Chapter 35

 

Gwen realized she should be enjoying herself more. Piers made a wonderful tour guide. Not only was he sophisticated, handsome and charming, he was also a fountain of knowledge. While visiting Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, he hadn’t stopped talking, telling her everything he knew. Yet in her heart, she couldn’t help but yearn for Crispin’s company. She had gotten used to having him with her. Travelling sure had a way of accelerating feelings, she surmised. They had gotten so comfortable in each other’s presence that being away from him, felt unnatural, or at the very least, unpleasant. As much as she was enjoying the views, she couldn’t wait to get back to him. Nearing the end of their day out, she was quite relieved to get back in Pier’s expensive car. She wanted nothing more than to be with Crispin again.

But instead of heading back to Harlow Manor, at the well-marked roundabout, Piers turned towards Bath. Confused, Gwen frowned and started to get twitchy. “Aren’t we headed the wrong way?” she asked.

“Well, I figured you’d want to be dropped off at the B&B. You must be tired after all.”

“Oh, no, well, yes I am, but Crispin’s expecting to meet me back at Harlow Manor. He’ll wonder why I didn’t return with you.”

“Don’t worry about Crispin.” With a flick of a wrist, he waved off her concerns. “I’m sure he’s got a lot more on his mind now than your whereabouts.”

Gwen frowned at the notable change in Piers’s demeanour. He almost sounded dismissive in his tone, as if she were of no significance to Crispin.

“Oh come on, don’t look at me that way,” Piers said as he eventually pulled up in front to the B&B.

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Gwen said, confused. “What’s with the attitude?”

“Let me get straight to the point.” Shutting the engine off, Piers then turned to face her. “Whatever this relationship you have with my nephew is now over.”

“What?” Gwen gasped in disbelief. Was he serious? She searched his face and found only contempt staring back at her. “How dare you? I love Crispin and he loves me!”

“Oh, please, you said so yourself, you’ve only just met. You can’t possibly believe you’re already in love. Lust maybe, I’ll give you that, but believe me, it’s not love.”

“You’re wrong!” She glared at him.

“Am I?” He laughed her off. “Listen, whatever fantasy you’ve got going on in your head, is just that, a fantasy.”

“You have no right!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, young miss,” he snapped at her. “I am Crispin’s uncle, his blood relative, am I not? I have every right to look after my nephew’s best interests. This attraction you have for each other, well, it’s nothing more than a passing fancy. Trust me, been there, done that. Anyway, you and Crispin aren’t at all compatible. You’ve got nothing in common. Anyone can see that, especially now. He’s just learned he’s worth billions. What could you possibly bring to the table? Besides, the boy has a lot on his mind. The last thing he needs is to be tied down to any one woman. If you truly care about him, you’ll realize that and agree that the best thing you can do for him is set him free.”

“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard!” Gwen shouted, incensed.

“Is it?” Piers said, reaching into the glove box. “You saw for yourself, Crispin’s confused. He’s got a lot on his plate right now. A relationship, especially a new one, is the last thing he needs to deal with. If you really loved him you would understand. It would be cruel of you to put your needs ahead of his.”

Sitting away from him, she watched in disbelief as he pulled out a chequebook. He then proceeded to scribble away before tearing it off and presenting it to her.

“That should be enough to get you on your way. Surely, you can find use for the money.”

Gwen’s eyes grew big at the cheque for one million pounds. He couldn’t be serious! Stunned, she couldn’t find her voice.

“We all have our price. If that’s not enough, just say the word and I’ll up the amount. In fact, let me save you the embarrassment.” With a flourish, he tore it up and wrote another, this one for two million pounds. By now, Gwen’s heart was racing. He had to know what he was doing. With that kind of money, she would never have to worry about anything. She could repay her parents and go back to school. She could open up a bookstore anywhere in the world.

“Right then,” he said with a smug smile as he placed the cheque in her hand. “Now… I’ve gone ahead and planned your trip home. I have a driver picking you up within the hour. He’ll take you to the airport tonight. You’ll get on my private jet, and be home before you know it.”

“Tonight?”

“That’s right, the sooner the better. No point in dragging this out.”

“What about Crispin?”

“Crispin is no longer your concern. Now go on, get packing. You have a plane to catch.”

Unable to respond and realizing that arguing further with the impossible man would be pointless, Gwen slowly got out of the car and watched as Piers drove off. Staring at the cheque in her hands, she thought about what he had said and wondered if there was any truth to it. Would Crispin be better off without her complicating things? He did have a lot to deal with already. She wouldn’t want him making any decisions based on her. She wouldn’t want him to regret it later. She didn’t want that kind of guilt.

If he did decide to remain in England, he had every right. She knew Crispin was overwhelmed. It must be a shock to learn that his grandfather was a heartless tyrant, to learn that his young mother had died giving birth to him and that his grandfather had turned his back on him, telling everyone he had died with his mother.

Surely, a relationship with someone like her, with all her issues, was the last thing Crispin needed at this time. She didn’t want him putting her needs in front of his. It wouldn’t be fair. Could Piers be right? Should she leave and give Crispin the freedom to come to his own decisions? The thought of it broke her heart but she loved him enough to leave if it meant it would help. Staring at the cheque in her hands, she thought of her parents. She could pay them back the money they had wasted on her tuition. She could try university again, and pay for it herself this time. Did she really have a price like Piers had said?

 

***

 

Feeling quite self-righteous, Piers Harlow pulled his car into his parking spot and made his way toward the house. He braced himself in anticipation of having to tell Crispin of what had transpired with Gwen. But convinced of having done the right thing, he truly believed his nephew would eventually be thankful for his intervention.

Just as he had suspected, Gwen had accepted his bribe without much of a fight. The slight indignation she had shown was to be expected. But whatever inkling of guilt he might have felt moments before handing her the cheque, soon vanished the moment she got out of his car.

At twenty-two years of age, Crispin had no business tying himself down to any one woman. He needed to spend time at Harlow Manor with his uncle Piers. He had vowed on his sister’s grave to find her son and bring him home. He would do whatever necessary to keep him here, away from the unfortunate life and whatever dreary connections he had made thus far. Crispin had suffered enough and he would soon realize his place was here with his loving uncle. With his nephew around, he might even consider staying instead of returning to his villa in Spain. The place might not seem so intolerably lonely.

“How did it go?” he asked when Jones greeted him.

“He took it all quite well,” Jones responded.

“Good. Where is the young man now?”

“After spending quite a long while in his mother’s room, Crispin made his way out to visit her gravesite. He’s probably still there now, perhaps on his way back. Is Gwen waiting outside? Maybe if she isn’t too tired, I should take her to his side. He’s probably looking forward to seeing her.”

“Oh, never mind Gwen. I dropped her off at the B&B.” Piers said, handing Jones his keys and jacket. “I’ll go. There’s a lot my nephew and I still need to discuss.”

“Sir?” Jones said with a frown.

“You heard me!” Piers tossed over his shoulder.

“Oh dear,” Jones said to himself. “Here we go again.”