Page 43 of Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

Rose nodded.

‘What happened?’ asked Sam, in a shocked tone.

‘Eric took it too far,’ Rose told him. ‘So Edward gave him a black eye. Of course, the awful rogue even had the temerity to come to their funeral, which was only a month or so later. Thankfully, Bert threw him out.’

‘Grandad did that?’ blurted Lily, equally shocked.

Rose smiled. ‘Oh, yes. He’s always been quite the he-man.’

Lily couldn’t imagine her elderly grandfather as anything other than an old man. But she supposed he had been young and fit once as well.

‘So that’s the reason we’re being targeted?’ said Sam.

‘I should imagine so,’ said Rose sadly before drawing herself up once more. ‘But he won’t win. Bullies never do, you see.’

But Lily noticed that she was rolling one of her many large rings round and around her finger with nerves. She also saw that Jack was doing the same with the signet ring on his little finger.

‘I’m going up to bed,’ announced Annie, still looking very tearful. ‘I feel exhausted. Do you know where everything is?’ she asked, looking at Lily.

Lily was concerned. ‘I know I said I’d stay, but maybe I should go home tonight. You know, after everything that’s happened.’

‘Rubbish!’ said Rose. ‘We must carry on – don’t let the buggers win. And I, for one, think it’s an excellent idea that you stay! We can have a little drinkie each night to relax before dinner.’

Lily felt a bit embarrassed. ‘Actually, I thought I could work a bit later and start earlier. To get ahead of my chores, as it were.’

Rose shook her head sadly. ‘All work and no play makes for a very dull love life, sweetie.’ Then she winked. ‘But perhaps I can corrupt you.’

‘I should be going,’ said Jack, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, listening.

‘You’ll come back tomorrow?’ asked Sam. ‘Maybe we can talk it through a bit more once we’ve recovered from the shock.’

Jack nodded. ‘Of course.’

‘I’ll see Jack out,’ said Lily, still determined to do her job, despite it being Jack and despite the awful news he had brought them all.

He said his goodnights and they left the drawing room. She glanced at him once they were back in the entrance hall. He was wearing what appeared to be another expensive suit. It was a long way away from the rough, troubled teenager she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

But so much had happened since then. She supposed he had moved on as well.

She felt a sudden spurt of anger. After all, it was his company who had caused all the problems. His fault. How dare he swan in wearing his expensive suits and ruin everything for everyone?

‘I thought you promised the family that it was just a consultation when you came here the other day,’ she snapped.

‘I was wrong.’

She looked into his glaring face and realised that he had reverted back to his sullen teenage self.

‘So you’ve come back here to gloat?’ she asked.

He looked down at her. ‘No, I came here to help. I quit my job.’

He looked grim-faced and worried, and that made her fret even more. There was so much more she wanted to ask but her mind was drawing a blank, such was the level of stress building inside her.

‘So you’re the housekeeper here now?’ he asked abruptly.

She nodded. ‘I only started this week.’

For the first time that evening, he smiled. ‘I must say, I wasn’t expecting Lily Harper to be a housekeeper, here of all places. I thought you were going to see the world. Run away. Live.’