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‘No. She rented out her house to go travelling with her boyfriend a few years ago.’
‘They’ve been travelling for years?’
‘They’re in Mongolia now.’
Estelle didn’t know what to believe. She was sure Elyse had lied about her relationship with James, but was this true?
Elyse brought out her phone, tapped on the screen, then handed it to Estelle.
It was an Instagram account entitled ‘wanderlustluvers’ and showed a blonde woman who looked remarkably like Elyse, in the arms of a tall, dark and handsome man. The feed showed the two of them travelling with a Mongolian family, putting their yurt up and helping with chores.
Estelle handed the phone back. ‘Wow, that’s pretty full-on.’
Elyse nodded. ‘Yeah. I could never do it, but at least she’s happy.’
Estelle’s heart tugged. If this was all true, then her dad had abandoned her, and now her mum was off as well. Elyse may not have lived in Shoscombe Manor as James’s girlfriend, but from what James had told her, his parents liked her enough to have wanted them to get together. Had Kev ’n’ Bev been surrogate parents for Elyse? If they had been, it must have been heartbreaking to have been asked to leave.
Why does life have to be so messy and complicated?
‘Can I get you anything?’ Elyse asked.
‘Yeah, can you pass me the takeaway menus on the fridge door? I’m going to get a curry if you fancy joining me?’
21
James threw another tie onto the bed and growled at his reflection. Why was it so hard to choose an outfit?
There was a quiet knock at the door, and his mood softened slightly.
‘Come in,’ he called out. ‘You can give me a hand.’
Sophia entered the room and gave him two thumbs up. ‘You look very dashing.’
He frowned. ‘Really? I don’t know whether to wear a tie or not. I need to look like I’m making an effort, but not like I’m a corporate twat.’
His sister sat cross-legged on the flowery bedspread and picked through his discarded ties. ‘Are these all made of silk?’
‘Of course.’ He picked up another pair of trousers. ‘Should I go with Zegna instead?’
‘I can’t tell the difference. They both look fine to me.’
‘I can’t look “fine”, Char, I’ve got to look perfect.’
‘You always do. And anyway, a suit isn’t going to make the difference.’
James was silent. He knew that was true, but tonight was the one chance to change the councillors’ minds, and if his suit was on point, then hopefully his mood would follow.
‘Is Estelle’s ankle better yet?’
He went to the wardrobe. ‘Yeah, I think so.’
‘You still haven’t seen her since she hurt it?’
‘No.’
The day after his visit to the livery, Molly had arrived to pick up Estelle’s laptop. Estelle had worked from home and the rectory the next week, and their communication had been via email and the occasional text message. She’d even turned down his offer to help set the manor up for the event, saying that her family and Jack had it handled. James felt sidelined and irritated. But most of all, he missed seeing Estelle every day.
‘Have you upset her?’
