purchase price way above the market value would see to that. But Theo had deemed writing off a loss more prudent than throwing more money at the place. And finding a buyer shouldn’t pose a problem – if the price was right – as there was always someone keen to buy a country retreat and put their own stamp on it. If he was honest, selling was still probably the sensible option.
But something had changed and he didn’t feel particularly sensible. The estate meant a great deal to Rosie and he knew if he got rid of it without considering any other possible options, she would be hurt.
And that was the last thing he wanted. As she went to walk away, he called after her: “Aren’t you going to tell me what you want to talk to me about?”
***
Rosie made a valiant attempt to draw on all her resources. She needed to make this good, so good he wouldn’t be able to refuse her. She wasn’t ready to broach the subject, not anywhere near, but she needed to do this now – for Evie’s sake. And she’d already evaded the issue once.
“I was thinking...” she took another breath. This was harder than she’d ever imagined it would be – being forced to grovel to the man Harry had sold out to made her feel ill. But, for Evie, she had to at least try. “You’ll need to take on a manager – someone to run the estate day to day…”
He glanced at her thoughtfully. “Are you applying for the job?”
“I am. If you let me show you the books, you’ll see that, if Harry’s no longer helping himself to the profits, I can make this work.”
Rosie watched as he ran his hand through his thick black hair. “I would consider you, of course I would. But I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with the place yet.”
Rosie took a minute to digest the news. “Haven’t decided?” she repeated faintly, aware on some level she sounded like an idiot as her hopes were perilously close to being dashed.
“Not yet. I need to see exactly what’s happening here before I decide what to do.”
This was sounding more and more as though her home was nothing more than just another business deal. Which to him, of course, was exactly what it did represent.
She closed her eyes briefly before she dared to ask: “What plans are you considering?” She remembered his property interests and thought she might faint as a nightmare scenario began to unfold in glorious Technicolor in her mind. “What are you going to do to the estate? Break it up into tiny pieces so that some property developers can build as many houses as they can cram in?”
***
Ah, there was his hissing sparring partner.
Her face had turned the same dark pink colour as the bed cover and he felt a momentary pang of guilt – she hadn’t had the easiest time of it since he’d broken the news and now he was making things worse.
It went completely against type, but he found himself fighting an overwhelming urge to quell this tiny redhead’s fear. He decided to break his own policy of never explaining himself. “I own a chain of luxury country hotels,” he told her quietly. He scrutinised her face keenly, looking for some change in her expression, but she continued to stare at him with open hostility.
“I know that – I’ve done my homework. Evie Googled you and we read your online biography. I know all about the hotels, the steel and the construction interests. I also know that business rivals quake in your presence – but I’m not a business rival and I’m not scared of you.”
“I don’t want you to be scared of me, Rosie.” That was part of the attraction, the fact that she stood up to him without hesitation. And, rather than being offended by the intrusion, he approved of the fact the sisters had researched him. “When I first heard the company had acquired the manor, it briefly crossed my mind it might do as a site for another hotel.”
“You want to turn the manor into some sort of glorified bed and breakfast? But you can’t possibly...”
“I
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