Page 72 of A Colourful Country Escape
Mrs Carrington-Noble narrowed her eyes. ‘Tell me why the next item out of my handbag shouldn’t be your P45, Alexis. And don’t think my background checks on you are finished.’
But the exertion appeared to have finally got the better of the older woman, and she manoeuvred herself around the armchair and sank back into it with a puff. Did she look … dizzy?
‘Can I help?’ Lexie found herself saying.
Mrs Carrington-Noble took a few more breaths and blinked a bit. ‘I’m not sure anyone can.’
‘Oh, I … ’
Lexie moved towards her but was flapped away.
‘Don’t be ridiculous, girl. I’m fine. I just have a lot on my plate.’
‘I see.’ Not that she did, really. Lexie wished she didn’t care, but that wasn’t in her nature.
‘Look.’ Mrs Carrington-Noble was gripping the arm of the chair, like she was seasick on a small boat. ‘I don’t flit about trying to make people’s lives a misery. I just … want things to be right. It’s a lot of responsibility. History ought not repeat itself.’
What history? That thing with Ben and Cory’s dad? Maybe she hadn’t bumped him off. It wouldn’t make sense that she was worried about accidentally murdering her sons too. Whatever the case, now had to be the time to get the lady on side. While there was the slightest glimmer of light through the chinks of her armour, Lexie should grab hold of it.
‘It can be exhausting, fighting against things all the time,’ Lexie began, tiptoeing over the words like they were tiny eggshells.
Mrs Carrington-Noble gave Lexie a strange look, but she refused to let it faze her.
‘Maybe if you accept that I want the same things as you, we can work together,’ Lexie added, barely daring to breathe. She could tell from the rich woman’s pointy-faced appraisal that being grouped into the same team as Lexie wasn’t high on her list of life goals, but she did look knackered. One less battle would surely do her good.
Mrs Carrington-Noble waved a royal hand. ‘Go on.’
‘You want the business to do well. You want Ben to find a suitable wife. I’m willing to help with both of those things – there’s no need to fight me.’
Lexie watched as the woman chewed over her thoughts, staying still all the while like a mouse facing a cat.
‘How do I know you don’t want these things for yourself? My business? My son? You’ve already moved yourself in and now you want to change the very colour of my walls.’
‘I don’t believe you can see me walking up the aisle with your son any more than I can.’ Lexie gave a weak laugh and held her arms out, highlighting herself in Tom’s old overalls, hair full of wild dye and pockets full of nothing.
‘Granted.’ The other woman shrugged. ‘But how can we reach a mutually agreeable conclusion? We don’t have the same …taste.’
There was no time to take offence. Lexie ploughed on.
‘Cynthia!’ The word popped out before Lexie had really decided upon it. Maybe it had decided upon itself – but that was surely a sign? ‘And the Fortescues. I think I can persuade Ben and Mrs Fortescue to get the businesses working together. It would be an exciting collaboration that would make you both money. Your paint empire with their interior design world.’
Mrs Carrington-Noble seemed to be mulling it over. ‘You? Hmm. Well, if in doing so you can engineer some alone time for Cynthia and Benedict … ’
Lexie winced. The plan didn’t sound at all appealing when she said it out loud, but if it would keep Mrs Carrington-Noble on side and stop her delving into her business … Well, at least she might keep her job, dignity and home for a while longer. And who was she to interfere with whatever was meant to be?
‘Good.’ Mrs Carrington-Noble nodded, looking pleased for the first time Lexie could ever recall. ‘Because even if you did have designs on my Benedict, he’s savvy enough to know where his bread’s buttered. And he does like jam on it.’
Just as Lexie was pondering the wisdom of a response, the woman bit through her thoughts.
‘And even if Benedict did take leave of his senses and fall for a member of staff, he would soon change his mind if he found out their past was a litter bin of lies and goodness knows what.’ The mother’s eyes looked brighter now. She was clearly pleased with her brilliance and was looking at Lexie as though expecting a pat on the back.
Goodness knows what indeed, thought Lexie. But Mrs Carrington-Noble wasn’t wrong. Ben already didn’t want her, but he’d be furious if he knew she’d conned him about her CV and hidden that other big hole in her history.
‘So, you’ll need to get a move on. I want him married off by the end of the year, so that whatever happens … ’ She coughed a little. ‘I can rest safe in the knowledge that things are taken care of.’
‘Right.’ Lexie scratched the back of her neck, wishing she could feel morerightabout it. ‘Well, my role would be to get the businesses working creatively together. Who Ben marries is out of my remit. I can’t really promise … ’
‘He does care for Cynthia in that stubborn heart of his. And for reasons I can’t quite fathom, he listens to you. Help him to help himself.’
