Passionate Harvest (14 page)

He remembered that conversation. He’d left shortly afterwards, as soon as was decent after Jake and Sasha’s reception. Sasha had tried to play him off against Jake and he’d decided to take himself out of the picture, hoping his brother’s marriage would work out. That Sasha would change and realise how much Jake loved her.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

Jake shrugged and took another sip from his glass. “That’s life, I guess. She suckered me good.”

Dominic smiled ruefully. “You wouldn’t be the first or the last man on the planet to get taken in by a pretty woman.” He wondered if Lucy would fool him in the way Sasha had fooled Jake.

They both had big financial stakes in a relationship working out between them thanks to Nick’s will.

Jake’s mobile rang out, startling them both. Jake pulled his phone from the pocket of his trousers and checked the screen before turning the phone off and placing it down on the table top.

“Sasha. She’s on her way to Heathrow, managed to get a seat on a flight leaving early in the morning.”

“It’s not too late, you know if you wanted to go after her.” Dominic wasn’t sure why he’d suggested his brother chase after Sasha. Unless it was simply that he felt he should try to support Jake even if privately he couldn’t help feeling relieved that his sister-in-law was gone.

Jake shook his head. “No. This is it. Things have been bad for months and I’m sick of it. The rows, the lies, the deceit. Financially she’s been bleeding me dry.”

Dominic shook his head, not knowing what to say. It all sounded even worse than he’d thought. He’d known Jake had been cagey whenever he’d spoken to him on the phone but his parents had hinted that all wasn’t well with his brother’s marriage. Their mother especially had been concerned.

“This trip was kind of make or break. I guess it's break.”

“You know you can stay here as long as you like.”

“Thanks, but I’ll probably try to get a flight home tomorrow. Funny, I thought it would hurt more than this, but mostly I just feel relieved.”

Dominic collected the whisky bottle from the table and replaced it in the cabinet. “That’s the drink talking. Come on, we’ll call it a night.”

Jake swallowed the last of his whisky. “Maybe you’re right. Night Bro, and thanks again for everything.”

Dominic watched his brother leave the room before whistling to Mutley ready to take him for a short last minute walk before bed.

Maggie tried her hardest to dissuade Lucy from going to the surgery with her, but Lucy wasn’t in the mood to be put off. She’d slept badly having received a brief text from Dominic just before she’d climbed into bed.

‘Sasha gone, Jake upset. Hope M ok tomoz. May b l8 myself.’

“I’m sure I’m wasting everyone’s time.” Maggie folded her arms defiantly.

“If you are then I’ll apologise and get Dr Parker a box of his favourite chocolates.” Lucy sat next to Maggie in the small waiting area at the surgery. A small boy in a pushchair coughed listlessly next to them while a heavily pregnant young woman flipped through the gossip magazines. Lucy promised she’d wait in the waiting area when Maggie was called through to the surgery.

She hoped that whatever was wrong with Maggie would be fixable with a bottle of pills, and that the deep underlying fear she had about her old friend’s health was completely wrong.

“Lucy, Doctor Parker has asked you to go through.” Her heart leapt with fear at the receptionist’s command.

Her legs shaking, she made her way out of the waiting room and into the tiny corridor leading to Doctor Parker’s surgery. As she rapped on the door, she thought she might pass out, she was so scared. This was all her fault, she’d made Maggie get an appointment,

“Ah, Lucy.” Doctor Parker peered over the top of his glasses and smiled gently at her. Maggie was seated in a chair next to the doctor’s desk. Her face was pale but she appeared okay.

Lucy took a seat in the empty chair next to Maggie.

“I want to send Maggie for some tests at the hospital. A chest X-ray and some blood tests to begin with. I’ve also asked my practice nurse to arrange for an ECG. In the meantime I’ve given Maggie a prescription for some iron tablets, a diuretic and I’d like her to have a repeat check on her blood pressure.”

Maggie made a “humph” noise as the doctor spoke.

“What do you think is wrong?”

“I believe your aunt may have some cardiac issues and I suspect she is anaemic. I gather from Maggie that you were the one who persuaded her to come and see me.” He favoured Lucy with another gentle smile.

“Um, yes.”

“So perhaps Maggie my dear, you will also allow this young lady to persuade you to attend for the tests and to take your medication?” He looked at Maggie. He’d been her GP for many years and knew her of old.

“I’ll make sure she does.” Lucy promised, relief washing through her. Cardiac problems sounded serious but at least those kind of things were fixable. She’d been dreading that it might be cancer, like the one which had taken her Uncle Nick.

Maggie pursed her lips, clearly annoyed at having been proved wrong by the doctor. Lucy thanked him and she and Maggie walked out together to make the follow-up appointments at the reception desk.

“I told you there was nothing really wrong.” Maggie grumbled as they returned to the car.

“Let’s hope the tests don’t show anything too serious. At least you have some medication now.” She crossed her fingers that a few pills would be all it would take to put her aunt’s health back into the pink again.

Jo was busy checking the accounts when Lucy arrived at the office.

“Dominic will be late in. How did it go at the doctor’s with your aunt?”

Lucy filled her in on Maggie’s health pleased that she and Jo appeared to be forming some sort of friendship. It would make things awkward if the other girl had kept up her prickly attitude.

She settled down at her desk and wondered what had happened with Jake and Sasha. Perhaps Dominic had taken his brother to the airport. It all seemed so sad. She stared at her computer screen and tried to concentrate. The headache that had been plaguing her all morning knifed her in the temple and she tried to work out when it would be safe to take another painkiller.

Dominic arrived in the office after lunch. Lucy sucked in a silent breath as he walked through the door. Dark shadows lay beneath his eyes and he looked as if he’d barely slept. Jo raised her eyebrows at his appearance but tactfully stayed silent.

“Can we get you some coffee?” Lucy asked.

He rubbed his hands across his face. “Coffee would be good. I’ve just taken Jake to the airport.”

Lucy poured him a drink. She’d been right in her assumption that Jake would head after Sasha.

“I thought your brother planned to stay longer?” Jo asked.

“They, um, decided to cut their visit short. Family matters at home.”

Jo’s forehead puckered with concern. “Nothing serious I hope?”

Dominic shook his head. “Nothing that won’t get sorted out when they arrive back in the States.”

Lucy ached to wrap her arms around him to comfort him. She guessed he must have stayed up late talking to his brother. Then it was a long drive to the airport and back so he must have risen early.

“Have you eaten?” She asked.

“I had a snack at the airport. I thought I’d better stop in and let you know where I was.”

She wasn’t sure if that was aimed at her or at both of them.

“Well, Lucy and I are quite capable of managing for a few hours without you.” Jo remarked.

“I’m sure you are. I’m going to head home and try and catch some zz’s. I’ll see you ladies tomorrow.” He swallowed another sip of coffee and left the half full mug on Jo’s desk. Lucy wished she could rush out of the office after him. She moved the mug and replaced it back on the tray ready to wash at the end of the day. 

What had happened to her since she’d arrived back in England? How had her heart become so entwined with Dominic? After Christopher she’d vowed she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for another man so easily again. Yet Dominic had marched right into her arms and her heart.

“Dominic looked as if he’d had a rough night. I hope everything is okay with his brother?” Jo nibbled on the end of her pen.

“I don’t know. Like he said, I expect things will be okay once they’re home.” Lucy kept her tone light, not wanting to give any clue that she knew more about the crisis than Jo did.

“I owe you an apology.” Jo looked at Lucy, her eyes holding a troubled expression.

“Why?”

“I was worried when you arrived to work here that maybe I’d be out of a job. I suppose I’d become used to it being me, Nick and Dom. Then with losing Nick, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in.” Jo’s face had pinked.

“Oh, Jo. Don’t be silly. I can understand. I’d have felt the same way in your place.”

“If I’m being honest, I don’t suppose it helped that you were so young and pretty. I guess I’d sort of hoped that Dominic and I might get together one day. Stupid really as he’s never been the slightest bit interested in me.”

Lucy crossed the office to hug her colleague. She could only guess at the courage it had taken Jo to tell her this.

“Unlike his interest in you.”

“Oh.” Lucy guessed she and Dominic hadn’t been as good at hiding the attraction between them as they thought they’d been.

“Anyway, I’m over all that now. It was stupidity on my part.”

“It’s okay.” Lucy grinned at her. “I’m glad to be working with you. You and Isabelle. You’ve both taught me so much already.”

“I, er, met a very nice man at the pub on Saturday night too.” Jo’s face had turned even pinker.

“Tell me more?” Lucy teased, as the other girl told her about her new boyfriend, glad that at least she didn’t have Jo’s feelings to worry about any more. Not that she would have to worry about her colleagues feelings at all if Dominic had cooled on her.

The rest of the day passed faster than she’d thought now the atmosphere in the office had eased. Her thoughts kept straying to Dominic distracting her from the work in hand. She toyed with the idea of stopping by his cottage on her way home but decided he might be sleeping or simply not in a mood to appreciate her company.

She checked her mobile as she walked to her car hoping he might have sent her a text but there was nothing. She sent him a quick message saying she hoped he felt better for some rest and drove home.

Maggie was waiting for her when she got in.

“Your box has come from Tenerife with all your things. I got the parcel man to carry it upstairs to your room.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” She wasn’t sure there would be that much in it. She didn’t have a huge wardrobe or many possessions. Anything important she’d always kept here, in England, in Maggie and Nick’s care. Still it would be nice to have a few more things to wear - and the rest of her shoes.

She trudged upstairs to her room ready to sort out the remnants of her previous life. The cardboard box appeared surprisingly small, but then again, her former flat mate was an expert packer. She found a pair of scissors and perched on the edge of the bed to open the box.

Sure enough, as soon as she broke the top of the box open the carefully folded contents spilled out. Some tops, shorts, swimwear, a few more sundresses and a couple of pairs of linen trousers escaped on the floor. Her shoes had been paired and packed in bags at the bottom of the box along with her pictures, electrical things, books and toiletries.

She couldn’t help thinking it wasn’t a lot to show for her previous life. A few pictures of her with the rep’s team, and some other snapshots taken on a night out drinking cocktails at the bars by the seafront. There were no pictures of Christopher. He’d always been careful to avoid being photographed with her. Funny how she’d never noticed that at the time.

Anna, her flatmate had enclosed a large brown envelope in with the clothes. Lucy ripped open the end and tipped the contents onto the bed. There was a note in Anna’s handwriting and a smaller blank sealed envelope. She picked up Anna’s note and read.

‘Hi Lucy, I hope everything is going well with the new job? Working on a vineyard, you lucky thing! I wasn’t sure what to do but Christopher heard I was packing up your stuff and he stopped by the flat to ask me to put this letter for you in the parcel. I don’t know what it says but I thought you should have it anyway even though I know you don’t want anything to do with him any more.

I miss you loads, your replacement is a German girl, very nice but a bit manic about keeping everything tidy. I hope I’ve done the right thing by forwarding Christopher’s letter. I wouldn’t give him your address.

Love and huggles, 

Your amigo, Anna.’

Lucy’s hands shook as she picked up the small white envelope. She gave it a tentative squeeze. It felt quite thick as if there were several sheets of paper inside. A few weeks ago she would have torn it open, eager to read his message. Now, things were different. She was different. What could a letter from Christopher give her? More protestations of love, even though he was married to another woman, one who was expecting his child? Pleas for her not to tell his wife about his deception? Or had he left his wife, and now wanted her to return to Tenerife?

A tear rolled slowly down her face and dripped off onto her bed cover. She’d been so stupid over Christopher, believing every lie he’d ever told her. The day she’d discovered he was married had broken her heart. She had nothing to gain by reading his letter now.

Tenerife and Christopher were thousands of miles away.

She placed the letter on the centre of an empty plate that she’d left on her bedside table, and, before she could change her mind she lit a match and set fire to the envelope.

The paper flared up into a bright orange flame momentarily frightening her with it’s ferocity before it died away to leave a pile of charred, black ash on the ceramic plate. She stared at it for a few minutes before resolutely sorting out her wardrobe and disposing of the remains of Christopher’s letter. As the ashes fell into the bin a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. No matter how things worked out between her and Dominic, she would never again be taken in the way she’d been fooled by Christopher.