It was like a bullet. It hit fast and hard and then the shock reverberated through my body. Work from Buckford?
“But all the equipment is being collected next week.”
She glared at me like I was dense. “So cancel the collection.”
The door to the room swung open, and an officious-looking matron-type woman walked in. “All right, visit time is over, I’m afraid. Ms Murray needs to rest.”
I walked up the corridor, processing everything that had happened. As I threw my suitcase into the boot of the taxi, my heart was fluttering with excitement. I slid into the back seat, trepidation washing through me. Suddenly, I had to face some things I thought I’d kicked into the long grass.
“Where to, mate?” the driver asked.
I took a deep breath. “Buckford Hall, please, driver.”
Chapter 32
William
Iwas in the East Drawing Room, in my riding gear, standing at the window looking out across Home Field. I was trying to figure out where I could find about £300,000 to start the riding school, when I needed every penny to pay off the estate’s tax debt. Petey’s note was disintegrating in my pocket as I pawed it. There was a familiar clearing of a familiar throat. I turned to see Bramley, back in his rightful place, haunting a doorway and looking disappointed in the state of my personal appearance.
“Mr Topham is here, my lord.”
My heart burst out of my chest and punched Bramley in the face.
“Well, show him in, man!”
“He’s waiting in the drawing room, my lord.”
“But I’minthe drawing room, man.”
“Mr Topham is in theWestDrawing Room, my lord. This appears to be the East Drawing Room.”
“Bramley, you blind me with science. If you’d brought him to the East Drawing Room, it seems we could have saved ourselves a great deal of trouble.”
“Apologies, my lord. Given recent… sensitivities… and given the fact Mr Topham has arrived with his travelling cases, I thought perhaps?—”
“Cases?”
I bolted out of the room and through the Great Hall, skating across the chequerboard tiles and bursting through the doors into the West Drawing Room, startling my quarry. Petey stood upright, staring at me, face like a kid caught with his mitts in the biscuit tin. He was as beautiful and as tall and as bleached blond as ever. Suddenly, I was frozen to the spot. Petey was six feet away, but I couldn’t move my legs.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi.”
“Well, that year absolutely flew by.” My hand was still in my pocket, fingers strangling whatever was left of Petey’s note.
He winced, face sheepish. “Bit awkward, to be honest.”
“Not at all. I’m thrilled to see you.”
“Thrilled?” Petey said. “I thought you’d be mad at me.”
I shook my head, perhaps a little too fiercely, given the room started to spin.
“Surprised, yes. Delighted, of course. But mad? Absolutely not. I don’t think I could ever be mad with you.”
Petey laughed. “Give it time. You’ll get there. I promise.”
I pointed to his bags.
