Page 96 of Beyond Her Manner
A text from Gillian had made it easier to leave the country when her tour finished. Albeit on the formal side, Gillian’s request ‘for your presence should you have availability to attend a New Year’s Eve’s party at Kingsford Manor,’ made her smile and filled her with hope.
It was her first time hearing from Gillian since she had left for Australia. She’d seen her from a distance, though, having returned from Australia in the middle of her tour to attend the auction of the Gentileschi. She wanted to make sure the painting reached its estimated value, allowing Gillian to proceed with buying the estate. Truthfully, it wasn’t simply about the sale. She couldn’t help herself. It was an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the woman she missed and for whom she ached, whose company she craved to her core.
In the end, the final bid far exceeded the estimated value. Gillian’s face as the gavel went down showed pure elation and relief. She could relax a little knowing Gillian would have more than enough money to follow any dreams she envisaged for Kingsford. The pain that hit her as she snuck out of the auction house knowing any dreams Gillian might have didn’t include her was more than she could bear. By the evening, she was on a flightback to Australia to finish her tour, all alone and regretting ever returning to London.
Now there was only sheer joy in her heart. She was back at Kingsford, with the familiar sound of gravel crunching under her feet as it had done many times before. It was a place that was dear to her, even more so now she didn’t have the responsibility for it, and to top it off, she had just kissed Gillian Carmichael — properly.
Lurking in the back of her mind was a fear of the future and whether they could make it work, but as she reached the lodge, she spotted Gillian through the sitting room window and set those worries aside. Love always found a way. Her being here proved that.
Noticing the door was ajar, she let herself into the warm hall as her heart thudded in her chest. She was full of hope that the night may still be young, and she might be able to kiss Gillian Carmichael again — improperly.
CHAPTER 23
“Whisky?” Gillian called out from the kitchen, hearing Viola enter and rustle about in the hall.
“Please,” Viola answered back.
She poured Viola a small measure, assuming she wouldn’t want any effects from it except the flavour. Topping up her own glass, she quickly downed it, refilling it once more as Viola appeared coatless and bootless in a figure-hugging, floral-patterned, knee-length dress with black wool tights. It was a look that suited her perfectly.
“Thanks,” Viola said, reaching for the glass Gillian offered her. Looking around, she smiled as realisation dawned. “Is this your old kitchen from the manor?”
Gillian froze, realising Viola wouldn’t know about her recent refurbishments. Or that she had bribed one of Viola’s builders to save some parts of the old kitchen for her to repurpose in the lodge. She was nothing if not resourceful, and her homemade shortbread was a winner with him.
“Waste not, want not, and all that.” She shrugged, rubbing her cold hands together.
“When did you…? You know what, I don’t want to know.” Viola looked around, examining the kitchen. “It looks good inhere. The quarter of it you managed to fit in. Oh, and there’s my coffee machine.”
“You left it behind.”
“I did. I thought you could probably make use of it somewhere. I didn’t expect it to be here, though. Do you really prefer living here?”
“To be honest, I’m at an age where I want to be warm without it bankrupting me.” Turning on the hot tap she held her icy fingers under the flow, hoping for relief.
Viola smiled. “I expect this place is great for that. It’s very snug.”
“It is. Living in the manor alone is very different to when you have staff and a husband.”
“Yes. It wasn’t something I considered when I moved in. I found it quite scary at times.” A grin formed on Viola’s lips. “You know what got me through?”
Gillian shook her head as Viola stepped closer and ran her hands through the warm water too.
“I always knew you were up the drive, on guard at my gate, watching over me. Plus, I thought no one would dare cross your path, and they would have to cross it to get to me.”
Gillian let out a laugh at the suggestion. Drying her hands on a towel, she passed it to Viola. She had sobered up from her earlier glasses of champagne in the bracing air, but she was beginning to feel a little tipsy again from the whisky.
“Technically there is an access point in the bottom field out to the lane, so…”
Viola threw the towel on to the work surface and put her finger to Gillian’s lips. “Oh, you can keep your technicalities.”
“Can I?” Gillian gave a flick of her eyebrows and decided to lean into Viola’s sudden playful nature. “And where precisely should I keep them?”
“You must have a drawer where you keep your binoculars,” Viola said, removing her finger. “No doubt with some tape measures and a copy ofThe Highway Codeor something.”
Gillian smirked. She did have two tape measures in the same drawer as the binoculars in the bureau. There may even be a copy ofThe Highway Code.
Viola shot her a questioning look. “You have such a drawer, don’t you?”
Gillian gave a nod, unsure if that was a positive thing in Viola’s eyes or not.
