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‘I would like my father and Serena to leave,’ she said in a surprisingly firm voice. ‘If only because I can’t leave you unattended,’ she explained to Serena and Reginald. ‘I can’t trust you,’ she spelled out when her father uttered a wounded sigh. ‘And I need to get everything ready for tomorrow, for the celebration of my grandmother’s life.’
Even Reginald couldn’t argue with that.
‘We’ll be back for the reading of the will,’ Serena announced on her way out of the door.
He bet they would. He turned with concern to face Lizzie.
‘I’ll leave you two alone,’ the housekeeper said tactfully.
‘Sorry—Annie...’ Lizzie leapt into life, as if a switch had turned on inside her now her parents had gone. ‘I’d like you to meet Chico. You may remember him from years ago when the Brazilian team came to visit. Chico—this is Annie, my grandmother’s loyal friend.’
‘And yours,’ the older woman reminded Lizzie with a tender smile. ‘And I do know your face,’ the elderly housekeeper confirmed, turning to shake his hand.
‘Please don’t let us drive you away,’ he said, conscious that Annie had remained diplomatically out of the way while the drama had played out.
‘I planned to go home now anyway,’ she assured him.
‘I’m staying at the pub in the village,’ he explained as he helped Annie put on her coat. ‘I brought my assistant Maria with me from Brazil, and she could probably use some company—if it’s not too much trouble for you?’
‘Why, of course not,’ Annie confirmed. ‘She’ll be coming to tea at my house. And then I’ll come back tomorrow,’ she said, glancing at Lizzie.
‘Thank you, Annie.’
He was relieved to see Lizzie relax into a smile. She looked exhausted.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll look after her,’ he reassured the worried housekeeper.
He waited until the door closed behind Annie, and then asked gently, ‘How are you bearing up?’
‘Fine.’
Lizzie was so tense, and no wonder. She didn’t know what to expect of him. So much had happened in so short a time. She was tense, but who could blame her? When he looked at her, really looked at her, he realised just how much he’d missed her.
‘You?’ she said.
‘I feel a lot better now the truth is out in the open.’
‘Chico.’ She seemed to shrink as she looked at him, and he hated that her parents could do that to the Lizzie he knew. ‘I’m so sorry that all this was going on at Rottingdean when you visited that first time, and I knew so little about it.’
‘You were always shut out of everything. Your grandmother told me that. You were fifteen at the time, Lizzie,’ he pointed out. ‘You couldn’t have known all the facts.’
‘Then tell me now.’
He looked at her and remembered Lizzie’s words about how she’d changed. She was right in that she was no longer the young girl she had been, but Lizzie had always been strong—disillusioned often, bewildered most of the time, thanks to her parents’ neglect, but she was always strong. And she was even stronger now, thanks to her grandmother and the passage of time. She could take the truth. She deserved the truth. ‘Your parents’ parties were debauched affairs with everyone just the right side of legal as far as age was concerned. Your parents arranged what they called “performances”, and invited people to attend—for a price.’
‘They turned Rottingdean into a brothel?’ Lizzie was almost laughing she was so aghast. ‘No wonder my grandmother stepped in. Now I know what all the gossip was about—and why they mocked me at school. They must all have known. And it was the not knowing that hurt me the most. I couldn’t defend myself if I didn’t know the truth. So, thank you,’ she said after a long pause. ‘Thank you for telling me the truth, Chico. And thank you for believing that I’m strong enough to take it. That means a lot to me. That means more than anything to me.’
They fell silent for a while, and then she said quietly, ‘I knew you, Chico, and I should have trusted you. I should have known there had to be a very good reason for you to leave like that. And there certainly was,’ she said as he slanted a reassuring smile. ‘My parents are just so despicable. I knew they were fools—as soon as I grew up, I could see that for myself. But what they did to you—’ His heart went out to her when she clutched her head in absolute despair. ‘Why, oh, why did I keep on making allowances for them?’
‘You always will make allowances for them,’ he said gently. ‘They’re your parents, Lizzie. There will always be that bond.’
‘But what about you?’ She stared at him with concern. ‘I feel I let you down. All those years of misunderstanding after they spread such evil rumours about you.’
‘Don’t worry about it. That’s all in the past.’
‘It is, Chico. Is the past really behind us both now?’
‘My shoulders are pretty broad.’
She shook her head as if it would take some time for her to come to terms with everything she’d learned, but it was time for him to focus Lizzie’s attention on urgent practicalities. ‘You’re obviously in a bit of a mess here, and I’d like to help.’
‘We’re not in a mess,’ she said, looking around. ‘We’re getting ready for the annual Christmas party, so admittedly we’re a bit untidy at the moment, but it’s nothing that I can’t put right.’
‘I’m not talking about Christmas decorations exploding out of boxes.’
‘What are you talking about, Chico?’
‘Pride is great, Lizzie, but it doesn’t pay the bills,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’m offering to bail you out. Money,’ he explained when she looked at him blankly. ‘Whatever you need.’
‘Whatever I need?’
‘What you need to set Rottingdean back on its feet must seem like a lot of money to you, but it won’t be a problem for me—’
Her eyes turned steely. ‘This is my responsibility, Chico.’
‘I’m not trying to patronise you. I have a charitable foundation—’
‘So I’m a charity now?’
‘No. But the estate is in danger of being lost, and I’d like to help so you can keep it in the family. As your grandmother helped me,’ he reminded her.
‘This is my home, Chico. It’s mine to save. I do appreciate your offer of help, but no, thank you.’
‘You’d risk throwing people like Annie out on the streets, rather than accept help from me?’
‘That’s unfair.’
‘Is it?’
‘And if I accept this offer of yours? What’s the catch?’
He looked at her quizzically. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Chico, there’s always a catch. You’re not going to write a blank cheque and let me get on with it.’
‘Well, no, I’m not,’ he admitted, raking his hair, to give himself time to think.
‘So?’ Lizzie pressed. ‘What’s the catch?’
‘Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll open an account and deposit sufficient funds to take care of all the renovations and to pay off the creditors, and I’ll send my best managers in to take charge. And then, obviously, you’ll come back with me to Brazil.’
‘There’s nothing obvious about it,’ Lizzie exclaimed. ‘At least, not to me.’
‘So you don’t want to finish the course, play in the match, or be awarded your diploma?’
‘I want all those things, but not with any strings attached. If I come back, we both know what will happen, and I don’t want to be accused by anyone of sleeping my way to a diploma.’
‘That would never happen. You’re more than good enough to pass the course without sleeping with the boss.’
‘And I don’t want you spreading your money around so I’m always in debt to you.’
‘You would never b
