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‘Thanks, babe. That machine of yours scares the shit out of me.’
Five minutes later, Estelle was halfway through her second pain au chocolat when James re-appeared and placed a cup on the table in front of her.
She stared at the perfect unicorn drawn in the foam, then up at him. ‘This is what you’ve been trying to do?’
He nodded. ‘It was more challenging than I expected.’
Emotion filled her throat. Why was this happening? Life was so unfair.
‘Ooh, take a look at that.’ Beverley turned the cup around to see. ‘You’re so clever, babe.’
‘What’s he done?’ Elyse asked from the doorway.
James moved to the side as she entered the room and came to the table. Elyse was immaculately dressed as always, but her face was pale and pinched under the make-up.
‘Oh,’ she said as she gazed at the unicorn. ‘James once…’ Her hand reached out as if to touch it, then withdrew. ‘That’s… nice,’ she finally managed.
Repressing a territorial growl, Estelle lifted the cup and took a sip. It was painfully hot, but she still swallowed.
Elyse turned to James. ‘I’ve had an email come in just now that I think you should see. Shall we go to your dad’s office to discuss?’
James’s expression hardened, and he nodded. He extended his arm towards the door and followed Elyse out.
Closing her eyes, Estelle rubbed her temples, as if the massage would make the two paracetamol she’d taken hurry up and get rid of her headache. It was five o’clock, and she’d barely left her desk. James had promised to work on the festival when he was in China, but if today was representative of the attention he could give it, Estelle didn’t know what he hoped to achieve. Within ten minutes of him returning to their office, either his mother or Elyse would appear, and he’d leave. It was a nightmare.
There was a knock at the door and Elyse poked her head into the room.
‘How’s it going?’ Estelle asked.
Elyse’s smile was wobbly. ‘It’s midnight in China, so we can’t do any more today. We’ve got an hour and a half before we leave, so I’m going to go back to yours, pack and make dinner.’
Estelle stood. ‘I’ll do it.’
Elyse was about as competent in the kitchen as Summer, and Estelle didn’t want to add ‘house burning down’ to the current crisis. Closing her laptop, she grabbed her bag and followed Elyse out.
Standing by the open door that marked the boundary between the office and the main body of the manor, Estelle called through, ‘We’re leaving.’
There was no response.
‘You can say goodbye to James later when he comes to pick me up,’ Elyse said.
Clenching her jaw, Estelle nodded. Reality was starting to bite. James and Elyse were going to be living in each other’s pockets for god knows how long. The scenario was Elyse’s dream, and Estelle’s nightmare.
Would James cave and rekindle what they’d had in the past?
Shut up! He kissed you, remember?
But he’s slept with Elyse!
Three years ago! You need to trust him.
I don’t know him! He’s just a man!
So are Connor, Leo, Jack, Finn, Henry. And they wouldn’t do that!
The thought of Henry stopped her in her tracks. No matter what she’d discovered about James, he’d never once tried to excuse or explain the fact he’d stolen Henry’s client and deal in London.
‘Shall we go?’ Elyse said behind her.
