‘But who’ll clean it when I move on?’ she smiled, not really wanting to put a dampener on his suggestion.
‘Oh, let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.’
Typical blasé Fletcher, she thought.
He leant forward and whispered, ‘Hopefully Jasper will be off my back by then,’ and winked, making her smile again. It was hard to say no to such a loveable, old rogue.
‘And how do you think Jasper would react to me sorting out The Laurels?’ Her head tilted to one side.
‘Jasper will be delighted, I’m sure.’ Was that a smirk he was trying to disguise behind his pint glass? Then he suddenly added, as though just remembering, ‘Anyway, Sheila needs looking at. You mentioned she’d stalled on you.’
‘Do you think something could be wrong?’ Adira remembered the van stalling a few times when she’d charged the battery too.
‘Well, you certainly shouldn’t be driving far without checking, Adira.’ She could hear her dad’s voice in his warning. ‘I’ll get someone to take a look to be on the safe side.’
‘Oh thanks, Fletcher, that’s kind of you.’
‘You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,’ he replied with another wink, making her laugh.
That night as Adira lay in her little campervan, tucked up snugly in bed, she reflected on her journey so far. It wasn’t panning out the way she had envisaged at all, having stayed for days at her first stop, and continuing to do so for the foreseeable future, or at least till the spa was established and now Fletcher’s house was deep cleaned. But was she happy?
Yes, she was. Very much so in fact. She had met some lovely, genuine, down-to-earth people, it was costing her nothing to live in an area of outstanding natural beauty and she had been offered two jobs, both stress-free. She was sleeping better, waking up with zest and was looking the healthiest she had in years. So why move on just yet? Plus, she was wary about driving Sheila without having the engine looked at. The thought of breaking down alone in foreign territory was a daunting one. On a more intrinsic note, Adira also wanted to explore more about Grace Conway. A deep-rooted, innate gut feeling refused to disappear.
Chapter 14
‘Zara, I’m extending my stay here in the UK. Have there been any repercussions from the report you circulated?’
‘Not so far, Jasper.’
‘Good. I’ll keep in touch. In the meantime, I want any feedback immediately.’
‘Yes, of course.’ After a short pause, Zara asked, ‘When do you expect to return, should anyone enquire?’
‘The directors know my circumstances and it’s nobody else’s business when I come back.’
‘I see,’ she stiffly replied.
‘Contact me when necessary,’ he added.
‘Will do.’
‘Bye.’
Jasper put the phone down. He was in the library, which he now used as his study, having cleared the huge, old desk standing in the corner collecting dust. He’d positioned it nearer the large sash window to gain light and a better view of the gardens. The library was the quietest room, away from Lilly in the kitchen and Fletcher in the drawing room. There was also a better Wi-Fi signal. He had considered setting up his workstation in the estate office, thereby keeping an eye on Colin, but decided against it. He wanted to strike the right balance by maintaining an appropriate distance, but still having the estate manager accountable to him.
He was going through the report which Colin had submitted. Jasper had immediately noticed that a couple of tenants were behind with their rent. Colin had assured him he was on the case. Other than that, it was pretty much what Jasper had anticipated. The repairs to some of the outbuildings couldn’t be justified, especially when considering their use. He was contemplating having them demolished. He planned to replace them with more functional buildings, fit for purpose. A lot of the stone could be reused, but new roofing, fittings and insulation would prove more cost-effective.
Fletcher had sat and listened to Jasper’s proposals, giving his full consent. He’d been impressed with his nephew and damn right grateful of his input. It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Fletcher was also thankful for Adira agreeing to clean The Laurels, although he hadn’t quite got round to telling Jasper that yet. Thankfully, Jasper had been too preoccupied with the estate. It had been over a week now since his arrival and the impact he had made was phenomenal. It was so reassuring having Jasper about the place. A part of Fletcher wanted to cling onto him and he felt guilty for feeling this need.
In Dubai, Zara was having similar thoughts, although she was left with a feeling of desire rather than need. When Jasper had asked her to arrange his flight to the UK, she hadn’t imagined him staying too long. He did have a job to do here in Dubai, after all. She’d been rather offended at his clipped tone on the phone earlier, especially as it had been nine whole days since last seeing her. And not to be informed of his estimated return was a further snub. Of course, Zara had asked the question, eager to know whenshe’dsee him again, not really expecting anyone else to ask. Zara knew full well that Jasper would only have taken leave after settling it with his counterparts. Something was afoot, she was convinced. But what? She was starting to worry that Jasper may not come back at all, or if he did, then for how long? Was he preparing to hand in his resignation?
The thought gripped her. How would she cope without seeing him sat behind his desk? Those brown eyes scanning her work she had meticulously prepared for him; seeing his dark head bent in concentration; his broad, muscular shoulders stretching across his swivel chair, as he gazed out of the office window. It was purgatory him not being here – he was her daily fix. She had been longing to hear his voice and was overjoyed at seeing his name flash across her telephone, but hadn’t cared for his no-nonsense, formal attitude. Although he had always been professional and business-like, Zara sensed a warming to her, the longer they had worked together. And why not? She was an extremely conscientious personal assistant. She was diligent, loyal and obliging – very obliging, if he only said the word. Just a tiny indication, that’s all she needed. Zara had been at pains to show Jasper how discreet she could be. If it was purely a matter of keeping things private, avoiding any awkwardness in the workplace, she was a master of discretion. It was a case of giving him the green light, the go-ahead, subtly.
Trouble was, it just wasn’t happening. For all her efforts, her painstaking attempts to snare Jasper were met with… nothing. Zero. Zilch. To be quite frank, she found it insulting. Never had she struggled previously. Usually the men came to her, to be flippantly batted away. Occasionally she had made a play for one or two, who had been extremely flattered and showed it. But with Jasper it was the opposite.
As soon as she’d clapped eyes on this distinguished Englishman joining their company, she knew he had to be hers. As luck would have it, the original PA assigned to Jasper had taken maternity leave, thereby leaving the position free for Zara to fill. It was fate, she told herself. They were meant to be together. Her belief was strengthened when learning Jasper had had his contract extended. More time together. Only once or twice had her efforts been rewarded with the odd glance. Her lips curved, remembering the evening when she had worn a low-cut dress that had accentuated her cleavage. The man was flesh and blood, like the rest of them, she reminded herself. It was just a question of time before he resisted. But was time on her side if he was in the UK?
As promised, Adira was reporting for duty that morning. Fletcher met her at the kitchen door, as arranged. She couldn’t help feeling there was a sense of secrecy about the whole thing, the way he was talking in hushed tones.
