‘Well, you’re a co-owner and yet, as I said, there isn’t a photo of you as an adult, and there’s no bio about you as there is about the other people who work there.’
‘That’s because I don’t work there. I still teach. And besides, I’d rather stay in the background.’
‘Something to hide?’
‘No. Nothing. I’ve told you everything, I think. Far more than I would normally tell anyone. And I’m not sure why I did that, to be honest.’
‘I did the same with you. You know more about me than I think my doctor does.’
He laughed. ‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it? That we both felt safe enough to open up to one another about things we might not have said to other people.’
‘Yes. Probably. One question though.’
‘Yes?’
‘Why did you buy that dog food today? The rescue centre here won’t be open for weeks and you’re staying here, so it’s not for the one in Oxford.’
‘It is. I bought it because it’s made by a local start up, with all natural ingredients, and I wanted to buy some to take back with me. I’d read about it and knew that Paws for Life had a limited stock, so I bought it today in case they ran out. Or I forgot later. I’ve got quite a lot going on right now and my memory lets me down from time to time.’
‘Oh, I see.’
I’ll give you a couple of tins for Rufus to try, if that’s okay with his owner, and you can let me know what he thinks. Rufus, not his owner.’
‘Thanks.’ She sat and watched the torrential rain as the wipers valiantly swept it away from the windscreen. ‘Your parents look like lovely people.’
‘They are. I’m grateful every day that they chose me. I dread to think where I might be right now if they hadn’t.’
‘Do you … do you ever think about your real parents?’
‘Emma and Matt Gale are my real parents as far as I’m concerned. As I said, I have no idea who my biological parents are. I know it’s important for many people to find out all they can about theirs, but I’ve never felt the need. From a medical history standpoint, it makes sense of course, and I realise roots are important, but I don’t care about the past. I’m not the person I was prior to my adoption. What matters to me are the present and the future.’
‘So you’d never try to find them?’
‘No.’
‘What if they found you? Sorry. Am I asking too many questions?’
He shot her a look and then he shrugged. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about that. I suppose I’d have to cross that bridge if I ever came to it. But it’s unlikely now. They must be at least the same age as Emma and Matt, or older if anything. If they’d wanted to find me, they would’ve done so long before now.’
‘Thanks for being honest.’
He smiled at her. ‘There’s no point in being anything else. Pretending to be someone, or something we’re not is futile. The truth will out, as they say. We’re here. It’s a beautiful place. The gardens are spectacular, but not in this weather obviously.’
‘Yes. That’s what Granny Viv said and I looked at them on the website. Blimey. It’s even more beautiful in real life.’
Claybrooke Country House Hotel was a Georgian Manor House with a double height, semi-circular central bow section housing the large front beneath a portico that made the one at Granny Viv’s look like a doll’s house entrance. The four columns were thick and tall and supported the upper storey. The only similarity to Granny Viv’s was the glass lantern. But even that was grander here.
A porter with an even larger golf umbrella, or so it seemed, came out to greet them as Raff pulled up outside. Raff gave him the keys and a grateful smile, and then Raff led Kate inside.
The reception hall was impressive, with a grand chandelier taking pride of place in front of a sweeping central, ornately carved dark oak staircase, the bar was on one side of the reception hall, and the dining room on the other. There was also a library, three other reception rooms open to guests, and a magnificent kitchen area with cellars below.
There were two-storey wings either side of the central bow section, each one containing five suites on the first floor. In addition, there were three self-contained, two-bedroom cottages on the grounds, a two-bedroom converted coach house and the stables had been converted into another two-bedroom suite.
The house sat in five acres consisting of formal gardens, ornamental gardens, a kitchen garden, the rose gardens, two tennis courts, a croquet lawn, and another barn containing sauna, a hot tub, and a large indoor pool.
The rear of the property had a stone Terrace that ran along the entire length of the building and that, together with the bedrooms at the rear, and many areas of the gardens, had extensive views to the south.
Not that any of those could be seen in the dark, but Kate had looked at every photo in the gallery on the website.
