‘I suppose you are a first-aid guru,’ she said.
He turned to her, grinning. ‘As you already know.’
A beat of time passed before either of them spoke again, the grin sliding from his lips as they stared at one another. Then Jess felt her chin quiver, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
He looked away, shaking his head. ‘I’m so sorry. That should never have happened, and Olivia needs to apologise to you. It’s unforgiveable.’
‘We could have been shot.’ Her words were little more than a whisper, as the realisation sank in. She was doing her best to regain control of her emotions, but they seemed to have scattered in all directions.
Sebastian abandoned the kettle, crossing the room and wrapping her up in another hug. He held her tightly and she wept quietly against his chest, safe at last in the soft folds of his jumper, with her senses swamped by his solid proximity and his warmth and the citrus notes of his body spray.
Chapter 18
A while later Sebastian was pacing the picture gallery, waiting until Olivia returned from the shoot. He wanted to head her off before she could disappear upstairs to prepare for the party.
‘Are you going to apologise?’ he said, his words tight and tense as he watched her approach. The anger had been building since he’d made sure Jess was happy to be left alone, and he’d set about ringing round, telling everyone the party was cancelled.
‘Apologise for what?’ Olivia countered, frowning at him.
‘For nearly getting Jess killed. How about that for starters.’
His sister had the audacity to roll her eyes. ‘She shouldn’t even have been there. How is that my fault?’
‘She’s in shock, Olivia. She should probably go to the hospital.’
Olivia laughed. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. You always did overreact to everything. And anyway, she can’t – she’s got the party to prepare for.’
Sebastian shook his head. ‘No, she hasn’t. I’ve called it off, let everyone know. It’s the last thing she needs.’
Olivia’s expression darkened. ‘You’ve done what?’
‘I never wanted a party in the first place. It’s the last thing Mother needs right now too. In fact, you’re the only one who wanted it.’
‘And Candida.’
‘Which reminds me – it was your girlfriend who let Jess’s dog out in the first place, so if you want to blame anyone, perhaps you need to look closer to home. Now, are you going to apologise or not?’
‘Not. Because none of it was my fault.’
‘God, you’re so bloody stubborn,’ Sebastian said.
‘And you’re a selfish prick. You sod off for a decade, then swan back in to claim your prize, while those of us who stayed here get bugger all.’
‘There’s bugger all to claim, Olivia – that’s what you need to understand. There’s enough debt on this place to drown us all. You’re lucky youcanwalk away.’
‘But I don’t want to. That’s the difference between us. I’d never sell this place, and I can’t imagine why you would make such a terrible threat.’ Olivia shook her head, her expression altering. She seemed conflicted, then sucked in a breath and squared up to him. ‘I’m not going to let you destroy everything.’
‘Nobody intends to destroy anything,’ he said, his tone softening as he saw their mother approaching. Their raised voices were probably reverberating through the entire house.
Olivia didn’t notice her mother; her focus on Sebastian was too intense, her voice still loud and aggressive. ‘You’ve been back a matter of a few weeks, and you’ve already decided it’s all too much for your delicate soul, so you’re just going to jack it all in and sell? I’ve never heard anything so outrageous in my life.’
Finally, Olivia noticed their mother, momentary confusion crossing her expression before her tone softened. ‘He’s behaving like a selfish wanker, Mummy, and I won’t have it.’
‘All I did was tell her the party is off,’ Sebastian said, more quietly.
‘Thank the Lord for that,’ Dee said. ‘A party was the last thing I wanted to have to face, Liv. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.’
Olivia huffed, her eyes narrowing as she glared at both of them. Sebastian knew the look well: the expression his sister adopted when she felt cornered, or ganged up on. Something was coming, and it wouldn’t be pretty.
