A Jersey Kiss (Jersey Romance Series) (34 page)

“
You, too,” she said, holding him tightly for a moment, trying to take a little resolve from his bravery. “And I’m sorry I was so awkward with you. I had to watch what I said when I saw you in case I somehow tipped you off that you were under investigation.”

Luke smiled.
“Don’t worry. My advocate explained that you could have got up to fifteen years in prison for something like that, and in your position, I’d also keep my mouth shut.”

“
Tom obviously showed me the paperwork about you being reported to keep me off the scent of what was going on with him and Chris.”

“
I suppose so. He must have known that if you suspected me, then you’d keep away from me and therefore anything I might accidentally say to you that could make you suspicious of him and Chris’s activities.”

“
I still find it hard to believe he could be so sly.”

“
He certainly is that, but at least you now believe me.”

Bea nodded.
“I’m being summonsed,” she said spotting her advocate waving her over. “Bye then and good luck in there.”

Luke nodded.
“You too,” he said before walking calmly towards the main court room where the magistrate would hear his case. She took a deep breath and entered the wood-panelled smaller court room ready to face Simon and her own future.

Bea sat impatiently, waiting for the procedures to be read through and the French swearing in to be announced by the greffier, and couldn’t help thinking how smart and dignified the tall, blond officer of the court seemed as he carried out his duty. Resolving to follow his example, she folded her hands in her lap and listened as each different case was heard. Eventually, it was her turn. Her advocate stood up and, referring to the papers he’d filed with the court, began his reasoning why Simon should not be awarded half the value of The Brae.

When Simon’s advocate had finished, the judge addressed Bea. “You have expressed a wish to speak, Ms Philips.”

“
Thank you, yes.” Bea took a deep breath to steady her nerves and in an effort to stop her voice from wavering, more from anger with Simon than nerves. “I understand that because I was still married to my ex-husband when my aunt died and left me The Brae that it was considered a matrimonial asset, but I’m making a request for the court to take into account my aunt’s wishes for her home when the decision is made.”

He looked down at his notes for a moment.
“I believe that your aunt, Mrs Annabel Juarez had booked an appointment with her lawyer and you assume that this was to change her will.”

Bea nodded. She could almost feel Simon’s irritation at her daring to speak, but didn’t care. She owed it to Aunt Annabel to fight her case as strongly as she could.
“I’m certain of it. The day after my aunt discovered Simon’s, I mean Advocate Porter’s association with Claire Browning, she told me that she was going to put a clause in her will to ensure he didn’t benefit in any way from her will at her death.” Bea’s voice cracked at the memory of her aunt’s anger and lack of suspicion that she would die within three days of the conversation.

The judge looked across at Simon and studied him for a moment. Bea wondered if he knew Simon. After all, Simon was an advocate and no doubt represented his own clients in front of this same judge. Bea willed herself to remain positive.

“Yes, the whole situation is very unfortunate.” He turned to whisper something to his greffier, who nodded and handed him a sheet of paper. He spoke to Bea once again after reading it. “I’m advised by your aunt’s lawyer that she did indeed arrange the meeting, that they did have a conversation on the telephone prior to that meeting where she advised him of her intentions towards Advocate Porter and according to your papers, despite your best attempts to raise the value of half your property, known as The Brae, you’ve been unable to do so.”

Bea didn’t dare move. She concentrated on breathing, aware that she was gripping a little too tightly on the wooden partition in front of her.

“You have, however, been able to raise a figure amounting to a little under one third of the value of the property through a mortgage. Taking into account all that I’ve heard today, I’m going to award Advocate Porter the value of one third of the property. I realise you will still have to fund a further ten thousand pounds to meet the required amount I am awarding to him, but feel that one third is the fair amount in this case.”

Bea wasn’t sure if she’d heard correctly. She’d managed to keep her house. She didn’t have to sell. Simon’s angry whispers to his legal counsel echoed across to her, but she took a deep breath, relieved, but still not quite able to believe that she’d won her case. It wasn’t an outright win, but she still had her house and could find the means to buy Simon out.
“Thank you very much.”

She turned to her advocate and shook his hand. She’d done it. The greffier announced the following case. Bea sat down on the leather seat and lowered her head in her hands, just about managing to stifle her laughter. She could stay at The Brae. She hadn’t let Aunt Annabel down after all.

Her excitement died down slightly and she sat up straight, composing herself once again. She wondered how Luke was getting on in the next-door courtroom.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Eleventh of May - Secret Garden

Since Tom’s arrest, Bea had been to the police station to give her statement and now had nothing else to do. She still couldn’t get over Tom’s involvement, and cringed at the memory of her not trusting Luke enough to believe him the previous morning. Bloody Tom had a lot to answer for. Then again, as much as she felt for Luke she knew she must remember he was seeing someone else and that was something she couldn’t do anything about.

Mr Peters had assured her when she’d phoned him after the court hearing to give him the good news that he hadn’t changed his mind and that she could have the money to pay off most of her debt to Simon. Bea didn’t mind about still needing to locate another ten thousand pounds to completely cover what she owed him; she’d worry about that tomorrow. She didn’t care that she’d probably be broke for years. The main thing was that she’d managed to keep her house and Annabel’s pride and joy. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I did it,” she whispered. “You knew I could, didn’t you?”

She realised the house phone was ringing and ran inside to answer it.
” Hello?”

“
Bea, please don’t put down the phone, I need to explain everything to you.”

Bea shuddered hearing Tom’s self-pitying tone.
“No, Tom, I don’t think there’s anything you have to say that I wish to hear.”

“
You have to let me explain,” he whined.

“
No. I think I’ve listened to far too much of what you’ve had to say, Tom. You’re sly, vindictive and your callous disregard for anyone else makes me sick. As far as I’m concerned, you deserve all that’s coming to you.” She ended the call without giving him the chance to reply. “Selfish shit,” she shouted at the phone. Bea went to leave the room, but the phone rang again. She left it for a few seconds, then realising the caller had no intention of giving up, answered the phone. “I told you I had nothing to say to you, and I meant it.”

“
Ooh, who’s rattled your cage?” Mel said giggling.

“
Mel? What are you phoning for, you’re on honeymoon.”

“
I know, and it’s gorgeous here in Mauritius, isn’t it honey?” she shouted to Grant.

“
This must be costing you a fortune, Mel. Is everything okay?”

“
Yes, of course it is. Better than okay in fact.” Bea took a breath to speak. “Shut up and listen, Grant said I can only talk for two minutes because the roaming charges are astronomical. Guess who we bumped into at the airport?”

“
Who?” Bea asked politely, wishing she’d thought to buy a phone that she could walk around the house with. It was warm enough to sunbathe and she couldn’t wait to get outside and make the most of the heat.

“
Leilani.”

“
Leilani?” Bea stopped dreaming about the sun and paid immediate attention. “But I thought Luke said at the wedding she had taken a modelling assignment in California. Are you sure it was her?”

“
I knew that would get your attention, of course I am sure. Come on, how many six-foot models do you know?” she teased. “She was the one who got my attention, actually. She was furious with Luke, and I suppose not knowing many people in Jersey she needed someone to let off steam to.”

“
What did she say?” Bea tried to hurry Mel up with the story.

“
It turns out she didn’t actually choose to leave him, whatever he may have told you, but she sat him down one day over lunch with the intention of fixing their wedding date and getting all the plans underway,” she could hear Mel taking a long sip from her drink. “That was delicious. I’ll have another daiquiri please, hon.”

“
Well, go on,” Bea urged impatiently. “What happened?”

“
I knew you’d want to know. Grant said I should mind my own, but I told him you’d be interested.”

Bea took a deep breath to stop from shouting at her sister to hurry up.
“And you were right, so tell me.”

“
Typical bloke, apparently Luke told her in no uncertain terms he had no intention of making that sort of commitment to her.” Bea could barely breathe, desperately aware of what she hoped her sister would say. “When she argued that everyone had assumed they were engaged, he told her it was she who had been drunk and announced it to everyone without any encouragement from him and she shouldn’t expect him to marry her simply because she thought she’d backed him into a corner by telling everyone he would.”

“
Wow!” Bea could feel her heart pounding with the unexpected news. “What happened next?”

“
Melanie, your two minutes is up,” Grant shouted from somewhere in the background.

“
I’m on the bloody phone to my sister. You get me that second daiquiri and then I’ll get off the phone.”

Blimey, thought Bea, nothing much changes with Mel.
“Poor Grant, you don’t have to be so rude to him.”

“
Shush and listen. What was I saying? Oh yes, well, apparently, Luke pointed out to her that if she were to settle down now, right at the peak of her career, then she’d be doing herself a disservice, and she should return to the States and be the best model she could and not waste her God-given talent.” Mel giggled. “Or something like that. Personally, I think she exaggerated a bit, but I do believe he told her to go and get on with her career as a kind way of getting rid of her.”

Bea thought for a moment.
“Wow, and she’s so beautiful. You’d think he’d jump at the chance to be with her.”

“
Hang on a sec, you haven’t heard the best bit yet,” Mel whispered. “Grant’s on his way back, so I have to hurry. Leilani believed Luke would fight for her, so she called his bluff by telling him about this modelling assignment she was offered in America, and said that if he didn’t commit to her in some way, then she’d accept it and they’d be finished once and for all.”

“
No.” Bea was impressed with the girl’s gall.

“
Yes.” Mel laughed. “He called her bluff back, or whatever you say, and told her she should take the assignment. That was the day before the wedding. The morning of the wedding he dropped her off at the airport on the way to the church and we met her when we checked in later on. Can you believe it?”

Bea was stunned.
“But I don’t understand,” she whispered, trying to take all this news into her head. “Why would he let me believe she had left him and gone off like that, when really it was him who forced her hand?”

“
Don’t know, but that’s what she insists happened, and surely it would have been better for her to say his version rather than hers. A bit embarrassing to admit the truth like that, maybe it’s because she’s American. Maybe they’re more open than we would be? I don’t know.”

Bea laughed, suddenly feeling better than she had in weeks, months even. Leilani had gone and wasn’t coming back, not for the foreseeable future anyway.

“Hey, I only told you because I thought you would be interested, you shouldn’t sound so thrilled. Poor Leilani was devastated.”

Bea couldn’t help feeling amused at her sister’s change in tone. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath to calm down.
“You’re right, that was mean.”

Fuelled with this news, Bea ran upstairs to find Shani and tell her.

“You’ve got to phone him,” Shani said, holding out a pooey nappy.

Bea grimaced and took it between her forefinger and thumb and placed it into a nappy bag.

“Don’t be so dramatic, it won’t bite. Maybe it’s time you let him know how you feel?”

Bea wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t think so, Shani. Mel did say how he said he wasn’t ready to commit to Leilani. If I’m going to be with someone, then I want it to last. I’ve tried going out clubbing with you and Paul and it just isn’t my idea of fun.” Bea picked up the newly changed baby and cuddled her.

“
But you’re already in love with him,” Shani added unhelpfully.

“
I’m not going to argue with you about that.” Bea held the warm baby in her arms and sniffed her fresh, baby scent. Even if she couldn’t be with him, it would have been comforting to hear from him, maybe know that he might have some feelings for her, especially after everything that had happened over Tom the day before. She wondered how his court hearing had gone. “I think I’ve probably ruined any chances I had with Luke by not believing him,” she said miserably. “I know he seemed fine in the Royal Court building, but that was just him being friendly. Anyway, I’ve no idea what that verdict was yet.”

“
You mean he could still be guilty and involved with all that laundering business?”

“
Possibly.” Her instincts told her that he wasn’t involved, but they’d also told her Simon was the love of her life and Tom a good friend.

Shani carried Poppy downstairs and placed her carefully into her pram.
“I’m going to take her for a walk to the shops,” she said, looking happier than Bea had seen her look, possibly ever. “Do you need anything?”

Bea shook her head, unable to speak for a minute.
“No, thanks. Enjoy your walk.”

They couldn’t have been gone more than five minutes when Bea
walked back into the house to check her mail. Flicking through the white and brown envelopes in her hand, she spotted the usual credit cards, fuel bill and one other. She stopped in the hallway and dropping the bills onto the Bishop’s seat, tore open the cream envelope. Unfolding the letter inside, Bea read it stopping to try and take in exactly what she’d been sent. “Woohoo,” she screamed, dancing crazily around the empty room. “Yes.” She kissed the letter in her hand and punched the air. “Thank you, Aunt Annabel.”

“
Shani,” she shouted up the stairs, before remembering that she’d gone out with the baby. Bea grabbed the phone and dialled Shani’s mobile number. “Shan,” she said, barely able to contain her excitement, “you’ll never guess what’s happened.”

“
What is it? Is everything okay?” Shani asked anxiously.

“
It’s better than okay, I’ve discovered what A Jersey Kiss is. Hurry up with your shopping and come back here as soon as you can, I’ve got something to show you.”