Written in the Stars (26 page)

‘Not really. I have just arranged to sell my share of the Stow Restaurant, and I feel as if a part of me has been cut away. Do you know what I mean?’

‘Yes, I felt that way when Norman died.’ Eileen hesitated and then continued. ‘Narelle said that you might use this place as a convention centre, but if you’ve sold your share of the restaurant you won’t be going ahead with that idea.’

‘No.’

‘Do you mind if I ask what are you going to do now.’ She stopped and looked at Suzi expectantly. ‘Narelle intimated that there might be the opportunity of this becoming a permanent position.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry, but that’s out of the question. I couldn’t afford to live here and, even if I did, I wouldn’t want to employee live-in staff.’

‘I thought it was too good to be true. I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I love this old house. Edgar and I have some interesting conversations.’

‘Edgar? Who’s Edgar?’

‘Oh, didn’t you know you had a resident ghost?’ Eileen chuckled. ‘Edgar used to live in the old cottage that stood here long before this house was built. He’s a lovely old fellow; knows all the family history and loves to talk about it.’

‘A ghost? Uncle Bart never mentioned a ghost… and I’ve never seen one.’

‘Edgar says your mind is always too full of everyday things to pay any attention to him. And he said your uncle just ignored his presence.’

Suzi laughed softly.

‘I suppose I should pay more attention next time I hear strange bumps in the night.’ Then she became serious. ‘You’re welcome to stay until I’ve had the plaster taken off my arm and can fend for myself, but I can’t make any promises beyond that point.’

As Eileen left the room, Suzi thought about the meeting with Steve in two days’ time. What would he say when he found out that she no longer associated with The Stow Restaurant and that she no longer wished to use the manor for receptions? Then she recalled her conversation with Frederick Gillam, and wondered if his offer could solve all their problems.

‘That’s about the only positive thing to come out of the mess,’ she murmured. ‘I just hope that Steve will be amenable. I’ve had enough drama.’

Chapter Thirty

Steve gazed up at the sky as he walked out of the concourse at Cardiff airport. The sun was a pale orb behind the thin covering of clouds and the weather was decidedly chilly, far colder than on his previous visit. He slipped behind the wheel of the hired car and headed towards the M4.

The thoughts that had swirled around his head since leaving Auckland came back again. There was no logical reason for him to come back to Wales; he could have dealt with the matter on the phone. So what lay behind his decision to come here? And even more importantly why hadn’t Suzi contacted him? Surely, they could have worked something out? Even if he accepted reverse charge calls, the bill would have been cheaper than a business class airfare.

There seemed to be no rational answer, and he was loathe to admit that he wanted to see her again. He had never had a problem like this with any other woman. As far as he could ascertain, neither of them had considered the possibility of ever meeting again, and he had certainly not contemplated a return trip to the U.K. He wondered whether things would have turned out differently had they known their common link with Caxton Manor when they first met. It was impossible to speculate about what might have happened.

Then he thought about Kirsty, but he had been able to put her tragic death behind him and move forward. He felt no need to cling to the memory of what they had shared. So why couldn’t he do the same with Suzi?

The memory of her popped up at the most unusual times; it was as if she continued to demand recognition. Maybe that was why he had rejected the opportunity to have an affair with Jenny McTavish—maybe he felt that Suzi’s existence would overshadow their relationship too.

Kirsty had evidently sensed the bond they had forged, and on one occasion she had accused him of whispering Suzi’s name in his sleep. Of course there was only one answer—the memory of their closeness must have been lurking in his unconscious mind all the time.

He was still thinking of the ramifications of the situation as he turned into the street that ran past The Stow Restaurant. There was no sign of a yellow Honda in her parking place, so he decided not to stop and say hello. After he had booked into the hotel, he phoned Mr Duncan to confirm the appointment.

‘Ah yes, Mr Pardoe. I’ve contacted Ms Spencer and she has agreed to the meeting.’ He confirmed the arranged time, made an obtuse remark about the weather, and then said goodbye.

‘Pompous old codger,’ Steve muttered. ‘Thank goodness I won’t have to do any further business with him after tomorrow.’

The combined effect of the jet lag and lack of sleep forced him to bed for a couple of hours, and it was nearly time for dinner when he climbed groggily to his feet.

He resisted the urge to phone The Stow Restaurant and make a reservation. If Suzi was not willing to communicate by letter or phone, then confronting her in person might cause an embarrassing situation. He left the hotel and wandered down the road until the softly lit interior of the Asian Curry Link drew him inside. As he viewed the extensive menu he thought of Kirsty. She probably would have ordered one of everything and gone back for seconds. The last thing he did before climbing into bed was to ring home.

The next morning dawned grey and overcast, but by the time Steve had finished breakfast the sun was breaking through. There were still a few hours to fill in until the appointment with the solicitor, so he decided to drive around the area for a while. Something drew him towards Caxton Manor. When he saw that the front gates were open he drove into the grounds. Parking the car under a huge copper beech tree, he climbed out of vehicle and stretched.

The garden looks nice, he thought, somebody must be taking care of it now. The neatly trimmed lawns were edged with a variety of spring flowers in various stages of bloom. Mindless of the fact that Suzi had taken up residence, Steve continued to walk around the property. It was only when he noticed a car parked in an outbuilding that he remembered it was now her home, even if temporary. Suddenly he felt like an intruder. Unwilling to confront her under these circumstances he made his way back to the car and was just about to unlock the vehicle when someone addressed him.

‘Can I help you?’ The woman’s voice was crisp and demanding.

Steve turned to find a middle-aged woman with a displeased look on her face.

‘Er… no,’ he began, and then stopped. ‘I was just having a look around, that’s all.’

‘This is a private dwelling; it’s not open to tourists.’ Eileen’s abrupt tone of voice made it clear she was not prepared to accept any excuses.

‘I appreciate that, but…’ He stopped as the woman continued to glare at him. He had no idea who she was, but apparently she was not going to tolerate uninvited visitors.

‘I’ll thank you to leave immediately.’ Her manner was curt and dismissive.

With a nod of his head, Steve climbed into the car and drove away.

Eileen watched him go and then returned to the house. When she entered the kitchen, Suzi was filling the kettle to make a cup of coffee.

‘The nerve of some people,’ Eileen said, clipped tones. ‘I found some man wandering around the garden as if he owned the place. I told him it’s not a public domain and sent him packing.’

Suzi paused one hand on the tap.

‘Did he say what he wanted?

‘Just having a look at the place, that’s what he said.’ Eileen sniffed. ‘Sounded like an Australian. I don’t know how they behave at home, but they seem to think they can do what they like over here.’

‘What did he look like?’ Eileen described the man in detail, and Suzi laughed softly. ‘Actually, he does own the place, well half of it anyway.’ Embarrassed, Eileen coloured deeply. ‘Never mind, I’ll tell him you were just mindful of my welfare.’

By now, Suzi was uncomfortably aware of how fast her pulse was racing, just like it did every time she met Steve on his first visit to Britain. This annoyed her, but there was little she could do to stop it.

I wonder why he came to the house, Suzi mused, as she dressed for their appointment. Maybe he wanted to talk to me before meeting formally at Duncan’s office. Then perhaps he had second thoughts about it when Eileen had confronted him. Had he changed his mind again? Would he to oppose Gillam’s offer? Was he going to demand some form of recompense for the time she had used the building as a private dwelling? The questions tumbled over each other in her mind.

As she parked outside the solicitor’s offices, Suzi recalled the day she had breezed into the place, confident that everything was legally hers, only to be told that someone else had made a claim on the estate. It had started a chain of events that she could not have imagined in her wildest dreams. So much had happened since that day and now, as she locked the car, she wondered whether or not she was in for another shock.

Steve stood up as the receptionist announced her arrival. She was acutely aware of his stare as she returned Mr Duncan’s greeting and shook the man’s hand. She turned to Steve.

‘Hello, Steve,’ she said, a trifle abruptly, suddenly feeling threatened by his intense scrutiny.

It took him some moments to realise that she had draped a coat over her shoulders instead of inserting her arms in the sleeves, but it did not completely conceal the sling and plaster cast.

‘What happened to your arm?’ he asked, ignoring her greeting.

‘I had an accident at the restaurant,’ she said, in an off-hand manner, as if it were of little consequence.

‘At The Stow Restaurant?’

‘Yes!’

‘When I phoned the restaurant I was informed in no uncertain terms that you were no longer associated with the business.’

‘Well, I...’ As she hesitated, Steve continued.

‘And when I phoned Caxton Manor I was told that you were unavailable to take any calls.’ He glared at her. ‘It seems the only way I was going to reach you was here, with Mr... Mr Duncan.’

‘But that’s…’

‘And this morning I was ordered out the gardens.’

Suzi stared at him in amazement. How could things have reached this stage? How could those few slips of the tongue be misconstrued? How had he managed to reach the wrong person on both occasions? She was just about to remonstrate with him when Duncan cleared his throat noisily in an attempt to overcome the awkward situation that had arisen, and bring the matter in hand to their attention.

He shuffled the sheaf of papers noisily.

‘Ah yes, now, Mr Pardoe,’ he began and then looked hurriedly at Suzi. ‘And you too, Ms Spencer. I’ve checked out the offer made and it seems in order.’

An awkward silence encapsulated them as the solicitor outlined the proposal that he had received from the letting agents. He explained that there was no legal barrier to the acceptance of the offer, provided they both agreed to sign the necessary documents. He concluded that it was very attractive offer.

Steve questioned him at length about the lease, whether it was renewable, and what would happen if the company decided to terminate the lease earlier than the contract specified. There were all kinds of questions that he put carefully to the solicitor. And finally, he asked whether it would be more practical to sell the property.

As he spoke, Suzi watched him closely. This was a side of him she had not seen before. His manner was totally professional, business-like and almost coldly clinical. He had seemed vulnerable and subdued when they first met, although he had given the impression that he was in control of his life, but now he seemed to be taking it a step further. She glanced down at her hands as he caught her gaze, but then felt her eyes drawn back to his face.

He is an extremely attractive man, she thought. He carries himself well… but there’s a wariness about him, as if he’s holding something back. She wondered if he felt threatened by what he perceived as her deliberate attempt to avoid him when he phoned. Or maybe he was upset because he had felt the need to come back to Wales to settle things personally; maybe he just did not want to show his feelings, or perhaps he even resented being with her in that situation. She was still trying to fathom her thoughts, which oscillated between anger and disappointment, when Duncan called her by name.

‘Ah, Ms Spencer, er... it would appear that Mr Pardoe is satisfied with the arrangement and is willing to sign the lease.’ He rubbed his hands together. ‘Now it just depends on you.’

Suzi looked at Steve and then back to the solicitor. It all seemed so easy. Just sign a piece of paper and say goodbye to a dream. For a moment, she was inclined to dispute the agreement, to argue that she was losing her inherent home, as well as a life-long ambition. However, she knew that it had little bearing on the need to settle things. Reluctantly, she nodded her head.

‘Yes, of course. It all seems satisfactory.’

‘Ah yes. Good, ‘ Duncan said, with a sigh of relief. ‘I’ll have the papers drawn up as quickly as possible.’ He looked at Steve, ‘I believe you have already booked your return flight to New Zealand.’

‘Yes, I thought I made it perfectly clear that I wanted this matter finalised by the end of the week.’ Steve glowered at the old man. ‘I have no desire to remain in the country any longer than necessary.’

‘Ah no, of course not.’ The solicitor clambered to his feet and stretched out his hand. ‘Well, I’ll have the documents ready to sign within the next forty eight hours.’

After Suzi left the room, she lingered outside the door for a few minutes, but when Steve did not emerge from the building within a reasonable period, she climbed into her car, wondering why he had not taken the opportunity to discuss things. Surely there was no reason to ignore her. All the doubts and fears about his lack of interest in her resurfaced as she unwittingly drove towards The Stow Restaurant.

Mark seemed taken back as she pushed open the kitchen door and peered around. He greeted her warily.

‘How’s the arm?’

‘Oh, it’s coming along all right,’ Suzi responded, unsure why she had bothered at all to call into the restaurant. Maybe she needed to have one last look before she lost this part of her dream as well.

‘We can complete everything on Wednesday,’ Mark said, looking awkward. ‘Dad’s arranged for the transfer of the money, and has signed all the necessary papers.’ He fiddled with the apron string. ‘Judith will be here soon. Will you wait to say hello?’

‘No, I don’t think so,’ she replied, indecisively. ‘I might drop in another day.’ She glanced around the dining room, noting the paintings on the wall and the furnishings she had so carefully selected, and sighed. The whole place bore the imprint of her personality, and now it was no longer hers. Mark watched her in silence. She turned to him and held out her hand. ‘Goodbye Mark, I hope it all goes well for you.’

‘Thank you, Suzi.’ Mark’s voice caught as he spoke. ‘Maybe…’ He left the sentence unfinished as if he understood the shake of her head as she walked out through the door.

She slid in behind the wheel of the Honda, grasped it with both hands and tried to blink back the tears that filled her eyes. What had she done to lose everything that was dear to her? The restaurant was gone. Soon she would have to move out of Caxton Manor, and it seemed that she had lost any chance with Steve Pardoe as well.

‘What’s to become of me now?’ she murmured, wistfully. ‘Where do I go from here?’