Three
Grace Eversley didn’t take much notice of the village gossip, and never had, although, like all the other residents, she had to admit that she quite liked hearing what the latest bit of gossip was and who it was about. But this time she wasn’t thrilled to hear it. Neither was her fiancé, Griff, although, unlike Grace, he stated that he didn’t believe it.
‘It can’t be true, can it?’ Grace asked, when she had relayed to Griff what her sister, Hope, had told her less than an hour before. ‘Hope only told me because she knows too well what a few words from Barbra Brimble can do. The woman almost split Hope and Tom up with her gossip. Although … what Barbra told Tom was sort of true. At least in part. And that’s the problem. What if even part of this is true?’
Griff leant back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face, replacing the initial surprise she had seen there. He had been working in his study when Grace had burst in, plonked herself in a chair on the other side of his desk, and said she needed to speak with him, urgently and in private. He had made a joke about it at first but once he’d quickly seen that she was serious, he’d listened to her intently.
‘It’s not true, Grace, I’m certain of that,’ Griff said, sitting upright now. ‘We’re good friends, that’s all. Yes, we joke and tease each other, but Hanna has never done anything to make me think for one minute that what she feels for me is more than friendship. I think we should simply ignore it.’
‘That’s easy for you to say. But let’s not forget, Griff, you were in love with me for years, and I had no idea until you told me. Well, until you kissed me. You didn’t tell me you’d been in love with me for most of your life, until Christmas Eve. But don’t you see? You were able to hide your true feelings from me. What if Hanna is able to hide her true feelings from you? From both of us. Because I had no idea how she felt about you either.’
Griff frowned at that. ‘I suppose that’s true. I did hide my feelings from you. But don’t forget, that’s why I spent most of my time in London and only came home briefly and on rare occasions. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my feelings to myself if I saw you on a regular basis. We see Hanna almost every day. Do you honestly believe that neither of us would’ve seen a slight hint of how she is supposed to feel? A look? A gesture? A word?’
Grace shrugged. ‘I don’t know. The thing is, I only have eyes for you, so I don’t really take much notice of anyone else. I probably shouldn’t admit that because it sounds as if I ignore everyone but you, and I don’t. Not exactly.’
Griff smiled, got to his feet, and went to Grace, pulling her upright, and into his arms.
‘And I only have eyes for you, my darling, so I know precisely what you mean. Yet I still think one of us would’ve spotted something. Wouldn’t we?’
Their eyes met and they laughed even though it wasn’t funny.
‘No, Griff. I only see you.’
‘And I only see you, Grace. You’re right. However, I don’t believe Hanna is in love with me. And even if she were, I’ll only ever love you. You do know that, don’t you?’ He held her a little away from him and looked her directly in the eyes.
‘I do. But what if she does love you? We’ve seen how painful it’s been for Russell. Seeing us together and so much in love must be painful for Hanna.’
His arms dropped to his sides. ‘If she loved me, yes. But she doesn’t. I’m certain of that.’
Grace let out a sigh, turned and took a few steps away and then turned back and paced in frustration. ‘Then why did she tell Barbra Brimble, of all people, that she does? She knows what the woman is like. So if she told Barbra, that must mean it’s true. It also means she doesn’t care if people know it. And what does that mean? That she wants you to know it’s true? If that’s the case, it makes things very awkward, Griff. How can we have her here as often as we do if all the time, she’s yearning for you? If she’s jealous of me and wants to be with you, that’s going to make things uncomfortable between us, isn’t it? Now that we know. And she will know that we know. Because one thing everybody knows is true, is that if you want everyone in Betancourt Bay to know something, you tell Barbra Brimble.’
He perched on the edge of his desk and let out a sigh of his own. ‘Yes. But it’s also true that Barbra tends to … make things up. Not everything she says is true, Grace.’
‘I know. But it’s also true that Barbra hears things that others don’t.’
Griff shook his head. ‘And it’s equally true that what Barbra thinks she’s heard isn’t always exactly what was said. She does have a tendency to embellish things rather a lot.’
Grace tutted. ‘Yes. I know she’s a dreadful gossip who doesn’t let the truth stop her from telling a good tale. I don’t know why anyone listens to her.’ She threw him a sheepish smile and dropped onto the arm of the chair in which she was previously seated. ‘But I’m as bad as everyone else. I was thrilled when I heard about Jemma and Greg. And also when I heard that Molly Law was selling Oak View Cottage. Although Hope was even more thrilled about that, as was Tom.’ She stood up and walked towards the window. She couldn’t quite see Oak View Cottage from here but it was close enough. ‘I’m so glad they’ll be buying it and moving in very soon. With Tom renting that house in Folkestone, I see so much less of Hope than I’d like. With her back in the village, we’ll all get to spend more time together again.’ She smiled as she turned back to face Griff. ‘Mum and Dad are over the moon.’
‘I can imagine,’ Griff said. ‘And I’m happy too. Mainly because it makes you even happier.’
She beamed at him but then frowned as a thought struck her. ‘But that reminds me. Hope told me about something Jemma had said to her a couple of weeks ago. Do you remember that night that you and I first met Jemma? The night Hanna asked if she could bring Jemma here because she had been telling Hanna how much she wanted to see Betancourt.’
‘I do remember our first meeting with Jemma was here, but other than that, I don’t recall anything specific about that night. Oh, except how much Jemma adored the house. We said she could spend the night here and I’ve never seen anyone so happy to be told they could stay here for a night. I do remember that.’
‘Yes. Well, Jemma told Hope that Hanna had told her she’d be thrilled when she saw you. And that later, she and Hanna were discussing how you were like a hero from one of Jemma’s books, and that with your dark hair and intense dark eyes, you were the sort of man every woman dreams of being ravished by, and that every woman would long to tame you. Hanna told Jemma, who then told Hope, that she could see why so many women had fallen for you over the years, and Jemma said that, if she hadn’t already fallen for Greg, she would’ve added herself to that list. So you see! Hanna had already told Jemma that she was in love with you.’
Griff frowned as if he hadn’t fully understood what Grace was saying, but then he smiled and shook his head. ‘As delighted as I am to receive such lavish praise, if anything, all that tells us is that Jemma thinks I resemble one of her fictional heroes, and that Hanna agrees. Hanna told us she’s a fan of Jemma’s books. The words ‘in love’ weren’t mentioned in any of that.’
‘Sometimes the actual words aren’t necessary. Everything else you say or do, says it all.’
Griff grinned mischievously as he took a few steps towards her. ‘Really? So you’re saying I don’t need to tell you I love you, every single day? I can merely show you I do.’
‘Yes. No. I mean … of course you don’t have to tell me every day, and you know you don’t.’ She sashayed up to him. ‘But I do love it when you do.’
He wrapped her in his arms. ‘Then I’ll continue to do so. I love you, Grace Eversley. And only you. With all my heart.’
‘And I love you, Griff Betancourt.’
The kiss they shared lasted for several minutes, and might have led to a lot more than kissing if another thought hadn’t struck Grace. She pulled away from him.
‘I’ve remembered something else that Hope told me.’
Griff sighed. ‘I’m beginning to think that Hope talks too much. Sorry, darling. I can see you’re not amused by that. What else did Hope tell you?’
‘It’s about that gorgeous painting Hanna did. The one of us dancing in the Great Hall on Christmas Eve at The Mistletoe Dance. The painting Hope and my family, and yours … and Hanna, gave us at our engagement party.’
‘I know the painting, Grace. It’s currently hanging in our bedroom. I’m unsure of the point you’re trying to make. It clearly shows anyone who may look at it, how deeply in love we were with one another that night. And as Hanna painted it, I think that proves my point. Plus, anyone who knows us as well as Hanna does, knows our love has only grown deeper and stronger since then, so I’m not sure why Hope mentioning that painting is bothering you right now.’
‘It’s bothering me because Hope told me that she didn’t ask Hanna to paint it. It was already done, and sitting in Hanna’s studio in Catkin Cottage. Hope saw it when she went upstairs to use the loo that night she was drinking wine at Hanna’s. She asked Hanna about it and whether it was for sale and Hanna said it just needed a few finishing touches, or something like that. Anyway, my point is, what if the woman in the painting wasn’t me?’
Griff frowned. ‘But it is you, darling. Anyone can see that.’
‘It is me now. Yes. And obviously when we received it, it was me. But what if, the night Hope saw the painting, bearing in mind she was more than a little drunk … what if the woman in the painting then, was Hanna? Hanna dancing with you in the Great Hall on Christmas Eve. Hanna in your arms at The Mistletoe Dance. Hanna looking up into your eyes and you looking down at Hanna with all that love and desire and longing.’
‘Yes. Thank you. I get the picture. Literally.’ Now even Griff looked a little concerned. ‘You’re suggesting that Hanna painted that picture for herself, but then Hope spotted it and asked if she could give it to us as a present, so Hanna had no choice but to pretend the woman in her painting was you, and to alter it so that everyone else could see it was you?’
‘Precisely. You see! Hanna is in love with you!’
Griff shook his head. ‘I still find it hard to believe. And would Hanna really paint a life-size picture of herself dancing with me, knowing that someone else might see it? I know I’m irresistible and all that but … Sorry. I shouldn’t joke about it. And as I’ve said, it doesn’t matter.’ He reached out for her and she took his hand in hers. He gently pulled her back into his arms. ‘I adore you, my darling. And only you. There will never be anyone else for me. Ever. Plus, I’m still not convinced about Hanna being in love with me. But there is one way to find out.’
‘How?’ Grace snuggled closer to him again and looked up into his dark eyes.
‘We could ask Hanna.’
‘Ask Hanna! Are you mad?’ Grace pushed herself away and glared at Griff in disbelief.
‘Erm. I’m mad about you,’ he quipped.
‘This is serious,’ Grace snapped.
‘No it’s not, Grace. Because I’m sure it’s not true. But why can’t we ask Hanna? It seems to me that it’s the sensible thing to do. It would clear this up in a minute.’
‘We can’t ask her because if she says it is true, we can’t ignore it. At the moment this is simply gossip. We can pretend we haven’t heard it yet. But if we ask her and she says it’s true then she’ll know that we know and we can’t pretend we don’t.’
‘I see. I think.’ He smiled lovingly. ‘Can you pretend you haven’t heard it, Grace? I can. But can you? I know you better than you might think I do and I’m fairly sure that you won’t be able to. Of course, there is another option.’
He was right, obviously. Grace wouldn’t be able to pretend for long. If at all. It would eat away at her until she blurted the question out herself and asked Hanna directly if she was in love with Griff.
‘What’s the other option?’
‘We could ask Hope to ask her.’
Grace shook her head so vigorously it almost made her dizzy and the room spun for a second or two before she spoke. ‘That’s the same as me asking Hanna. Hanna will know that Hope will tell me. Even if Hanna swears Hope to secrecy.’
‘Hmm. Okay. Then why don’t we ask Russell to find out? Hanna knows he can be trusted with a secret. He’s home for the Summer Fayre this weekend, so he’s bound to bump into Hanna. He may be here already, because I’m sure I saw his car coming up the drive just before you said you needed to speak with me in private. They’re friends. He’s single. She’s single. He could simply ask her if there is anyone she’s interested in, romantically. He could even tell her he’s heard a rumour that she’s in love with me, and he could ask her if it’s true. If Hanna really did tell Barbra Brimble that she’s in love with me, then she’ll have no qualms in telling Russell, will she? But if she was trying to keep it a secret and blurted it out by mistake, then she’ll probably still admit that to him. He could say he knows what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you in return. What could be more natural? And if, as I believe we’ll find will be the case, this is simply silly gossip and Hanna is not in love with me, then she’ll be as horrified as you are, and she’ll immediately tell Russell it isn’t true.’
Grace couldn’t argue with that.