Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (a court of thorns and roses ebook free txt) 📗

proposing I do. Look.’ Thea picked up her phone and scrolled through her emails so Shaun could read Julian’s invitation to a business meeting at The Harborough Hotel. ‘What bothers me most is that he didn’t want me to talk to you about it.’

Thea ploughed on while Shaun read; determined to give him the whole story before he reacted. She detailed as much as she could remember about the overheard telephone conversation in the pub, about Julian wanting to “manoeuvre the right person into doing the interview” and how whatever it was he was up to had “worked a treat” and that “the production team were very impressed” because he’d had “a private word in the right ear”.

‘Honestly, Shaun, the man is so slimy.’

Shaun said nothing. He just sat staring at her, making Thea’s blood chill as she saw him battling not to get angry. Taking a deep breath, she kept talking, telling him about how Julian had intercepted her outside the campervan before they came home and how, most important of all, she hadn’t told Shaun any of this at the time because she didn’t want to upset him.

‘And, to be frank, I wouldn’t trust Julian as far as I could spit and—’

‘What text?’ Shaun cut across her, his tone sharp.

‘Pardon?’

‘It says here, in this email, that there was a text.’ He paused before reading out Julian’s words, ‘As you haven’t replied to my text, I have had to assume it never reached you. Well? Did it reach you?’

Thea licked her lips, ‘Yes, but I was ignoring it. I didn’t want to ruin things. We were having fun, and to be honest—’

‘Having fun?’ Shaun sighed. ‘We were. And yet all the time you were keeping secrets. A phone call you overheard, a text and this email. How much else have you not shared with me, Thea?’

‘Nothing!’ Guilt knotted within Thea. ‘I know I should have told you straightaway, but I didn’t want to upset you. I was so afraid of hurting you, and, as I have no intention of doing anything for Julian once the show is fully recorded…’

As Shaun’s eyes clouded, his countenance drawn, Thea felt an unexpected urge to giggle. He looked just like a Victorian school master, sat in a Victorian drawing room, waiting to tell the parent of an errant pupil what a disappointment they were. She didn’t giggle though. Shaun’s next words stole the impulse before her lips had even formed into a curve.

‘You tell me all this now, long after the event, and expect me to believe Julian doesn’t fancy you or that you don’t fancy him?’

‘What? Are you insane? Of course I don’t!’

‘What other reason would you have for keeping this from me? After the hard time you gave me for not even realising Sophie liked me in Cornwall – now you’re being just as blind. Worse! You aren’t blind – you’re refusing to be honest about his or your feelings.’ Shaun’s words stayed horribly calm, sadness echoing in every syllable. ‘And it’s not just me that this affects!’ Shaun was on his feet. ‘I can’t believe you’d do this to Ajay and Andy. After all the AA have done for you. If it hadn’t been for them, you’d never have found the fortlet, and this place wouldn’t be doing so well.’ He raked a hand through his hair, making his fringe stick out at awkward angles.

Thea’s mouth dropped open. ‘I know that! This is nothing to do with that. I was trying to do the right thing! To protect your feelings. I didn’t want to freak out anyone about the phone call I overheard until I knew I wasn’t getting the wrong end of the stick. You know what half heard conversations are like! It might have been nothing to do with Landscape Treasures at all.’

‘Oh no you don’t!’ Shaun was shaking his head. ‘Of course it was about Landscape Treasures! Don’t you remember what Julian said at that meal?’ Aware he was shouting, and not wanting to be overheard, Shaun hissed, ‘This has got to be about what he was saying about a shake up after Treasure Hunters change format!’

The colour drained from Thea’s face. ‘But it might not. What if I’d told you all what I’d heard and it had become gossip – and I’d been wrong?’ Thea felt sick as she regarded Shaun’s closed off expression. ‘And that call might have had nothing at all to do with Julian wanting to talk to me about being a presenter. Which, by the way, I haven’t agreed to – nor will I. I like my life here, thank you very much!’

Neither of them spoke. Thea stared across the short space between them on the sofa. It was only half a metre, but it might as well as have been three miles. The scent of chocolate, deliciously heady only moments ago, now turned her stomach. She could hear Helen’s words echoing through the back of her mind. ‘Tell him before everything gets ruined’.

Shaun got up. He gave her a long hard stare, before walking away without another word.

Thea sat, frozen, unsure how she’d screwed up their conversation so completely. Fear made her feet move as her brain screamed out unhelpful questions. Where has Shaun gone? Has he gone gone? Have I just screwed the best thing in my life?

Running from the room, she took a guess that he’d headed outside and dashed to the backdoor. Glad that Tina and Sam had gone to visit Bert and Mabel, so no one was in the kitchen to ask her what was going on, Thea was in time to see Shaun disappearing into the woods. Without even stopping to put some shoes on, she ran after him.

Her mind raced; she had no idea what to say. She’d hurt him, and she deserved to be shouted at a bit, but not left. Not when all she’d tried to do was spare his feelings.

Thea was almost on his heels, when Shaun stopped moving and swung round