Page 104 of Never Gonna Happen

‘Isn’t that what you’re saying?’

‘Good lord, no,’ he laughed. ‘Quite the opposite. Where on earth did you get that idea?’

Emily didn’t bother trying to explain how women’s minds worked; it was too complicated. ‘I just thought, with all the changes and everything, you might not need me any more.’

Mr Hunter smiled at her. ‘It’s true I’d like to slow down a little, take things a little easier. James will run what’s left of the estate; I think he’ll do an excellent job. That will give me more time.’

‘But you still need an assistant?’

‘More than ever, I should think. There’s less estate work, but my business dealings don’t change and there is much work still to be done. I was actually wondering if you’d consider a promotion.’

‘A promotion?’ Emily’s brain was struggling to keep up. This was absolutely not how she’d expected this conversation to go.

‘I’d like you to be my executive assistant,’ he said. ‘It would involve taking on more of the management of my affairs, and there are some charitable trusts and foundations I’d like to set up before I shuffle off, make sure my money goes on to do good things. The role may require you to undergo some training. Finance, project management, law. Or of course you could study part-time for a degree. Business and Economics, something like that.’

Emily looked up. ‘Really?’

‘If you’d like to. I’d hate for that brain of yours to be wasted typing up an old man’s memoirs when you’re clearly capable of so much more.’

Emily blinked back tears, reminded of the day her maths teacher had begged her to apply for university. You have so much potential, Emily. Don’t waste it making tea for men who are stupider than you are. She’d assumed it was all too late to go back to studying, but Mr Hunter had just opened the door to a whole world of possibilities.

‘I’d love to stay, and that all sounds amazing,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

‘I’ve also been giving some thoughts to where you might live,’ said Mr Hunter.

Emily looked up at him, having not really given it any consideration. She’d convinced herself she wouldn’t be staying at Bowford, so assumed she’d find a new job and rent a flat somewhere else. Ideally locally, so she and Jamie could still see each other all the time. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘What are my options?’

‘Well, you can rent one of the estate cottages, if you’d like to. There are several small ones that are currently empty, although they might need a bit of a spruce up. A proper tenancy, all above board.’

Emily covered her mouth to stop herself sobbing. A proper place of her own, maybe even with a garden.

‘Oh goodness, please don’t cry,’ said Mr Hunter, wafting her away with his hand. ‘It’s the least I can do. You’ve done more for Bowford Manor in four months than some members of my family have done in a lifetime. And I’m fairly confident I’m not the only one who would like you to stay.’

Emily sat at the kitchen table with Anna and Leon, eating a soup with dumplings that Sam had prepared for their lunch. He listened in on the chat at the table while he chopped onions and peppers for Mr Hunter’s dinner.

‘What will you do, Sam?’ asked Leon. ‘Has Mr Hunter spoken to you?’

‘He has,’ said Sam mildly. ‘He won’t need a cook and a cleaner and a housekeeper any more; I expect he’ll find someone to do all three. But that’s OK, I’ve been here a long time. Maybe I can work in the National Trust café instead, just for a few more years until I retire. Mr Hunter will put a word in.’

Emily laughed. ‘Can you make scones, Sam?’

He shrugged. ‘It’s a scone. How hard can it be?’

‘Rock hard,’ muttered Anna in a stage whisper, ‘if you don’t know how to make scones.’

Sam grinned and kept chopping. ‘What about you, Anna? What are you going to do?’

‘I’m ready to retire,’ she said. ‘Andrea has invited me to spend some time with her and her husband in Somerset. I’m going to see what it’s like, maybe buy a little place down there. I have savings and a good pension.’

They all looked at Leon expectantly.

‘Mr Hunter has asked me to stay on,’ he said, ‘but it would only be part-time. I would need to find other work as well, so I think maybe I will find something new.’

Emily nodded, sad that Leon might not be around any more. ‘Any ideas?’

‘I have been speaking to the charter company, the one Mr Hunter uses for jets and helicopters. They use drivers to transfer passengers, very nice cars. They have offered me a job.’

‘So you’ll stay in Norfolk?’ said Emily hopefully.