‘I might do,’ he said evasively, levelling his gaze with hers over the rim of his coffee mug.
‘Change is fine when we’re in control of it,’ she said. ‘When we’re not, that’s a different matter.’
‘That’s very true,’ he agreed, ‘especially when life doesn’t play fair.’
‘Now that sounds like a man who has something very specific on his mind.’
‘Ah, perceptive as well as beautiful.’
Recognising a classic conversational swerve, she tutted and wagged a finger at him. ‘You can stop that silly nonsense right now. I’ve been around the block far too often to be fooled by any flimflam flattery.’
He smiled. ‘But you are a very attractive woman.’
‘I’m also an old woman and you are certainly old enough to know better than to try your tricks on me.’
‘But you can’t blame a chap for chancing it when he’s trying to wriggle out of being cross-examined.’
‘There now,’ she said, ‘finally some honesty from you.’
‘Coffee was what you invited me in for, you didn’t say anything about gouging great chunks out of my self-esteem.’
‘Nothing but a friendly nibble or two to keep you on your toes,’ she said lightly, ‘nothing untoward.’
‘But you won’t stop until you have it all out of me, will you?’
‘I’ll stop if you want me to.’
He sighed. ‘Clever. Now if I don’t confess to you, it’ll look like I’m trying to hide something.’
‘We all hide something.’
‘You’re a regular Miss Marple, aren’t you?’ he said good-humouredly. ‘You won’t be satisfied until you’ve winkled every detail out of me.’
She smiled. ‘A gross exaggeration. I just feel you’re worried about something and a problem shared is—’
‘A problem halved. Yeah, yeah, I know how all the clichés go. If you really want to know, I have problems coming out of my ears.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ she said.
‘Not as sorry as I am. You see, and this must go no further, but for a while now my hotel has been losing money like water running through a sieve and I’ve only recently discovered the reason for that; my business partner and so-called financial expert has been siphoning money off to clear his gambling debts. He’d done a bang-up job of covering his tracks, and now he’s vanished into thin air. I blame myself; I shouldn’t have trusted him to the extent that I did. Then to top it all,’ Ronnie continued, putting his coffee mug down on the table in front of them, ‘the quack I saw in Palma last week reckons the cancer I was treated for someyears ago might have resurfaced.’ He puffed out his cheeks and sank back into the cushions of the sofa, as though the confession had exhausted him.
‘Putting the hotel to one side,’ Venetia said, ‘your priority must be your health. Presumably your appointment at Addenbrooke’s is to see a specialist, an oncologist, when is the appointment?’
‘The day after tomorrow.’
‘I’d be happy to accompany you. Or I could drop you off at the door if you’d prefer and then return when you’re finished.’
His expression, which until then had been one of stoic resilience, softened. ‘That’s kind of you, but there’s really no need.’
‘Good,’ she said, brooking no argument. ‘That’s settled then, I’ll take you. As for your financial difficulties, have you involved the police? After all, it is fraud what your business partner has been up to.’
He rubbed a hand over his face. ‘I haven’t gone to the police yet; I don’t want any bad publicity for the hotel. Not when things are so precarious.’
‘Who’s taking care of the hotel while you’re here?’ Venetia asked.
‘The manager.’
‘Can you trust that person?’
