Escape to the Country (10 page)

Once in position, Duncan climbed out onto the tines and began opening
up the tarpaulin. He looked perilously unbalanced as he hefted the
heavy material and turned it over. Just as she thought he'd set
himself an impossible task, he threw the sheet. It landed perfectly
in position. Duncan indicated for her to retract the forks.

In her impatience to get him safely back down she jerked the lever
causing Duncan to lose his footing. She was sure he'd fall and raised
her hands to her face. When she looked again he was still on the
forks, kneeling now and with his arms at full stretch reaching for
the metal supports, but still there. Still safe.

Leah had to take several deep breaths before she dared touch the
controls again. By that time, Duncan had slithered back along the
tines and braced himself more securely against the framework. Slowly
she reached for the lever and eased it ever so gently. Getting him
back down seemed to take much longer than it had to lift him up, but
eventually he was back on the ground.

She jumped down from the cab and ran to hug him. "I'm so sorry,
I thought I'd dropped you."

"It's OK, I'm fine," he whispered in her ear. The feel of
his arms around her and the warmth of his breath did nothing to calm
her heart rate.

"My fault, I should have warned you that without the weight of
the tarpaulin, the hydraulics might work more quickly."

It was nice of him to say that, but she knew the mistake was hers.

"Come in and have a cup of tea or something. I know I could do
with one and I wasn't the one in danger or having to do all the hard
work."

"A cup of tea would be nice," he said. "I'd better tie
the tarpaulin down first. I don't want it flying away before I've
finished the job."

He used ropes attached to eyelets in the corners of the blue plastic
sheet, to fix it securely in place.

Tarragon greeted them both as though he hadn't seen them for weeks
and had spent every moment looking forward to being able to slobber
on them and bash them with his waggy tail. Because of that, they had
to catch hold of each other for support as they removed their coats
and muddy boots. Or at least, that's the excuse Leah would have used
if he'd asked why she had her arm around him.

Leah made them both a cup of tea and took it into the living room
where he was sprawled on one sofa. He'd positioned himself at one end
so there was plenty of room for her to sit next to him. She wasn't
sure if that was an invitation or if he just thought it was easiest
to sit near a table on which he could put his mug. She handed him his
tea then sat on a chair where she could watch him. Immediately she
jumped up again.

"Are you hungry? We've got cake, or I could make you a
sandwich?"

"What kind of cake?"

"Dundee. Jayne made it."

"Go on then, you've talked me into it."

As she cut the cake she remembered his arm around her as he'd driven
the tractor. Whether his choice of seat was intended as an invitation
or not, he wasn't going to mind her sitting next to him.

He didn't react when she returned with his cake and sat beside him,
but Tarragon did. He came over and placed his head between them. They
both went to stroke him at the same time and Leah ended up holding
Duncan's hand rather than Tarragon's silky ear. She was almost sure
that had been completely accidental. Duncan grinned at her but said
nothing, even when she felt herself blush.

"So, have you always been able to drive a tractor?" she
asked, grabbing at the first subject of conversation that occurred to
her. It was hardly brilliant as presumably his feet wouldn't have
reached the pedals during his early years.

"Pretty much, yes. My dad taught me when I was a kid. He sat me
on his lap and let me steer."

So, she wasn't quite such a blithering idiot as she'd feared.

"And you've never learnt despite having an aunt who's a farmer?"
He asked.

"No. When I came here as a kid Grandad, Jayne's father, still
drove the old tractor and I was too small then. It was a funny little
thing with no cab and absolutely no safety features. I never wanted
to try though, I was just interested in the animals, especially the
orphan lambs."

"I used to love feeding them when I was a kid. We don't bother
with them now on Home Farm, but I think every farming family has a
few when there are children about."

"I used to feed them whenever I came here. They were so cute.
I'm glad I never believed Jayne when she used to tell me they'd end
up on the dinner table."

"You didn't know?"

"No. Proper little townie I was. She used to tease me something
rotten."

"I bet! I had townie cousins who used to visit in the holidays,
so I can imagine the stunts she pulled."

Their tea was drunk and refilled as they laughed over childhood
memories that whilst not shared, felt as though they were. It wasn't
until he was laughing about the time Jayne convinced her that she'd
got ringworm and all her hair would fall out that Leah wondered why
Jayne was still not back and checked the time.

"Crikey, we've been chatting for an hour. I hope you're not
going to get in trouble with your boss?"

"What? Oh, no don't worry. Leah, about that..."

Duncan was interrupted by a loud yap from Tarragon who began spinning
round in circles. "Jayne must be back," Leah said rather
unnecessarily.

"Looks that way. Leah, would you like to come out tonight?"

Leah didn't know how to respond. She'd have loved to say yes, but as
Jayne had been at the doctor's for so long there must be something
wrong. She couldn't go off out leaving her aunt worried and alone.

"Just a drink. No pressure," Duncan coaxed.

"I can't really. Jayne's well, she might want to talk and..."
She trailed off. She'd be going back to London soon, was starting a
relationship down here a good idea? She'd had enough of half truths
and people not saying what they really meant to last a lifetime. She
owed it to herself to be completely honest.

"Well, maybe another time?"

"Maybe, but it would just be as friends. I'll be living back in
London soon."

"Oh, I see." He didn't sound as though he did.

Fortunately, Jayne came in before the atmosphere became too
uncomfortable.

"Thanks for patching up the roof, looks like that should solve
the problem," Jayne said.

"Temporarily anyway. Sorry it looks such an eyesore, but
hopefully it won't be for long."

Excellent, Leah thought. Duncan wouldn't be reporting to G-B that the
job was done and dusted, but would remind him that a complete
re-thatch still needed to be carried out.

"Well, I'd best be off." Duncan was already half way across
the room as he said that.

"I'll put the kettle on," Leah told Jayne. She needed time
to think.

"Make mine camomile tea, please," Jayne said, naming the
herb she'd said was good for relaxation.

Leah already regretted saying no to Duncan. He'd only asked her out
for a friendly drink and, hard though it was to get used to the idea,
she was now single. It was time she admitted to herself that it was
all over between her and Adam. Had really been over even before she'd
been accused of fraud. Long before that she'd been unhappy and their
relationship had been in a rut. Stuck in the mud and yet when a man
offered to pull her out again she said no.

Leah fussed over Jayne, getting her to sit down and bringing her tea
and cake.

"So, how did it go at the doctor's, or don't you want to talk
about it?"

"Oh, it's fine. I'm maybe going to have to go in for them to
check something out but it's nothing to worry about."

"Oh good, I was worried." She still was.

"I told you not to be."

"I know, but you were gone so long."

Jayne burst out laughing. "No, I wasn't! I came back just in
time to see you dragging that poor man into the cottage, so I thought
I'd hang about outside for a while. I hope it was worth me getting
cold for?"

"Jayne! I didn't force him to come in and we drank tea, that's
all."

"He didn't ask you out?"

"Well, yes he did."

Jayne put down her mug of tea and leant forward. "Where are you
going and when?"

"We're not. I said no."

"Idiot."

Leah sighed. "Yes, I think maybe you're right."

"I know I am. Remember I told you about Jim and the Valentine's
card?"

"Yes. Why didn't you ever go out with him?"

"Because, like you, I was an idiot. He asked me a few times and
I said no. He asked someone else and she said yes. They got married.
End of story."

"But he's not married now?"

"No, but... will you stop changing the subject when I'm trying
to lecture you? My point is, don't say no if you want to say yes."

"Advice you'll be taking if Jim asks you again?"

Jayne put her hand to her ear and then shook her head as though she'd
not heard. "I hope that's the only invitation you're going to
turn down?"

"I'm not sure he'll ask me again." Leah consoled herself
with a slice of cake.

"Oh dear. Still, that wasn't quite what I was thinking about. Do
you remember my friend Chantelle?"

"The arty type who lives in the water-mill? I remember. She was
a little crazy but a lot of fun. Didn't she stick up for me once when
you were teasing me about my braces?"

"That's her. She never liked anyone to be picked on for their
appearance. People used to laugh at the way she always made her own
clothes, but not anymore. She's actually a clothes designer and doing
quite well. She's had that mill properly converted and now has
fabulous parties there. Lots of her friends are well known;
musicians, chefs, artists and she ropes them all in to help. She's
throwing another one and we're both invited."

"Sounds like fun."

"It will be. There'll be romantic lighting and dancing and fine
wines and Duncan will be invited."

"Sounds like a whole lot of fun."

Chapter 7

Leah phoned Adam from her bedroom at Primrose Cottage.

"What do you want? I'm very busy."

"I wondered if you knew how the investigation at Prophet Margin
was going? I had a letter saying I was suspended while..."

He cut her off. "I can't possibly discuss this with you. Surely
you realise it's official company business?"

He must know Rachel was investigating the matter; why was he so
reluctant to reassure her that she'd soon be found innocent?

"I can't see why that means you can't talk to me about it. I
just want to know who's investigating what and how long it might
take. Whose business is it if it's not mine?"

"Be reasonable, Leah and try to look at things from someone
else's point of view for a change. Things are rather awkward for me
over this trouble."

How dare he? She'd always tried to see things from his point of view.
She was trying now, but she still couldn't see why, when she was the
one suspended through no fault of her own, it was him who felt hard
done by. She could only think of one reason - he thought she was
guilty. He'd never trusted her, that's why he'd been so controlling
about where she went, which friends she had and was so insistent
about the prenuptial agreement.

"Sorry to have bothered you." She ended the call and rang
Rachel's number. Leah wasn't sure why as she wouldn't be able to tell
her anything, especially as Leah only had her works number and even
if she was willing to talk then she might not want to be overheard
doing so.

"Oh hi, Leah I was just about to call you," Rachel said.

"Really?"

Rachel laughed. "That never sounds convincing does it? Sort of
thing estate agents and the like say when they've been keeping you in
the dark for days and you've finally managed to track them down."

"But in this case, you haven't been keeping me in the dark?"
Leah tried not to sound sarcastic, there was no point in antagonising
someone who potentially could help her.

"Only because there's nothing to tell, or at least there wasn't
until a short time ago."

"And now there is?"

"Yes, sort of. We had a call from Mr Gilmore-Bunce recently.
Somehow he'd heard a member of staff had been suspended over the
problem with his account and offered every assistance in helping to
sort it out."

"But he was the one who raised the issue and had me suspended!"

"No, no. The suspension is simply company policy whenever
there's any sort of... well, if there's any irregularity..."

"There's no need to be delicate, I know I'm suspected of
stealing all his money. What I don't understand is who made the
complaint if it wasn't him."

Rachel didn't reply.

"You can't tell me?"

"No. I don't know for sure and I wouldn't want to make an
accusation without proof."

"But someone has done - about me?"

"It would seem so," Rachel agreed. "We'll get it
cleared up though, Leah, I promise."

"You do sound more positive about that."

"Yes. I wouldn't have let you, or anyone else, take the blame
without proof, but I wasn't sure that we'd find the truth. I worried
Prophet Margin might try to hide it from the investor."

"Gilmore-Bunce?" Leah interrupted.

"Yes, but as he already knows they can't hope to do that. He's
offered access to any of his records that might help which will make
things much easier."

"Great news. Thanks, Rachel."

Leah sat on her bed, trying to recall what her boss had said when
he'd suspended her. It was difficult to remember as she'd been so
shocked and upset. Perhaps he hadn't said who'd accused her and she'd
just jumped to the conclusion it must be Mr Gilmore-Bunce because
there had been so many transactions on his account and as Adam had
said, he had a reputation for being unreasonable. If it had been Leah
who'd first mentioned the investor's name it wasn't quite so
surprising her boss had thought there might be some truth in the
allegations. She sighed; she really had misjudged G-B. Thank goodness
he'd never know her opinion of him.