Fully Booked – Part 2. Cressida McLaughlin

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ alone with Eclipse – not so soon.’ The dog was still whimpering, but Eclipse had calmed down and was curled into a ball, almost lost against the navy fabric of the sofa.

      ‘Right,’ Tim said, his pale brows knitting together, his voice laced with irritation. ‘Look, Robs, I just came round to ask about next door. Malcolm hasn’t had a chance to get in touch with Tabitha’s family yet – there’s a nephew he’s tracked down – but I heard that someone’s moved in. And the curtains were open as I passed.’

      Robin focused on Darcy, rubbing the thick fur on her nose. ‘You’ve been driving past?’ She knew she sounded cross, but if she ended up being the reason Tim and Will met, and then Tim used his salesman tactics to secure a sale while Will was off guard and undecided, then she’d have let everyone on Goldcrest Road down, not to mention lost Will before she’d even got to know him properly. It was so hard to think with Tim standing over her.

      ‘I drove past just now,’ he said. ‘There’s a light on, too. If you don’t know anything, then that’s fine.’ Robin didn’t answer. He shrugged and turned towards the door, and Robin breathed a sigh of relief. But then his whole body stiffened and he rotated slowly, staring down at her. ‘Hang on. You mentioned someone called Will?’

      ‘Did I?’ Her voice was falsely light.

      ‘You said to the dog that it and Will were like chalk and cheese. Will is the name of Tabitha’s nephew.’

      ‘It is? What a coincidence.’

      ‘Robin, come on. You’ve always been a terrible liar. Is it Will next door? Is Tabitha’s nephew in Campion Bay?’

      ‘Tim.’ His name came out as a sigh as her brain scrambled madly for a way to get out of this, just for tonight. She needed more time with Will before Tim got his claws in, so that he was more resilient against the expert sales patter. She stood slowly, placing Darcy on the floor and facing him at full height. ‘Today has been so busy. Is there any chance we could have this conversation tomorrow?’

      ‘Why?’ Tim asked, folding his arms over his chest. ‘I’m pretty sure I know the answer to my question. What I’m not so clear on is why you would want to hide it from me.’

      Because I don’t want Will to sell to you, she thought, unable to meet his gaze. I want him to stay here, to become my neighbour. Nobody wants you to do this. Saying the words in her head made her feel better, but it didn’t give her a reply that she could actually use.

      The front door banged and she closed her eyes, knowing she was out of time. Darcy barked and raced into the hall.

      ‘The mouse didn’t get them,’ Will called. ‘And I’m not sure what the flavours are, but they might be lemon and chocolate. Hey, Darcy, I wasn’t that long, come on.’

      Will appeared in the doorway of Sea Shanty and came to a sudden stop. ‘Oh, hello.’

      ‘Will,’ Robin said, swallowing down her panic, ‘this is—’

      ‘Tim Lewis.’ Tim was advancing on Will with his hand out, a grin planted firmly on his face, beaming smile switched on like Christmas lights. ‘Great to meet you. Robin’s been telling me a lot about you. It’s so nice to see a new face in Campion Bay – these seaside towns need a new insurgence of life from time to time, don’t you think?’

      Robin watched as Will gave Tim a wary smile and held his free hand out. Tim had, in only a few seconds, already made her complicit in his plans by suggesting she’d been talking to him about Will. She wanted to kick his ankles, to push him out of the front door and tell him never to come back. Instead, she offered the two men cups of tea and hurried to the kitchen, thinking her only chance now was to act as mediator, to temper Tim’s advances.

      She didn’t want to leave them alone for too long. Knowing Tim, she thought it might only be minutes before the damage he did was irreparable.

       Chapter Two

      Robin carried the tray with teapot, mugs and plates down the hallway, the crockery jingling. She heard the two men laughing before she had reached Sea Shanty, and swore under her breath. Planting a smile firmly on her face, she put the tray on the coffee table and sat on the sofa next to Tim, as if by being close to him she could somehow control what came out of his mouth.

      ‘I was just telling Will about Campion Bay property,’ Tim said, taking over the role of mother, handing out the plates and opening Will’s box of cupcakes. ‘It’s not as heartless a job as people think it is. We encounter a lot of sadness, houses that have fallen into disrepair because of a death in the family, businesses that have run out of capital and have had to close. Tabitha was loved by everyone she knew – I used to visit her, along with Robin, when I was a teenager. I was very sorry to hear about her death, Will.’

      Will waved a dismissive hand, but Robin thought she could see a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there before. ‘If I’m honest, I didn’t know her as well as I should have done. She was estranged from her brother, my dad, and mentioning her name in our house was forbidden. My mum finally put me in touch with her, against my dad’s will, when I was old enough to make my own decisions. I only started to get to know her in my twenties.’

      Robin felt a squeeze of sadness alongside the flurry of questions Will’s words had opened up. Why had Tabitha and her brother been estranged? Had Will’s dad cast him out when he found out he’d been in touch with her? What did Tabitha think about the whole situation? But she didn’t want to ask him while Tim was there. She could see that Will wasn’t entirely comfortable, but already, in a couple of swift moves, Tim had made him open up more than he had to her. She didn’t want to break down his defences any further or he wouldn’t survive the evening, and would have signed the house away to Tim – maybe his soul too – before his tea was cold.

      ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said instead. ‘I didn’t realise any of that had happened, though it explains why I didn’t meet you when I was growing up. Tabitha never mentioned it.’

      ‘She wouldn’t discuss it with me either,’ Will said. ‘The subject of my father was strictly off limits whenever I visited.’

      Tim whistled through his teeth. ‘That sounds tough. It must be hard, having to face it all now. I know what it’s like having to work through a property of someone who’s sadly passed on, and if there’s a family rift, that must make it all the more difficult.’

      Robin could see Will’s jaw muscles work as Tim played the sincerity card a bit too strongly.

      ‘I don’t think any situation like Will’s is easy,’ she said carefully. ‘But Tabitha was his aunt, so even though it’s hard, I think it’s worthwhile to go through her belongings, to find out more about her.’ She risked glancing at Will, and he gave her a quick smile. ‘You know I’ll help you as much as I can.’

      ‘You?’ Tim laughed gently. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be running a guesthouse, Robs? You don’t want to spread yourself too thinly. I can always give Will a hand. I’ve offered to pop in tomorrow and take a look at the place, and we’ve got professional house-clearers if it comes to it. As I said, I’m familiar with this kind of situation. Besides, Will, if you’re a friend of Robin’s, then you’re a friend of mine. I’m sure we can sort something out.’

      Robin СКАЧАТЬ