Okay. The bronze wasn’t going to happen. Her career, on the other hand, still needed to be rescued. That deal was still on. It was back to strictly business.
Which was what she’d wanted in the first place. Until she didn’t.
‘Natasha?’ She’d reached the corner of the street without being aware how she’d got there and practically bumped into Patsy as she came out of the corner shop carrying a bundle of files. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Oh, um, yes... Just in a hurry,’ she said, suddenly aware of damp strands of hair clinging to her cheek and neck, that her top, pulled on over damp skin, was twisted, telegraphing what had just happened as loudly as if she’d posted his drawing on Facebook. ‘There’s so much to do. I, um, told Darius you had volunteered to join the clean-up party.’
‘Let me guess. He said no.’
‘No.’ He hadn’t. He’d muttered about gossip but he hadn’t actually said no. Why would he? She’d been posting pictures of Hadley Chase all over the Net and there was nothing Patsy could tell the neighbours that they couldn’t see for themselves. ‘I’ll be glad to have you if you’re still up for it.’
‘I’ll be there, rubber gloves and dusters at the ready.’
‘It won’t all be work,’ she assured her. ‘Does your boy like fishing?’
She grinned. ‘I guess we’ll find out.’
Tash opened her bag and took out one of the new business cards she’d ordered off the Net—Natasha Gordon, Property Consultant—and offered it to Patsy. ‘Email me if you have any special food requirements. And everyone is bringing their own bedding. Is that okay?’
‘None and no problem. I’ll come tomorrow afternoon straight after school if you like? Help you get the bedrooms ready.’
‘You are such a star!’
‘We’ll be there at about six.’
‘Great.’ She was halfway around the corner when Patsy called, ‘Natasha...’ She half turned. ‘Your skirt is caught up in your knickers.’
NINE
The first thing Tash did when she arrived at Hadley Chase was hunt down the stopcock in the scullery and turn the water on. It was, of course, stuck fast, so her next task was to brave the cobwebs and spiders in the toolshed to find a wrench so that she could shift it.
Someone had left all the taps open, which was obviously the right thing to do, but meant that once the tank had filled and the water was flowing she had to tour the house, turning them all off, mopping up leaks and making a note of where they were so that they could be fixed. A job for her dad, and she fired off a text to him, asking him to bring some plumber’s mait.
She paused on the first floor landing, aware that something had changed but for a moment unable to think what it was. Then she realised that it was the window.
Despite working day and night to finish his sculpture, Darius had remembered his promise to get it fixed and for a moment she leaned her forehead against the cool surface of the glass. She had wanted him to trust her with the darkness that lay at his heart but she’d been so quick to leap to the conclusion that he was about as deep as an August puddle. And if he was, wasn’t that what she’d expected? Gone into with her eyes wide open? Except he’d been angry, because... Well, because didn’t matter.