Their kiss was not a perfunctory fusing of two pairs of lips, but a lingering moment of noon-day passion—sweeter, somehow, in the warm daylight than on other more obviously romantic occasions. He paused, looking down into her upturned face, then kissed her again, a little more urgently this time. After a moment she pulled away breathlessly. ‘I’ve actually come to see Henry,’ she reminded him, and he took her by the hand.
‘And so you shall—but the doctor arrived a few minutes before you, so we’ll go over to the lodge for a bit, until he’s gone.’
Hand in hand, they strolled over the lush green grass, and Cryssie felt a pang of guilt. Milo would love to be here now, she thought. He would just race around the acres of space, as free as a bird. Instead of that he was having to make do with the rather scruffy little local park. She shrugged inwardly. She’d make it up to him, she thought.
They got to the lodge and went inside, and Jed pulled Cryssie down beside him on the swing chair.
‘A lot seems to have happened since we were here last,’ Cryssie said, trying to stem the tide of anxiety that was rising inside her. This was the perfect place, and time, for Jed to try and pin her down—to force her to change her mind about not accepting his proposal of marriage. And, if he did, was she ready with her answer?
‘Yes, a lot has happened,’ he agreed. ‘For both of us.’
‘I seem to remember that we were discussing business last time,’ Cryssie said. ‘Talking of which—what about the trouble at your hotel in Wales?’
‘Oh—with everything else that’s been going on I forgot to tell you,’ Jed replied. ‘It sorted itself out in the end, would you believe? Max’s wife is pregnant—don’t ask me who the father is, because I don’t care! And Max and his wife are over the moon—they’ve wanted children for ages. So she’s given in her notice, and Kevin will have to look elsewhere for his entertainment.’ He smiled down at Cryssie. ‘But it was so good that you were the one who rumbled the whole sorry mess, and so good to have you to talk to about it, too, Cryssie. It cleared my mind. So…thanks.’
Cryssie smiled back, genuinely pleased that that particular thorn had been removed.
Jed leaned back for a second, his hands behind his head. ‘I’m afraid all business topics have taken rather a back seat lately,’ he admitted. ‘But I’ll be in harness again next week. Luckily for me, all our management personnel are more than reliable, and can be trusted to act on their own initiative when necessary. They’ve all been very sympathetic with the present situation, and nothing’s ground to a halt—so far as I know.’
Cryssie stared at him thoughtfully. Although he seemed to have a reputation for being cold and hard sometimes, he paid well, and was generally admired and respected. She could imagine that all his staff would do their utmost to keep everything running smoothly.
They were silent for several moments, before he slowly turned to her, putting his arm across her shoulders, tucking her in towards him. ‘What do I have to do to convince you what your next vital step should be, Cryssie?’ he murmured. ‘You must have been giving it some thought. Haven’t events helped you come to your decision?’ As if to add a further dimension to his question, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her—very gently, but with an added sense of purpose.
Luckily Cryssie was spared having to say anything in reply, as at that moment Alice’s voice could be heard calling. Sighing, Jed released her, and they both stood up as the woman came in.
‘Ah, there you are!’ Alice said. ‘I thought this was where I’d find you! The doctor’s just gone, and Henry is about to have a little sleep, but he insists on seeing Cryssie first.’ She gave the girl a hug, and Cryssie responded warmly.
‘Alice—I can’t tell you how worried we’ve all been. And we’re so thankful that Henry is on the road to recovery.’
‘Thank you, my dear. But he’s got strict instructions to take it easy…with only a very occasional glass of champagne to cheer him up!’
Together, the three went into the house. Upstairs, Henry was lying propped up in bed, with massive pillows behind his head. On the small table by his side Cryssie couldn’t help noticing Milo’s card, already displayed, and, following her gaze, Henry pointed his finger. ‘That was the thing that helped me get better,’ he said, smiling. ‘And I want to thank Milo in person soon.’
‘I’ll arrange it—don’t worry,’ Jed promised.
They stayed for less than half an hour before Cryssie realised that the older man was looking weary. ‘I must go home now, Henry,’ she said gently. ‘But when you’re stronger I’ll come to see you again.’