Chapter Fifty-Five
A day later and Nick didn’t feel any more had been resolved. She had tried to thank Gabe but everything she wrote seemed lame. In the end she sent him a pathetically stilted text saying she had met Daisy and how grateful she was for his actions. His response came within seconds saying it was the least he could do and wished her well in the future.
She looked at the curt text and shrivelled inside.
She understood Daisy’s actions, but Gabe’s had completely confused her. What was he doing? He had saved her, but in doing so had sacrificed his own family. It made no sense to her. Did he now hate her for the inadvertent role she had played in his family’s downfall?
Her phone rang displaying an unknown number. It was Saturday morning, and she was in the garden with Ohana. She was tempted to let it ring off but deciding she could hang up just as easily she answered the phone.
‘Letta? It’s Rafe St Clair. How are you?’
Nick’s stomach turned over. Did he also blame her for his father’s downfall? Was he calling to berate her? In all her focus on Gabe how could she forget his twin, how they both must be suffering.
‘Letta, are you still there?’
Nick pulled herself together. He didn’t sound angry.
‘Hello, yes, you just caught me unawares. Is everything all right?’
‘Well, it’s all a bit of a clusterfuck at Harrington’s but that’s not why I’ve called you. It’s about Parscombe Court. ’
Nick felt a spasm of relief. This she could deal with.
‘Okay, what can I help you with.’
‘The thing is you must have done one hell of a job on the Lees. They have offered ￡30 million for the entire estate!’
‘Bloody hell.’ Nick ran some quick calculations through her head – that should be enough to set the brothers up in their own practices immediately.
‘I know. We are somewhat impressed. Anyway, the thing is they want us to include some of the items you suggested. I understand there are two swimming pools and a helipad we need to discuss and a neon baroque ballroom?’
Nick laughed. ‘Oh dear, sorry about that.’
‘Not to worry, the thing is they weren’t very clear on the details and told me you knew what they wanted. So I wondered, could you come down today or tomorrow and you can walk me around the site and explain what was discussed?’
She paused, she was desperate to see Gabe again, if only to thank him to his face and say goodbye properly but she also knew she might spoil it. He wanted no more to do with the girl who was the cause of his family’s dishonour. Granted, he hadn’t sided with them, but she still knew that she would be a constant reminder and how could he live with that?
‘It will just be me,’ said Rafe, correctly interpreting her silence. ‘Gabe’s away this weekend.’
She wasn’t sure if she felt happier or sadder about that but at least it made the decision easier.
‘Of course. But I’m cycling with friends tomorrow. What about later on today? Let me see about hiring a car.’
** *
A few hours later, Nick was heading along the drive to Parscombe Court. Ohana sat beside her and as they drove past the cattle, she let out a merry bark. As soon as the car stopped the little dog rushed over to say hello to her friends. Nick walked towards Rafe who had come outside to greet her. One look at Rafe’s ruffled hair and Nick chided herself for a fool – the brothers were near identical, how could she look at Rafe’s scruffy hair and easy smile and not think of Gabe.
‘Hello, Letta. This really is very good of you, in light of everything some of my family put you through.’
‘It’s okay, I know you weren’t involved and it’s nice to come back and help on the project. Great news about the sale, by the way.’
As they got down to business, Nick’s tension faded, and soon the pair of them were laughing at the shopping list that Nick had so blithely offered to Mrs Chung.
‘An actual tunnel?’
‘Well, maybe you can get away with an enclosed walkway, but you might check with them first?’
‘And what’s this about a K-pop music video? Are they serious?’
‘Deadly, you don’t joke about K-pop to Koreans, you never know if they’re a fan or not. But that might be something for their designer to tackle rather than you. Again, run it past them?’
Nick was now completely relaxed and felt emboldened to ask Rafe about the past few weeks.
‘And how are you doing? I am terribly sorry about what’s happened.’
Rafe looked at her incredulously .
‘You’re sorry. What on earth for? None of this is your fault.’
Nick laughed bitterly. ‘I know that. I just meant that it must be horrible in your family right now, and whilst I can’t pretend to feel any remorse for your father or siblings, they are still your family.’
‘Not anymore, they’re not.’
‘What?’ Nick looked at him in astonishment. How did someone just turn their back on their family?
‘I’m done with them. Obviously, I can’t change the fact that they are blood, but to hell with them. They have behaved disgustingly. Not just to you but to everyone. It’s all coming to light now. I still don’t know how much my father was aware of Adam’s schemes but for now he’s choosing to support him, which is enough for me to walk away. Even if it weren’t, Gabe chose you.’
Nick stopped walking and looked at him in surprise. They were in the lower meadow pacing out where she had suggested the outdoor pool could go.
‘I don’t follow.’
‘You have a twin, don’t you?’ asked Rafe.
‘Yes.’
‘Well, when the chips are down whose side would you stand by, no matter how wrong they were?’
‘Paddy’s,’ said Nick with an obvious shrug.
‘Even if she were wrong?’
‘She wouldn’t be wrong.’
‘See. Twin Thing.’
‘But he hasn’t chosen me? ’
‘No?’ asked Rafe with a smile. ‘He’s fighting Daisy’s case to expose the Harringtons’ corruption.’
‘I thought he was doing that for Daisy?’
‘No, he’s doing that for you. He’s trying to make amends.’
‘But he hasn’t spoken to me in weeks. I thought he hated me?’
Rafe laughed and then cocked his head as the sound of a motor came along the drive. Nick heard a car door close and then some very excited barking from Ohana.
‘Come on then. Let’s see what he has to say for himself.’
They climbed the stone steps back up to the house as Gabe walked towards them carrying a very excited dog. How could she think Rafe and Gabe looked alike – Rafe was a shadow to Gabe. His energy shone out of him, that crooked nose and boisterous laugh filled the space around him.
‘I thought you said he was away this weekend,’ hissed Nick, desperate to get in her car and drive away at high speed. She couldn’t bear to see him. Rafe was wrong, if he had chosen her as Rafe said, he would have called.
Rafe grinned at her. ‘I might have lied about that.’ Turning he called out to Gabe. ‘Look who’s here! Now I’m just heading off to the shops. Back in a bit and by then I expect you both to have sorted this out.’
And with that he got in the Golf and drove off leaving Gabe and Nick staring at each other.
***
‘Hello, Letta,’ said Gabe, his face blank. ‘How are things? ’
Nick swallowed her joy at seeing him and snapped at Ohana to stop licking his face. Looking at him she wondered if he had lost some weight. He looked tired, no doubt leading the prosecution against his family was draining him. She wanted to spare him that and would suggest he passed the case on to someone else.
Gabe put Ohana on the floor – bored, she ran back to lying in the grass with the cattle.
‘Is Mary well?’
‘Yes, thank you. She’s staying with my sister in Norfolk for now. I think she may move down permanently but we are happy to be reunited with her.’
‘That’s good,’ said Gabe formally. ‘And you are here today to—?’
‘Rafe called me to discuss where the swimming pools are to go. Congratulations on the sale, by the way.’
This was excruciating. Gabe was being polite, and his smile had disappeared – whatever Rafe may think, Gabe was clearly not pleased to see her.
‘Thank you. Although we are in your debt again for that.’
‘My debt? Not at all, plus you were doing me a favour in giving me somewhere to hide away from the press.’
‘That were hounding you because of the actions of my brothers and father,’ he replied stiffly.
‘But not yours,’ she said desperately. No matter how much he didn’t want her in his life she wanted him to know that she didn’t blame him.
‘No. I—’ He stopped and looked at her. ‘Letta, I know you must despise me for everything my family has done to you, but I never knew anything about it. I would never have allowed them to utter so much as a bad word against you had I known what they were up to.’
Nick looked at him. This was exactly what she had feared and what she wanted to reassure him about. Maybe they would have a chance at friendship if she could convince him. It would be a weak shadow of what she really wanted, but even a casual acquaintance would mean he was in her life. Right now, as she looked at him, she knew even those small crumbs would be enough to make her day.
‘Hate you? Why would I hate you? I’m just appalled that I have become a wedge between you and your father. I know how important family is and I hate the fact that unwittingly I have become a problem in yours.’
Now it was Gabe’s turn to look confused and he laughed scornfully.
‘Any division in my family was not down to you but down to them. I have severed all ties. I can’t have anything to do with the people that tried to destroy the woman that I—’ He stepped towards Letta, then stopped.
‘But how can you turn your back on your family? I don’t understand.’
‘I haven’t. Rafe and my mother are my family, as is Freya. But I can’t have anything to do with anyone who tried to harm you.’
‘I thought you hated me?’
‘Idiot,’ he laughed sadly. ‘How can I hate you? I love you.’
Nick stopped and looked at him, her face thunderstruck .
‘You love me?’
‘Yes. Surely you knew that? You’re all I’ve been able to think of since I left Ireland, you occupy my every waking thought. And I thought for a while that you might be growing fond of me too, until my family tried to put you in jail.’
‘But that was your family,’ protested Nick. ‘Not you. I know I had a wobble that day at the property offices, but I’ve never doubted how I felt about you.’
‘So do you think—’ Gabe’s voice caught, and he tried again. ‘Does that mean you can forgive me?’
‘Now who’s being an idiot?’ laughed Nick. ‘There’s nothing to forgive. I love you too. Call it a moment of mad spontaneity but when we raced the wave across the causeway, I think I fell in love with you then and there.’
‘You love me?’ Gabe stared at Nick in amazement as she nodded with a big grin on her face.
‘And you don’t care who my father is? Or what my brother tried to do to you?’
‘Not in the slightest. We don’t get to choose our family, we only get to choose who we love. I love my family and I love you.’
Gabe blinked. It was incredible that this beautiful brave clever girl loved him. What had he done to deserve so much from such an incredible person?
‘Yes!’ he roared, laughing. He tilted his head back and faced the sky punching his fists in the air. Then he ran towards Nick and picked her up, swinging her around. As the moment passed he slowly placed her back on the ground and she stood within his arms, smiling up at him.
‘Yes,’ she echoed, with a smile as bright as his .
Bending his head, he kissed her gently on the lips, afraid that this may still be a dream and that she would push him away in disgust. Instead, she stepped into his embrace and ran her fingers up through his hair. As he wrapped his arms around her back, a dog started barking and the cattle joined in the chorus with approving bellows.
But Letta the Bold and Gabriel the Brave carried on kissing until Rafe returned with champagne and the celebrations continued on into the night.