involved immediately to make sure that everything would be in order. Then he smiled.
‘So, you’re going to be the next Squire of Langley Hall.’
‘I suppose I am,’ Richard replied, in subdued voice.
‘Then let me be the first to congratulate you.’ The man shook his hand enthusiastically. ‘We’ll have to see about getting you on the committee, won’t we?’
Over the next hour Richard talked non-stop on the telephone while Nicole made photocopies of everything and faxed documents to his solicitors using James Watt’s office equipment because time was critical. When everything had been signed, notarised and recorded, Richard thanked the man again and walked shakily back to his car. He opened the door for Nicole and smiled weakly as she slid into the passenger seat.
‘I feel overwhelmed over it all,’ he said, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. ‘I think you’d better pinch me and remind me that it’s real.’
They drove back to the office in silence. Juanita had managed quite well in their absence, but was eager to go home and said goodbye as they hung up their coats. Nicole made coffee for them both while he checked the messages on his desk. She dropped down onto the nearest chair after handing him a cup as he began to review the afternoon’s events. He was tempted to take her to the nearest bar for a drink to celebrate the occasion, but he knew she would probably be embarrassed by the gesture. Nicole stood up and put her empty coffee cup on the table .
‘I very pleased for you; pleased that it all worked out so well.’ She paused. ‘And I won’t say a word to anyone, not even my Trevor, until you’ve made it public.’
‘Thank you, I appreciate that,’ Richard said, quietly, then chuckled. ‘I always saw James Watt as an anachronistic appendage at the golf club, but I’ll have to review my opinion of him now.’
‘I’m sure it wouldn’t have gone through so quickly without his help. A lot of those claims get bogged down in one department or the other and they can take weeks to be approved. His brusque manner worked in your favour.’ A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ‘I suppose I’ll have to call your Sir Richard from now on.’
‘You’d better give me time to get used to that idea.’
After she had gone home, Richard remained sitting at his desk for a long time. For some reason or other he felt reluctant even to contemplate his next move. His solicitor had asked him to call into the office first thing in the morning, but he could not remember why – everything was still too hazy. He toyed with the phone, tempted to share the news with Cecile, but then decided to wait until a more opportune time.
Who else should he tell? Aunt Agnes? He almost laughed; it seemed strange to think of her as more than the kindly old lady who had helped him unravel the mystery of his family tree. No, he would leave that call until later, too. Finally, exhausted by the thoughts spinning around in his head, Richard closed up the office and went home. He took one look at the mess in the house and then drove to the Wheatsheaf for a meal.
After the waitress cleared away the remains of his dinner, Richard wandered over to the bar and ordered a Calvados. He was reluctant to go back to the house to face the mess, but of course he had to sleep somewhere. Then he remembered that he always kept a small bag in the car in case he was caught out and had to stay somewhere overnight when he was on the road. Knowing that he lived locally, the publican looked at him rather strangely when he requested a room for the night, but didn’t ask him why.
He stayed in the bar until closing time, either watching the sports channel or talking to whoever sat beside him. When he finally dragged himself upstairs he was completely shattered and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. It took him a few moments to get his bearings when he woke up the next morning, and for a brief moment he wondered why he was in a strange room. Then it all flooded back.
Clancy and his off-sider were waiting outside his house when he arrived. He let them in, picked up a few documents to take to the solicitor and headed for the office. Nicole arrived soon after and gave him a mock curtsey.
‘Good morning, Sir Richard.’
‘Enough of your cheek.’ He gave a little laugh and then looked at the clock. ‘I have to see the solicitor first thing. Apparently, there are still a few loose ends to tidy up.’
‘And what about, what’s her name, Catherine Lowestoffe?’
‘I suppose she’ll be notified as soon as everything has been signed, sealed and delivered.’ He grimaced. ‘I don’t envy the person who has to tell her.’
Richard had to mask his smile when he was ushered into James Farleigh’s chambers. The middle-aged solicitor smiled ingratiatingly and shook his hand far more vigorously than usual. It would seem that his change in status was affecting people already. They went over some salient points that needed addressing and then thrashed out all the finer details regarding his claim. Catherine’s solicitors would want to know how long he would be prepared to allow her to remain at Langley Hall before she would be required to vacate the premises. They also discussed the possibility of any other contingencies arising from the takeover.
When the solicitor suggested that his secretary should make a cup of coffee, Richard shook his head and stood up.
‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got a business to run. I really must get back to the office.’ He grasped the man’s hand. ‘Thank you for your help and advice. If you need to contact me you have my telephone number.’
Nicole looked up as he walked through the door.
‘Ms Katsoulis would like you to ring her back at your earliest convenience,’ she said, meaningfully. ‘I fobbed her off twice and then told her that you were with your solicitor. I felt I had better give her a reason. I hope that was all right?’
‘Yes, that fine.’ He glanced quickly at the clock. ‘I’ve got a lot of work to catch up with so please see that I’m not disturbed. No sales reps, no telephone calls. Nothing.’
As soon as he had time, he punched in Cecile’s number and waited for her to answer.
‘Hello, Cecile, sorry I was out when you called. Is everything all right?’
‘What have you been up to, Richard?’ Her voice had a sour note to it. ‘Or should I say where were you last night? Did you forget that we had arranged to go out.’ Without waiting for a reply, she continued. ‘I phoned your house; the telephone rang and rang. I tried your mobile phone and all I got was a message saying it had been turned off. Then this morning your secretary gave me the run around until I almost demanded to know where you were.’
‘Look, I do apologise for what happened; I’m really ever so sorry. It’s a long story and I’ll tell you all about it later, okay? We’ll go somewhere nice for dinner to make up for last night.’ At that moment his desk phone rang and he saw it as an opportunity to say goodbye. ‘Sorry, but I’ve got to go. See you tonight – about seven, okay?’ Then he hung up.
*
Catherine put down the phone as Josie walked into the study.
‘That was quick. Our advertisement has only just appeared in the paper and it’s already attracted a number of enquires.’
‘Was it for the housekeeping job?’
‘No, someone asking if we’d consider hiring a married couple to fill the two positions,’ Catherine replied. ‘Maybe that’s the way to go. I said I’ll ring them back when I’ve thought about it over.’<
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‘It could be a good idea. Ring them back straight away and say you’d like to talk to them.’
‘Okay,’ Catherine agreed. ‘I’ll arrange to see them both at the same time rather than make separate appointments.’ She rubbed her temples again.
‘You keep doing that,’ Josie said, in a concerned tone of voice. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s this headache, it just won’t go away,’ Catherine said. ‘I’ve had it since that wretched man who killed Peter pulled me off Misty and kicked my legs from under me. Although I don’t remember hitting my head on the ground. Maybe I should see a doctor.’
‘Yes, do it straight away before it gets any worse.’
‘I don’t feel like driving into town today. I’m to see the solicitor the day after tomorrow; so I’ll call at the surgery after I’m finished there.’ She gave a little sigh. ‘Then I could have a bite of lunch with Cecile and catch up on all her news.’
She took it easy for the next day, and felt much better by the time she was to see Cecile. When the two women had said goodbye, Catherine thought about their conversation. Why had Cecile seemed so evasive? Only two days ago, she had offered to help in any way possible, but now that pledge been replaced by a nonchalant, ‘I’ll ring you soon’ as she left. Why doesn’t she want to see me, she wondered, continuing to stare out of the window at the rolling fields as she tried to fathom the meaning behind her friend’s offhand manner.
Could she know something about Richard’s search for proof of his claim on the estate? Had he sworn her to secrecy over some shared information he didn’t want anyone else to know? Was Cecile siding with him now? She slammed her hand down on the table as her composure faltered. I thought she was my friend. I thought I could trust her. But ... I was wrong.
There was a renewed intensity to the fear tugging at her insides ever since she had felt convinced that Richard Carlisle was the rightful heir to Langley Hall. She clutched at her stomach and moaned softly.
‘Oh, please,’ she prayed, ‘please, don’t let anything else go wrong.’
Once again she turned to Josie for solace and advice. The older woman counselled her to be patient and not to judge her friend by a single conversation, but to wait and find out why she had been reluctant to give a clear answer. Catherine listened to her words of wisdom and then decided to exercise the horses to take her mind off things. But as she rode around the property she was overwhelmed by the feeling that her days at Langley Hall were numbered.
*
Cecile replaced the phone and sighed deeply. She had never been in such an awkward position before in her life. Richard had told her the whole story; and of how he found his mother’s letters and all the documents that he required to justify his claim on Langley Hall. How he had then presented them to the appropriate authorities within the allotted time and been told they satisfied all conditions.
She recalled the assurance she had given him; ‘I won’t go and blurt it all out.’
Even so, her sympathies lay with Catherine. She tried to imagine how her friend would feel when she learnt that she had lost her claim on the estate. The will had been specific and Richard Carlisle had fulfilled all requirements. The clinching argument that he deserved the inheritance was clearly illustrated by the way the documents had been found at the right time and accepted by the courts. The odds of that happening had to be a million to one.
Although Catherine had seen the man as a potential threat to her inheritance, she had never expressed any animosity towards him. And he had never ever said a disparaging word about her. In fact Cecile had a sneaking suspicion that they were attracted to each other.
Once again she questioned her relationship with Richard. He had stirred up a depth of feeling in her that was quite unlike any she had experienced with any previous lover. Although she had determined not to consider a lasting relationship with him, it was still a possibility. But marriage? She drew the line at marriage.
As long as they maintained their own homes, she was prepared to make a commitment to him, but she didn’t want to lose the independence she had enjoyed for so long. She was accustomed to being able to come and go as she pleased and she was determined to retain that freedom. The money her great aunt had left her when she turned twenty-one years of age had been invested wisely and grown over the years. She was able to pursue an easy-going lifestyle without restrictions or financial worries, and she had no intention of giving it up for any man. Even if she loved him.
She envisaged Richard sleeping over a couple of nights a week and taking her away for an occasional weekend together. If she wanted to visit her mother or take off on a shopping expedition, she wanted to be able to do so without the need to clear it with him first. And of course, if any of her old friends or acquaintances popped back into her life, she wanted to be free to entertain them whenever and however it suited her. Of course Richard may not be willing to accept those terms, but then again he might find them infinitely suitable.
The one thing that really bothered her about their relationship was his reluctance to invite her back to his house. When she questioned him about it, at the time he had made a ready reply. ‘It’s not much better than a council house. My mother inherited it from her aunt and passed it on to me and I only lived there with her for a short while before she died.’ He had paused as he spoke of his mother’s death, before continuing. ‘I mortgaged it to the hilt to finance my business and I’ve been reluctant to spend money to renovate the place.’ His final remark had said it all, ‘It’s functional, but pretty basic.’
‘Have you taken your other lady loves there?’ she had asked.
‘That’s a leading question.’ He had laughed self-consciously. ‘Let me just say I’ve found that most women like to wake up in their own bedrooms. They’re in control of the situation under those circumstances.’
She tried to picture him living at Langley Hall; in her mind he did not fit. It had been Catherine’s home for as long as they had been friends, and she would always think of it that way. However, it was now likely that was all about to change and she wondered whether she would be able to adapt to the new circumstances.
In an effort to take her mind off the subject, Cecile pulled out the brochures she had picked up from the travel shop in the high street. Richard had suggested another weekend away, and had asked her to choose the locale. She spent a long time looking at the resorts in Spain and Italy, but, did she want a four or five hour flight both ways?
‘Cote D’Azur? Hmm.’ She turned the brochure upside down as she recalled the weekend with Jacques. ‘Don’t want to be reminded of him when I’m with Richard,’ she murmured.
She put them away when someone rang the front door bell. It was the postman; he handed her a bulky envelope from her mother along with the rest of her mail. She tore open a letter from her cousin, Thelma, that contained an assortment of photographs of her husband Colin standing outside a pretty little stone cottage, and a snap of the nearby Brecon Beacons. She gave a glowing account of the location and ended by saying that Cecile was welcome to use their isolated cottage to enjoy the beauty of the area - if ever she wanted a holiday in an out of the way place.
Dropping the letter onto the table Cecile pulled out a map and pinpointed the area in Wales. It was probably no more than a couple of hours by car. She wondered if Richard would be interested in taking advantage of the offer. It might be fun to rough it for a weekend.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Two days later Catherine watched the silver and red Jeep Cherokee proceeding slowly up the drive as she made her way back from the stables. When it came to a halt in front of the manor, she turned to the older man by her side.
‘That must be Leslie Johnson and his wife, Pippa.’
‘Hmm, they’re early,’ Ruben Lombard remarked quietly, checking the time by his fob watch. ‘Must have allowed for the traffic and had a clear run.’ He snapped the lid closed. ‘Well, we’d better see what they have to say for themselves. I must say his credentials we
re impressive.’
The couple followed Catherine into the study and looked around before taking the seats they were offered. It was quite obvious neither of them had ever been in a house of such grandeur. Ruben questioned Leslie Johnson at some length about his previous experience and seemed pleased with the man’s answers. Meanwhile, Catherine refreshed her memory by reading his C.V. again. She laid it back on the table and smiled as Ruben concluded his questions.
‘So why did you give up your position in New Zealand and come back to the U.K.?’
‘The usual reasons,’ Leslie replied. ‘Family ties. Our parents are getting on and we both thought we should be close by in case we’re needed.’
‘New Zealand’s a lovely place.’ A touch of nostalgia creeping into Ruben’s his voice as he related how he had jumped ship to spend a few months wandering around the country when he was a young lad. He gave a little laugh. ‘I’ve often wondered what would have happened if I’d stayed there.’
Unwilling to allow the meeting to turn into a general discussion or a trip down memory lane, Catherine asked Ruben to fetch Josie. She wanted the older woman present while Pippa was being interviewed. Although Leslie’s wife lacked the experience of running a big house, Catherine thought that it might be beneficial to employ the couple as a team to ensure a more harmonious operation. When Josie had satisfied herself that there was nothing else to discuss, she asked the young woman to wait in the anteroom with her husband.
‘I’d be inclined to give him the position straight away,’ Ruben said as the door closed behind her. ‘If they go up to Yorkshire to look at that other job, Johnson may not want to come back for a second interview, and that would be a pity. I think he’ll suit you down to the ground.’
Catherine looked at Josie.
‘And what about his wife? Will she’ll be able to cope with the job?’
‘Yes, I think she’ll be all right. I’m sure she’ll pick things up without too much trouble; she’s got the right attitude and seems level headed enough.’ The older woman then continued. ‘I agree with Ruben. I’d employ them both; I think Leslie will be a lot happier if they’re together.’
