Chapter 4
Four
S tanding on the rooftop of Harrington House was like standing on a great ship in the middle of the ocean, except this ocean was field green and Mr Tell was my captain. Luckily, I had Riley Fitzpatrick for a first mate.
A smart oak table and chairs had been placed near the southern safety wall that ran the roof’s perimeter. The wall came up to just below chest height and after a preliminary run-through of the grounds from Riley, we each took a seat and got down to business.
Mr Tell had been silent during most of the meeting, choosing instead to watch me like a hawk whilst I did my best to focus on Riley and pretend like my heart wasn't about to hammer out of my chest. He seemed completely disinterested in the project, yet anytime Riley had put a question to him, he answered it easily.
Riley was busy going over the plans for the pair of five acre woodlands that bordered the grounds.
His chair squeaked as he moved closer to the plans and Mr Tell grimaced, the noise clearly bothering him.
I had a feeling that whomever was responsible for these squeaky chairs was going to get a spanking once this meeting was over.
In the meantime, I decided to test my luck.
I shifted in my seat, and it squeaked. Mr Tell grimaced again, and I tried to hide my smile.
I shifted again, only slightly, but there was the squeak and there was Mr Tell, narrowing his eyes at me.
"As I said," Riley continued, "we've had contractors maintaining the grounds in the year since the property was bought.
However, they were mainly agency workers.
As far as I'm aware, the woodlands haven't been properly managed at any time in the last twenty years, so we have our work cut out for us there.
" Riley paused to push his glasses up his nose.
"My plan is to get the work done during the summer, ready for planting up next spring.
I have tree surgeons and forestry workers coming in a few weeks. "
I nodded and flicked through my documents to find his supply list and found his section for the woodland.
"None of the plants on here are native species.
Viburnum lantana, salix herbacea, salix laponnum…
none of those are on here." I trilled off a few that came to mind as I browsed his list which consisted mainly of wild flowers.
"I presume that you've surveyed the woodland to make sure those are already intact?
All of these here are decorative or naturalised species.
" There was a pause and I looked up at Riley with raised brows. He looked somewhat surprised.
"Yes, I was here a year ago to instruct the foresters.
The thinned parts of the land had culled some of the more invasive plants entirely.
I had some select native species reintroduced last year.
" He paused, stopping himself from rambling on about plants, which I could tell he was dying to do.
I was dying to listen but that wasn't what I was here for so I gave him a knowing smile and returned my attention to the supply list.
The list was good; snowdrops which could flower as early as January. There were bluebells of course, as well as red campions, yellow archangel, foxglove and honeysuckle. In a year’s time, the woodlands would be restored to their former glory.
"Do you foresee any problems with the order?" Mr Tell had been quiet for so long that the sudden sound of his voice made me jump. I looked up and faced him straight on.
"No," I answered evenly. He raised his brows again, only slightly, but it gave me the impression that he was surprised I wasn't more grateful that he'd bothered to speak to me.
His arrogance grated on me so I shifted in my seat.
It squeaked, he grimaced, and I bit back another laugh.
I turned back to Riley. "Can we discuss the lakes?
I see you plan to use stone weirs to prevent further bank erosion. "
"Yes, we tried railway sleepers but they collapsed after a few months and we're still left with a rank, dead lake. Nothing grows, nothing thrives. I'd really thought the sleepers would work." He looked genuinely upset and I understood.
"It's painful to watch nature suffer because you can't figure out how you’re hurting it."
Riley smiled at me and I felt a warmth radiate from him, an acknowledgement that I was a kindred spirit.
"Stone weirs." I pointed at the plans for them. "They should work just fine."
He nodded, seeming relieved. "The pond is another big project.
The water is mostly sludge. We plan to hire a commercial tank to suction it out so we can refill it ourselves and then here," Riley leaned in close and traced the dotted line along the edge of the pond, "I want a thick line of meadowsweet along the pond's edge.
" He continued on, becoming excited as he described what he wanted.
He leaned in closer to show me something on the far edge of the plans and his arm came across the back of my seat.
I felt, rather than saw, Mr Tell stiffen. Confused by his behaviour, I kept my focus on the plans in front of me. "What will you do with the sludge?"
"What do you mean?" Riley asked, leaning back in his seat and giving me my space back.
"I mean the pond sludge once it's in the commercial tank. Do they take it away and dump it, or will you be using it for something else? What happens to it?"
The two men traded confused looks, a silent communication that didn't seem to come to any conclusion.
"I assume they'll dispose of it." Riley looked at Mr Tell for confirmation but received none. “I'm sure we won’t be using it. Why? Do you want it?"
"No, not me. I meant for the farmers. That kind of water is incredibly rich in nutrients.
Farmers like to mix it with pig slurry and spread it over their fields as manure.
It's wonderful for the crops." I trailed off, suddenly embarrassed.
I turned my gaze back to the plans even though I knew them by heart by now.
I should be proud of my knowledge, yet showing it off embarrassed me.
"It would make more sense then just dumping it,” Riley said. “Thank you for the suggestion.”
I nodded and did my best to squash the self-doubt that had plagued me a moment ago.
My ex-boyfriend, Adam, had once told me that a girl could be too smart.
He’d made intelligence seem like an obnoxious trait to have, but Riley wasn't looking at me like I was obnoxious.
He was looking at me like he was glad I was there.
I pulled confidence from that and told the Adam of my memories to go fuck himself.
"You're welcome." I took a deep breath and moved on. "So, what are your plans for the land damage surrounding the property?"
"What land damage?" I wasn't surprised that Mr Tell jumped in on this issue.
Land damage was expensive and even billionaire businessmen had to work to a budget on a project like this.
The budget was always malleable. Businessmen, however, weren't, and I got the feeling that Mr Tell was about as malleable as the stone weirs drawn out in front of me.
I got up and walked to the roof edge. They both followed and I leaned over the wall, pointing at the stretches of damaged land that were much more obvious from up here then they had been on ground level.
"See there, where the grass is bare and patchy? The damage is from all of the scaffolding, the human traffic…" I eyed an idle cement mixer with distaste. These workmen could fix up a building for sure, but they had no idea how land should be treated. "The earth has compacted, see?"
"I see it." Mr Tell eyed the stretches of damaged land with a grim eye. It was the first time I'd seen him interested in something other than me since we'd sat down. He turned to Riley. "I didn't see any plans for it in the prints."
"No, I haven't put together a plan for that yet."
Mr Tell maintained his stare and I expected Riley to whither under its intensity, but was surprised when he just gave a small shrug.
"Whether I'd planned for it or not the damage was unavoidable, Alfie. The work needed to be done."
I raised my eyebrows at his words. I doubted Mr Tell was on a first name basis with many of his employees and I wondered about their relationship. It was hard to imagine them as friends—Riley was so easy-going and Mr Tell was so…not.
Riley took off his glasses and began cleaning them, turning his attention back to me. "I'd hoped to pick Mark’s brains about the damage. I've never worked on a project that was in such a bad state to begin with. I don't suppose you have any bright ideas do you?"
"About twenty tonnes of bespoke blended soil should do it."
They both stared at me. I was the centre of attention again.
"Twenty tonnes?" Riley repeated, seeming a little stunned. Mr Tell scrutinised me but I ignored him, focusing on Riley who had been my friendly anchor throughout this meeting.
"Thereabouts." I grinned up at him. "We can help you with that."
“Excellent.” Riley laughed and clapped Mr Tell on the shoulder. He stiffened at the contact but Riley was unfazed. They had to have some kind of friendship, yet I couldn't figure out how the entitled Mr Tell could garner the good opinion of someone as nice as Riley. It just didn't make sense.
My phone started to chirp in my handbag and I was grateful for the break, even though by now the meeting was pretty much done.
I couldn't think of anything we hadn't covered.
I excused myself and went to answer it. I was surprised to see Mark's name flashing on the screen.
I answered it and quickly asked how his mother was.
"She's doing a little better." Mark sounded exhausted and I felt for him. I'd spent a lot of time in hospitals, so I knew how draining it was even if you weren't the one that was ill. "I'm hoping to be back in a week or two. How did the meeting go?"
"Okay, so far. I'm still here, actually." The line was silent and I checked to make sure we were still connected.
"You answered your phone during a meeting with one of the most influential businessmen on the planet?"
Was that egomaniac really that big of a deal? Yeah, I guess he was. I was standing on top of his castle, after all.
Reluctantly, I turned to see two pairs of eyes on me—one pleasant and patient, the other not so much.
"It's Mark," I mouthed to them, letting them know the call wasn't personal.
Riley's face lit up and he put his hand out for the phone.
He had it out of my hand before I could speak and within seconds had disappeared through the door to the stairwell, talking animatedly about twenty tonnes of bespoke blended soil and leaving me alone once more with an annoyed Mr Tell.