Chapter 41
Petey
Later that afternoon, I took a break from editing and went looking for William. Eventually, I spotted him sitting on Lady Caroline’s Bridge, staring back at the house like a brooding hero from an Emily Bronte fever dream. His face broke into a smile when he saw me walking around the Long Water.
“Been looking for you everywhere.”
He pulled me onto his lap, the warmth of his body radiating into mine as he wrapped his arms around me. I brushed his hair from his face, and we kissed.
“You all right?” I asked when we came up for air.
“Big day, really.”
“Mourning the loss of your innocence?”
He slapped my butt.
“That’s one thing I’m definitely not mourning.” His voice was soft. “It’s around twenty weeks until Halloween. One hundred and forty-six days to pay the tax bill—or all this is gone. Oh, and the accountant called. We need to find another million.”
“You’ll pay it,” I said firmly. “You’re tackling the hard stuff. I’m proud of you. You’re going to make it.”
He sighed.
“The tenants have asked if they can buy their houses from the estate.”
“Well, that’s wonderful!”
He shook his head.
“The estate needs ongoing revenue. The rent accounts for forty per cent of my income. If I sell the cottages…”
You’d think his tenants had shot his dog and poisoned the well, the way he was carrying on.
“But it’d be a lot of money,” I said, flipping the narrative for him. “You can invest it in other ways to make more.”
“Maybe.”
I eyeballed him.
“And it’s the right thing to do. People should be able to own their own homes.”
William rolled his eyes. “All right, steady on, Karl Marx. I know that.”
“My grandparents bought their council flat through Right to Buy in the eighties. It was huge for them. Completely changed their lives.”
William ran his hand through my hair. His face was still sad.
“You really miss your gran, don’t you?”
“More than my mother misses the death penalty.” Staying on at Buckford after filming meant I hadn’t got home to see Gran. I’d spoken to her on the phone, but I missed her hugs. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed by a need to see her. “I think I might go down for a few days. See her, see the boys.”
William’s face fell, and his shoulders slumped. I’d forgotten for a moment I was meant to be listening to his problems right now, not talking about mine.
“Hey, don’t worry. We’ll find a way to save the estate and help your tenants.”
William brightened a little. “We?”
“Of course.”
He broke into a wide grin. Like he’d found an extra toy in his Happy Meal and it had completed a treasured set. Suddenly, I was being scooped up and spun around and around, William’s lips on mine. When he finally planted me on the ground, his hands gripped my waist.
“Actually, Zoe had a good suggestion.” Apparently, William had spoken to half the cast of The Love Manor today, and Zoe had recommended opening the house to the public.
“It’s a fabulous idea. You can probably get huge grants for doing it too.”
William started pacing along the bridge, ideas tumbling out of him. “I do like the thought of breathing a bit of life into the old girl. This place is meant to be buzzing with people. When my parents had the place, this was a real party house.”
I sat down on the stone bench, watching him pace. This was when William was most beautiful—when something sparked that enthusiasm in him.
“You need a marketing strategy to sell what makes Buckford unique,” I said. An idea struck me. “What would be amazing is if we could bring the history of the place to life.”
“You want to do a séance in the family mausoleum?”
I rolled my eyes. “Why don’t we re-enact the Battle of Buckford Field again, but on the actual field where it originally happened? Think of the footage. It would make an awesome promo video to help get the punters in, and it’d be a spectacular way to sell the historical importance of the estate.”
William stood upright. “Do you think it’d work?”
“I literally produce TV for a living. Believe me, it’ll work.”
“Then I’m in.”
He hadn’t hesitated for a second. All the air seemed to leave my chest. My eyes began to sting. I threw my body around his and kissed him like I’d never kissed anyone in my life.
“Golly,” he said as my lips left his. “I’m dizzy. What was that for?”
“For believing in me.”
William’s eyes searched my face, and I knew he understood.
“Why don’t we hold the re-enactment on the same day as your father’s car club visit?” he said. “It’ll look great on camera. I know it’ll impress your parents.”
“How?”
“Let Edward and Angelica see you doing what you do,” he said, “because you are magnificent to watch when you’re in the zone. It’ll knock their socks off. I know it will.”
My chest hollowed again. “You really think so?”
“I do.”
I pulled him into another kiss—even more passionate than the last.
“Gosh, that was a real loin-stirrer. What was that one for?”
“For being you. For loving me.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the message William had left me.
“You found my note?”
“I did.”
“I hope I spelt all the kisses right.”
The rain started to fall then—heavily, steadily. The house across the water disappeared behind a misty grey curtain.
“We’re going to have to wait this out,” he said, starting to unbutton my boiler suit.
My hand snaked down inside his waistband. “However will we fill the time, my lord?”
“I have one or two ideas.”
We lay there in the afterglow, the rain still falling around us. Absently, I played with the ring on William’s necklace.
“Why don’t you wear this?”
William tensed. “Because it’s not mine.”
“Was it your dad’s?”
He nodded. “And his father’s before him. It’s worn by the baron.”
“Aren’t you the baron?”
William stared up at the stone ceiling. “I don’t feel entitled to wear it. I haven’t earned it.”
I pulled back to look at him properly. “I think you’ve fundamentally misunderstood how inherited privilege works in this country. Someone dies, you win the lottery. That’s the whole point.”
“Great men do great things,” William said quietly. “Richard de Valois won battles. The ninth baron built this house. My father created the nature reserve. What have I done?”
“Inspired an entire village to make casseroles? Convinced half the cast of The Love Manor to donate their talents and invest their money?”
“That’s not me,” William said. “That’s the house.”
“Bollocks. Do you know how much I’d kill to have the people in my life believe in me the way everyone believes in you? You’re probably more qualified to wear that ring than half the men who’ve ever worn it.”
“Steady on, those are still my ancestors.”
I reached for the clasp of his necklace. “Just put it on.”
William’s hands wrapped firmly around mine. “No. Not until I’ve earned it.”
His eyes were steely, determined. There was a grit in him I hadn’t seen before. I didn’t agree with his logic, but I had to admire it. The stupid sexy stubborn himbo.