Country Plot (44 page)

She was there with her husband and Martha, as were Sybil and her children, and Michael and his lot had turned up as well, so it was pleasantly like a family day. The children raced around, enjoying the open spaces and the impromptu pack of dogs: Watch and Barney, the dachs, and Mad Enderby's terriers. They romped together and dashed perilously between the legs of the crowds; Sybil was resigned to a lot more pleas for a dog of their own when they got home.

‘All we want to make it perfect is pony rides,' she said. ‘You missed a trick there, Jen – I thought you'd have had that organized. This place must be lousy with ponies, given all the posh kids around.'

‘I wish I had thought of it,' Jenna said. ‘But this is just the beginning. I've already got plans for a children's room, if we can work out where to put it. There are antique toys and Victorian baby clothes I've found, plus the wonderful butterfly collection and dozens of stuffed birds. I thought I could combine it with all the stuff I've got together about Centurion, plus photos and portraits of various other horses and pet dogs.'

‘Sounds marvellous. This place has really got to you, hasn't it?'

Jenna struck her chest. ‘Right in through here. Hook, line and sinker.'

‘Are you really over Patrick?'

‘So much over him, I've sent back Charlotte's watch with my blessing,' said Jenna. ‘I must say it made me feel like a better person.'

Kitty, passing just then, said, ‘Darling, I do wish you'd go and rescue Xander. Nick Easter has got him cornered. I'm sure he's haranguing him about standing for the North County, and this isn't the time or place.'

‘Improving the shining hour – I don't suppose politicians have a moment to waste.'

‘That's why it won't do for Xander. Do go and save him.'

‘OK,' Jenna said. But before she reached them, Easter had disengaged and walked off, and Xander disappeared into the house. Without really thinking, she followed, and discovered him in the kitchen, getting a glass of water from the tap.

‘Thirsty work,' he said. ‘Can I get you one?'

‘Oh – no thanks.'

‘Did you want me for something?' he asked.

She looked blank. ‘Kitty wanted me to rescue you from Nick Easter, but you escaped.'

‘He wants me to stand for Parliament.'

‘And will you?'

‘I don't know. There's a lot of good that needs to be done, but I'm not convinced one would be allowed to do it. It all sounds so – sewn up.'

‘I imagine it is.' Being so close to him was making her feel faint, and also sad, because there wouldn't be many more times like this. He seemed relaxed, almost smiling. They had spent a lot more time together recently, working on the house, often alone, and he was no longer awkward with her. There had sometimes even been a little warmth, and she had caught a glimpse of the man who had sat by the fire that wet evening, the man he ought to have been. He was recovering from Caroline, she felt, better than expected, and she put that down to having something good and positive to do in saving Holtby House.

There was one thing she still had to clear up before she left, and it seemed to her that this was probably the best chance she was going to get, so she said, ‘Xander, there's something I want to tell you. It's a bit delicate, because it makes assumptions, but – well, you have said on occasion that I'm like my mother. You've said it as if it wasn't a good thing.'

‘I'm sorry,' he said. ‘I didn't really know you before.'

She waved that away. ‘I didn't mean you to apologize. But I did wonder if you had something against my mother, something that had upset you. I wanted you to know,' she hurried on, seeing he was going to speak, ‘that if you've been thinking she had an affair with your father – well, she didn't. He was very upset about your mother, and she was someone to talk to, that's all. It was just talking.'

‘She told you that?' he said neutrally.

‘I know what you're thinking. But she swore to me there was nothing in it, and she never swears when something isn't true, so please, please accept it.'

‘Why are you so anxious for me to believe that?' he asked, still neutrally.

She felt herself blushing. ‘Because I don't want you to carry it round any more, if it's been hurting you all these years. Because I want you to be happy. And because I may never have another chance to set things straight.' Tears jumped into her eyes as she said the last bit, and she blinked them back furiously. She mustn't cry, not now.

‘Why not?' he asked.

‘Because my job here is finished, and I shall have to go,' she said.

‘
Have
to?'

‘I have to find a job. Kitty's paying me pocket money, but she can't go on doing that for ever, and I have to make a life for myself somewhere.'

‘Wouldn't you like to stay?' he asked.

‘Of course. I don't want to leave Holtby, and Kitty, and—'

‘And?'

‘Everything.'

He looked keenly into her face. She had to lower her eyes, or she might have flung herself at him incontinently. ‘I thought – Kitty thought you were probably desperate to get back to London by now,' he said.

‘How could she think that?' She looked up now, in sheer surprise. ‘I
love
it here.'

Their eyes met, and without, it seemed, the slightest volition on either part, they were in each other's arms, and he was kissing her, kissing her as if he never meant to stop. They heard someone come to the door, make a surprised sound and go away, and even that didn't stop them. At least Jenna broke the surface to breathe, and said, weakly, ‘You do believe me – about my mother?'

‘I believe you,' he said. ‘I don't care about it any more.
You
are the only thing that matters. I love you.'

‘God, I love you too,' she said, amazed to hear herself saying it. Could this really be happening?

‘I think I've been in love with you for weeks,' he said, ‘but, my God, the situation was complicated.'

She couldn't help smiling. ‘Understatement.'

He kissed her again, until she felt quite light-headed.
I could get used to this
, she thought. She adored the smell of his skin and the feeling of his lips and his strong, male body under her hands. Her legs were trembling, and if he hadn't been holding her up she'd have sat down on the floor. For some bizarre reason she thought of Gloria Buckminster – her wise words.
It's all right, Gloria
, she thought. They were friends; they had the same interests.

But this was terribly important, too important for there to be any doubt about it. And the Caroline thing had ended so recently. When they next paused for breath, she looked up into his face searchingly and said, ‘Are you
sure
?'

He drew a little, shuddering breath, and pulled her tightly against him. ‘Completely sure. Caroline was an illusion. It was all part of a sort of madness. But I'm absolutely sane now.'

They held on to each other tightly. Jenna leaned her head against his chest and he rested his cheek against her hair. It felt so right to be here. It was like coming home.

Someone else came to the door, and this time coughed loudly. They broke apart. It was one of the tea helpers, carrying one of the massive teapots. ‘Sorry,' she said brightly. ‘Just come to empty out.'

‘We'd better go outside,' Xander said. ‘We'll be missed.' She fell in beside him, feeling dazed by the turn of events, but comforted to discover her hand had somehow remained in his.

In the hall they found Kitty, only too obviously waiting for them, her face in bloom with delight. ‘It was me, I'm afraid,' she said. ‘So sorry to have interrupted you. But I'm so pleased! It was what I wanted from the beginning – I could see how you were attracted to each other, and I
knew
you'd suit, but of course the situation was difficult.'

Jenna and Xander looked at each other, and there was mischief in his eyes.

‘What situation?' he said blankly.

‘
What
was what you wanted?' Jenna asked innocently.

Kitty's eyes widened. ‘
This
,' she said. ‘But there was Caroline – and then that wretched Harry Beale complicated things. But I knew you would be so good together if it could all just be managed.'

‘Really, Kitty, I've no idea what you're talking about,' Xander said in a wonderful imitation of his old, stiff self.

‘Oh you joker! You and Jenna, of course,' she said indignantly. ‘You're holding hands, so you can't pretend.'

They laughed and looked at each other.

‘And it's especially wonderful, because it means she won't go away, and I was dreading that.'

Jenna was embarrassed for him. ‘I think you're jumping the gun rather,' she said.

‘Nonsense! If you're getting married, you have to stay.'

She didn't dare meet his eyes; but he hadn't dropped her hand. ‘Nobody's asked anyone to marry anyone,' she said.

‘I've hardly had a chance, yet, with all the interruptions,' Xander said. ‘Jenna, will you marry me?'

‘There, you see,' Kitty rushed in before she could answer. ‘So that's settled! And it occurred to me that, as you obviously can't live in Xander's cottage, it would make much more sense for you both to live here. You can have the whole top floor and I
promise
I won't get in the way. It will be more convenient for the shop, Xander, and as I mean to leave the house to you anyway—'

‘You want to leave me the house?' he said in astonishment. ‘You never mentioned it before.'

‘I've only just decided. You see, I always thought I was going to have to sell, but now it looks as if I won't – and I wouldn't be leaving a millstone, which I couldn't have done to
anyone
, but a going concern,' Kitty said. ‘But actually, you aren't a blood relative, and Jenna is, so when I said “you”, I meant both of you. But only if you marry each other. It makes things too awkward otherwise.'

Xander's eyes were positively dancing with amusement now. ‘I can quite see that. Well –' to Jenna – ‘it looks as though you'll have to marry me now.'

She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘So that's why you want me?'

He looked down at her, with an expression that made her shiver. ‘If you think that's why I want you, you haven't been paying attention for the past ten minutes. Do I have to show you all over again, and embarrass Kitty?'

‘Oh, don't mind me,' Kitty said hastily departing. ‘I'm going outside.'

So he showed her.