“Did I wake you?” he asked.
“No, I can’t sleep anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m fighting a terrible battle between my heart and my head.” David’s own heart lurched. Was she about to articulate what had been simmering beneath the surface since they had first met? She hesitated.
“Go on.”
“I want to be a part of your family, David. I love your mother and Margaret, Tom’s adorable, and you and I are very close.”
“I sense there’s a but,” he said uneasily, barely daring to breathe.
“Roberta’s right. I’m not trying to inveigle my way into your family in order to steal the money, but I shouldn’t be there at all.”
“Roberta’s wrong.”
“She’s trying to scare me off, I know that.”
“Phaedra, she’s way out of line. You have to ignore her.”
“I just don’t think I should come down to Fairfield for a while.” David’s spirits sank. “It’s been very intense over the last few weeks. I feel uncomfortable about the money your father left me and the Frampton Sapphires. It’s all wrong. I’m sorry.”
“I won’t accept that,” he replied firmly. “You’re a Frampton whether you like it or not.”
“Oh, David, I lied . . .” The rest of the sentence got stuck in her throat.
“Listen,” he interrupted. “I don’t care that you lied. I know you did it to protect Mum, and that’s admirable.”
“I really did lie to protect her. I didn’t know what else to do. I was put in such an awkward position. It wasn’t my fault.”
“Don’t get upset, Phaedra. I’m right here beside you.”
There was a long pause. For a moment he thought she might have cut off. Then she replied in a quiet voice. “I wish you were.”
David’s heart began to race. She sounded so near, she could almost have been lying beside him. “Why don’t you come down?” he suggested. “Don’t tell me you’ve got too much work to do. Come to Fairfield and open your farm shop. Forget Roberta and her hollow accusations. She’s irrelevant. No one believes her, and her opinions don’t count anyway.”
She laughed regretfully. “I’d love to do that more than anything in the world. Could we have pigs? I’ve always loved pigs, and piglets are so adorable.”
“You can have as many pigs as you like.”
“And a few chickens?”
“I can cope with chickens.”
“I love the blue ones.”
“There are blue chickens?”
“Yes, they’re called Cochin chickens.”
“All right. We’ll have some Cochin chickens, too.” The indulgent way he laughed made her smile.
“You’re a good man, David.”
“What sort of farmer would I be if I said no to a few pigs and chickens?”
“There’s enough space in Antoinette’s vegetable garden to feed an entire town.”
“Do you want to tell her our plans, or shall I?”
“Won’t she think it terribly presumptuous?”
“I bet she’ll think it’s a brilliant idea, and she’d love to go into business with you. Of that I’m certain.”
“It’s a lovely dream.”
“That you have the power to turn into reality. You only have to get into your car and drive down the motorway. You can come and live here at Fairfield with me.”
At that suggestion she chuckled. “Oh, David . . . you know that’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible. I’m sure we can find you a cottage on the estate.”
“And kick some poor tenant out?”
“I’m the landlord.”
“But you’re a kind landlord. You’ve cheered me up, anyhow.”
“You’ll come this weekend, then?”
“Maybe.”
Phaedra felt a warm glimmer of hope in her heart as she turned off the light and lay her head on the pillow. Perhaps she didn’t have to give it all up. There might be a future in England after all. She pushed Roberta and Julius out of her mind and let it wander freely through fields of dreams.
She closed her eyes and imagined her farm shop. She saw herself in a white apron chatting to customers from behind the counter of pâtés, cold meats, and pies. There would be fresh eggs from their hens and fruits and vegetables from their garden. All the produce would be seasonal and delicious, and people would come from far and wide to buy from the shop and walk around the glorious park. The magic of Fairfield would infect all who saw it. She, David, and Antoinette would work happily together. Perhaps Tom would get involved, too, and Rosamunde; maybe even Margaret would approve. It would be a family business. George would be so proud—and she would have made good. With those light, whimsical thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.