Page 73 of The Mad Marchams

“I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing than talking about myself, so yes.”

“I like talking about how great you are.”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “How about showing me instead?”

“I can multitask, you know.” He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly, dislodging his glasses from his head.

She kissed him back and he finally stopped talking and concentrated on more important matters. At some point she yanked his T-shirt over his head, and he attacked her bra, and then there was just the pleasure of skin on skin and the joy of being together.

Later when they were cuddled up in the darkness, Mabel kissed Colin’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow. Ted’s halfway through digging up the drainage in the stable yard. I need to talk to him to make sure no one falls down a hole before, during, or after Freddy’s birthday party.”

A gentle snore answered her, and she smiled against Colin’s chest. With things settling down at her old workplace she was beginning to hope she’d be free to make some decisions of her own. She needed to call her mom, talk to her board, and make sure everyone knew that she planned on staying in the UK for as long as she was welcome. It was a big decision, but it was what she wanted. She felt more at home at Marcham Hall than she ever had before, and she’d found a man she could love. Sure, she had her doubts and insecurities but nothing else in her life, not even earning oodles more money, could compete with how she felt.

She reached out a stealthy hand to her phone, determined to make a note about her residency status in the UK and what she needed to do to prolong it before she fell asleep and forgot. Unfortunately, that meant she saw the beginning lines of a text in caps from Joss that immediately made her tense up.

SHAKIRA IS NOT YET UP TO SPEED! DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE HER WITHOUT SUPPORT!

She took a deep breath and replied without reading the rest of it.

I QUIT.

WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN??

I NO LONGER WISH TO BE A PARTNER IN OUR COMPANY. I WILL BE SPEAKING TO MY LAWYERS TOMORROW. DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN.

After deleting Joss’s message, she set her phone to charge. She wasn’t going to let him constantly derail her life. If he had a problem, he could talk to Iko and Deepak. She was no longer on the team, and she refused to be browbeaten into dealing with his hissy fits any longer.

Relief flooded over her as she curled up against Colin’s back. She’d made her decision. If Colin wanted her to stay on permanently that would be wonderful, but even if he didn’t, she wasn’t going anywhere near Joss ever again.

“Everything okay?” Colin asked sleepily.

She patted his shoulder. “Yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Not a problem,” He muttered. “Love you, Mabel.”

For a second she froze. Then she whispered, “What did you say?”

But he’d already gone back to sleep.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The day of Freddy’s birthday party started overcast, but by midday the sun appeared, and Mabel decided an outdoor party might be possible after all. Mrs. Reynolds oversaw the food, and Mabel was more than happy to be ordered around along with Felicity, Cheryl, and half the ladies from the W.I. who’d come to help and then stay for tea.

Colin caught up with her when she was jumping up and down in an attempt to string bunting between some of the trees.

“Let me do that.” With his superior height he easily looped the string over the end of a branch and handed the bundle back to her. “Unravel it until the next one.”

“Thank you. I thought I’d have to walk along the tables.”

“I wouldn’t recommend that.” He grinned down at her. He wore her favorite blue open-necked checked shirt, jeans, and leather shoes that were probably handmade. “Dancing on the tables is definitely not a feature of English birthday parties unless you’re three.”

“We could start a trend?” Mabel suggested.

“Knowing my luck, I’d break something,” Colin looked around. “Where’s the birthday boy?”

“Probably chilling and waiting to make his big entrance.” Mabel handed Colin the bunting to loop over the next tree.