“That’s sad,” Jake said. “Not a listing to get excited about, is it? At the rate the older style shops are closing the main street will be full of takeaway shops and pound stores soon. Ah, well, don’t suppose we can do anything to stop that.” He checked his watch. “I’ll make sure you’re back in time for your appointment. It would be great if you could come.” He sounded full of suppressed excitement. “I have something to show you.”
“Okay. It certainly sounds intriguing.’
“Did you buy a pair of wellies?”
Suzy inclined her head to the corner. A pair of pink Wellington’s with yellow daisies painted down the sides sat there.
Jake laughed. “Cool, but thank goodness no one will see us. Come on then.”
Suzy picked up her bag and Wellingtons and followed Jake through to the front office. He wore a checked short-sleeved shirt tucked into tight jeans and her eyes slid from his broad shoulders down to his slim hips and were finally riveted on his…he turned quickly, catching her unawares, and Suzy felt blood rush to her face. She pulled her lip between her teeth.
He saw!
A small smile played at the corner of his mouth. “We’re going to the build,” he said. “My car or yours?”
“Mm?”
“Well, I rather like the idea of being driven by you.” He waited.
Suzy smiled and pulled her keys out. “Fine.”
“Won’t be long,” Jake said to Lilian and ushered Suzy out the door. Their cars were parked close together and Jake collected his own boots and a small shoulder case.
He opened the passenger door, which squeaked loudly. He was smiling. “Is it reliable?”
“Not always, but I manage to get from A to B. It doesn’t like early morning starts though.”
“Perhaps we should consider a company car. Image and all that, to match the woman?”
Suzy blew up onto her face. “Mm. Boss’s decision,” she said.
In the close proximity of the car Suzy fidgeted, putting on her seat belt, pulling at her skirt which suddenly felt too short. It had ridden over her knees, and her top felt tight as she tugged at the neckline.
Jake, half-turned toward her, already fastened in, was smiling. “Are we starting?” he asked. She heard amusement in his voice and tightened her lips. “Will it?”
Suzy turned the key, and to her relief it started the first time. Driving out of town and onto the motorway, the quickest way, the old engine roared in protest as she put her foot down.
“Do you always take this route?” Jake asked. “Or are you just in a hurry today?”
Suzy kept her eyes on the road. “I always come this way. What are you going to show me? Is another house ready?”
“No. It’s different…a surprise.”
She shot him a look. “Oh.”
He smiled and turned away, looking out of the side window, and Suzy quickly glanced at him. He was relaxed, lying back in the seat, long legs spread out before him, one slim hand resting on his thigh, the fingers tapping idly.
She reached the site and drove through the gates, waving to Alan as they passed. Workmen and trucks were busy everywhere.
“It’s really coming on, isn’t it?” Suzy said.
“Yup. Drive over there, Suzy.” Jake pointed to the farthermost boundary where the thick woodland started. “Only go as far as the stream. We can park up there and put our wellies on. The ground beyond that is like a quagmire.”
Suzy drove slowly over the soggy soil, managing to find some fairly solid ground where she parked. Turning the engine off she slipped her feet out of her high-heeled shoes, and taking her pink wellingtons from the back seat, pulled them on. Jake had already donned his. He looked down at her feet.
“Really cute,” he said with a grin. Opening the case from his shoulder, he took out a pair of binoculars.
“Come,” he said, “this way.” As they crossed the stream he held out his hand to her. “Careful, the stones are slippery.”
Suzy liked the dry firmness of his grasp, appreciating the feel of the strength in his arm as he held her steady. Smiling she jumped onto the opposite bank and Jake released her hand.
He put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Over there in the cotoneaster hedge there’s a wren’s nest. I’ve been keeping an eye on it for a few days.” He stopped and put the glasses to his eyes. “Yes,” he breathed. “She’s still sitting on the eggs. If you look very carefully you might see one sticking out from beneath her.” He handed Suzy the glasses. “You may need to adjust them. Use that thing in the middle.”
It took a few moments for Suzy to focus, then she gasped softly. “Oh, how perfect. How tiny and perfect. And yes, I can see something…white, glossy, very small with reddish spots.”
“That’s them. There are four, maybe five eggs,” Jake said.
Suzy lowered the glasses to look at him. “You sound like a proud dad.”
He grinned. “I feel like one. Isn’t she gorgeous though? She’s called a troglodyte,” he murmured.
“What?” Suzy laughed quietly.
“The Latin for wren,” he said in all seriousness. “I’ve been reading extensively since I found the nest. Shall we sit and watch a while. The male may come back with dinner.” They sank down on hummocks of grass. “See, what happens,” Jake continued, “is that the male, in the south of England, will build five or six nests…”
“Why in the south?”
“Mm, I think it’s something to do with climate. Warmer down here, I suppose, but in the north he will usually only build one…perhaps it takes too much energy for the poor little chap in that colder weather. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. So he builds all these nests in the hope of enticing more than one female, greedy little blighter, and if madam likes one she will accept and line it with feathers.”
“Fascinating,” Suzy said, her gaze on his handsome face and beautiful eyes, which she realized on closer inspection contained hints of amber. There was a tiny mole to the top right-hand side of his sensuous-looking mouth, and when he smiled, which was often as he enthused about the wren, the corners of his eyes crinkled beguilingly.
“Any questions?” he said.
“Well, I guess first of all, why give such a tiny bird with such a short name that ridiculously long Latin one?”
Jake laughed. “Don’t know. Next.”
“How many eggs do they lay…in the south?”
“Ah. Between five and eight.”
“Amazing,” Suzy said, “that such a minute little bird with such a tiny body can hold so many!”
“Isn’t it? Ah, look, here comes dad.”
They watched in silence as the male returned, his beak full of insects, which he put into the waiting, gaping mouth of the female.
“How lovely,” Suzy whispered, “to sit there and wait to be looked after like that.”
Jake chuckled. “I expect it will be hard work for her too when they hatch. That should be anytime soon. Fifteen days apparently, and I first saw them a week ago.”
“Will you let me know when they hatch?” Suzy asked.
Jake rose and pulled her to her feet. “Of course.” He checked his watch. “Time to get back you back, I’m afraid. I could have stayed much longer.”
He was still holding her hand as she steadied herself and said, “Me too.”
∙•∙
On the drive back Jake was able to watch her. He liked the way her slim hands with the neatly cut nails held the steering wheel confidently and really enjoyed looking at her shapely, slender legs. His gaze moved up to her face. Concentrating, she looked resolutely ahead, and in profile he thought her face just as beautiful as when seen full frontal. The cloud of curls, the peachy skin and straight nose reminded him of a pre-Raphaelite painting he’d once seen many years ago, though he couldn’t remember the name of it or who had painted it, and wished now he’d taken more notice. He saw a dull pink flush begin to spread up her neck and realized she knew he was watching her. He moved, turning forward in his seat.
“I was hoping to have heard from the Heyward’s at Hawk’s Nest this week,” he said.
Suzy drove into the High Street and into the parking lot. “I was wondering myself. You don’t think they’ve gone off the idea of selling do you?” She cut the engine and looked at him.
“Who knows? But if they have it may just be a matter of nerves, after all they have lived there all their married lives. I imagine it will be quite a wrench, though Mrs. Heyward said she’s desperate to move into that retirement village, repeatedly saying they can’t possibly cope there much longer. I’m puzzled though, I mean, I offered them far more than their valuation report said it was worth and so expected a pretty quick response.”
“Would you like me to give them a gentle reminder?” Suzy asked.
Jake smiled. “That would be great. Thanks.”
They climbed out of her car and Jake collected his boots and binocular case. He shut the door, saying over the roof to Suzy, “Thanks for that. Most enjoyable. See you tomorrow…Oh, let me know how you get on with the Heyward’s, will you?” And with a wave he opened his car, flung his gear into it, clambered in, and quickly drove off. In his rear view mirror he watched Suzy’s straight back as she walked to the office, saw the tautness in her shoulders and knew that, after their enjoyable hour together, he’d upset her with his quick getaway. But the truth was, after time in her company he just had to distance himself from her for a while, which really begged the question why had he asked her along to see the wren’s nest in the first place? He couldn’t find an answer to that. It was just something he’d desperately wanted to share with her and was pleased he had, because her enthusiasm and interest had delighted him.
She delighted him.
Jake clenched his jaw and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. I am, he thought with amazement, scared of getting too close, yet can’t stop myself from wanting it! And again, rearing its ugly head was Saudi. What on earth would Suzy think about what had happened there?
He briefly wondered if perhaps she was becoming attached to the furniture bloke, Darren, and that was the reason he was blowing hot and cold with her, anxious not to get hurt. The guy was a man Jake had never met, but he knew with certainty he would dislike him on sight. She had appeared to meet and get on with him so quickly it had filled Jake with an unusual and quite alarming feeling of jealousy. Something so unusual for him, he found it hard to come to terms with.
His cell rang on the passenger seat. He glanced at it and saw Amanda’s number. Pulling over to the curb he answered it.
“Hi,” she said brightly. “Not caught you at an inconvenient time have I?”
“No. Just been out to the site. I’m on my way back.”
“How’s it going?”
“Really well. Much better than I at first thought.” He paused, then asked out of politeness, “And what have you been up to?”
“Oh, nothing much. Interviewed that couple who bought the house with the sink hole in the garden. Did you hear about it?”
“An old mine shaft wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. Clearly not surveyed properly. Hey, look, what are you doing this evening?”
“Um, nothing much. There’s a couple of programs I’ve recorded…”
“Jake,” she interrupted smoothly, “you can watch TV anytime. I have managed to get two tickets for a play put on by the Jacobite Players, they’re supposed to be excellent. I thought you might like to come along…Jake?”
Jake put from his mind that vision of Suzy’s taut back. “Yes, yes thanks, Amanda. I’d like to. Give me your address. What time shall I pick you up?”
Chapter Twelve
Suzy frowned and stared at the silent phone before replacing the receiver. She had most definitely been given the cold shoulder by Mr. Heyward when asking if Jake could make another appointment to see them.
“No, I’m sorry, Miss Porter,” he had said quite curtly, “please convey my apologies to Mr. Mason, but Mrs. Heyward hasn’t been well these last few days and so it would be inconvenient for us to have visitors right now. Goodbye.” And he’d hung up.
Rising from her desk Suzy went through to the office.
Lilian looked up. “Problems?”
“I’ve just had the weirdest conversation with Mr. Heyward. He practically put the phone down before I had a chance to say very much. You know how keen they’ve been to sell.” She shook her head. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
Brian swiveled his chair around. “Perhaps they’re having second thoughts, or maybe they wanted Jake to be the one to phone them. You know how tetchy people can be sometimes when it comes to parting with the family home. Give them a day or two and ask Jake to give them a courtesy call.”
“Mm. I will. I must contact Jake later and let him know.” Suzy glanced at the clock. “Ready, Ann?”
On the walk down to Mr. Proctor’s, Suzy saw many faces peering at them through shop windows and observed quietly to Ann that by the end of the afternoon all the other shop owners on the street would realize the greengrocery business would be going up for sale.
Ann smiled. “Guess you’re right. Interesting though how things work out, isn’t it. A young woman came in while you were out, she’s looking for premises to open a craft shop…card making, quilting, that sort of thing. I said I’d give her a call if anything comes up. Of course this place immediately came to mind. It would,” she said, as she opened the door to Mr. Proctor’s, “be ideal for her.”
Inside the barely filled shop most of the shelves were empty except for a few spread out tins. Suzy could sadly see Mr. Proctor’s eagerness to sign the listing. He looked tired and walked stiffly.
“I’m too old for it now, me loves,” he said. “And funnily enough, I’m not sad so don’t you two look so glum.” He smiled. “Ah, it will be wonderful you know not to get up at five in the morning anymore to go to market. The old bones don’t like it. No, instead I shall enjoy leisurely lie-ins in my neat little flat, take my time over breakfast and do some serious walking.” He rubbed his hands. “Such a treat to look forward to.”
“But sad for the High Street,” Suzy said. “All these small shops going.”
“Way of the world, love,” he said resignedly. “Way of the world. Progress, I believe they call it,” he added with a shrug and raised eyebrows.
On the short walk back to the office, Suzy said, “You did well there, Ann. I liked the way you handled what could have been a quite stressful situation for him, which as it happens, it wasn’t. He’s very happy isn’t he?” They stopped outside the office. “I won’t be in tomorrow, so will you see this listing is processed? I’m hoping another style of house will be ready in the morning for me to furnish…it’s one of the newer designs, so I’ll have to put my thinking cap on.”
“Will you be calling that bloke, Darren?”
Suzy looked at her. “Yes. You said that with a sort of edge to your voice.”
“I don’t know him,” Ann pushed the door open and said, “so shouldn’t really pass judgment, but he’s just not my cup of tea. Too foxy-looking.”
Suzy laughed. “Foxes are gorgeous!”
“They’re also predators.”
Ann passed the listing to Lilian, who said, “Who are you talking about?”
“The furnishing guy, Darren,” Suzy said. “Foxy, I call him.”
“Oh, him? Well, I suppose I have to agree with Ann, Suzy.” She looked at the contract. “Shall I get this started?”
The phone rang and Ann answered it as Suzy walked through to her office.
“Suzy,” Ann called. “Jake for you.”
Suzy walked back into the main office smiling and reaching for the phone, but Ann held on to it.
“He wants me to transfer the call to yours,” she said.
Frowning, Suzy shrugged, said okay, and going into her office closed the door. With a premonition that all was not well, she picked up the receiver cautiously.
“Hello, Jake.”
“I won’t wa
ste time working up to this, but this morning I had a call from a quite belligerent Mr. Heyward. He said he’d already spoken to you.”
“Yes. Yesterday. He was very terse and quite rude actually. I was at a loss…”
“The reason being, Suzy is that he no longer wishes to place Hawk’s Nest with Porterhouse.”
“What? But why, Jake?” She sank heavily into her chair.
“Easy really. Apparently, so he told me, he has heard things about me he doesn’t like, that I’m a human bulldozer with no respect for old buildings, and that I have the city planners in my pocket and can do what I like.”
“Human bulldozer?” Suzy echoed foolishly. “But who on earth can have told him that for Heaven’s sake?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said grimly. “And as the property hadn’t even been put up for sale, if you recall what the Heyward’s said, that only we knew about it, then someone has had the information about their wish to sell to me from somewhere, and has got in quickly to put a spoke in the wheel.”
“From the way you said that…it sounds,” Suzy said, “as though you’re suspicious…that you think it’s come from this office. Jake?”
She heard the suppressed anger in his voice as he answered. “Well where else could it have come from? Think about it, Suzy. Only you and I knew about it. Do you think any of our staff could possibly have seen anything…something one of us had left lying around?”
Suzy wracked her brains. “No. No, I’m sure not. But even if they did, none of them are the type to speak about anything that goes on here.”
There was a pause then Jake asked, “Have you discussed it with anyone. Anyone at all? Think about it.”
Suzy’s mouth tightened with a spurt of anger. “No I have not. For that matter, seeing as questions are flying about, have you?”
Instantly she experienced a pang of remorse and bit her lip.
He’s my boss!
“No,” Jake said evenly. “And I think we’ve both been in this business long enough to know that you don’t impart any information at all about prospective listings to a soul. So if it’s not you me or the staff, how the hell has someone else managed to slip in behind our backs and spoil it for us?”
Honorable Intentions Page 8
