Kev Winslet had taken to smoking a pipe, or carrying one and assuming the country gentleman’s crossed arms, bowl of pipe between finger and thumb posture.
‘Good thing you can’t smoke that in here, old chap,’ Major Stroud said, as he’d said at least once or twice every time he’d seen Kev with his latest accoutrement. ‘Probably choke yourself to death and I’d miss you.’ Stroud guffawed.
Tapping the end of the pipe stem against his teeth, Kev gave the major a dismissive shrug that surprised Tony, who always expected fireworks when the two long-time sparring partners got going.
The bar wasn’t full. Hugh managed nicely on his own behind the counter. He folded his arms to lean and nurse a half pint of bitter. ‘Tell me to shut my mouth if you don’t like the question,’ he said, ‘but any idea what’s keeping Alex?’
‘She was up at her house. Probably trying to catch up with some of the stuff that never gets done when you’ve got several places to call … home.’
Hugh grinned. ‘There is that. Since I’m in a mood to get my block knocked off, when are you two at least going to get down to one house up there in the Dimple?’
Facing the man and lowering his voice, Tony said, ‘I’m working on it. I’ve been working on it a long time. Could be we’re getting closer. Could be that’s a dangerous statement to make. We’re both one-time losers and Alex is particularly skittish about trying again, I think. Not that I blame her.’
‘Only one-time losers?’ Hugh lifted his glass and slipped the beer to and fro inside. ‘Just don’t give up. You two make a natural pair – if you can ever figure out a way to keep her out of trouble.’
‘Yeah, I know. I notice the Hill family seem to have made us their local. Given the reason they found us, I’d prefer they stay away. It’s a long way from Knighton House, especially if you like to have a couple.’
‘Whoops, the sisters are giving subtle signals,’ Hugh said. ‘Excuse me.’
‘I’ll go.’ Tony enjoyed the ladies. ‘I need to check on those renegade dogs.’
‘Thanks. Should I get out the Harvey’s Bristol Cream?’
‘Do that. They do enjoy their sherry. I don’t think I could ever separate Katie and Bogie now, y’know. They think they’re related.’ The dogs curled up on their blanket before the fire and beside the Burke sisters. They ignored Max the cat who enjoyed taking occasional swipes at them.
‘Might be a bargaining chip, that,’ Hugh said. ‘No real difference from being brought together by children, I’d say.’ His Scottish accent never faded and the dichotomy of his Welsh name and Scottish background remained a mystery.
Making his way around the edge of the room, beer glass in hand, Tony made sure to pass by the Hills, Esme and her offspring, in case he heard something interesting. Grant sat sideways as if wishing he didn’t have to be seen with his mother and sister, Carmen.
‘Dr Harrison, isn’t it?’ Grant said as Tony drew level. The younger man stood up and shot out a hand. ‘Grant Hill. I know you’re cozy with Alex. I was hoping to have a word with her.’
Smart-mouthed, arrogant, little bastard. ‘She’ll be along eventually,’ Tony said, looking into Grant’s vaguely insolent eyes. ‘If you’re still here I’m sure she’ll be glad to talk to you. Excuse me.’
A chair waited for him at the sisters’ table. Before he sat down he said, ‘Harvey’s, ladies? Hugh has the bottle ready for you and he’s pouring me another Windrush Ale.’ The latter wasn’t true but it would be.
‘We won’t say no to a nice sherry,’ Mary said for both of them and Tony signaled Hugh, holding up his own almost empty glass. ‘Is Alex doing well. We’ve been worried about her – and dear Lily. Has anything more happened?’
For moments, Tony considered, then he decided that at least where Lily was concerned, it was up to her to share as much as made her comfortable.
‘It has, ladies,’ he said. ‘I do expect Alex to come in at any time and she may have something to share. I know she thinks of you as family. Lily does, too, but she has a lot to deal with.’
‘I know,’ Harriet said, looking troubled. For once Max, the one-eyed orange tabby who definitely belonged to Mary, was on Harriet’s lap with his back firmly turned to Mary.
‘What’s Max’s issue?’ Tony said, smiling and stroking the cat who gave him an evil stare with his remaining eye.
‘Mary had Oliver on her lap this afternoon. He hasn’t been feeling well. But Max has taken offence and now he’s giving her the cold shoulder.’
‘Spoiled boy,’ Tony told Max. ‘Anything I should take a look at for Oliver?’
‘We’ll see in the morning. Scratch caught his ear and might be infected. I wonder how that happened.’ Mary turned her mouth down.
Hugh arrived with a tray of drinks and a large dish of popcorn. He put everything on the table. ‘Alex just came in. I’d let her make her way in here. She seems a bit quiet – unusually so.’
Tony looked across the bar and Alex appeared, straight-faced. To customer greetings she responded with a nod but she waved at Tony and Hugh and the sisters.
Before she could pass the Hill’s table, Grant got up again and turned a determined smile on her. He had a sheaf of papers in his hand.
‘Must want to tell her the result of the naming contest,’ Hugh said.
Tony didn’t like what he was seeing. ‘So why does she look as if he just hit her with a cricket bat?’
‘Cheeky fellow,’ Harriet said, hefting the increasingly chunky Max higher on her lap.
Without another glance at Tony, Alex went ahead of Grant toward the restaurant but they let themselves out of the front door instead.
‘Bloody hell,’ Tony said. ‘I’m going to let him know he’s out of bounds with his demands.’
Hugh bent near. ‘I wouldn’t if I were you. Make up your own mind, but she’ll not thank you for letting that upstart know you don’t think she can handle herself.’
‘It’s too cold out here without a coat,’ Alex said. Getting away from this strange man was more important than being cold. ‘I suggest you come back during the day tomorrow.’
Grant placed himself between her and the door. With the light from inside behind him, she couldn’t see his face but he lifted an arm and she flinched.
‘Jumpy, aren’t we?’ he said, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. ‘Is there anything you’d like to discuss with me?’
‘Not a thing.’ He made her skin crawl and prickling scaled her back and neck, a sure sign she expected trouble.
‘We’ve got a winner,’ he said, flapping papers in front of her face. ‘When we’ve finished here we’ll make an announcement. We Hills know how to make ourselves popular.’
Alex decided she couldn’t bear this young man. Far from being attractive, his self-confidence had a similar effect on her as fingernails scraped on a blackboard.
‘You’re quiet, Alex. Is there something on your mind? A guilty conscience perhaps?’
‘Why don’t you make your announcement now? We’ll hope the winner is in the house.’
‘I don’t think so. Not yet. You and I have things to discuss first.’
She was hesitant about trying to walk around him to the door. If he stopped her physically, even by cutting her off, there would be a scene, besides, he was obviously strong and who knew what excuse he might come up with for hurting her.
‘Do you remember the suggestion I made to you that first night I came here?’
Alex wasn’t sure what to say. He sounded threatening but in a normal, even enough voice. Every word was a warning.
‘Come on, Alex. You know what I’m talking about. I came back for my gloves, remember that?’
‘You already had them,’ she said, and wished she hadn’t.
‘Really? That would be your word against mine, wouldn’t it? Like most things. I told you it would be a good idea if you stayed away from my father. Does that ring any bells?’
‘You’ve said enough. Now move aside so I can go in. I’m freezing.’
He lowered his voice close to a whisper. ‘And frightened? Why are you frightened, Alex? Not of me, surely. I’m a pussycat. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you what a nice chap I am. Ask Carmen. My sister thinks I’m her teddy bear.’
This time she held her tongue.
‘It’s time you learned to do as you’re told,’ Grant said, still with his voice lowered. ‘Sneaking around my father’s house today was a bad idea. You didn’t think anyone saw you, did you? Wrong again, you little opportunist. What have you got in that devious mind of yours? Blackmail? Or are you trying to find a way to worm yourself into his affections. It’s obvious he’s grateful to you for what you did at the building site, but that doesn’t translate into his being attracted to you.’ He tapped her shoulder, harder this time. ‘The mind boggles, my dear. Pa has a wife – she’s sitting in there with my sister. Or is it an affair you’re after?’
‘That’s enough.’ She made to walk past him. Despite the cold, she felt sweat along her hairline.
‘Ah, ah, ah.’ That hand clamped her shoulder this time. ‘You asked me out here to talk, now you’re getting shirty.’
‘I did no such thing. You’re mad. And I have no interest in your father beyond wishing him well … and a speedy recovery.’
Shouting for help might be a bad idea but she’d do it if she had to.
‘You sneaked up to the carriage house on Knighton land. I saw you outside. Lucky. If I’d been a bit later I’d have missed you, but I didn’t. Something spooked you. You lost your nerve. Were you going to poke around inside to see what you could find out about Lance Pullinger? Do you think my father had a reason to set that trailer on fire? Were you planning to look for something that would implicate him so you could see what it would be worth to keep you quiet?’
Abruptly, anger tore through Alex and she shrugged away from his hand. ‘Listen to yourself. You’re dreaming up an entire imaginary story and it is rubbish. It’s rubbish and what I don’t know is what your problem is. You saw me, so I was there. But you don’t know why and you couldn’t be more wrong about the reason.’ He hadn’t mentioned the police. Did that mean he didn’t know they were in the building at the time?
‘I wish I hadn’t gone there, but I didn’t mean any harm to anyone. Why didn’t you confront me … something to hide yourself?’ Baiting him was a dangerous idea.
‘No.’ His voice returned to normal. ‘But we aren’t done with this subject, not if you try to make any trouble.’
‘I must have looked suspicious. Of course, I did. But it wasn’t what you’re thinking, so can we just forget it?’ She needed time to decide what to do. It wasn’t necessary to be a genius to work out that Grant must be the one with something to hide. ‘You’re uptight, and I don’t blame you. We feel protective toward our parents. There’s nothing to worry about from me. I …’
‘You what? Other than think you can treat me like a kid?’
‘I was curious about Knighton. I’ve always loved old estates and it’s beautiful. You’re lucky to have grown up around wonderful houses.’
‘Rather than in cheap rents with an unmarried barmaid mother? And even when you managed to reel in a rich husband you screwed it up. I know all about you.’
She didn’t like his tone or his angle but she couldn’t get upset over the nastiness. He didn’t seem to know about the police being at his father’s estate or if he did, he was deliberately avoiding talking about it.
‘Could be this isn’t the right time to announce the contest winner,’ she told him. ‘Let’s do it when we’re both thinking more clearly.’
The front door opened behind him and Tony emerged carrying a coat which he put around her shoulders. ‘What’s going on here, Hill?’ he said in the voice Alex rarely heard, the one that would and had sobered up belligerent drunks.
‘Evening again, Harrison. Alex and I have been talking about the contest. She’s wondering if there should be runners-up for the main prize and honorable mentions. I think she’s right, don’t you?’
‘Alex has good instincts,’ Tony said. ‘Whatever she thinks usually works out best.’
‘I bow to your opinion,’ Grant said to Alex, inclining his head. ‘I’ll put this announcement off for a day or two while I discuss the best course with my father. Excuse me.’ He returned to the building and Alex saw his silhouette through the windows, walking smartly back to the bar.
‘What the hell, Alex?’ Tony said, putting an arm around her shoulders and looking down into her face. ‘You’ve been out here for ages. It can’t have been just about this ridiculous contest.’
She stiffened her spine, locked her knees. If she told him what she’d stupidly done, he would have plenty of reason to wonder what else she hadn’t told him – or what else she was hiding.
‘Sweetheart?’ He massaged her back, stroked her hair away from her face. ‘You’re sweating, honey. He did something to upset you – badly. You can tell me anything, you know. I’m on your side and whatever’s going on, I’ll help you.’
‘I know you will if you can.’ With a sigh, she leaned against him and reached up to put her hands inside his collar. ‘This time I think I may get into trouble. There’s spontaneous, and there’s reckless. I’ve been reckless, and stupid.’