The House in the Clouds - Victoria Connelly Page 0,16

new company now?’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Well, I just assumed…’

She shook her head. ‘I need some space for a while. I need to be free again.’ She saw the look of panic on his face. ‘That doesn’t bother you, does it?’

‘Erm, well, I’ve just never met anyone who…’ he faltered.

‘What?’

‘Who didn’t want to work.’

‘But I do want to work. And I’m working all the time. But it has to be on my own terms and what I was doing before really wasn’t on my own terms anymore. It turned into something quite different.’ Abi stared at him. ‘Are you worried I’m not viable as a partner in this?’

‘No, no.’

‘Because you sound worried.’

‘I’m not. I trust you.’

‘Are you sure?’ she asked him.

‘I just wanted to know – well – a bit about you. I have to admit that I was a little bit anxious to hear that you’d walked away from your own company. I mean, will you walk away from this project if you tire of it?’ he asked.

‘I might.’ Abi saw him blanch and realised that it had been the wrong thing to say. ‘But I won’t,’ she quickly added.

‘How do you know for sure?’

‘Because this place is in my heart.’

‘Is it?’ he looked surprised.

‘Yes! Every damp, dusty, crumbly inch of it.’

He gave a tiny smile. ‘Mine too.’

‘And the truth is, owning half of Winfield is better than owning the whole of anything else,’ she told him candidly.

‘I feel the same.’

‘I haven’t found anything that comes close to this place,’ she told him, knowing that she shouldn’t be showing all her cards in this way, but she just couldn’t help it. This place, this glorious place, had that effect on her. She had to be honest about it.

‘I’m glad you’ve told me that.’

‘So do we have a deal? Am I going to purchase half of Winfield Hall?’

He looked a little hesitant for a moment, but then – to Abi’s great relief – he held his hand out towards her. ‘We have a deal.’

Abi shook his hand and beamed him a smile. ‘Well, I guess I’d better get back and start organising things my end.’

‘Then we’ll keep in touch?’

‘Of course,’ she opened her handbag and pulled out a business card. ‘My number.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Shall I see myself out? I know the way.’

He nodded and she made to leave. ‘Abigail?’

She turned around. ‘Yes?’

‘Thank you. I mean, I’m glad it’s you. You seem… you seem the right sort of person.’ He grimaced. ‘Sorry, that sounded pompous and condescending. What I mean is, you seem the right sort of person for this place. You appreciate it in the same way that I do.’

Abi smiled. ‘Thank you.’

‘It is special, isn’t it? It is worth saving?’ There was that anxious look of his that Abi had noticed earlier as if he wasn’t at all sure of himself and needed a little reassurance.

‘Of course it is,’ she told him. ‘It’s the most perfect place in the world!’

Chapter Five

Abi sat in her car feeling stunned. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from being invited to Winfield by Edward Townsend, but it hadn’t been this. She had to bite her lip in order to stop herself from screaming with joy at the turn of events. She was going to live here. Her heart had known it all along and yet she’d allowed herself to slip into despair when the auction hadn’t gone her way. But fate was bigger than any auction. A dream couldn’t be stopped, could it? It would find you somehow.

After leaving Edward, Abi had walked around the garden once again, knowing that she needed to burn off some of her nervous energy before she got into her car for the drive home.

Home, she thought, now that she was in the car. This was going to be her home. This special place that she loved so dearly. Of course, she was only getting half of Winfield, but that was enough. It was a compromise for sure, but it was one she was happy to make because, until a few hours ago, she wasn’t getting any of Winfield. The place had belonged to somebody else. Edward.

She thought about Edward Townsend now. She’d liked him and yet there was something guarded about him. Hadn’t he said that today would be about getting to know each other? Well, she hadn’t learned a thing about him and he’d only asked her a couple of questions about her business. Was that all he wanted to know about her? Whether or not she