‘Morning,’ she said sleepily.
‘D’you know what the time is?’ Mia enquired and, without waiting for a reply, added, ‘It’s gone ten-thirty.’ But she was genuinely pleased that Fleur seemed so much more relaxed and was definitely sleeping better than when she’d first arrived.
Fleur sat up then, hugging her knees. ‘Well, we were very late to bed, weren’t we?’ she said, yawning. ‘I’ve never spent New Year’s Eve in a country pub before, with everyone so friendly and singing along…’ She paused. ‘You and Sebastian knew almost everyone there.’
‘Quite a few,’ Mia agreed. ‘Like us, some return home for holidays and the festive season, so we meet up then. But it’s all very uncomplicated and informal.’
‘I thought it was great,’ Fleur said appreciatively, ‘and I’ve never been kissed by so many complete strangers in my life when the twelve o’clock chimes rang out!’ She didn’t bother to mention that Sebastian hadn’t joined in with that part of the proceedings—not that she could see, anyway—he certainly had not kissed her! But, even in that large, milling crowd, he had stood head and shoulders above most of them and had looked very debonair, casually dressed, his black hair sleek and shining with health.
‘Oh, that only happens on this one night of the year,’ Mia said, ‘when everyone goes a bit crazy. I wouldn’t like you to have the wrong impression of our neighbours, or our lifestyles!’ She threw back her duvet and went across to the window, drawing back the curtains. ‘Oh, look—there’s been a really heavy frost again…everything looks so pretty.’ She paused. ‘And there’s my brother, with Benson.’ She yawned loudly. ‘Seb’s always up and about at the crack of dawn—I wonder if he ever goes to bed at all.’
‘You and Sebastian are very close, aren’t you,’ Fleur said enviously. ‘I wish I’d had a brother—or a sister.’
‘Hmm,’ Mia said. ‘Seb and I have always got on brilliantly, it’s true, but I think the age gap between us sometimes makes him feel responsible for me. Too responsible. He has played the heavy-handed head of the house once or twice—which can be extremely annoying—and with which I am not well pleased, I can tell you.’
‘Oh?’ Fleur said, not altogether surprised. Even though Sebastian seemed very tolerant and affectionate towards Mia, she could imagine him playing the dominant male when he felt like it. ‘Why—what happened?’
‘Oh, it was over relationships, of course…I used to feel he was vetting my boyfriends all the time, but the big crunch came over Andrew…You remember Andy? You met him once or twice, didn’t you…About four years ago, it was.’
‘I did,’ Fleur said at once. ‘He was a real charmer, and I thought he was the one for you. I was staggered when that all fell apart.’
‘Yes, well, it fell apart because my big brother found things out about him and confronted him about it…in my flat! It was the most embarrassing, hurtful night of my life!’ She shuddered. ‘In Seb’s defence, he had tried several times to warn me, privately, but of course I wouldn’t hear a word against Andy. Wouldn’t believe it. So in the end the whole wretched business was brought right into my sitting room! And Andy couldn’t deny any of it! I thought I was going to die at the time, but of course I didn’t,’ she added cheerfully.
‘Another woman?’ Fleur said, curiosity overcoming her normal reluctance to pry into other people’s affairs.
‘Oh, nothing as simple as that,’ Mia said, reaching for her dressing gown. ‘No, it turned out that Andy was engaged in financial skullduggery—big time. Sebastian had obviously decided to make some enquiries, and he dug out some real dirt, I can tell you. And I was as mad as hell that my brother had interfered in my life…I felt I should be allowed to make my own mistakes. But, of course, every single thing he’d found out about Andy proved to be true—and if I’d had my own way I might be visiting my husband in jail by now!’ She grimaced. ‘I am grateful to Seb—but I didn’t see it quite like that at the time.’ She turned to look at Fleur. ‘And the last remark Andy made to me was that he’d make damned sure his next woman didn’t have a hard-nosed, interfering lawyer for a brother!’
‘Where’s Andrew now?’ Fleur wanted to know.
‘Oh, disappeared to Spain or somewhere, I believe…no doubt carrying on his nefarious exercises undetected—for the moment. Seb never took it further—as he said, he’s not a member of the police force. All he wanted was Andrew out of my life. And in that he was very successful indeed!’
Even though it had clearly been very fortunate for Mia that her boyfriend’s activities had been exposed before it was too late, Fleur could readily understand how her friend would have felt. And it confirmed Fleur’s impression of Sebastian. A force to be reckoned with and a force not easily deterred. Like someone else she knew!
‘I am going to be very jealous thinking of you here, just lazing around,’ Mia said, changing the subject. ‘Though I do hope the days won’t drag for you, Fleur.’
Fleur got out of bed as well then, and went across to join Mia. ‘Don’t give that a thought,’ she said. ‘I’m never bored. It’ll be wonderful to just let each day take care of itself instead of trying to make every hour count.’ She paused. ‘The only thing is, I didn’t bring enough clothes with me for an extended stay…I’ll probably have to do some washing.’
‘That shouldn’t be a problem, and I know we’re not the same size—or shape,’ Mia said quickly, ‘but help yourself to anything of mine, Fleur…Well, you’ll be all right for skirts if my jeans don’t fit. And sweaters galore, which remain here permanently. Anyway,’ she added, ‘no one dresses up down here. Just be warm and comfortable and forget about looking good. Not that you wouldn’t look good, even in sackcloth and ashes!’ She turned away. ‘You go and shower first,’ she said, flopping back down on her bed. ‘Take your time—I told Pat we’d get our own breakfast and lunch today so that she could go home to her cottage for a few hours.’ She smiled. ‘And that’s another thing I’ll be picturing—you sitting down to Pat’s glorious meals.’
‘She’s certainly a fantastic cook,’ Fleur said. ‘I shall be twice the size by the time I go home.’
‘Hmm,’ Mia said, thinking that even if she was, Fleur wouldn’t ever reach her weight. But she was really pleased to see how relaxed she had become over the days. She looked less wan and more like the enthusiastic young woman she’d always been at school and university.
Neither of them spoke for a few moments as Fleur remained by the window, gazing out at the gardens below, her eyes searching the near and far distance…but Sebastian had gone.
The following morning, after Mia had left Pengarroth Hall, Fleur decided to explore the area outside the house and grounds. She had not yet seen anything like the full extent of the estate, but felt it would be a good move to go somewhere different today. She didn’t want to keep bumping into Sebastian—whom she and Mia had seen very little of since New Year’s Eve. He’d looked in on them briefly last evening, but hadn’t joined them for supper. It was obvious that he was very preoccupied, and Fleur had seen him and Frank in the distance once or twice, clearly in deep discussion.
Fleur had persuaded Pat that she could easily manage to get her own breakfast and lunch every day, and that at most she need only concern herself with the day’s main meal…and that was more for Sebastian’s sake than her own.
‘We’ll see about that,’ Pat had said ‘I shall be popping in and out, in any case, but it’ll be useful to be with Mum a bit, because she’s not too well at the moment. She’s going to be eighty-five this year,’ she added, ‘so it’s only to be expected if she has an off day sometimes.’
It was a clear, icy morning as Fleur set off along the winding drive, well wrapped up against the cold as Mia had instructed her, admitting to herself again that she hadn’t felt as good and as energetic as this for ages. She also had to admit that she’d