Читать книгу The Master of Highbridge Manor - Susanne James - Страница 8

ON THE following Tuesday afternoon, Ria stood in the centre of her new bedroom and looked around. With her own duvet and pillows cosily in place and her make-up, travel clock and other personal belongings neatly arranged on the small table by her bed, it was already beginning to feel like home.

Ria always managed to travel fairly light, her clothes packed into two suitcases, with a couple of large holdalls coping with other bulkier stuff, and it hadn’t taken her long to unpack. The one wardrobe and chest of drawers were perfectly adequate to hold the modest amount of clothing she’d brought with her—which mostly consisted of simple things suitable for the classroom.

Going into the bathroom, she swilled her hands and face and released her hair from its ponytail, feeling the need to relax for a few moments. She wouldn’t mind having a quick nap, she thought wryly—she and Hannah had stayed up very late last night, talking, but apart from that Ria recognized the tremor of apprehension she always experienced in new situations. Surely she should be growing out of that by now? she scolded herself. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Her anticipated year of travelling was going to clinch it, once and for all, she thought.

Outside her room, Jasper Trent hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door. He’d been told that she’d arrived but had deliberately not bothered to seek her out or make a particular point of welcoming her. Anyway, Helen would have taken care of her, taken care of everything.

Ever since he’d appointed Ria, he’d asked himself over and over again what on earth had made him do it. But then he’d been getting desperate about filling the post, he’d reasoned, and she had impressed him—on so many counts. Although she was much younger than he’d have liked, she was direct in conversation, with no fluffy beating about the bush or being tongue-tied, and he had the feeling that she could state her case with no difficulty. Could take care of herself. Just as well, he thought, if she intended travelling alone in the not-toodistant future. Then he shrugged. That was a long way off and none of his concern. His only responsibility was in seeing that she did the job he’d be paying her for—and that she behaved herself. His expression hardened. He’d learned a strong lesson this year, learned it in spades. He’d be relieved when Carl took over again, he thought—the difficulties of the business world could be tricky enough, but running a large boarding school was in a category all of its own.

Now, he gave two short raps on Ria’s door and, after a few moments, she opened it and stood aside at once for him to come in.

‘Hi, there,’ he said casually, glancing around him briefly. ‘Just checking that you’re here, and that everything’s OK.’

She smiled up at him quickly. ‘I am here, and everything’s perfectly OK,’ she said brightly. He was formally dressed as before, but he seemed even taller in the confined space of her small flat, and she was intensely conscious of his eyes searching her out as he gazed down. ‘Helen gave me my key,’ she said, ‘and she also introduced me to Tim Robbinson.’

‘Ah, yes, good…Tim is a very able head of department. I’m sure you’ll get on well. And if there are any problems don’t be afraid to ask him.’ He paused. ‘Or me, for that matter,’ he added as an afterthought. ‘I don’t want there to be any unfinished business left for my brother to sort out when he returns, and I naturally rely on all the staff to support me in that aim.’ He paused. ‘What I don’t know about, I can’t deal with,’ he added.

Ria felt slightly confused for a moment. His attitude was strangely cool today, she thought, lacking the easy familiarity there’d been before. Still, what did she expect? That was then, this was now. He was the boss—and she shouldn’t forget it.

He stared down at her. The jeans and white T-shirt she was wearing made her look younger, more vulnerable than when she’d presented herself as the brisk, archetypal interviewee, and her hair, loose like that around her shoulders, added to the unsophisticated impression, to her appeal.

He cleared his throat. ‘It’s been bedlam here all day, of course, with the boarders returning,’ he said, ‘and it won’t be much better tomorrow when the day boys come back.’ He went over to look out of the window for a second. ‘But, by Thursday, some work should be in progress and a modicum of sanity restored.’

‘Oh—I thought all the pupils were boarders,’ Ria said, and he interrupted.

‘No, only about half of them. Their quarters are in the residential block over there—you can see it from this window—while we, the staff, live here in the old, original building.’ He turned to look at her again, and Ria’s heart missed a beat or two. He had to be about the most gorgeous headmaster this side of the equator, she thought. Good job he didn’t run a girls’ school. They’d make his life impossible.

‘I…I…um…would offer you a cup of tea,’ she began, ‘but I haven’t been to the shops yet, or sorted out my kitchen…’

‘Thank you, but I don’t need tea at the moment,’ he said flatly. ‘By the way, the basics should be here already—tea, and coffee et cetera, and when you need more you can ask Claudia, the housekeeper. She’s in charge of all that kind of thing, but it’s up to you how you stock your kitchen.’ He turned to look at her again, trying to stem the feelings which would keep surfacing, conscious of a familiar, annoying muscle in his neck twitching briefly. There was silence for a few moments, then, without looking at her, he said, ‘I believe Tim gave you the timetable and showed you the way around—where you’re going to be teaching?’ He didn’t wait for her to reply before going on, ‘I appreciate that it’s a lot to take in all at once…’

‘Oh, I’ll probably cope,’ Ria said.

‘Yes, I’m sure you will,’ he said, going towards the door. He turned to glance back at her. ‘Helen told me that she’s shown you where the dining room is—and dinner is at eight o’clock.’

As he went back down the staircase, Jasper frowned, cross with himself. The trouble was, he admitted to himself, he didn’t feel particularly cool when he was in Ria Davidson’s presence.

After he’d gone, Ria felt rattled. In two or three minutes flat, Jasper Trent had managed to really confuse her. He was so charming and considerate at the interview; now he was acting like a different person. Of course, then it had been in his interests to show her his nicer side because it had been obvious that he was having difficulty in filling the vacant post, and time was running out. But he’d got what he’d wanted and now he was fulfilling his allotted role here—master of the house in every sense.

She wandered over to the window and stared out for a few moments. She could see the boys’ dormitory block quite easily from here—as Jasper had pointed out—and now the area was a hive of activity with boys and parents going in and out with cases and belongings.

She went across to the sink to fill the kettle. Jasper Trent might not feel the need for a cup of tea, she thought, but at this precise moment she was desperate for one.

Ria spent the rest of the afternoon arranging and rearranging her things in the flat and stacking her books into the bookcase. She always had study materials with her—dictionaries and reference books—but was never without a current novel to read before she settled down to sleep at the end of each day.

Later, glancing at the clock, she realized that it was time to get ready for dinner, so, after having a quick shower, she took out her straight, knee-length black pencil skirt and cream lacy top from the wardrobe, before tying her hair back in one long plait. There wouldn’t be any need for much make-up, she thought wryly, because her cheeks were already rosy-pink with the anxious anticipation of having to mingle with a crowd of complete strangers who were already known to each other.

At about quarter to eight there was a discreet knock on the door and Ria’s heart fluttered—much to her annoyance. Jasper Trent was no doubt presenting himself to accompany her down to the dining room, she thought, glancing once again in the mirror before going over to open the door. Perhaps he had some more instructions for her! But it was Helen, not Jasper, who was standing there.

‘Everything OK? Settling in all right?’ Helen enquired and, without waiting for a reply, said, ‘I’ve come to fetch you because I thought you might like some company on your first evening—I’m staying for dinner myself, tonight.’ She didn’t bother to mention that she was following Jasper’s instructions in accompanying Ria.

A wave of gratitude swept over Ria. She’d been dreading going into that crowded dining room by herself.

‘Oh, thanks, Helen, that was thoughtful of you,’ she said, picking up her bag. ‘I’m all ready.’

‘I don’t always stay for dinner,’ Helen remarked, as they went down the wide staircase, ‘because I need to get back. I live with my mother, who often isn’t well enough to do any cooking. But she’s not too bad at the moment, so it won’t matter if I’m late home.’

‘What’s the food like at Highbridge Manor?’ Ria asked lightly as they walked along together. ‘Edible?’

‘You wait and see,’ Helen replied as they approached the dining room, through the open doors of which loud conversation could be heard. ‘Sandy is a fantastic chef, and all I need to add is that half the staff are overweight!’

As they went inside, Ria saw that three long trestle tables were laid for the meal, but everyone seemed to be standing around in groups, chatting, with drinks in their hands. Almost immediately, Jasper appeared at their side.

‘Ladies,’ he said formally, ‘what would you like to drink? Helen, you like red wine, don’t you—and, Ria, what can I get for you?’

Ria was about to say that all she wanted was some water, but that would sound so boring, she thought, so at the last second she said, ‘Yes, I’d like red wine, too, please.’

In a few moments Jasper came back with their drinks and Ria looked up at him quickly. He was wearing grey well-cut trousers and an open-neck shirt which revealed his strongmuscled neck and throat. She’d already been aware that he was one of the tallest—if not the tallest—man in the room, his whole persona casting an aura of stylish dominance about him, and his voice—that voice which had barely left her consciousness for a week, and which could only be described as commanding of tone—carried easily above the hubbub of conversation in the room.

Helen moved away then to speak to someone for a moment, leaving Ria standing next to Jasper. Dragging her eyes away from him, she took a sip of her wine and glanced around, trying to get a handle on her surroundings. There were at least forty members of staff present, she noticed, mostly men, and she tried not to be aware of the glances directed at her by several of them, not responding to their unashamed interest. At the other end of the room she saw a long counter and open hatch from where their food was obviously served, and Jasper followed her gaze.

‘I’m afraid we have to help ourselves to everything,’ he said, looking down at her. ‘Waiter service was abandoned long ago.’ His eyes narrowed briefly. Ria Davidson did wear her clothes so well, he thought. The outfit she had on was simple enough, but she somehow managed to make it look outstanding. He smiled suddenly, disarmingly, and Ria smiled back, a welcome surge of pleasure filling her for a moment. He was nice, she thought instinctively. His attitude towards her earlier in the day was probably out of character…Well, she certainly hoped so.

‘I’m not used to people waiting on me,’ she said. ‘And, anyway, I prefer to choose what I have to eat.’

Almost at once, someone struck a gong by the hatch and everyone moved forward straight away. Jasper put his hand lightly on Ria’s arm to push her in front of him. ‘That gong,’ he said, ‘has been in more or less constant use since the first day this school existed.’

She looked up at him, her eyes bright with interest. ‘Really? The same one?’ she said eagerly. ‘I love that—it’s history, isn’t it?’

They took their places in the queue and she went on, ‘I have an almost unhealthy liking for consistency, for maintaining things as they always were.’ She paused. ‘I don’t think I like change, that’s the thing, and sometimes I wish I could “stop all the clocks”—do you know Auden’s poem?—“Stop all the clocks, Cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum…” Oh, it goes on and on,’ she said apologetically, ‘but what I’m talking about is not being able to hold on to something you’re enjoying…valuing…or on to good times, generally, I suppose. I mean…contentment with any situation often seems to slip through your fingers before you’ve had the chance to appreciate it.’

She looked up at him, colour instantly flooding her cheeks as their eyes met, and she shrank inside herself for a moment. What on earth had made her waffle on like that—and what must he think of her? ‘I sometimes feel it would be good for everything to just pause…for a bit,’ she added, her voice faltering for a second.

He didn’t reply at once, enjoying listening to her…He had spotted the potential in Ria Davidson on their first meeting, he reminded himself. Apart from being a modern, fashionable woman, she was much deeper than her appearance might have suggested, and there was that beguiling thoughtfulness about her that sent his male urges tingling in a familiar way.

‘I do know what you mean,’ he said, ‘about the manic passing of time—and I have a lot of sympathy with your outlook. In fact, I see my place in Somerset as the sanctuary I rely on to detach me from all the change and progress and stress you’re talking about. Life, there, does actually seem to stand still sometimes.’

She looked up at him gratefully. Just so long as he didn’t think she was crazy!

It was their turn to choose the food they wanted, and Ria was impressed by the variety on offer. There was deliciouslooking chicken, coated in a fine honey glaze, tender pork fillet with onion stuffing, thick slices of baked ham with peach dressing, an interesting-looking vegetarian alternative, plus several different vegetables or salad to go with it all. She looked up at Jasper.

‘How can I choose from all this?’ she asked helplessly.

‘The menu on our first day back is always rather selfindulgent, ’ he admitted, ‘but we must make the most of it—it’ll probably be mince and mash tomorrow!’

Helen was standing almost right behind them and she called out, ‘See what I mean, Ria? It never takes much persuasion to get me to stay for dinner occasionally.’

There was apparently no pecking order at the tables, everyone sitting where they liked and, seated between Helen and Jasper, Ria suddenly felt so overwhelmingly optimistic she could have burst into tears. It must be that glass of wine making her feel so sensitive, she thought, or the tender pork she’d just finished, right to the last morsel. Whatever it was, she wasn’t complaining and, when the glorious creamy desserts appeared at the counter, she felt as if she’d been invited to a wonderful celebration of some sort instead of her first night at her new job! She bit her lip—she hoped she wasn’t going to turn into Cinderella and find that this was all a charade, a terrible mistake that she was here at all. Then she silently kicked herself. Why spoil the evening with these horrible, dark thoughts? Why couldn’t she leave all that behind, once and for all? Was she never going to be able to believe that life could be good, happy and fulfilling once again?

The meal ended and they all stood up to leave just as Tim Robbinson sauntered across to speak to them. He was obviously younger than Jasper, Ria noted, his mass of brown curly hair framing a happy, uncomplicated face, reminding her of an oversized baby.

‘Hi, everyone,’ Tim said good-naturedly. ‘That was a great meal, Jasper.’

Jasper nodded. ‘Yes, it was.’ He paused. ‘Look, I’ve got a phone call to make,’ he said. ‘Perhaps you’d like to stay and have a few words with Ria, Tim. I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff she wants to find out.’

‘My pleasure,’ Tim said at once, smiling at Ria, and for the next twenty minutes or so the two sat chatting together easily.

Presently, the room emptied and, after saying goodnight to Tim, Ria wandered out of the building, breathing in the balmy air gratefully. She didn’t feel like going to bed yet because she wasn’t at all tired, she realized—her head too full of everything that had gone on, so turning impulsively, she decided to go for a short walk.

She had spotted a small wooded area behind the tennis courts and, curious to know where it led, she set off, her feet treading lightly over the short grass. Almost immediately, she could see that the path led to the cricket green—the surroundings of this school were almost unbelievably beautiful, she thought, certainly outdoing anything she’d ever known.

It was nearly dark now, as Ria came to a small gate leading to some open ground where a small flock of sheep were grazing and, leaning over it, she wished that she could hold this perfect tranquil moment for ever. What a fantastic—and rather unusual—slice of luck had come her way, she thought, that the temporary post she’d been looking for had landed her here! Could this be the first small ray of hope that the ball might bounce in her direction?

As usual, Ria’s introspectiveness threw the events of her life into sharp focus, once again, as she stood there…how different things might have been, she thought…if only. She certainly wouldn’t be here at Highbridge Manor. She would be cradling her longed-for baby in her arms and basking in the warmth and love of a real family. A faint snort of derision left her lips. In her dreams, she thought bleakly.

Suddenly, and without any warning, her eyes filled and two large tears gently coursed down her cheeks. And she didn’t try to stop them. It was good to cry, so she’d been told. So then, she’d cry. Well, she’d done enough of it in the last year. But it was strange that her feelings of happiness at being here could make her feel so sad.

‘Oh, dear—we haven’t upset you already, have we, Ria?’

Jasper had seen her walking away in the distance as he’d returned from parking the car and had decided to catch her up, to keep her company, admitting that something about her brought out all his protective instincts. Well, it was her first day, after all.

Nearly jumping out of her skin at the sound of his voice, Ria turned and looked up into those achingly desirable eyes, which were glistening more blackly than ever in the dim light, and she unzipped her bag, frantically searching for a tissue.

‘Oh…no…I think it’s a bit of hay fever, that’s all,’ she lied. ‘I do suffer from it occasionally.’

Help, she thought. How did he know where I was—and why did he follow me, anyway? She was going to have to pull herself together and act normally.

She found a tissue, dabbing at her eyes. ‘I was just admiring this wonderful place,’ she sniffed. ‘I hope the boys realize how lucky they are to be at school here.’

‘Oh, I doubt it,’ Jasper said flatly. ‘Did any of us appreciate our lives when we were young? It’s the norm to take everything for granted, isn’t it?’

Well, the good life had certainly been the norm for him and Carl, he acknowledged, feeling a sense of shame when he compared their lot with some of the boys who turned up here. The Trent brothers had had loving and diligent parents, whose one thought had been the well-being and happiness of their sons—and of all the children who passed through their school.

Neither spoke for a moment, then Ria said, pointing, ‘Does the school own all this land as well?’

‘Yes—that’s all part of us,’ he said. ‘Local farmers borrow it from time to time to feed their stock.’ He paused. ‘Observing those animals, hearing them grazing, pulling lazily at the grass, especially after the sun’s gone down, can be very therapeutic, ’ he added, and Ria glanced up at him quickly. He had expressed her own inner thoughts exactly.

He was standing very close to her now, so that they were almost touching, and for a ridiculous moment Ria wanted to lean into him, to feel the warmth of his body mingle with hers, to be comforted, to be loved. It must be wonderful to be the woman in his life, she thought—because there had to be one. There had to be a beautiful woman somewhere, waiting for this gorgeous, strong, dependable man to come home, she thought and, to her horror, Ria thought she was going to start crying again. But feeling sorry for herself was the last thing she could do with right now.

Moving away from him slightly, she blew her nose.

‘So, then, won’t you be sorry to leave all this when your brother comes back?’ she asked.

‘Oh…sort of…I suppose,’ he said non-committally. ‘But Carl is the one for this job, not me—not really. No, he is the headmaster par excellence.’

Something in the faintly sardonic tone of Jasper’s voice as he said that made Ria frown briefly. She was in no doubt that Jasper Trent had fulfilled his obligations to perfection during the short time he’d been in office. In fact, Tim had said as much, earlier. ‘Jasper has been terrific,’ he’d said, ‘and great to work with, so long as you watch your Ps and Qs…though he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Which is why he’s so successful with the manufacturing business he owns in Somerset, I suppose,’ he’d added. ‘Everyone certainly knows exactly where they stand with him.’

Now, not really wanting to leave this spot, yet realizing that it was getting late, Ria turned to leave. ‘I suppose I should go back—and have a good night’s sleep,’ she said, glancing up and forcing herself to smile quickly at Jasper as he fell into step beside her.

He looked down at her thoughtfully. As soon as he’d reached her a few minutes ago, he’d known only too well that she was upset about something. And it had been nothing at all to do with hay fever, either. That season had not arrived yet. No, he sensed Ria Davidson to be far more vulnerable than the impression she liked to give—perhaps partly explained by the fact that she had spent so much of her childhood away from her family, he thought. She had also mentioned her stepmother briefly, hadn’t she. Perhaps they had never got on, and she still nurtured bad memories. But all that was unlikely to be the cause of her distress tonight, he reasoned. He hoped she wasn’t regretting accepting the post, regretting being here. Yet he knew that wasn’t the case. She had been so obviously grateful to have her own flat, and to earn the money which would help her get started on her travels, and during dinner she’d been lively and quite obviously feeling happy.

He shrugged inwardly. Keeping the staff contented with their lot, sorting out emotional and practical problems with everyone from time to time, had been one of the most difficult aspects of the job and Carl was welcome to have it back, he thought.

They walked back together in comparative—but surprisingly easy—silence, and by now it was almost pitch-black. But the security lights everywhere were more than sufficient to light up their path as they returned to the school building.

‘I’m just going back to my car for a moment,’ Ria said. ‘Something I’ve forgotten.’

‘I’ve forgotten something, too,’ he said, looking down and smiling briefly.

They made their way to the far side of the building towards the car park, Ria hugging her bare arms because, despite the warmth of the day, the night air had a distinctly chilly feel about it. Opening her car door, she reached over to the glovebox where she’d left the novel she was presently reading. It was by one of her favourite authors and Ria was glad that she’d remembered she’d left it behind. A few chapters later would relax her and give her what she hoped would be a restful night.

As she walked back slowly, Jasper was slamming his door and he looked up as she came up to him.

‘I’d forgotten my book,’ Ria said, trying to hide it under her arm. She didn’t imagine that her current choice of bedtime reading would meet with the headmaster’s approval!

‘And I’d forgotten my jacket,’ he remarked, slinging it casually over one shoulder.

‘Well, I wish I’d remembered to bring mine because it’s not quite summer yet, is it?’ she began and, before she could think—or say—another word, she found her shoulders being covered by Jasper’s jacket as he wrapped it around her.

‘There—that had to be the reason why I forgot to take this with me earlier,’ he said, and at his touch Ria’s whole body trembled—with what? she asked herself desperately. Not with desire, surely! Her tongue went dry at the thought. Hadn’t desire, as far as she was concerned, been extinguished for ever? And, if it hadn’t, would she ever let it put her at risk again? She quickened her step, going slightly ahead of him for a second, wanting to put space between them.

‘Well, that was lucky for me, then,’ she said, needing to get back to the sanctity and privacy of her room. ‘Thank you…Jasper.’ Did her voice sound as tremulous to him as it did to her?

They returned to the building and Jasper paused for a moment, looking down at her. ‘Well, then…classes start in earnest on Thursday,’ he said. ‘Tim will be looking after you.’

‘Yes, thanks—he’s already spoken to me about the last bit of the course we’ve got to cover,’ Ria said, turning away. ‘Goodnight, then…’

‘Goodnight, Ria,’ he said slowly. ‘By the way,’ he began, and there was a pause as she glanced back at him questioningly. ‘Um…my jacket?’ he suggested mildly, and Ria gasped, slipping it from her shoulders.

‘Of course! I’m so sorry…I’d forgotten about it—it felt so…cosy,’ she said, blushing. How could she have forgotten she had on something that was about ten sizes too big for her?

As he took it from her, her book fell to the floor and he immediately stooped to retrieve it. He glanced at the cover before handing it back to her without comment, and Ria’s heart sank. Why couldn’t it have been her copy of War and Peace instead of the colourful romantic novel she was enjoying?

They parted company and, after making his normal, latenight check-up and speaking to the caretaker, Jasper went back to his own flat, which was four away from the one Ria was occupying. As he passed her door, he imagined her slipping out of her clothes, perhaps already soaping her delectable figure under the shower, letting the water caress her creamy skin…

As he shut his door—with an unnecessarily firm bang—he cursed himself volubly. He was a hopeless case, he told himself grimly, because he knew he was in danger of being emotionally trapped yet again—big time. He had enjoyed the company of too many beautiful women in his life, admitting that he’d taken his time in choosing the one he would eventually select as his wife…and what a bloody nose she’d given him! Why wasn’t he more like Carl, who never seemed to need a woman? Carl seemed happy and content to focus entirely on his career, on this school and its continuing status and success.

Jasper stared moodily in the mirror, his eyes gleaming with dark intensity as his thoughts ran on. Then he turned resolutely. This latest female to stir his masculine propensities would be gone out of his sight for ever in a matter of months—and, until then, he’d make sure he had as little to do with her as was humanly possible. It was imperative—vital—for him to keep his mind, his thoughts, fixed on his responsibilities here, for this final term. Surely he could manage that.

As he went to hang up his jacket, the faintest drift of Ria’s perfume, still lingering in the fabric, reached his nostrils and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. That didn’t help! Next time—perhaps every time—that he wore it, she would be right there close to him, taunting him, teasing him, without even realizing it.