on leave me too tired to socialise at the end of a working day.’
‘Surely you must want a night out now and then?’
‘Not really. I get home fit for nothing more than a shower, supper in front of the television, then early bed.’
‘That’s not much of a life, Sarah!’
‘It suits me, Dan,’ she assured him.
He leaned forward, his eyes suddenly urgent. ‘Now you’ve accepted my apology let me take you out somewhere tomorrow evening. Or if you’re not up to going out I could order something in to eat here—’
‘No thanks, Dan,’ she interrupted. ‘I’m not good company right now.’
His eyes hardened. ‘Because Merrick dumped you?’
God grant me patience, thought Sarah. ‘My private life is my business, Dan.’
He regrouped hurriedly, and gave her a cajoling smile. ‘I just want an hour or two with you, Sarah. We spent a pleasant evening together before. Let’s do it again.’
Sarah got up. ‘Thanks a lot, Dan, but—’
‘But you can’t. Or won’t,’ he said bitterly, and jumped up. ‘I suppose you’re still hankering after Alex Merrick, like all the others before you? I did warn you about him, remember?’
‘So you did,’ she said wearily, and walked to the door. ‘Goodnight, Dan. Drive carefully.’
He paused in the open doorway. ‘If you are carrying a torch for Merrick, Sarah, remember what I said. You’re a very small fish in your line of business, and he’s a great big shark.’
Thoroughly put out by Dan Mason’s parting shot, Sarah blanked it out by immersing herself in the back-breaking work of sorting out the floors in the barns. Not even to herself would she admit she was still nourishing the faint hope of a phone call that never happened.
When her phone finally did ring one evening towards the end of the week, she grabbed it eagerly. ‘Oh—hi, Harry. What can I do for you?’
‘All right if I come round for a minute?’
‘Of course. See you soon.’ With a sinking feeling Sarah snapped the phone shut. Harry had sounded grim.
When she let him in a few minutes later he looked even grimmer than he’d sounded. ‘Come and sit down and tell me what’s wrong.’ She took her usual place on the windowseat, and waved Harry to the sofa.
‘Bob rang me tonight,’ he said heavily, his hands clasped between his knees. ‘He said I wasn’t to tell you, but I think you should know.’
She eyed him in alarm. ‘Is there something wrong with the barns?’
‘No, not that. But Bob got another offer for them today. Quite a bit more than you’ve offered for them.’ Harry looked her in the eye. ‘That’s why he didn’t want to tell you—in case you thought he was trying to get more money out of you. Bob said it was a young chap called Harris who called on him to make the offer. Ever heard of him?’
Sarah sat stunned for a moment. ‘Oh, yes, I’ve heard of him,’ she said at last. ‘He works for Alex Merrick.’
Harry stared. ‘Does he, by God? I didn’t know that. Bob neither. Tall young fellow with glasses, he said.’
‘That’s the one.’ Her eyes kindled. ‘But I seriously doubt that Greg Harris is going into barn conversion on his own.’
Harry grimaced. ‘Mavis was blazing. Everything about to be signed and sealed, she reminded Bob, and besides, she’d already spent some of Miss Carver’s deposit on the baby. Bob said they had a right old set-to before he could shut her up long enough to say he had no intention of accepting the offer—’
Sarah tried to smile. ‘It must be a bit galling for him to know he could have got more money for them, though.’
‘Bob’s one of the old school,’ said Harry, getting up. He’d given his word. As far as he’s concerned that’s that.’ He gave Sarah a searching look. ‘Don’t worry about it. Have a good sleep and I’ll call for you in the morning.’
‘Thanks, Harry. But you and Ian take tomorrow off. I’m going to sort this out.’ She smiled at him. ‘Thanks for coming round.’
‘Sorry I brought bad news,’ he said gruffly.
She shrugged. ‘I had to know.’
Sarah saw Harry off, then booted up her laptop and wrote a short, very explicit letter to Alex Merrick, printed it, and signed it with a flourish. She printed out an envelope, folded the letter into it and put it in her handbag, then lay in a warm bath until she felt calm enough to go to bed.
At ten next morning Sarah parked in front of the Merrick office building and