Winner Takes It All (19 page)

‘
He speaks
very highly of Lou. Were they close?’

Tom was sure he spotted a
dark cloud pass over the old man’s face; like when the sun gets
momentarily blocked out on a bright day. A flicker and it was gone
and he was back to his jovial self.

‘
He taught Lou
how to use English properly which helped her go on to write her
books. I think she always held him in some kind of reverence for
it. It’s quite funny how Alexandra felt the same way about Tim, her
boyfriend. But she’s now seen him for the bore he is and got rid of
him but Lou always kept those rose tinted glasses for
Andrew.’

Tom looked up and noticed
the wedding picture on the mantelpiece. It was in an antique silver
frame and from the age of it, he guessed it was Lou and Ben’s
wedding. He got up to have a look at it more closely. In front of
the congregation stood the bride and groom – Lou looking like a
cross between Princess Margaret and a young Elizabeth Taylor. Ben
tall, fair and so good looking that today he would have probably
been a male model. Tom’s eyes scanned the rest of the guests. He
didn’t recognise anyone, except Andrew McDonald. He stood beside a
small, plain looking woman who Tom presumed to be Briggy. It was
quite easy to see it was Andrew because just as Michael said, he
was the spitting image of Paula.

‘
Everyone in
that picture’s dead except me, Andrew and Briggy,’ Ben lamented.
‘It seems so long ago.’

Tom turned around and
noticed the old man looked tired. As much as he wanted revenge and
to pay his cousin back etcetera etcetera; he also didn’t want the
collapse of a very noble old gentleman on his
conscience.

‘
Thanks for
the tea Ben,’ he said. ‘It’s been lovely chatting to
you.’

‘
Any time
young Tom, any time,’ Ben chuckled. ‘Next time you come I’ll tell
you some more horror stories about your grandmother.’

Eleven

It was a beautiful clear
morning and Alex had the top down on her car as she drove to
Abbott’s Leigh. She listened to some cheesy eighties music and
tried her hardest to sing along although it was difficult to be
positive and happy. This wasn’t just an innocent trip to see her
grandfather, she was down here on business after stupidly agreeing
to visit this hotel with Jack later on. Her heart wanted to see him
but her head screamed no. Just lately he’d preoccupied her thoughts
and knowing she couldn’t have him was just tormenting her all the
more. She had no real reason to see this hotel - she could have let
him deal with it and reported back to her.

Then there was lunch with Robin
tomorrow to look forward to. Despite his protestations that they
were only friends, Alex knew he desired more and this made her feel
uncomfortable and she didn’t appreciate the added pressure. Lastly,
she was sad because it looked as though she was going to lose The
Tilbrook. It was a beautiful old hotel on Kensington High Street
and Mr Muhammed, the owner had kept a lot of the original fixtures
and fittings. Alex had dreams of making it like Sheridans in
Liverpool – old fashioned and yet luxurious. She had initially bid
two million, then someone came in with a bid of four million, she
then bid six and just this morning Maurice Bannerman had called to
say another company had bid eight million. Tara knew that ten
million pounds was far too much for this rather shabby little hotel
but she really wanted it and hoped her father was well enough for
her to ask his advice.

It always warmed her
heart to see Layton House but it saddened her to know that one day
it would belong to Michael. No matter the outcome of the battle for
Sheridans, that family tradition was set in stone. Michael was the
second oldest grandson – Dan had got twenty percent shares in
Sheridans so the ownership of Layton House had gone to Michael.
Alex dreaded to think what her brother would do to the beautiful
old house in which generations of Cusacks had lived. He’d probably
end up selling it off to fund his gambling debts to some rich Arab
who’d turn it into a casino.

Pulling into the
driveway, she heard a child’s laughter and in the fields spotted
Antoine running around pretending to be an aeroplane while Ben
stood by, crouching down, egging his great grandson on, watched on
by Jasmine, Antoine’s nanny. Alex got out of the car and the
slamming of the door alerted Ben. He gave her a big cheery wave and
she returned it. She then fetched her overnight bag from the car
and walked to the house, but before she even reached the front
door, it was opened by Mrs Gentle, the housekeeper, who smiled
warmly on seeing her.

‘
Hello Miss
Alex,’ she said. ‘Let me take your bag.’

‘
Oh thanks Mrs
G,’ Alex replied. ‘Where is everyone.’

‘
Mrs Cusack
and Miss Jemima are having coffee in the kitchen. Mr Cusack’s
having a sleep.’

‘
Cheers. I’ll
be in the kitchen.’

Alex passed her bag to
the housekeeper who proceeded to take it up to the room Alex liked
to sleep in when visiting Layton House. Julie and Jemima’s voices
could be heard from the kitchen and Alex made her way down there.
She recalled the old stone scullery at the back of the house that
had remained untouched until Lou had had enough of it back in 1999
and brought it into the twentieth century. She’d felt it demeaning
for the staff to work in such old-fashioned conditions and had it
re-decorated with every mod con put in. Thinking of her grandmother
made tears come to Alex’s eyes. Lou would know what to do in a
crisis like this. Her advice was always firm but fair. Alex wished
she could speak to her again - just one more time.

Julie and Jemima were
seated at the huge, pine table in the centre of the room; sharing a
cafetiere of coffee and some croissants. Alex noticed how her
cousin was starting to look haggard. She was only twenty-five and
had once been so pretty with her strawberry blonde hair and English
rose complexion and yet marriage to the bullish Jean Lucerne, a
self-made French millionaire twenty years her senior, had started
to wear her down and she looked like any other harassed housewife.
Alex couldn’t stand Jean – he’d encouraged Jemima to have a career
and her cousin once confided in her that he was a brutal man
sexually, forever demanding her attention. He would force her to
leave Antione with the nanny for weekends, just so they could spend
it in bed. As well as this, he expected Jemima to be a perfect
hostess and she often had to drop whatever she was doing to fly to
Paris to attend some function. Seeing her made Alex determined to
avoid the drudgery of marriage.

After kissing both women
hello, Alex sat down and accepted the cup of coffee Julie had
poured her.

‘
How’s daddy?’
she asked, picking up a croissant. She wasn’t particularly hungry,
but if she didn’t eat, the strong coffee would give her a
headache.

‘
He’s trying
to run before he can walk,’ Julie said. ‘He worries constantly
about you.’

‘
I’m fine,’
Alex lied.

‘
That’s what I
keep telling him. You’re more than capable of running Sheridans.
But you know what your father’s like, he’s been doing it since he
was a boy and feels no one can cope like him.’

‘
All he needs
to concentrate on is getting better.’

‘
So what
brings you down here today?’ Jemima asked.

‘
I’m meeting
my business partner later on. We’re looking at a hotel in Hove,
apparently it’s quite similar to how I want to design mine. Then
tomorrow I’ve been roped into lunch with Robin.’

‘
You know
Robin’s still crazy about you don’t you?’ Jemima giggled. ‘I don’t
think he’s had one long term girlfriend since you split
up.’

‘
We were
sixteen,’ Alex groaned. ‘I didn’t fancy him then and I don’t fancy
him now.’

‘
Fancying
isn’t everything,’ Jemima replied. ‘Look where it’s got
me.’

‘
Jem’s right,’
Julie agreed. ‘Passion and all that’s alright for a while. But if
you’re going to spend your life with someone, it’s more important
you get on and are a good team. Look at your
grandparents.’

‘
Yes and they
were very young when they met,’ Jemima said. ‘I think you and Robin
could have a future if you tried.’

‘
And what
happens if I meet someone and fall madly in love?’

‘
Well you have
an affair!’ Jemima laughed. ‘It’s almost a pre-requisite to being a
rich woman!’

Alex drove down to Hove,
thinking over the advice she’d been given. Perhaps they had a point
about Robin. All the bad boys in the past had seemed exciting at
first but when they’d become the norm, Tim had seemed exciting
because he was so intelligent and geeky. But she was almost thirty
and soon the time would come to think about starting a family and
there was no doubt Robin Lancaster was very good husband and father
material. Perhaps tomorrow she would make more of an
effort.

The Train Inn was close
to the sea front at Hove. Alex pulled in next to Jack’s Shogun on
the drive, admiring the fact he’d driven all the way down from
Liverpool. She wondered if Lisa would be with him, and decided if
she were, she would spend as little time with them as possible.
Lisa Byrne hadn’t been the sort of woman Alex warmed to, and had no
desire to socialise with her.

As arranged, Jack was
waiting for her in the small bar at the back of the hotel. He
looked different, dressed in a casual sweatshirt and jeans. He was
having a laugh and a joke with the man behind the bar, and Alex
couldn’t help but be impressed by his easy, relaxed manner. She
joined him and as he looked down at her with those beautiful,
twinkling eyes and lazy smile, all she could feel was the deepest
regret that he was married and they could never be anything but
business partners.

‘
Hi ya Alex
luv,’ he said. ‘Me and Clint ‘ere are just discussing The Reds’
prospects next season.’

‘
Football
football football,’ she laughed. ‘Is that all you men talk
about?’

‘
There’s women
too,’ Clint giggled in an accent exactly the same as Jack’s. ‘But
that can’t be repeated in front of a lady. Anyway, what can I get
you darlin’?’

‘
Er just an
orange juice please.’

‘
Go on Alex,’
Jack urged. ‘Push the boat out.’

‘
I’m
driving.’

‘
Yeah, not for
a while. Come on, have a glass of wine.’

‘
Alright. A
small chardonnay please.’

‘
Coming up,’
Clint nodded, walking off to get her drink.

‘
What do you
think of the place?’ Jack asked.

‘
It’s very
nice. Quite quaint. The location’s fantastic, it’s a shame it’s not
for sale.’

‘
Well Clint
knocks off at three; he’s going to give us a guided
tour.’

‘
Maybe he’d
consider selling. It looks like I’m not going to get The Tilbrook.
Someone keeps outbidding me.’

‘
I think old
Clint intends on staying here, it’s his retirement
home.’

‘
Retirement,’
Alex sighed. ‘What a lovely thought.’

They found a table close
to the window and Alex sat and watched the sea. It reminded her of
her childhood, when Ben and Lou would put all the little
grandchildren in the back of Ben’s battered old Volvo and drive
them down to Hove or Worthing and they would spend the day making
sandcastles with Ben and paddling in the sea with Lou.

‘
If you don’t
mind me saying queen,’ Jack smiled, sipping his beer. ‘But you look
like you’ve lost a tenner and found a penny.’

‘
I’m just
stressed out that’s all. Nothing’s going smoothly. I keep being
outbid for The Tilbrook. That damned woman’s still harping on in
the press about the pub serving her son when he was underage. I
never seem to have any time to myself and it’s getting me
down.’

‘
Why don’t you
stay here and have dinner tonight? Take some time off.’

‘
I don’t know.
I don’t want to feel like a spare part.’

‘
Why should
you feel like a spare part?’

‘
Isn’t Lisa
here?’

‘
Lisa’s
somewhere en route to Dubai as we speak. I don’t know when I’ll
next see her. I’m off to Edinburgh looking at property for myself
tomorrow.’

‘
Why
Edinburgh?’

‘
An
acquaintance of mine is interested in buying a patch of land there
to build some luxury flats and I’m thinking of
investing.’

‘
But you’ll
still be involved with my hotel?’ she almost pouted like a
child.

‘
Of course. As
soon as the builders have repaired the fire damage we can crack
on.’

‘
And Mel’s
back next week; we can find out how the Ibiza complex is coming
along.’

‘
What are you
going to do about The Tilbrook?’

‘
I don’t know.
I wanted to talk to my father about it but apparently he’s very
tired, so I feel awful about bothering him.’

‘
I know you’re
fond of it Alex, but you can’t go on bidding until you’ve run out
of money. If you end up paying about twenty million for it, and
only make two million in your first year, you’re running at a loss.
At the end of the day it’s a hotel. There are plenty more around
for you to buy.’