Unexpected Blessings

‘Yes to both your questions. They miss you, of course, now that you’ve moved out. But I don’t blame you, it’s nice to have a place of your own, isn’t it, Evan?’

‘Yes, it is,’ she laughed. ‘Oh Mom, I can’t wait to get back to town now I know you and Dad are there.’ She meant this, and she was particularly pleased that her mother sounded so normal. That was the only word for it. Normal. And yes, happy. Actually happy. She who was always depressed.

They went on talking for a few more minutes, and after promising to phone them at the hotel tomorrow, Evan clicked off the cell. She hurried after Gideon and the others, whom she could just see in the distance, heading for the front gates of Pennistone Royal.

It was true, she was glad her parents had arrived in London. She hadn’t seen them since January, and it was now August. Eight months in which so much had happened. Her life had changed in many different ways. And, in a sense, she had changed. She was a different person. She couldn’t wait to see them, but at the same time she was slightly apprehensive. Although she and Robin had agreed, only a few days ago, that she would not tell her father about him, there were, nonetheless, many other things she had to discuss. Difficult things.

Tessa stood at the window of her bedroom, looking down at the driveway, her eyes on Jack Figg. He stood talking to Gideon, gesticulating, obviously explaining something to him and to Desmond who was with them.

She guessed it had to do with security. Jack had brought in a number of experts since Adele’s disappearance on Wednesday, and for the past few days scores of men had been digging, laying cables, hauling in cameras and monitors and all manner of other devices. Linnet said they had been invaded by an army, and that’s how it seemed to her, too. Parts of the estate had been mangled, but she didn’t care about the mess they had made. Things could be put right once they had completed their task and left; Wiggs had told Linnet and her not to worry about it. And so she wasn’t going to, kept reminding herself the most important thing was that Pennistone Royal was being made impenetrable.

Turning away from the window, Tessa moved through the bedroom and went into her small sitting room which adjoined. She glanced around, as always filling with pleasure when she was in this intimate room, loving the way it looked. The walls were primrose, there were yellow-and-red draperies at the windows made of a toile de Jouy cotton, and the small loveseat next to the fireplace was upholstered in a yellow-and-white flower print. It was a cheerful, sunny room, and it had been hers since she was a little girl; it was her safe haven now as it had been then.

She paused in front of the Victorian mirror hanging on the side wall, staring at herself, not liking what she saw. She felt totally drained and she realized she looked it; her face was a ghostly white and there were dark smudges under her eyes. Because she had not eaten much over the last few days her face seemed narrower, and it was taut with lingering tension. Only her silver-blonde hair was as beautiful as it always was.

Sighing under her breath, moving away from the mirror, Tessa went and sat down at her desk, the French bureau plat which had stood in the same spot for as long as she could remember. Next to the big yellow porcelain lamp was a photograph of Adele taken earlier in the summer, and she reached out, touched the child’s image with one finger. An overwhelming feeling of the most intense love for her daughter surged through her and Tessa was more deeply aware than ever that her child took precedence before anyone on this planet, and certainly before anything else in her life.

Mark’s abduction of Adele had changed her forever. Tessa had understood that within a few hours of her little girl’s disappearance. Now she realized that in the next few days she would have to start assessing her entire life, in order to decide what to do, what changes to make. And there would be changes. She wasn’t prepared to sacrifice her daughter’s well-being for her career. Suddenly, being the boss of Harte’s one day lost its lustre, at least for the moment. Perhaps her attitude would change when everything settled down, when Mark had been neutralized, although she was sure …

A few gentle taps on the door interrupted Tessa’s chain of thoughts, and she exclaimed, ‘Come in!’

The door opened and Elvira’s face appeared around it. ‘Could I have a word with you please, Mrs Longden?’

‘Yes, of course, Elvira.’ Noticing at once that the nanny was alone, she asked swiftly, ‘Where’s Adele?’

‘She’s fine, Mrs Longden, perfectly safe. She’s with Margaret in the kitchen, giving a tea party for her dolls.’

‘I’m sorry, Elvira, you did tell me that was what you’d planned.’ Tessa forced a smile. ‘I think I’m getting paranoid.’

‘No, you’re not, and anyway it would be natural, wouldn’t it?’ Elvira hovered in front of the desk, twisting her hands together and looking worried.

‘What’s wrong, Elvi?’ Tessa asked, using the diminutive, hoping to put the nervous young woman at ease.

‘Mrs Longden, there’s something I need to tell you … I saw Mr Longden on Wednesday morning, just after leaving the estate. He was sitting in a car with another man, about halfway down the road, and he … well, he flagged me down. I think he recognized my car.’

Tessa’s eyes narrowed instantly and she asked in an urgent voice, ‘Who was the other man? Did you know him, Elvi?’

The nanny shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t, Mrs Longden. I’d never seen him before. Anyway, Mr Longden just said hello, told me he was on his way to see Adele, and asked if you were about or had you gone to the Harrogate store? And I said no, you were at Pennistone Royal, working in the library and that Adele was on the terrace playing –’ She broke off. Tears sprang into her eyes, and she tried to flick them away with her fingertips. ‘I wish I hadn’t stopped, just driven on, I feel so responsible for what happened.’

‘Oh, Elvira, you mustn’t. It wasn’t your fault,’ Tessa replied, her tone kindly. ‘But why didn’t you tell me before? After all, you were back on Wednesday evening, just when Mr Longden returned Adele. Surely that was the time to say something?’

‘It was, yes, you’re right, but you were agitated, and exhausted, and I was very distressed myself, thrown if you know what I mean.’

‘Today’s Saturday, Elvi.’

‘I know, but on Thursday and Friday you were ever so preoccupied and busy with Mr Figg. I didn’t really like to disturb you. I did keep trying to find the right moment, but there just wasn’t one. Besides, I was a bit afraid, to be honest, I felt very guilty about talking to Mr L. And I thought you’d be angry with me.’

‘Never mind all of that. Now, tell me, Elvi, do you think Mr Longden was parked down the road here actually waiting for you? Do you think he was expecting you to leave Pennistone Royal around the time you did?’

‘I don’t know, Mrs Longden, but I always have the same routine on my day off. I usually leave about ten or ten-thirty. And he knows Wednesday is my day off, I’ve always taken Wednesday ever since I began to work for you when Adele was a baby.’

Tessa inclined her head. ‘I understand, and let’s forget it. However, Elvira, if anything ever happens, anything at all, that you think is strange, you must tell me.’

‘I will, Mrs Longden, I will, I promise.’ The nanny attempted a smile but it didn’t quite materialize, and she added, ‘Well then, I’d better get back to Adele.’ Without another word she scurried out.

Left alone in her lovely sunny room which she had always loved, Tessa felt oddly alien and chilled, and just a little frightened once again. Mark had obviously planned the abduction very carefully, right down to the last detail … waiting for Elvira on the roadside, quizzing her, and then swooping in and scooping up Adele. While his accomplice, whoever that was, did all that dialling on a mobile phone. She shivered involuntarily, and bit her lip, and suddenly her eyes filled with worry.

After a few moments Tessa managed to calm herself and she made a vow to outwit Mark Longden. Whatever it took that was what she was going to do. Outwit him.

‘My parents are here,’ Evan said, staring at Gideon.

A look of genuine surprise crossed his face, and then his brows met in a puzzled frown. ‘I thought they were coming next week?’

‘They were. Dad changed the date, he said he wanted a chance for them to get over their jet lag. Anyway, they’re in London. At the hotel. That was Dad on my mobile when we were walking with Jack.’

Evan and Gideon were seated at the table under the old oak tree at the bottom of the lawns which sloped away from the back terrace of Pennistone Royal. Gideon Harte put down his glass of white wine and leaned across the wrought-iron garden table. ‘So when am I going to meet them?’ he asked. When she didn’t immediately answer, he said, ‘I am going to meet them, aren’t I?’

‘Of course. But I thought I’d better see them by myself first. On Thursday when I get back to London. It has been eight months and there’s a lot to catch up on, and I just think it’s better that I see them alone.’ Evan didn’t add that they might resent his presence, although she was thinking that.

‘I understand,’ he said, and went on swiftly: ‘Tell you what, I’ll take the three of you to dinner on Friday evening. Somewhere really nice.’ He spoke in a firm voice that forbade argument and looked at her very intently. There was a steely glint in his eyes.

‘That’ll be great,’ Evan responded softly, realizing it was better to acquiesce rather than refuse for the time being.

Gideon experienced a small stab of dismay at her lack of enthusiasm which was obvious and made him feel suddenly awkward, and he reached out, took hold of her hand. His green eyes bored into hers. ‘I know I’ve said this before, but I’m in love with you, Evan.’

‘I know that.’

‘And what about you? How do you really feel about me?’

‘I’m in love with you, Gideon,’ she replied, her voice suddenly intimate, very loving. ‘You know I am.’

He realized she was being sincere, and now he relaxed, smiled, squeezed her hand. ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you, as if you didn’t know that, and I want to marry you. I know I’ve said that to you before, but I’m asking you again … Evan, please marry me.’

There was only a fractional hesitation on her part before she agreed. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I will, Gideon.’

‘Let’s tell your parents on Friday over dinner! Then it will be official and we’ll phone my parents in New York to give them the good news. Do let’s get engaged.’ Without waiting for her reply, he grinned and rushed on, ‘I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve had your engagement ring for ages.’

‘You have?’ Evan’s grey-blue eyes sparkled and she began to laugh. ‘Gee, you sure are sure of yourself, aren’t you?’ Her voice was teasing, full of laughter.

‘I could only hope, my love, I could only hope. Actually, I can’t give it to you at this moment, because it’s not in my pocket. But I wish it were, so I could slip it onto your finger immediately. Unfortunately, it’s locked up at Allington Hall.’

‘Well, at least it’s good to know it’s in Yorkshire,’ she quipped.

‘I’ll give it to you tonight, and can we tell your parents next week?’ he pressed.

Evan took a deep breath and blew out a few puffs of air. ‘I’d like to tell them when we have dinner, but I’m still a bit worried about the Robin–Dad situation. I haven’t made my mind up … I don’t know what to do about that yet.’ She frowned and shook her head, groping for words that would accurately describe what she felt. ‘I’m so ambivalent, and having to tell Dad that his father wasn’t his biological father is going to be –’

‘Let’s not go there, let’s not get things confused,’ Gideon exclaimed, sounding impatient. ‘Our engagement doesn’t have anything to do with Robin, your father and Richard Hughes.’