Never Too Late (26 page)

With a smile, he raised his glass to them as Damon urged her away. They were barely out of sight before he placed the whiskey glass down and stalked off to find Molly.

* * *

“Sophie, you’re here on your own?” Molly caught her friend’s hands.

“I came with Anna and Kitty, but they’ve gone off somewhere.” Sophie looked at her earnestly. “I need to speak with you.” 

Frowning, Molly glanced around. “Come on.” She pulled Sophie past several other rooms to the kitchen. It was thankfully deserted, and she closed the door behind them as Sophie sank into one of the chairs by the large table. 

“Gosh, so much has been happening, Molly. You have no idea.”

Molly grimaced. “Actually, I might.” She pulled out a chair beside Sophie and sat down. “Is this anything to do with Belinda spreading tales about Martin and me?”

“Martin’s gone with Francine! He called Belinda just as she was getting ready to come here tonight. It’s all such a shock. I don’t think he’s coming back, Molly. And poor Belinda… Mum’s with her now. It wouldn’t be good for her to be alone at a time like this.”

On a heavy breath, Molly sat back in her chair. “I can’t say I’m surprised. And I can’t say I’m sorry for her either. But I’m glad it’s all over now. At least, I’m finally well clear of it.”

Sophie stared at her. “You knew about Francine? You couldn’t have.”

“I found out yesterday.”

Sophie shook her head. “It’s all such drama at the moment. That wasn’t even what I needed to tell you. Abby is pregnant.”

Molly’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god! That’s… um… good news?”

“No.”

“But, maybe this is just what Brian and Abby need to bring them closer. How’s Abby doing?”

Sophie sighed. “I don’t know. She’s still in London.”

“Then, Brian? How’s he handling it?”

“Terribly. He’s here.”

“Here?” Molly frowned. “You mean here at Barrowdene?”

Sophie nodded. “He came back from London today, saying that he’s left Abby for good. Last I saw of him was a few minutes ago, drinking with Nate and some others in the garden.”

“How can he be so selfish! Abby needs him at a time like this. I’m surprised your dad didn’t tell him to haul his sorry backside back to London.”

“There’s nothing any of us can say. He’s adamant it’s not his baby.”

All of Molly’s anger evaporated, leaving her gaping. “But… how can he be so sure? Do you believe him?”

“I suppose we have to for now. It’s not really our place to judge. It’s between him and Abby.”

Molly looked at her friend, her mind ready to jump to all sorts of conclusions about Brian, but Sophie’s usual calm acceptance made her pause. No matter what she thought of Brian, he was in a bad place right now and she didn’t want to wish him ill. “You’re right. The best we can hope for is that it all somehow works out for them.”

The kitchen door swung open and Jake strode in, a fierce light in his eyes. 

His glare must have scared Sophie, because she jumped up as if she’d been caught with her hands in the cookie jar. “I’d best be going,” she mumbled, looking guilty.

Molly grasped her hand and smiled reassuringly. “I’ll see you later.”

Sophie nodded, and with a quick glance at Jake’s impatient expression, slipped past him and out of the kitchen, quietly closing the door after her.

Molly rounded on Jake. “You didn’t have to barge in here like that and scare Sophie away.”

“She chose to leave,” Jake said, his eyes narrowing in anger. “And why aren’t you out there with me, where you belong?”

“Where I belong? Really, Jake? Well, I’m done playing your perfect hostess, especially after you tried to unload Barrowdene on that woman who couldn’t give two hoots about its future.”

“Elka? I hadn’t even considered it until she asked. But she is well placed to look after this estate.”

She glared at him.

“What? You think the money from the orchards is enough to maintain this place?” he asked. “You need someone with the funds and willingness to invest if you don’t want Barrowdene to fall into a heap of decayed rubble over time.”

She couldn’t fault his logic. Barrowdene’s income had only been enough for necessary repairs and daily upkeep, even with Nan and Nate taking next to nothing as salary. Francine had been unable to make the sort of desperately needed improvements Jake had made, preferring to let the house lie untouched and ignored. He was right. Whoever bought this estate would have to be rich enough to maintain it. 

It would have been oh so perfect if he’d just stayed on… 

Annoyed, she halted her wayward thoughts. “But not that woman,” she snapped. “She’s not interested in Barrowdene. In fact, I got the impression she’s only interested in getting you into bed.”

He frowned. “It’s nothing like that. I told you; she’s recently widowed. You can hardly blame her for staying close to friends.”

There was close, and then there was close. And Elka Blom certainly didn’t look like a woman suffering from the loss of a beloved husband. 

Jake walked further into the kitchen, running agitated fingers through his hair. “I owe Elka’s husband a lot. He was our first investor, along with my father. He believed in us when Damon and I were just two cocky upstarts brimming with ideas. The least I can do in his memory is make sure she’s looked after.”

“Barrowdene is yours, Jake,” she said, regarding him impassively. “You don’t need me to help persuade Ms. Blom it’s a worthwhile investment. The house speaks for itself. If she’s the buyer you choose, then my opinion doesn’t matter.”

“Damn it, Molly! This isn’t about the house.” He stalked towards her and cupped her face between his hands. “I told you about Elka because I want you to know what’s really going on.” He stroked a gentle thumb over her lips and she stared back at him wide-eyed, her hands pressed against his chest. “I missed you last night,” he murmured. “Right now, I can’t think of being anywhere in the world without you. Come with me, Molly. I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow. I have to meet clients during the day, but you won’t be bored. You can see the sights, shop, and then the nights are ours.”

Her hands sagged against his chest and she stared at him in disbelief. Did he really think she wanted sightseeing and shopping trips? There had been a time she’d thought nothing could take her from Appleby, but if only he’d offered her words of love, she’d have quite happily gone with him to the North Pole and been content to just be wherever he was. 

With a shake of her head, she stepped out of his hold. “I can’t.”

He stared at her, nonplussed. “I’ll take care of your Nan. You don’t have to worry about her or Nate.”

He would, but who would take care of her heart? There would always be others like Elka Blom flocking around him, and one day he would find her replacement from among them. Her heart wouldn’t survive it. 

She raised her chin, letting anger mask her pain. “And how long did you plan this relationship between us might last? A week? A month maybe? Or is that being too optimistic?”

“Don’t destroy this, Molly.” His eyes glittered like amber ice.

Hot tears gathered in her eyes, and she blinked them away, refusing to dissolve into neediness. “If it’s so easy to destroy, then maybe I don’t want it.” 

Eyes blazing with anger, he spun away and paced for a few tense steps, then abruptly faced her. “What do you want from me? A ring? My name? I’ve already had one woman die for that.”

“No,” she whispered, blood draining from her.

 He came to her, his lips twisted in scorn. “You wouldn’t last long in the world out there, Molly. It’ll eat up an innocent like you without a second thought, and I may not always be there to protect you.”

He thought her weak. Anger surged through her. He didn’t want her long term, and this was his justification for it. She wasn’t good enough for him. 

“Then it’s lucky you’ve got sophisticated women like Elka to take my place,” she said through gritted teeth. Pain and humiliation pushed her on to lash out at him. “And I should thank you, Jake. I’ve already got everything I want from you. You’re not the only one to benefit from our short fling. I was using you to make Brian jealous. I wanted him back. I’ve always loved him.”

He rocked back on his heels as if slapped. The lies had fallen too easy from her tongue and she wanted to take them back as soon as they were out. But then he looked at her like she was something foul beneath his shoe and she forced herself to stand her ground, defiant. 

Let him believe she wasn’t such a naive fool that she’d fallen in love with him and wanted to marry him.

“Like hell you do!” Lunging forward, he grabbed her arms. “You damn well don’t mean that,” he growled, pulling her close, his fingers digging into her through her thin cardigan sleeves.

She gasped and struggled in vain, her eyes widening in panic as she registered the burning fury in his.

The kitchen door opened and their eyes snapped to the balding rotund man who entered. He came to an abrupt stop, his shaggy eyebrows shooting up in surprise at the tableau they made. “I’m very sorry.”

Jake’s grip on her arms loosened slightly, and seizing the opportunity, she pulled free, and before he could react, ran to the back door and escaped into the dark night outside.

She stumbled through the kitchen garden, the tears in her eyes blinding her to the dimly lit path before her. The imprint of Jake’s fingers still marked her flesh, and she rubbed her arms. She’d never seen him so furious. But even within the rage, she’d seen the unmistakable fire of want in his eyes. She shuddered. If he’d pressed her further, if he’d kissed her, she would have crumbled then and there.

She reached Rose Cottage and paused, suddenly not wanting to be alone. Maybe she could find Nan or Sophie. Bright lights shone into the night sky from the south garden, and she darted towards them as the tears she’d tried to stem spilled over on to her cheeks. 

What had she done? She dashed the tears away with an impatient hand. That lie about Brian had broken the fragile bond she’d had with Jake. She’d never see him again. 

God! Who was she kidding? There never had been any bond. She’d been a mere distraction for him and he’d become an obsession for her. It was better it finished now for good. 

But still it hurt. How he must detest her now. A part of her wanted to run back to him and confess. To tell him she hadn’t used him. Hadn’t wanted anything from him but love. But what did it matter? He’d never loved her anyway.

She passed the shrub-lined entrance to the garden and the grand marquee came into view up ahead. Crowds of people milled around it and snippets of laughter and hearty cheers reached her ears. The trees dotted around the garden were festooned with glimmering fairy lights and looked like little floating galaxies in the inky darkness of the night. She dipped under the branches of one on her way and froze as a shadowy figure detached itself from the dark trunk.

“Molly.”

She gasped. “Brian?”

His voice was slightly slurred, and stooping, he set the can he was holding down on the grass before straightening and coming towards her. His eyes were shadowed in the faint light, but his hair was tousled and the strong smell of alcohol hung around him. She had to stop herself from taking a nervous step back.

“I should be going, Brian. I need to find Nan.”

“What’s your rush? Has the boyfriend finally found a buyer for this old pile?”

She looked at him with disdain. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“It didn’t work, eh?” He laughed. “Couldn’t get him to drop on one knee? Too bad. You gave it a right good shot though, didn’t you? Us village lads had a wager going on whether you’d land the big fish or not. Looks like I won.”

Fury blazed through her. “I know you’re the one who spread this filth about me, Brian. Well, guess what? It’s not working. Nothing you say or do affects me anymore. You’re nothing but a slimy rat who gets women pregnant and comes running home because you’re not man enough to take responsibility.”

“The fuck you know about it, you little bitch! Abby’s a whore who got herself knocked up and then used me as a scapegoat because she was too scared to face her precious daddy.” He loomed into her space. “And you… you owe me for everything I’ve been through. You just couldn’t let me get on with my life, could you? Well, sweetheart, it’s time to pay up.”

He grabbed her waist before she could evade him, and pulled her smack against his body, his other hand twisting painfully into her curls and holding her tight as he slammed his mouth down on hers in a savage kiss. She struggled and pushed at him with all her might, recoiling from the pain and the taste of stale beer on his tongue, but he was too strong. His fingers at her waist bunched into the cotton of her dress and pulled. With a rip, one of the slim shoulder straps gave way and the material loosened around her breasts. Panic rushed through her, and she fought harder, flailing at his arms and chest with her fists, but he deepened the assault on her mouth, his tongue probing into her softness, his teeth clashing against hers. Suddenly the salty metallic tang of blood touched her tongue and all the fight went out of her. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she stopped struggling and sagged against him, praying for this to be over.

“Hell! It’s true.”

Brian abruptly released her and she stumbled back to see Jake glaring at them, his hands balled into fists at his side, and a look of utter disbelief on his face. 

She grabbed the bodice of her ripped dress and held it tight to her, glad he couldn’t see her tear-stained face and swollen lips in the dim glow of the fairy lights. “Jake, this isn’t—”

“You should be thanking me, Hennessy.” Brian sauntered up to him with a smirk. “I’ve shown you what a slut she really is. She was all set to stitch you up at the altar and take you to the cleaners for this house.”

Jake took one step forward and swung through with a right hook to the chin that sent Brian crashing to the ground. 

“If I ever see you again, I’ll take you apart,” he growled as Brian raised a dazed hand to his face and struggled to sit up. And with a last hard glare at her, he pushed past the tree branches and stalked off towards the house.