Chapter Twenty-Eight
James
J ames raised his eyes to the ceiling and ground his teeth to stop himself from yelling. He’d come in very early that morning and seemed to have already spent hours on calls to solicitors and land agents. Why was everything so slow? He still had his usual work to do, but he was desperate to raise some capital before the end of the week, though it was looking less and less likely. Yesterday, he’d been thrown by the lunch with the countess and Victoria. He could see the sponsorship deal being thrown up as a “carrot” by his parents to entice him into seeing more of her. They just wouldn’t get it into their heads that he’s committed to Dagmar and had no interest in Victoria.
Before he was off the call, his father poked his head around the office door and gave James a wave. James used it as the excuse he needed to bring the call to a close. His father had disappeared, which was fine. It gave him a moment to check his messages. He’d barely flicked onto his phone screen when his father opened the door again. James frowned. His mother was there too, and she looked serious, a little upset even.
‘Mum, Dad. Is something happening that I should know about?’
Sherri gave him a brief, tight smile. ‘Yes. We need to talk. It’s very important.’
James frowned, registering a message from Dagmar. He pulled it open.
DAGMAR: sorry I didn’t message last night. I was with mum. She’s really upset. The landlord has accepted an offer for the building. I guess no matter what you do now won’t work. Xx
‘Oh god.’ He pressed his fingers into his forehead. Whatever his parents had to say was unlikely to make him feel any better.
‘Is everything ok?’ Sherri asked him.
‘Not really.’ He sighed. ‘But what do you want to speak about?’
Laurence pulled out a chair for Sherri, then sat himself opposite James. ‘We went to speak to Dagmar yesterday and now we need to discuss the situation with you.’
A jolt like an iron rod hit James in the gut. ‘You did what?’
‘It was fine,’ Sherri said. ‘She was a nice woman. We explained the situation to her, and she seemed to understand.’
‘We can’t afford a scandal.’ Laurence adjusted his cufflinks. ‘Duchan Fayre has a reputation to uphold, and we can’t put the community fund to use for businesses that present a conflict of interest.’
‘Before you go on.’ James held up his hand. ‘I understand all that, but I didn’t set out to have a relationship with her. That happened after and now I feel like I’ve let her down—’
‘You haven’t.’ His father looked him straight in the eye. ‘She understands, and I’m sure she’ll be able to do something else.’
‘It’s too late. Someone put in an offer for the building.’
‘Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but it’s not our concern. If her mother is jobless, I’d be happy for her to apply for a position here. I assume she can cook if she runs a café, and we always have vacancies in the kitchen.’
‘It’s not quite the same, is it?’
‘No, but it’s an option.’
James shook his head and looked out the window. It wasn’t something he’d be comfortable suggesting to someone who’d spent the last thirty years running her own business. He doubted working in the kitchens at Duchan Fayre would be what she wanted.
‘The good news is that Victoria and the countess are coming in later.’ Sherri gave him a little smile, perhaps hoping he’d return it, but how could he? ‘They were very excited about the sponsorship plans and want to talk more about it.’
‘Today?’ James’s fists clenched at his sides.
‘Yes, I’m happy to talk to them, but it would obviously be best if you were there,’ Laurence said. ‘We have a real chance here to forge ahead with a strong deal.’
‘Ok. Just let me clear something up though. I’m not against a sponsorship deal. It’s a great idea and could definitely be mutually beneficial, but if you think this is going to somehow lead me to a personal relationship with Victoria, then you’re wrong. I’m seeing Dagmar. She’s the one I want.’
Laurence shook his head. ‘Don’t cause any more unnecessary grief to the poor woman.’
‘Let her go,’ Sherri added. ‘She’ll have her own issues to sort out. She doesn’t need you.’
James stared at his parents, his rage simmering just below the surface. ‘This is exactly when she needs me. It isn’t your decision to make. I won’t leave her to face this alone. I’m not going to stop trying to help her now. If the building for the café has been sold, then I can’t do anything about that. But I’m going to do something. I’ll find away and make it work – not just for the café, but for the two of us. And I’d like you to be onboard with that. She may not be the woman you would have picked for me, but she’s the one I’ve picked for myself, and I hope you’ll respect that.’
Sherri tilted her head, giving him a sad look. ‘Ok, son. Let’s see what happens.’
‘And can we at be assured of your presence at the meeting with the countess and Victoria?’ Laurence eyeballed him.
Angry heat rose in James’s neck, but he knew better than to argue this or make a scene. He’d told them how he felt, but they obviously didn’t want to hear it. Maybe the best way to get the point across would be to attend this meeting and make sure everyone knew exactly where he stood.
He turned away, unable to look at his parents. ‘I’ll see you at the meeting then.’
‘Great.’ Sherri’s chair scraped across the floor, and he caught her standing up in the reflection in the window. ‘We’ll see you then.’
Laurence followed her to the door, pausing to look back at James. James stared out at the countryside, trying to ignore his reflected father’s eye. ‘This will all work out for the best, you’ll see.’
James didn’t respond. He waited until they were gone before collapsing onto his seat, his head in his hands. If it worked out best for them, he didn’t want any part in it. If it worked out best for him, he’d like them to be involved.
He opened his phone to message Dagmar and saw a message on the screen from his sister. She used to message him a lot, but since the baby had arrived, she’d been so busy. James smiled at the photos she’d sent of his nephew before reading the message.
ELOISE: Hello! Sorry I’ve been off radar for so long. It’s mad here. I’ve been hearing you’re in all sorts of trouble. Dear, dear, naughty brother!! What’s this I hear about you ditching the earl’s daughter for the stable wench? Let’s have the whole story straight from the horse’s mouth (ha-ha, you like that?). What is going on and what have I missed? I never trust the parents to tell the story properly… You know what they’re like for putting their own spin on everything, so spill.
He smirked as he read in spite of himself, then carried on to another one she’d sent straight after.
ELOISE: also, Mum said the stable woman was Dagmar. As in the girl who was in your class at primary school! Small world, huh? You won’t believe this, but I still have that Schleich horse of hers. I found it in a bundle of old stuff just the other day. Do you want it back? You could give it to her… though she’s probably forgotten all about it.
James’s smile grew. She hadn’t forgotten. And actually, he’d love to give it back to her. Maybe he couldn’t save the café, but he could return the treasured possession he’d lifted all those years ago and always meant to give back to her. A little thing maybe, but better than nothing.