Page 124 of A Scottish Country Escape

My heart banged. ‘Dexter!’ I gulped. ‘What are you doing?’

He smiled broadly and gave me a wink. ‘It’s secluded but has beautiful views, as well as not impacting in any way on the nature reserve or the surrounding wildlife.’

Joshua Boyd’s flaming cheeks threatened to explode. ‘This is ridiculous! We’ve already released the specs of where we will be building.’

John Gerrard ignored his underling. He eyed Una Groves’s optimistic reaction with interest. Then he turned to Dexter. ‘What figure are we talking, Mr Grayling?’

Dexter smiled coolly. ‘I know exactly what my land is worth, Mr Gerrard.’ Dexter scribbled an amount on a piece of paper and thrust it across the table.

John Gerrard blinked. ‘That’s quite a sum, Mr Grayling.’

‘It is. But I am more than happy to negotiate on that amount for my land, as long as the reserve is sold to Mr Lomax.’

Josh’s bald head glowed with frustration, but both his colleagues were too busy salivating as they debated the offer.

‘There’s one other thing,’ remarked Cameron, flashing a wary look further up the table to Linda Carlucci. ‘I intend to commission a memorial to a local man, Ross Ronald which will be erected at the entrance to the reserve. I take it there would be no council opposition when it comes to making preparations for that.’

When Una Groves enquired more about the memorial and why it was being dedicated, Cameron urged Linda to explain.

She did so with deep emotion but also a great deal of clarity, and flashed Cameron a brief nod when she had finished.

Una Groves smiled sympathetically. ‘That sounds very fitting.’

My head, whirling between the half a dozen faces at the table, was struggling to comprehend everything. ‘So… it’s a deal?’ I asked, my palms clammy. ‘The nature reserve is safe?’

John Gerrard beamed with self-congratulation. ‘We have a deal.’

There were exclamations of relief and delight all round, together with firm handshakes, before assurances were given by one and all that the necessary paperwork would be drawn up as soon as possible.

Elsa escorted the visitors out of Hawk West Hall, unable to conceal her delight, even though Joshua Boyd continued to make grumpy protestation as they clambered into his boss’ Jaguar. He only fell silent when John Gerrard told him to ‘button it’ and that he could seek employment elsewhere if he was unable to reconcile such a ‘forward thinking business proposition’.

Cameron and Linda faced each other in one corner of the library. ‘I hope we can work together on a suitable memorial for Ross,’ he said. ‘I realise things will never be easy between us and that’s down to me.’

Linda didn’t disagree. ‘I would like to be involved in any way I can, though.’

‘Elle?’

I had been gazing out of the library window, forcing back happy tears knowing that the nature reserve was now safe and that all the precious memories the locals had wrapped up there were protected too.

Dexter had removed his suit jacket and was standing there like a hero from a 1940s drama in his white shirt and waistcoat. ‘Can I have a word?’

He guided me across the hall and into his study. He closed the door behind us. I hoped my voice didn’t betray how much my insides were twisting, standing so close to this wonderful man. ‘I can’t thank you enough for what you did in there.’

He flipped his shoulders. ‘I had to help. I wanted to.’

‘But the idea of starting your own stud farm meant so much to you.’

My insides melted as he took a few deliberate steps towards me. ‘Since my books started selling, all I’ve come across, for the main part, are people who want something from me. That was, until I met you.’ His black lashes cast a faint shadow across his cheeks. ‘What you have done for me, Elle; how you fought for me…’

My dark eyes locked with his, which were like the sky outside the window – clear and deep, like an azure sea. I was unable to look away. I didn’t want to ask this question, but I had to know. ‘London?’ I asked, hoping I was managing to conceal the trepidation I felt.

‘What about London?’

‘Well, now you can write again, you can do what you want and live where you want with Shelley and Nadia.’

Dexter blinked down at me. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Elle. That’s what I was driving at yesterday. I want to be where you are.’

I swallowed, my heart fluttering like a cage of wild birds. ‘But I thought when you mentioned London, that you were planning to go back home?’