Trust in Me (18 page)

She shook her head, the light in her eyes dull, her lovely mouth downturned. It seemed as though the ground was falling away beneath his chair.

“You’re right, Theo. There’s no reason for me to stay. And as you already have a team on standby, I’d like to hand in my notice. I’ll be leaving the estate as soon as I can tie up all the loose ends.”

He knew then he’d lost her.

Chapter Seventeen

Rosie was torn as she watched Theo leave. She wanted to call out after him, to stop him. He’d looked as devastated as she felt, but she knew there was no way she could stay. Not when she was so in love with him.

Best to end it now, before he discovered her sad little secret. She was sure he would be kind – he would pity her for her foolish lack of self restraint. He would feel sorry for her because she was every bit as weak as her father and his army of female followers. And then she would have to endure his sympathy as he told her he didn’t return her feelings.

She knew that would kill her.

When she heard the front door crash open, she thought he’d come back and her heart leapt. She tried not to show her fleeting disappointment when Evie crashed in. And then she realised Evie had been crying and thoughts of Theo were pushed to the back of her mind.

“Evie, what’s wrong?”

“George,” she cried on the peak of a sob. “He said I care more about Jessie than I do about him.”

A lover’s tiff. Rosie heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t the end of the world, even though it might feel like it to Evie at the moment. “What did you say to that?”

“I told him it was true.” She wailed again. “But it’s so not.”

“Oh sweetheart, come here.”

Evie obliged and, still sobbing, walked towards Rosie’s outstretched arms. Rosie was tempted to join in as Evie cried against her shoulder, but she had to be strong – if she gave into temptation she’d cry for the rest of her life. “It will be okay, I promise.” She stroked Evie’s hair and made more soothing noises. “What did Julia say?”

“She thinks it’s for the best – that he’s too old for me.”

Rosie thought back to the conversation she’d had with Julia just after the discovering Evie was serious about George. She’d thought it odd at the time that Julia had been so adamant Rosie needed to put a stop to it, but now she knew why. She hadn’t been speaking as an interested friend, but as a concerned aunt. “She’s only worried about you. And three years, at your age, is quite a gap.”

“But I love him.”

Rosie’s heart lurched, Evie had grown up so quickly. It was only yesterday she was playing with dolls and now she had a boyfriend, plans for university and a future. “I know you do. And I think he loves you.” As she spoke, the doorbell rang. “That could well be him now. You put the kettle on and I’ll go and see.”

But it wasn’t George. It was Julia. She stood uncertainly on the doorstep and gave a half smile. “I didn’t know if I’d be welcome.”

“I’m hardly going to ban you from the house.” Rosie stood aside awkwardly to let her in. “Evie’s here. She’s upset.”

Julia nodded as she stepped past. “George was looking for her. He’s gone up to the sanctuary, but I thought she might be here.”

Rosie lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, who else is she going to run to when she’s upset?”

There was a flurry as Evie rushed into the hall, it was obvious she’d heard. “George’s looking for me at the sanctuary?” Evie ran towards the front door, pulling her coat back on as she went. “Gotta-go. Thanks, Rosie.” She stopped long enough to peck Rosie on the cheek and to smile through her tears at Julia, and then she was gone.

Rosie and Julia looked at each other for a long moment and then simultaneously burst out laughing. “Another drama over,” Julia said.

Although Rosie understood Evie had been broken hearted, it was still amusing to see how quickly her sister had recovered her usual bounce once she discovered George wanted to make up.

“What did they argue about?”

“Something and nothing. Evie wanted him to help with the donkeys because some of her volunteers had called in sick, but he wanted to practice his music. She took it seriously at the time, though.”

Rosie nodded and shifted uncomfortably. This was awkward. But she could hardly ignore Julia, not when she’d been a friend for so many years. And particularly not now it was known she was Evie’s aunt. “Do you have time for a coffee?” It would take her time to forgive the deception, but maybe, given time, they might be able to rebuild their friendship.

Julia gave a relieved sigh. “Actually, I’d love a coffee.”

Once they were seated at the kitchen table, with their drinks, Julia started to talk. “I’m so sorry. I should have owned up years ago, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I really wanted to get to know Evie first. And the more I got to know you both, the harder I found it to own up. You were in a pretty vulnerable position when I first turned up – you had just lost your father and found out he’d left you nothing. I thought if I took Evie away it would just make matters worse. And I didn’t want that. I care about you, too.”

“I think if you’d taken Evie to live with you at that point, I’d have lost it completely,” Rosie admitted. “And I do appreciate everything you’ve done for us since you moved to the area. I would never have managed without your help. But I can’t help feeling foolish that I didn’t realise.”

“How could you have known?”

“The clues were there – the way you were always to eager to have Evie. You even took her on holiday with you and Bob and Louise.”

Julia shrugged. “That was nothing, I wanted to do so much more. But you wouldn’t take any financial help, and until I told you the truth I couldn’t insist.”

Rosie took a long gulp of her drink and winced as the hot liquid burned her tongue. “Did Glory tell you why she left in the first place?”

“She and your dad weren’t getting along. She was very young, much younger than him. He made it clear Evie would be better off if she went. She watched from a distance, but she didn’t dare come back – even though she hated being apart from her child.”

“I’m sorry. It can’t have been easy, watching your little sister die.” Rosie thought for a moment how she’d feel in the same situation – and recoiled, rejecting the horrible image.

“It was hard,” Julia admitted. “I still miss her.”

And that’s was one of the reasons Evie was so important to Julia. Rosie understood now. She also understood exactly what it must have cost Julia to stand by and say nothing all these years. If she hadn’t been such a good friend, she could have claimed Evie years ago.

“Any word from Theo?” Julia obviously wanted to change the subject and Rosie was inclined to let her – even though her choice of diversion wasn’t the best.

“He came down late last night. But he’s gone now. I handed in my notice. Doubt I’ll see him again.”

“What? But he won’t let you go, surely.”

“He already has done. It’s time I made my own way in the world, anyway.” She made a brave attempt at a smile.

“He’ll be back.”

Rosie wasn’t happy Julia was pressing the issue. “I don’t think he will.”

Julie laughed. “If he’s not a man in love I’ll eat my hat.”

“He doesn’t love me. And he doesn’t want me to love him.”

“But you do.”

Rosie couldn’t bring herself to deny it. “Is it so obvious?”

“Only to those who care about you.”

By extrapolation of that statement, Theo obviously didn’t care about her, but Rosie didn’t want to dwell on it. “I’m so worried I’m turning into one of those women – the ones who flocked to the estate when I was growing up. They were all so needy. They threw themselves at my father and he was so shallow and treated them dreadfully.”

“You’re nobody’s doormat,” Julia assured without hesitation. “In fact you’re the very opposite of those women. They couldn’t have loved your father – they would have barely known him. They threw themselves at a stranger. But you’ve waited for the real thing with Theo.”

She gave a small shrug of her shoulder. “But it’s not what he wants.”

Things were easier between them after that. Rosie could see a way forward where she and Julia could still be friends – and not just for Evie’s sake. Deception aside, Julia had done all she could for both Evie and Rosie over the past five years. She had been a good friend and it had obviously been a genuine friendship, not a façade for Eve’s benefit.

Rosie made a concerted effort to get on with her work once Julia had left. She’d lost so much time already today with all the interruptions. Not to mention her heartbreak when the love of her life had left. Work always gave her a focus, provided a diversion and she’d never needed one more. Besides, it was important she leave everything in order – to make the handover to Theo’s new team as seamless as possible.

She didn’t hear anyone come into the house, but something made her look up and they were there, in the doorway of her office. Lysander and some weedy looking side-kick.

“It’s customary to knock before barging into someone’s home.” She

knew she was being rude, but she really wasn’t in the mood to be pleasant.

“My brother happens to own this house and everything else on this estate. I’m sure he won’t mind.” He sneered and she wanted to slap him.

“Didn’t he tell you to keep away from us?”

She hadn’t taken to Lysander during their brief meeting at Chudley House. And his behaviour now did nothing to change her original opinion. He made her feel uncomfortable in the extreme.

He sauntered into the room, without invitation, and immediately made her hackles rise by grimacing at her.

“Theo isn’t here.” She remained seated, using her desk as a safety barrier between herself and the intruders.

“Of course he’s not here, he’ll be at work. Where else would a workaholic be?”

She was tempted to offer a caustic retort of the order that she was surprised he’d know how a workaholic operated, but she decided against it. She didn’t want an argument. She just wanted Lysander to leave, as soon as humanly possible. “Can I give him a message?”

“No message. It’s you I came to see.” He glanced over his shoulder at his companion. “Jim, there must be a kitchen around here somewhere, go and make some tea.”

Rosie was outraged. “Hey. Don’t go telling strangers to waltz off around my home helping themselves to beverages. And what do you want to see me for anyway?”

“I was talking to Harry, he said he was worried about you. He seems to think you have designs on Theo – and that you’re after him for his money.”

“Never,” Rosie flushed an angry pink. It had never been about the money. She’d convinced herself at first it had been about friendship, but even when she’d denied to herself she was in love with him, she’d never been tempted to even think it had been about the money.

“No need to play the innocent around me – I know exactly what you’re like. You used your sister to bleed Harry dry for years. He was desperate when I met him – utterly desperate. That’s why I put him out of his misery and paid far too much for your run down dump of an estate. You’re nothing but a gold-digger and you must have thought all your birthdays and Christmases had arrived at once when poor Theo landed on your doorstep.”

“Harry was desperate because he’d been gambling and lost – nothing to do with me or Evie. Besides, Evie was just as much his responsibility as mine.”

Lysander paced the floor, picked up a paperweight from Rosie’s desk and transferred it from one hand to the other. She wished he wouldn’t, it was very annoying. “Perhaps that’s true.” His grin made her cringe. “Regardless, it seems you’re now intent on convincing poor Theo into providing for you for life.”

Rosie was outraged. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I work. I have a proper salaried position. Besides, if it’s true Harry’s so worried, why didn’t he come to see me himself?”

Lysander shrugged. “You know Harry, emotional scenes just aren’t his thing.”

Rosie shook her head. “I don’t believe for a single second that Harry sent you.” She knew they still had some way to go, but he’d been so keen to make amends. And she wanted her relationship with her brother to work far too much to listen to Lysander spouting poison. “I don’t have time for this, I have work to do.”

“You don’t have to pretend. I know Theo will have set you up very nicely. I’m a bit upset about it all, actually. I could do with you disappearing from the scene.”

“What’s it got to do with you?”

“Well, you’ve just met my friend, Jim. He has a property development company and he could cram a lot of little houses onto this estate.”

“What would be in it for you?”

“Money, of course. If I could pull off a deal like that, Theo would have to give me a cut of the profits. Leave the estate, Rosie, before I have to do something you’ll regret.”

It would be so easy to tell him she’d already made the decision to go, but she had no intention of giving in to a bully boy like him. “I don’t respond to threats. Besides, even if I were to leave, Theo would never sell the estate. He’s made promises to the people who live and work here.”

“The thing is, I’m not the only one upset about your plans to trap Theo. Gina’s back in the country and distraught that Theo seems to be falling for you. She’s telling everyone she’ll have him back within the month.”

“Theo’s told me all about Gina. I don’t feel threatened in the slightest.”

“You should. Gina’s stunning.”

“And yet Theo still spends his free time here, with me.” Why was she arguing? She had no rights over Theo. If Gina wanted him, he was free to rekindle their relationship.

“She’s nearly six feet tall, dark flowing hair, supermodel looks…the exact opposite of you, in fact. She has men eating out of her hand. If she’s saying she wants Theo back then I’m warning you that you should be worried.”

“You’re wasting your breath, Lysander.” Rosie felt the sting of tears at the back of her eyes and was saved only by Jim returning with a tea tray.”

“Be mother, Jim,” Lysander called to him as he put the tray on Rosie’s desk. “You’ll take tea with us, Rosie.”

This was surreal. People didn’t arrive uninvited into other people’s homes to warn them to leave town by sunrise and then make tea. Time to put a stop to this. She stood up and glared full force. “Get out, Lysander – and take Jim with you. Theo will be back soon and he won’t be happy to find you here.” She wished it wasn’t a lie – there was nothing she wouldn’t give for Theo to walk into the house now.