Page 54 of Boomerville at Ballymegille

‘You bugger,’ Jo said as she joined Hattie. She held Teddy in her arms and reached down to stroke Bunty’s head. ‘Where in God’s name are we going to put everyone?’

‘Well, Melissa is in the manor, as planned,’ Hattie replied, ‘and I’ve sorted beds out for everyone else, so don’t be worrying yourself, just think of all the extra help you’ve got on hand.’

‘I suppose James is in on this too?’

‘Couldn’t have done it without him.’

‘By the look of things, we’re in for a long night.’

‘I thought that Finbar could bring the hotel guests into the music room too, so that the staff can get the dining room ready for breakfast.’

‘You’ve thought of everything.’

Hattie linked her arm through Jo’s. ‘Don’t I always?’

‘Don’t you just.’

* * *

Far away inthe foothills of the Sierra Blanca, Malcolm sat on the terrace of his villa and stared out at the twinkling lights across the sea on the Straights of Gibraltar. The day had been a scorcher and the air was still muggy, despite a cooling breeze blowing in from the valley.

Malcolm studied his Rolex. It was past midnight, but he wasn’t tired.

Earlier, he’d heard Giles’ Ferrari roar down the driveway as his son headed off to the nightlife in Marbella, no doubt squandering god only knew how much money on Cristal Champagne and lines of coke. They’d argued incessantly throughout the day and Malcolm had found it difficult to focus on his work as Giles winged and moaned and made a nuisance of himself.

A bottle of cognac sat on the table and as he sipped from a cut-glass goblet, Malcolm wondered what he was going to do about Giles. The boy was a loose cannon, staggering on life’s tightrope, his addictions spiralling out of control. Every morning, Malcolm expected the Policía to appear at the villa bringing news that Giles was locked up or laid out on a slab in the mortuary.

Allegra would be turning in her grave.

Her precious son was finding life difficult at home with his father and Giles wasn’t leading the life that she’d planned for him. Allegra had had high hopes for Giles and had wanted him to train to be a doctor or pilot, anything that was the polar opposite of his father’s career. But despite an expensive education, Giles had been expelled from his boarding school and the only option that he’d been remotely interested in was to work with Malcolm, an arrangement doomed from the start.

Malcolm sighed.

Giles had never been an easy child and was far too spoilt, his every whim catered for by his overprotective mother. Her death had devastated the boy. He didn’t speak for months and when Melissa came along, she tried in vain to ease Giles out of his despair; no amount of counselling had made any difference and Giles was as cold towards his stepmother as he was towards his father.

Malcom finished his drink. His phone lay on the table and he picked it up, his fingers scrolling through messages until he found what he was looking for. As he re-read the words from the waiter in Cumbria, Malcolm’s grip tightened.

The bitch was on the move.

Melissa had packed up and headed off and stupidly, his wife thought she’d got the better of him. The letters that she’d written to Malcolm and Patrick had been scanned and forwarded and as he read the words, he tensed. Did she really think that he wouldn’t come after her? Was Melissa so stupid that she expected Malcolm to let her go and move on with her life? She’d even suggested that he take her car back and sell it, after all, the log book was in his name.

He re-read Melissa’s letter to Patrick and laughed. The silly cow had sent her forwarding address and given her son her new number. She wrote fondly that she was missing him and hoped that he’d come and visit when she was settled. For she intended to settle in Ireland if she liked the area around Cork and Kindale and seemed to think she’d make friends and be able to start her life again in a completely new environment.

Malcolm threw the phone across the table and poured another cognac. Melissa was clueless! She had no idea that Malcolm had financed Patrick’s business, after paying for a three month spell in the Priory. Patrick’s addictions had been almost as bad as Giles’ and he’d come to Malcolm begging him not to tell Melissa, for he feared it would break his mother’s heart. Melissa had enough hang-ups about Patrick’s upbringing and not being there for him when she worked on the cruises.

The thought of her son as a drug addict would be too much for her to bear.

Well, all that was about to change!

Malcolm tossed back his drink and stood up. He had much to do.

Screw his family. All any of them ever wanted was more than he could give. Melissa may think she’d escaped from her marriage and whatever hell she thought she’d been living through.

But little did she know that hell was only now about to begin.

22

Breakfast at Boomerville Manor the following morning was a subdued affair. With many guests opting to have the meal served in their room, the kitchen was busy making up trays and staff hurried about to deliver them. In the dining room, the stalwarts who’d made it to the buffet table were piling their plates with carbohydrates in an effort to quell hangover headaches and sickly stomachs.

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