‘Claire, while I’m away I know you can look after everything. It’s a long way to New Zealand; I won’t be visiting down under too often. But buying a wine estate is not a quick and easy fix and I’ve got to make sure I get it right. So don’t expect me back for at least six weeks, maybe more. But I’ll call; I’ll text; and we’ll talk.’
‘That’s a long time,’ Claire said as Rick packed some notes and brochures in his briefcase, at the same time drinking from a cup of coffee. ‘This apartment, as comfortable as it is, can be very quiet when you’re away,’ Claire said.
‘You’ll be too busy to be lonely. From what I’ve seen in the plans, rebuilding Arrow Hall is a very big job. When you get stuck into it you won’t wonder what to do with yourself for a few weeks.’
‘This might sound odd, but I’m a bit nervous of Arrow Hall’s long history. It’ll be like resurrecting something from the dead, and when the building’s up, the historic house is to have no trace of any of its ghosts,’ Claire said.
‘You’ve never told me of ghosts before. Have you seen them?’ Rick looked at Claire with a mocking grin.
‘It’s just the previous owner of Arrow Hall, Harry Stone. The man you bought it all from. He let the place get burnt down and I’m not sure how I’ll clear him out from my memories of the old house,’ Claire said.
‘No, you shouldn’t be worrying about Harry Stone. He’s finished; he’s right out of it now. You must clear your memories. Stand back.’
‘I’ve never counted Harry Stone out. And knowing that man as I do, I doubt the day will ever come when he doesn’t still think he owns it.’
Claire suddenly felt uncomfortable talking about Harry Stone. And this morning, just saying goodbye to Rick, she felt a growing tension. It was 5.00 in the morning; a limousine would shortly be calling to take him to Heathrow for his flight and right now Claire could see he had other thoughts demanding his time.
‘The house is yours to rebuild, not his. There’s a lot to do and soon you must find time to go to the site to meet James, a surveyor I’ve used for a few years. He didn’t know it before the fire, and he’ll just see it as a load of bricks, timber and tiles like any other building. Let him get on with managing the building work and deal with all the technical stuff. He’s young, knows what he’s talking about, but just to warn you, the downside is he can be too aggressive with builders. You deal with all the money and be firm, control James’s spending. He’ll always run over if it makes life easier.’
‘Yes, I’ll keep a grip of the money, but if James is as good as you say he is, then it won’t be too difficult.’
‘You’re going to be working closely with him, so try to get to know James – have a drink round the local sometime and you’ll find him quite different to his brash site style.’
‘I remember the local well from when I lived in Arrow Hall. I’ll look forward to that.’
‘James does know there’s an absolute top spend of £300,000. It can’t go beyond that; and I will no longer get my money back if I have to sell it.’
Claire looked at Rick. She felt growing doubt about Rick’s intention for rebuilding Arrow Hall. It was not the first time he had spoken like that.
‘But it’s not just to sell on; it’s to be our country house, isn’t it?’ Claire said.
‘Yeah, but everything has a value, so let’s see how it all goes.’
‘We’ve not talked about Arrow Hall much, and I can’t get very excited with the project unless it’s somewhere I will live again.’
‘Let your emotion go; you’ll feel different as the building takes shape. But first, there’s some money to give to James. £25,000 in hard cash, it’s in the small safe on the floor in my dressing room. It’s £15,000 now, and he can have the rest if he needs it,’ Rick said.
‘What’s that for?’
‘Casual labour. Greasy palms and all that, and we do need the site to run smoothly. But £20 notes are easy to give away so watch how James spends it.’
That was just how Harry Stone used to manipulate deals, and it is what Claire had come to distrust. She had seen notes dropped around like confetti. It was bribery – you didn’t pay up, you didn’t get. And that is just what had happened to Arrow Hall first time around.
‘Before I go, I’ve got a little present for you. Something to look forward to away from the mud and dirt of a building site. When I’m back we’ll go to Wimbledon. Ladies’ final. Something to dress up for. How about that?’
Five minutes later there was a light hug and kiss. Claire stood on the landing as she saw Rick into the lift from his penthouse to the waiting car. It left her very uncertain of Rick’s feelings. He was going to a beautiful place on the other side of the world to buy a wine estate. He was going to have a holiday without her. And the money was all that concerned him in rebuilding Arrow Hall.
In the clear freshness of early morning, Claire was now on her own. She stood and gazed at the wide, sweeping view across the Thames from the living room, which, even at this time of day, had boats moving on it. And she watched for many minutes as the sun was gradually rising from the east. There was a fresh, very clear view of the cloudless blue sky.
Claire turned away, her unease growing. The ghost of Harry Stone clinging to the five-hundred-year-old building would still be there. And talking to Rick was leaving her cold. Whatever he said, Arrow Hall was never really just hers to rebuild.