Saving Willowbrook (24 page)

Cameron heard the certainty in Ray's voice and wondered who he'd bought down here. ‘I don't like to see historic farmhouses knocked down for—' He broke off just in time. Ray didn't like anyone to malign his hotels, which were as alike as peas in a pod, whether they were in London or Liverpool.

‘For what?'

‘For a modern hotel complex that could be built anywhere.'

‘Would it make any difference if I asked for your help, for old times' sake? DevRaCom is at a crucial stage in its development and if we're to enter the big league, we can't afford lengthy lawsuits or appeals.'

Read that as DevRaCom was overstretched at the moment, trying to grow too big too fast, Cameron thought. Well, he'd suspected that for a while. ‘I'm sorry, Ray. If I could help you, I would, but this is an important piece of English heritage – and anyway, it's her home. Why should she be forced to sell it?'

The phone was slammed down on him.

He immediately dialled Julian's number. ‘We have to talk. Where can we meet? Right. I'll be there.'

When Cameron saw the two women appear in the doorway, he shoved the phone in his pocket and waited till Ella beckoned. He was surprised that this pleasant-looking woman was the mother of Parnell. Her hair was that faded blond colour that a lot of older women seemed to adopt, and she was trim and fashionably clad in designer leisurewear, but she had a warm smile. You couldn't mistake the genuineness of that. He'd read somewhere that it was to do with the eye muscles, and they showed whether a smile was genuine or not.

‘Could you show Stephanie to chalet three, please, Cameron, and by the time you get back I'll have some food ready for you. Fine hostess I am!'

‘Friend, not hostess,' he corrected.

He walked across to the chalet and waited till Stephanie had brought her car round, then carried her luggage inside.

‘It's charming!' she exclaimed, looking round. ‘How on earth does Ella manage everything on her own?'

‘I don't know. She's certainly a worker.' He gave her an assessing look then added, ‘But I'm hoping she'll not be on her own again.'

She cocked one eyebrow at him. ‘That serious, is it?'

He nodded, smiling ruefully. ‘On my part, yes. I'm not as sure about her. I thought I was immune to love.'

‘No one is.' She sighed. ‘Well, except for my younger son. Or rather, Miles saves his love for himself. Now, go and get your food and see if you can persuade Ella to rest. I'm coming across shortly to read to Amy.'

Cameron walked into the kitchen and sniffed appreciatively. ‘Smells wonderful. Aren't you going to join me?'

‘I'm not hungry.'

‘Then sit down for a minute and tell me about Stephanie.'

She set a plate of home-made scones, with butter and jam, and a cup of fragrant coffee in front of him and went to fetch a cup for herself.

He ate two scones as she sipped the coffee. She was definitely pale behind those hectically flushed cheeks. Even as he watched, she tried to stifle a cough, which wouldn't be stopped.

‘I think you've got Amy's cold,' he ventured, waiting for her to snap his head off.

Instead she sat staring down at the food left on her plate. ‘Maybe I have.'

‘What is there to do today?'

‘The usual. And I'd better get started.' She pushed herself to her feet, but instead of moving off she stood swaying, one hand rubbing her forehead.

He got up quickly. ‘You're feeling rotten, aren't you?'

She nodded, then turned round as Stephanie knocked at the door and came in again.

‘I think Ella's got the same thing as Amy,' he said. ‘She's not feeling well. I was hoping you and I could take over here.'

‘My pleasure.'

‘I can't just—' Ella broke off to cough, and when she'd stopped, sat down abruptly. ‘I can't believe this! I was feeling fine yesterday, not too bad this morning, but now I – can't manage. I've never . . . But I can't.'

‘Let's get you to bed.'

But she wouldn't go until she'd given them a list of things to do and got the food out of the freezer, and even then she was protesting. He lost patience and pushed her up the stairs.

‘I'd carry you up like one of those romance heroes, but I'm not Mr Universe, I'm afraid.'

‘And I'm not a featherweight.' She stopped in the doorway of her daughter's room to explain that she wasn't well either and would be spending ‘an hour or two' in bed. ‘Your grandma will be looking after you. Is that all right?'

Amy nodded. ‘I like her.'

‘And I'll be helping,' Cameron added. ‘I'll be the waiter, fetching and carrying food and drinks.'

With a smile the child wriggled down in bed. ‘I'm sleepy now.'

‘So's your mother.'

It was impossible to persuade Ella to get undressed and have a proper rest, so he compromised by pulling the duvet over her.

When he went back to the kitchen, Stephanie was wearing a big pinafore and clearing up, pausing sometimes to find the right cupboard for an item.

‘Did you get her to bed?'

‘Only for a quick lie down. She won't get undressed. See if you can persuade her to later.'

‘I was shocked when I saw her today. I always remember her being in blooming health. She looks drawn and pale.'

‘Do you think I should call in the doctor?'

She considered this then nodded. ‘Yes. I reckon she's seriously run down.'

He picked up the handpiece, opened the phone directory that stood under it and found the number of the Chawton Medical Centre. When the receptionist answered, he persuaded her to put him through to young Dr Paige and explained the situation.

Putting the phone down, he smiled at Stephanie. ‘Oliver knows Ella, so he's coming straight out. He doesn't have a full case load yet, is still easing into the practice, and he said Rose is worried about her cousin too.'

Stephanie sighed in relief. After a moment's hesitation, she added, ‘I know for a fact that she's not asked for any maintenance from Miles, so it must have been difficult to manage, not to mention paying him back. He laughs about that, says he conned her into accepting the loan instead.'

‘Well, she won't be coping on her own from now on, if I can help it.' He smiled at her nod of approval. ‘The thing is, though, I'm not much of a cook. I can manage simple things, I'm not exactly helpless, but her guests will expect a bit more than that.'

Stephanie smiled. ‘I'll take over that department. I am, if I say so myself, rather a good cook. And I suggest we don't tell Ella we've sent for Oliver Paige, just present her with a fait accompli when he arrives.'

‘My thoughts exactly.'

Oliver arrived at Willowbrook just after Cameron returned. He rapped on the kitchen door then opened it and poked his head round. ‘Anyone there?'

An older woman who seemed vaguely familiar was cooking, looking flushed and singing along with the music on the radio.

He raised his voice. ‘Hello.'

She swung round. ‘Sorry. Didn't hear you knock.'

‘I'm Oliver Paige.'

She beamed at him and switched off the radio. ‘The doctor. Don't I remember you being a friend of Rose's from a few years ago? I'm so glad you could come. Just let me take this pan off the heat. There. I'll show you up.' She hesitated, then said in a quiet voice, as if afraid of being overheard, ‘I think Ella's run herself ragged managing this place on her own, and this cold or virus or whatever is the final straw. I'm not trying to tell you your business, you understand, but fill you in on the background.'

She showed him to the bedroom, saying, ‘You have a visitor.' Then she left them alone.

Ella glared at him. ‘Why on earth did they send for you? I'm perfectly all right, Oliver. It's a cold, that's all. I'll be fine by tomorrow.'

He went across and sat on the bed. ‘Not like you to snap at people before they've even opened their mouth, Ella. And anyway, I can check up on Amy at the same time, so this won't be a wasted visit. Here, let me take your temperature.' He picked up her wrist and felt her pulse. ‘You look pale, and you've lost a lot of weight since I last lived round here. Is that recent? Intentional? Your clothes look loose.'

‘Unintentional. But haven't you heard? Thin is in.'

‘When have
you
ever bothered about fashion, Ella Turner?'

She opened her mouth as if to argue, then sighed and closed it again. ‘I do feel lousy, Oliver. So weak, and that's not like me. And . . . I'm a bit frightened of giving something to Amy.'

‘I'll keep an eye on you both, then. You seem to have some willing helpers, so why don't you seize the chance to have a rest? There's a nasty little virus going round. It doesn't usually last more than a few days, but you can't fight it by willpower alone. You need to rest and let your body do the work.'

‘I've too much to do.'

‘And that sod is still giving you grief. Rose said he'd been to visit.'

‘My cousin is telling you far too much.'

‘Never complain that people care about you.'

She went quiet and he followed suit, watching her, waiting to see what she'd say, whether she'd be sensible.

‘I can't remember the last time I lay in bed like this,' she said at last with a weary sigh.

‘Everyone needs a rest. Carpe diem, Ella. You might not get another chance like this. You could actually do with at least a week off.' He pretended to duck. ‘I know. You're not going to take that long. But at least take a day or two.'

‘I'll see how I go. You'll check on Amy before you leave?'

‘Of course. And I'll keep visiting. Rose would kill me if I didn't keep an eye on her god-daughter.'

‘Are you two together again?'

‘Sort of. We've still got issues.'

‘I hope you're not going to hurt her again.'

‘I'll try very hard not to.'

‘You didn't give me a letter for Rose last time, you know.'

‘I gave it to your husband. You were just across the road at the bank. I could actually see you, but I was running late. Miles couldn't possibly have lost or forgotten the letter in the time it would have taken for you to return to the car.'

‘Which means he must have lost it on purpose, though I can't understand why.'

‘Sheer malice, I suppose. The two of them never got on.' Oliver stood up. ‘Well, what's done is done. I'll make sure I speak to Rose myself from now on when something is that important. No intermediaries.' At the door he paused and grinned. ‘I like your new fellow better than the old one, by the way. Much better.'

She threw a book at him, which clattered against the hastily shut door and fell to the ground. People were taking too much for granted. Was it so obvious that she and Cameron were attracted?

He was a lovely man, though.

She gave in to the urge to sleep, just for a few hours.

Fourteen

Miles leafed through his mail when he got home after work and frowned at an envelope with
Hannow & Hannow
on the back. Ella's damned lawyers. He remembered those envelopes from the divorce. What did they want now? Whatever it was, he wasn't interested. He tossed it aside, then changed his mind and ripped it open.

‘What the hell—'

He sat down and re-read the letter with the utmost care then screwed it up and hurled it across the room. Ella could whistle for child maintenance. She'd not need it if she sold that tumbledown monstrosity. He reached for the phone to tell her just that, then thought better of it and switched on his computer to search for information.

Surely you couldn't be forced to make back payments of child maintenance when your damned ex had never asked for it in the first place?

He used a search engine and read everything he could find on the topic, which left him bewildered. He still wasn't sure whether she could claim back payments, but she could certainly claim ongoing payments, he was pretty sure of that from what he'd read. He found a child maintenance calculator and entered his details, cursing when he found out he might be liable for quite a lot of money per week. Ridiculous! A small child couldn't possibly cost that much. Only . . . what if the child was disabled? There would most likely be wheelchairs and such as Amy grew into her teens, not to mention modifications to buildings to accommodate her needs and a special car when she was old enough to drive.

Glancing at his watch, he pulled out his mobile and called a cousin who was a lawyer.

‘Steve, I've got a little problem. No, I know you can't promise me anything legally correct in a casual chat. Just give me a little guidance, will you? Thanks. The thing is, my ex is trying to claim maintenance from me for the child and – get this – is asking for three years of back payments. Can she do that? No, I know you're not a divorce lawyer, but you must be able to give me
some
general information. I'm completely in the dark here.'

He listened in growing horror to some of the possibilities – though with each case being judged on its own merits as well as on what the law stipulated, nothing was certain.

It seemed to be important to find out whether Ella was going to the courts for maintenance or to the Child Support Agency. His cousin thought the courts would be more chancy for Miles, because you could never tell which way a judge would jump with regard to the details. Miles was sure he'd read that the Child Support Agency only sorted out maintenance from the day of application, something his cousin wasn't sure of. Trust a lawyer never to commit himself if he could and to stick in an ‘if' and ‘but' with every sentence.