Page 100 of Never Gonna Happen

‘Who with?’ The memory of what happened when she went riding with Adam flickered in her memory; she’d mentioned it to Jamie at the time but framed it as an unfortunate incident rather than something Adam had done on purpose. It felt easier than making a fuss, and she didn’t have any proof anyway.

‘Me,’ said Jamie with a grin. ‘My physio says I can go for a gentle hack as long as I properly support my leg. One of the grooms who works with the disabled riding group has rigged something up.’

‘That’s amazing.’ Emily was delighted by the prospect of getting back on a horse with Jamie again, particularly on such a beautiful day.

‘It’s been a big week. I could do with a change of scenery.’ Jamie returned to the kitchen to collect his mug, then settled himself back in bed.

‘I’m really glad you know about everything.’

Jamie nodded. ‘It must have been hard for you not to say anything.’

Emily shrugged and sipped her tea. ‘Not really. It’s my job.’

‘Ouch,’ laughed Jamie. ‘And here’s me thinking you were losing sleep.’

Emily looked a bit sheepish. ‘Sorry. I guess you just get used to being the keeper of other people’s secrets.’

‘Dad and I had another chat yesterday. He’s asked me to be Estate Manager after this is all over. Derek is ready to retire, wants to move down to where his daughter lives in Suffolk.’

‘What does that mean?’ asked Emily. ‘Will there even be an estate to manage?’

‘Yes, we’ll actually keep quite a lot of land and most of the estate properties, although this one isn’t on the list, sadly.’ Jamie looked forlornly up at the exposed beams, no doubt lost in memories of pool parties and teenage misbehaviour. ‘The stables will need to move to a different part of the estate too. Dad’s asked me to manage everything.’

‘Congratulations,’ said Emily, genuinely delighted for him. ‘How are you feeling now you’ve had some time to think about everything?’

‘It’s the right thing to do,’ he said emphatically. ‘Adam will tear this place apart. I’m happy to stay on and be custodian of what’s left, get the house ready for the transition.’

‘I’m really happy to help.’

Jamie smiled at her. ‘There’ll be plenty to do; it’s going to be an interesting few years. Has Dad talked to you about your job yet?’

‘Not for the long term,’ she said, ‘but I’m assuming nothing changes for now.’ The idea of leaving Bowford and Jamie made her feel sick, but there was too much at stake right now for her to think about it.

‘Let’s just get this all over the line first, then you can talk to Dad about it. It will all be done on Tuesday.’

Emily nodded, nerves fluttering in her stomach. In three days, Jamie and Mr Hunter had a meeting with the National Trust in a room full of lawyers and representatives from both sides. All being well, the deal would be signed and Bowford Park would be safe.

Jamie’s plastic boot was propped in a special contraption that kept his leg supported under his knee and slightly away from Luna’s body, so it bounced about less. It didn’t look particularly comfortable, but Jamie looked happier than she’d seen him in weeks. He’d collapsed one of his crutches and secured it in a saddle bag just in case he needed to dismount for any reason, but both he and Emily were happy to walk through the paddocks towards the edge of the estate. Emily had been having occasional lessons in the outdoor riding school with one of the grooms, but it was the first time since Mauritius they’d been on horseback together.

When they reached the far paddock Jamie watched Emily canter for a while, applauding her for how much more confident she was. She practised turning in the canter, using the reins to tell Rupert what she wanted him to do and concentrating on keeping her seat during the changes in pace and direction. After half an hour of lessons, they turned and headed back via Emily’s favourite route, past Wedmore Cottage and a beautiful row of blossom-filled cherry trees that lined the road.

Emily turned her head to look dreamily at Wedmore Cottage, just as she always did, and was surprised to see the silver Aston Martin parked on the driveway. ‘Adam’s here.’

‘Fuck,’ muttered Jamie. ‘We could really do with him not being around right now.’

‘What does he DO while he’s here?’

Jamie shrugged. ‘Your guess is as good as mine. Strokes a white cat and plots world domination?’ He thought for a second, then turned to look at her. ‘If he went to Dad’s office and had a poke around, would he find anything?’

Emily thought about the password-protected laptop locked in her desk, the locked filing cabinets, the information hidden in a boring-looking file labelled ‘Neil Turner’ in amongst scores of other files labelled with the names of companies and tenants and properties. ‘No.’

‘That’s good,’ said Jamie.

They rode on for another ten minutes until the main house came into view, at which point their peace and quiet was interrupted by Adam driving past at high speed. Luna reared sideways and even steadfast Rupert skittered on to the grass verge.

‘God, he’s such a prick,’ muttered Jamie.

‘What does he want at the house?’ Emily asked.