‘What the hell is going on?’ Tina held her pigtails as she sped into Thea’s room. ‘Mabel told me you needed me.’
Leaning against the little desk by the window, Thea stared out across the Exmoor countryside. ‘How did Mabel know I was living here?’
‘She decided you’d left the restoration of the attics too much to the last minute, and went poking round. Never mind that now. I’ve just seen her frogmarching John out of the door. What’s happening?’
Thea turned to face her friend. ‘Well, for a start I shall be buying Mabel a huge bunch of flowers.’
Tina sat on the edge of the half-made bed and patted the space next to her. ‘I think you should sit down, you’re shaking.’
‘I am. But not with nerves or fear or any of my other hang-ups. This is fury.’
‘What did he do?’
‘John offered to buy the manor so that Upwich could still have its heritage site once it was out of the Trust’s hands.’
‘Blimey.’
‘On condition that I occasionally accompany him to corporate functions.’
‘Mabel interrupted him trying to buy you off?’
‘Oh, it’s far more interesting than that.’ An unexpected smile prickled at the corner of Thea’s lips. ‘Actually, Mabel came to tell me John was married – as well as to give me some house details.’
Tina’s eyebrows shot upwards so fast, she looked like a cartoon character. ‘Married!’
‘Except he isn’t.’
‘You’ve lost me.’
Tapping the bed next to her so Tina would sit down, Thea explained how John’s new and old companies were merging, and how he’d backed himself into a corner by claiming to have a wife he’d never had, to secure his new position within the enlarged Sure Digital empire; and how he’d chosen Thea to be that wife.
‘I suppose I was an obvious choice. As an archaeologist, my long absences due to travel, and regular inability to attend any “bring the wife” events, were believable.’ Thea gave a huge yawn. ‘I think I need a cup of coffee.’
‘I’m surprised you don’t need something stronger!’ Tina led the way along the attic corridor and towards the back stairs. ‘Why would John’s career depend on him having a wife in this day and age?’
‘I doubt it would. I think he was afraid of being caught out in a lie.’
‘He could have said you’d split up.’
‘John rarely stops to consider the obvious when he’s desperate not to lose face.’
Following Thea into the kitchen, Tina asked, ‘So, when he first arrived at Mill Grange, did he want this favour granting, or did he think he could actually get you back and marry you fast?’
‘Initially, he may have thought that we could have some sort of whirlwind marriage. It explains why he was so persistent after he’d found me in Bath.’
‘But it doesn’t excuse the Facebook stalking or the hassle he caused.’
‘True.’ Stirring coffee granules into two mugs, Thea inhaled the aroma, its familiarity a comfort.
‘It’s weird then, as soon as Shaun went to Cornwall, John more or less disappeared.’
‘I suspect that he’d given up on me as a partner by then. He’d seen Shaun and me together. Hence the meal. That’s when he wanted to ask his favour – although he hadn’t come up with the idea to buy the manor at that point, so who knows what I’d have been offered in return!’
Tina poured milk into her coffee and blew across the surface. ‘So he’s been hanging around just so he could talk to you?’
‘He’s probably been working while he wasn’t on site. His job is new after all, and he can do it remotely.’ Thea shrugged, ‘I’m only guessing, but that might be why you saw him sat around the village in places that have mobile connection.’
‘Makes as much sense as anything else John has done, I suppose.’ Tina opened the biscuit tin and pushed it towards Thea.
‘Just as Mabel took hold of his arm ready to march him off the premises, John blurted something out about a merger party in two weeks’ time. I suspect he’s meant to be there with a wife on his arm.’
‘Hence his desperation lately? The pub meal, the stalking air he was giving off, and all that?’
‘Precisely.’ Thea pulled a cookie from the tin. ‘It’s so pathetic. I feel a bit sorry for him.’
She sighed as she crunched into her biscuit. ‘But what if me being with John was the only way the villagers could have their manor restored and kept for the public? If the Trust does sell it as a private house, I’ll always know that if I’d accepted John’s offer, Upwich could have kept its manor in the public domain and…’
‘No.’
The force of Tina’s response took Thea by surprise. ‘No?’
‘Do you honestly think that the people of Upwich, especially the volunteers here, would want the manor knowing that was the price? That you’d sacrificed yourself for them? Now that is pathetic. This isn’t a bloody Roman tragedy, Thea. This is your life. Can you imagine how miserable you’d feel to have to trot off to play John’s wife whenever he snapped his fingers when you are in love with Shaun?’
Thea opened her mouth to speak, but Tina was in full flow.
‘How could you even think of agreeing to John’s weird gesture when Shaun is so potty about you? Have you any idea how lucky you are to have someone so on your wavelength and…’
As the penny dropped, Thea put her hand out to her friend. ‘You’ve fallen for Sam, haven’t you?’
‘I can’t have. He isn’t part of the plan. He doesn’t even come close to fitting my plan.’
‘Then you need a new plan. You deserve more than a man who would have treated you like a trophy – the equivalent of the latest Jag or a new iPhone.’
‘I’m sure not all wealthy and successful men are like that.’
‘Probably not, but you haven’t met any of them. On the other hand, you have met a scruffy gardener with claustrophobia.’
‘So much for the big house and swimming pool. We’d have to live in a tent.’
‘Some people don’t even get a tent.’
‘True.’ Tina moved to the window to see if she could spot Sam. ‘Do you think Mabel’s thrown John off the grounds?’
‘Probably with a belly full of advice he may or may not have the common sense to take.’ Thea gave a half smile, which disappeared as she looked at her watch. ‘The Trust’s meeting about the future of the house is happening now. Did you know?’
‘Shaun told me before he went to help Sam with something.’ Tina looked grave. ‘But I didn’t know before then.’
‘You ought to have been told, surely?’
‘Yes. I would normally be sitting in that sort of meeting myself.’ Digging her hands into her pockets, Tina glanced back outside. ‘Perhaps they think I’m too close to this project to be objective.’
‘I don’t suppose we can argue with that.’ Thea joined her friend at the window. ‘What are the boys doing? I can’t see them.’
‘I’ve no idea. Something beyond the gardens I suppose.’
Hurt that Shaun hadn’t come straight back to make sure she was alright after finding out that the Trust was deciding the manor’s fate, and hers, and then telling herself off because she was either a strong independent woman or she wasn’t, Thea got to her feet. ‘I’d better get to the office. If the Trust is meeting now, then we can expect a call soon.’
Following Thea down the corridor, Tina said, ‘I can’t believe they didn’t tell me this was happening today. Despite their promise that my job was safe with them, I’m beginning to have my doubts about the truth of that too.’
‘They wouldn’t be so stupid as to get rid of you.’
‘Why not? They’re stupid enough to be considering getting rid of this place and you, when together you’re a money-making combination.’
Thea trailed a finger over the polished oak table. ‘Do you think Mabel’s alright?’ Suddenly Thea was alarmed. ‘I should have gone with her. What if John’s hurt her?’ Thea leapt up. ‘I’m not thinking straight.’
‘If Mabel had needed your help, she’d have made it very clear.’
‘True.’ Thea sat straight back down again. ‘She had house rental details with her. When did she find out about me staying here?’
‘Today. She said she had to nip into the village after we’d spoken about it. I was quite cross with her actually. As you can imagine, her first assumption was that you were here as Shaun’s bit of stuff. So I told her that the village couldn’t expect miracles from you if you weren’t on hand to produce them. Or something like that.’
‘Thank you.’ Thea hugged her friend as they reached the scullery-come-office. ‘She must have gone straight to the estate agent’s near Sybil’s and picked up the details.’
‘Mabel has a kind heart underneath all that bossiness.’
‘She’s so convinced the manor won’t go into private hands. If they do sell, it is going to hurt her as much as us. More probably.’ Thea jumped as the phone rang. ‘Do you think that’s them?’
They stared at the phone as if it was an unexploded bomb.
‘Only one way to find out.’ Tina put out her hand towards the receiver. ‘Do you want me to do it?’
‘No. This is my responsibility. Thank you though.’ Thea reached for the phone. ‘Can you spread the word that they’ll be a staff meeting tomorrow morning at ten?’
*
The journey to Taunton seemed to take only half the time as it had on her last visit to the trustee’s office.
Thea hadn’t bothered to change, nor had she gone to find Shaun. She had no idea where Mabel was. Despite Tina’s promise that she’d track her down and call the minute she’d made sure the old lady was okay, Thea felt guilty she hadn’t gone after Mabel herself.
Malcolm had been very firm on the phone. Thea was to leave whatever she was doing and report to the Trust office within the hour. With the state of traffic in and around Taunton, and the lack of parking in the area, this was pushing it, even with the fact that she’d dived into her car before the phone’s handset had had the chance to cool from the heat of her palm.
On her third circle around the nearest roads to the office, Thea started to mutter under her breath, ‘Minerva, I could so do with a bit of that famous wisdom right now. And, while you’re at it, a parking space wouldn’t go amiss.’
*
Tina found Mabel in the laundry room with Diane calmly folding huge Victorian linen bed sheets.
‘I’ve been searching everywhere for you Mabel, are you alright?’
‘I am.’ Mabel passed the crisply laundered sheet to Diane. ‘Is Thea okay?’
‘She’s been summoned to Taunton. The Trust appears to have made a decision.’
Diane placed the sheet on the pile of similarly pristine linen and automatically turned to Mabel. ‘You said they wouldn’t sell.’
Uncertain, Mabel said, ‘They aren’t that foolish. This place could do so well for them. And anyway, John said…’ She stopped talking and took a sharp inhalation of breath. ‘He lied to me, didn’t he?’
‘If John was the one who made you believe that the manor would be alright, he wasn’t exactly lying. He had a plan to buy it from the Trust himself.’
Mabel frowned. ‘At what cost?’
‘Thea was to pretend to be his wife whenever he required her to.’
‘Too high. Far too high.’ Mabel brushed her palms together to remove any dust and lint from the sheets. ‘I have no time for anyone who tries to impress me with money.’
Diane agreed. ‘Mabel was telling me all about it. What a creep! Well, we won’t be seeing that young man again.’
‘How did you get rid of him?’
‘I got Derek and Bill to escort him to the hotel he’s been staying in. They have strict instructions to watch while he checks out and oversee the packing of his belongings into his car.’
Tina hugged the startled older woman. ‘Mabel, you are marvellous.’
‘He’ll drive off with a flea in his ear, make no mistake about that.’
‘At least that’s one thing we don’t have to worry about now.’ Tina grimaced. ‘As long as he doesn’t come back.’
‘His pride’s been hurt. He won’t come back.’
Mabel sounded so sure that Tina didn’t like to argue.
Diane was looking worried as she patted the remaining pile of antique linen waiting to be pressed and folded. ‘Is there any point in carrying on with this?’
Tina and Mabel exchanged a look of uncertainty, before Mabel reasserted herself. ‘We keep going unless we hear otherwise.’
‘Absolutely.’ Tina smiled. ‘I’d better go and find Shaun and Sam. Thea didn’t have time to tell them she had to go to Taunton. Could you tell Bill and Derek when they get back, and let them know there will be a staff meeting tomorrow morning at ten?’
*
Sam found Tina before she found him.
‘Do you happen to have the phone number for the greenhouse guys? I need to ask them if they’ll want to take the lead. If not we could sell it for the manor.’
‘What?’ Tina had been so psyched up to break the news about Thea’s summons to Taunton, that she felt confused.
‘The greenhouse. It’s being demolished tomorrow. Remember?’
‘Oh yes, so it is.’ Tina looked beyond Sam towards the woods. ‘Have you seen Shaun?’
‘He’s in the woods. What’s going on?’
‘Thea’s on her way to Taunton. In fact, she’s probably almost there by now.’
‘The Trust has made a decision?’
‘Apparently, but they wouldn’t tell her over the phone. She was ordered to be with them within an hour.’
‘That doesn’t sound good.’ Sam tossed the trowel he was holding from one hand to the other. ‘Come on, we should tell Shaun, and I really need that number.’
‘Umm.’
‘Tina? Are you with me?’ Sam reached an arm out to her, and then hastily lowered it before he made contact. ‘Do you have the number for the greenhouse people? It’s important.’
‘What? How is that important now?’
‘Because, if we are going to lose the manor, then why should we spend the budget we have on pulling down something the new owner may want to keep?’
‘But you said something about the lead.’
‘That was before you told me Thea had been summoned. I think we should delay the demolition by a week. That way, we can still get it done if the Trust isn’t selling, but we can save the money if it is selling. Yes?’
‘Oh yes. That makes sense.’ Tina dug her mobile out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. ‘I’ll call them in a minute.’
‘I’ll do it. You find Shaun and tell him what’s been happening.’
‘If you’re sure. Here you go.’ She passed her phone to Sam. ‘There’s no signal here, you’ll have to go into the scullery, or walk down the drive towards the village.’
Sam turned to face the path towards Upwich. ‘How was Thea when she left?’
‘Not great. I wish Shaun had been there. There’s more going on than the Trust making a decision. John tried it on again.’
‘Shit.’
‘Mabel stopped him and Bill and Derek have marched him out of town.’
‘Good.’ Sam nodded in satisfaction. ‘You’ll find Shaun where the garden turns into the woods. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve made this call.’