Secrets of the Heart (5 page)

After
leaving the boutique, Ross took Annis to see a little shop which was opened during conferences only. He produced the key and they went inside. lust the usual stationery supplies, biscuits, sweets, canned drinks and a few things the delegates might forget.

‘
There's a printers' shop just along there, but it's closed at the moment so let's go back to the Mill and take a look at the new kitchen.'

Annis
found the tour interesting, but was frankly amazed at the way the business had escalated since she had worked there last. It was now on such a large scale that it seemed to be in danger of losing its personal touch.

The
old kitchen had been seriously damaged in the fire and the new one was state of the art and — in keeping with health rules and regulations — a gleaming sea of stainless steel.

She
was pleased to see more than one familiar face in the kitchen, including Millie's, and she stopped to exchange a few words with Luis who Annis knew from working here before, and who was now head chef. Preparations were underway for dinner that evening, and so Annis and Ross didn't stay too long.

Shortly
afterwards, Ross was called away and so Annis made her way back to the office alone to discover Sally beavering away at the computer.

`So there you are, Annis. I was starting to worry about where you'd got to! I was beginning to think you'd taken a train back to London!'

`Ross
was showing me around the new complex. You look shattered, Sally. I bet you haven't had any lunch.'

`Well,
I did manage to grab a sandwich and half a cup of cold coffee. But I'm disappointed to hear you've had a tour of the complex already. I wanted to show you round myself and see your reaction.'

`Oh,
sorry.' Annis cleared a pile of files from a chair and sat down. 'It's certainly impressive, I'll grant you. I've still to see the printers' shop though, because it was closed.'

`Oh,
yes, it would have been. Jeff's been in the conference centre sorting out some graphics, but he's back now I've just rung him,' Sally told Annis. `I tell you what, let's go over there right now. You can have a look around the shop and then we can cadge some coffee off Jeff. Chef's given me some lovely cakes. We'll have them down by the lake. I reckon we've earned a bit of free time.'

* * *

Annis found the printers' shop fascinating. She double-checked some orders that Sally had placed for a variety of different types of wedding stationery, and was amazed at the choice available for invitation and place cards, napkins, orders of service, etc.

Jeff
Hughes ran the enterprise along with his brother, Alan, and they were also on hand during conferences to give on-the-spot help and advice with the conference centre's computers.

As
Sally and Annis left the shop carrying their paper cups of coffee, Sally remarked, 'Jeff used to work for a firm which required him to travel abroad a lot, but he was taken quite seriously ill and needed a quieter lifestyle. This suits him admirably.'

`Yes,
he seems a nice guy. He's certainly got a wide range of products there!'

* * *

They had reached the mill pond which nowadays was more like a small lake fed by a stream. It was a pretty area, recently landscaped and surrounded by trees. Sadly, there was nothing remaining of the original mill after which the present house had been named, although there was a rather nice engraving of it hanging in the hotel reception area.

The
mill pond was a sheltered spot with several attractive wrought iron benches. Sally and Annis sat down to watch the ducks and other water fowl while they enjoyed their coffee and cakes.

`I've
got something to tell you, Sally,' Annis said presently.

`So,
come on, Sherlock, what have you come up with?'

`Oh,
not a lot. I can't throw any light on the problems you've been encountering. But something that Ross said got me thinking. It's not much to go on, I'll admit, but I just wondered . . . '

`What?'
Sally reached for an éclair.

`Ross
was asking whose idea it had been to go into the wedding business and I suddenly realised that perhaps this was at the root of things. It made me wonder whether 'Something Borrowed, Something Blue' maybe isn't popular with everyone at Heathercote Mill. It is rather a female-orientated business, after all.'

Sally
frowned as she finished off the éclair and selected a rum truffle.

`I'm
not sure what you're driving at, Annis. 'Something Borrowed, Some-thing Blue' might not have been Ross and Tristan's choice, but they weren't around when it started up, were they? And it was Uncle Bryn's idea initially, if you remember. Anyway, Andrew was certainly keen on it, as you know. No, I'm afraid I don't go along with that.'

`Well,
it's just a theory.' Annis stared unseeingly at the lake. 'But I got to thinking that perhaps there might be other plans for the mill that don't include the wedding business and that's why you've been getting pushed out. I mean, all this expansion, exactly who was involved in that?'

`Well,
all of us, I suppose. You would have been informed yourself as a shareholder. Andrew and Stella certainly both thought it was an excellent idea. I still can't see where you're coming from.'

`Probably
because you're too close to things. Has it occurred to you that there could be other — potentially more profitable — business schemes than the wedding business?' Annis swept her arms about her. 'There's a lot of ground here and I'm wondering if someone might have earmarked all this for something else.'

Sally
stared at her in amazement. `Such as?' she queried.

Annis
shook her head. 'Oh, I don't know. But if Bryn were persuaded to sell up or diversify, use the land for houses, perhaps, or a superstore . . . Look, I've probably got it all wrong . . . '

Sally
shook the crumbs from her lap. `Let's hope so. I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have involved you. After all, you haven't shown much interest in the place in recent years, have you?'

Annis
was taken aback by her friend's reproachful tone. 'Come on! You know the reason for that!'

But
then she thought about what Sally had said.

`OK,
I suppose I deserved that. But tell me, Sal, who else apart from you and Bryn knows that I've got shares in the company?'

`As
far as I'm aware, no-one else.' Sally shrugged. 'Not even John. Mind you, everyone knows there are several anonymous minority shareholders. Why?'

`Oh,
I just think it's better if the others don't know, that's all. They might think I've got an ulterior motive in coming back here. OK, I'll admit I was tempted to sell my shares a while back. There must be any number of people in the locality willing to invest in the Mill, but my parents persuaded me to hang on to them. After all, they were a gift from Bryn and Arnold.'

`Thank
goodness for that, Annis — if you decided to sell out, I'd feel even more isolated.' The relief on Sally's face was obvious.

Annis
looked at her friend sympathetically. There had always been an empathy between the two young women and she felt a pang of guilt for distancing herself for so long.

`I'm
so sorry, Sally. I'm afraid I've been so preoccupied with my own problems these past years that I've neglected you.'

`Well,
that's understandable, but I have missed you.'

`I've
missed you, too,' Annis assured her. 'And you're right. I have been kept up to date with everything, but my father's been dealing with all my financial affairs on my behalf, and to be honest, apart from signing any necessary papers, I just couldn't be bothered with it. Of course, when Bryn was so ill, I suppose he could have confided in someone about the other shareholders.'

`No,
he still uses the same financial consultant that he's always had — a trustworthy friend who handled his affairs with complete discretion when Uncle Bryn couldn't do it. I know because there were a few enquiries and absolutely everything had to go past him.'

Annis
nodded. 'Well, you'll be pleased to know that you can welcome me back into the fold, Sally.'

Sally
sighed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

It's
going to make life a lot easier for me with you around.'

`Well,
don't expect any miracles.' Annis grinned at her friend. 'Now, what's next?'

Chapter Four

The
next couple of days passed in a whirl. Heathercote Mill was certainly a thriving concern and it didn't take long for Annis to get back into the swing of things. On Tuesday afternoon, she went to see Bryn Freeman and he arranged for her to move into the staff quarters in the grounds of the Mill the next day.

`Come
and see me when you can, Annis,' Bryn said. 'It gets lonely stuck up here all day.'

`Then
why don't you come downstairs and see what's going on?' Annis asked him gently.

`Because
I can't get about like I used to and I'd be in the way,' the old gentleman told her with a sigh.

`Nonsense
I'm sure there's lots you could do, and it can't be good for you to be stuck up here all day.'

`You're
just as bossy as ever, aren't you?' He chuckled. 'So what would you have me do, then?'

She
thought quickly to come up with something that would appeal to him.

`Would
you find it interesting to sit in on one or two of Sally's interviews?'

He
ran his fingers through his shock of white hair. 'That's women's stuff all those flouncy dresses and cakes!' he said defensively.

`What
about the wine, the cars and the marquees —to say nothing of the music?'

`I'll
think about it,' he promised. Now, tell me what you've been up to while you've been away. It's been a long time.'

Annis
answered his questions as fully as she felt appropriate, aware that his bright blue eyes never left her face. She told him about her family and their new home in Dorset and her brother, Tim, who was travelling in Indonesia. She told him about her job in London and the flat she shared with a couple of other girls from the office.

When eventually she got up to go, he took hold of her hand.

`Come
and see me again soon, lass, and I'll think about what you've said about putting in an appearance downstairs now and again. It's easy to get into the habit of staying cloistered in the security of one's own four walls.'

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon, Sally's husband, John, returned from his course and greeted Annis with a bear-hug.

‘
It's wonderful to see you again, Annis. You've left it far too long. Now, what's all this Sally tells me about you insisting on moving into the staff quarters tonight? You didn't have to do that, you know . . . ' He trailed off, catching sight of Tristan beckoning to him. 'No peace for the wicked! I'm afraid we're going to have to catch up later, Annis.'

Annis
was very fond of John who was like another brother to her. She watched him now as he spoke with Tristan. John was as thin as a lathe, with sun-bleached tousled hair, twinkling blue eyes and boundless energy. Sally had met him when she first began working at the Mill and it had been love at first sight.

Annis
packed-up her belongings and moved them from Sally and John's cottage to her room in the staff wing. The room was basic but clean and comfortable, and the view she had of the rolling Kentish countryside from the window was magnificent. Annis took a deep breath. This was what she had missed during the past years. She liked the city, but she was a country girl at heart.

After
unpacking her few belongings, she went along to the kitchen where Chef organized some supper on a tray for her.

That
night, she slept like a log and awoke next morning feeling refreshed and ready to face any challenges that the day might bring.

Going down to the staff dining-room, she found herself sitting opposite Ross. He glanced up briefly from his breakfast, a slight frown furrowing his forehead.

`So,
how come you're gracing us with your presence? I thought you were staying with Sally and John?'

`They
haven't got much space, and since John's been away I thought they'd like some time alone.'

Ross
took a slice of toast. 'I'm still interested to know why you're helping us out like this.'

`I
want to spend some time with Sally. She and I go back a long way and we've got a lot of catching up to do.'

`And
are you finding things much changed? Apart from the obvious alterations to the buildings?' He bit into his toast and looked at her, head on one side.

`Actually,
I think it's lost something some of its individuality, perhaps. It's become just another business.'

`Don't
tell me you're sentimental, Miss Fuller? Surely change is an inevitable part of progress?'

`Just
so long as it's not change for change's sake. When the wedding business was first starting up, I think our customers valued the personal touch. For instance, we used to give the bride and her bridesmaids a small gift on the wedding day. That seems to have been dispensed with.'

‘B
ut you didn't give the amount of discount we do nowadays,' Ross pointed out.

`I
can see we're never going to agree.' Annis sighed. 'Everything just seems rather impersonal these days, which is a pity.'

`Yes,
well, as I've said, we have to move on. Talking of which, I need to make a move right now.' He got to his feet. 'I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes. Please excuse me.'

Annis
watched him as he stopped to speak to Vicki, the attractive young blonde who worked on reception. Vicki laughed at something Ross said and Annis had an inexplicable feeling of envy at the apparent ease of their relationship.

After
breakfast, Annis went for a brisk walk and encountered John who was tidying some flower borders.

`The
grounds are looking good, John,' she told him.

`We
do our best.' He seemed pleased. `I've got a good team, but all these courses and meetings that we have to go to are such a nuisance. If only we could be left in peace to get on with the job in hand, then we'd get considerably more done.' He raised his eyebrows suddenly, and then grimaced. 'What on earth does
she
want?'

Annis
followed his gaze and saw an attractive dark-haired woman in a green suit making her way across the grass towards them. It was Stella Freeman.

John
saw Annis's ashen face.

`You
did realise Stella was still around? Sally did tell you?'

Annis's
mouth had gone dry and she pulled herself together with difficulty.

‘Yes, of course — I just didn’t expect to run into her quite so soon, that’s all.’

Stella
Freeman was in her early thirties, carefully made up, with dark curly hair, expertly styled, and a hard mouth painted glaringly red. Her smile did not reach her eyes which were cold and unfriendly, but then, she was probably just as surprised by Annis’ presence and she was by hers.

‘Hello
Annis. I heard you were visiting.’ She held out a beautifully manicured hand. ‘How are things in the great metropolis?’

‘As
manic as ever!’

‘No
change there then! Was it a good course, John?’

‘Interesting,
I suppose, but I would rather have been here.’ John leaned on his fork. ‘There is a lot to be done here and I can’t really afford the time to be gallivanting off on courses’.

‘Well
I won’t keep you then. Actually I was looking for Tristan — have you seen him this morning?’

‘Sorry,
no but if I do I’ll tell him you want him, shall I?' John turned back to his work. 'Not answering his mobile, I take it?'

`He's
left it behind. Typical!' Stella gave a little laugh. 'I suppose you've met my brother, Tristan, haven't you, Annis?'

Annis
nodded, wishing the other woman would go away.

`Perhaps
you and I could get together sometime over a drink?' Stella plucked a minute piece of fluff from her jacket sleeve. 'How long are you planning to be around?'

Annis
hesitated, realising that the older woman was fully aware of her discomfiture. The last thing on earth she wanted to do was to socialise with Stella Freeman.

`Oh,
I'm not too sure yet. It rather depends on circumstances. It could be a week or two — perhaps longer.'

Stella's
green eyes narrowed and Annis realised she would have to be careful. She certainly didn't want to make an enemy of Andrew's ex-wife.

That wouldn't help matters at all.

Stella
shrugged, murmured a goodbye, and headed off in the direction of the conference centre.

John
seemed irritated.

`Whenever
I look up, that woman seems to be peering over my shoulder! Sorry about all that, Annis.'

`Oh,
not to worry. I knew I'd run into her sooner or later,' she said more light-heartedly than she felt.

John
looked rather pointedly at his watch and, taking the hint, Annis said a hasty goodbye and hurried over to the office.

`I've
just run into Stella,' she told Sally.

Sally
bit her lip and carried on with what she was doing for a moment or two. It was as if trying to avoid the subject, thought Annis.

`Sally,
is there something else I should know? You mentioned Stella was back in Heronsbridge, but I get the distinct impression there's a bit more to it than that.'

Sally looked anxiously at her friend

and
mumbled, 'Yes, well, I, er, told you that she lives in the village now, but I should also have said that she's been working here part-time since last October.'

Annis
sank down on the nearest chair. 'Why on earth didn't you tell me? Do you honestly think that I'd have come here if I'd known both Stella and her brother were working here?'

`That's
exactly why I didn't tell you, Annis.' Sally stopped what she was doing. 'Can't you see how difficult all this is for me? You're my closest friend and I don't want to see you get hurt all over again, but life has to move on and well, Stella felt she needed to do something, so Uncle Bryn agreed to her working here.'

There
was silence while Annis tried to calm her breathing.

`I
see. Well, I knew there were changes around here, but I'd no idea how many,' she said slowly. 'Hasn't it occurred to you that if anyone's trying to make problems for you, it could well be Stella? After all, she's pretty unscrupulous, if the past is anything to go by.'

`Annis,
I'm sorry. I can see that I ought to have told you about Stella sooner, but believe me, she's efficient at her job and we get on tolerably well. She does manage to rub John up the wrong way, and you know how good natured he is as a rule,' Sally admitted, 'but no, I honestly don't believe she's at the root of my problems.'

Annis
shrugged; her friend always wanted to believe the best of people, but she had never been a particularly good judge of character.

`And
what exactly is Stella's job?'

`She's
personal assistant to Ross,' Sally said miserably.

Annis
tried hard to keep control because she realised that Sally was in a difficult position — torn between loyalty to Bryn and the business and herself. She swallowed hard.

`You realise this puts an entirely different complexion on things? I'm not at all sure if I can remain here now, much as I'd like to help you out. I thought long and hard about coming here in the first place, as you well know, and now that I have, I think it was probably a big mistake. You really ought to have told me about Stella. It's awkward for both of us, not just me.'

`Yes,
I can see that now.' Sally looked uncomfortable. 'Look, I'm sure you won't run into her too often. I realise all this must bring back a lot of bad memories. Stella's been away for a few days and I thought you'd have enough to cope with for the present, just being here. But please don't run away, Annis,' she said desperately. 'I need you, and Uncle Bryn does too. Stay around for a few days, for his sake, if not for mine.'

`OK,
I'll stay until the end of the week and then I'll review things. I can see the predicament you're in, Sally, and I really do want to help, but it's difficult.'

It was now crystal clear to Annis why Ross resented her presence so much. He obviously wanted to protect Stella as well as Bryn.

`Stella
asked me to have a drink with her,' she told Sally. 'Can you believe that?'

`Well,
there you are then — she's obviously offering you an olive branch.'

Annis
stared at her friend in disbelief.