Page 140 of The Cottage at Brambleton Hall

She looked at Nate. ‘How do you know all of this . . .’ her hand flew to her mouth, and she mumbled ‘You called them.’

‘Yes.’

‘You laid a trap.’

‘I protected the estate.’

‘Thank you Nate. This will be reported to Mr Hastings.’ Magnus turned. ‘Miss Jenkins,’ he said. ‘Let’s get inside.’

The flowers sat between them, just off-centre.

‘You did not grant permission,’ he said.

‘No.’

‘I accept that.’

Relief showed, briefly lighting her face. ‘You were, however, aware that Jimmy Morgan . . . that contrary to what you told me this morning was not only in your cottage but was in possession of a firearm.’

She swallowed. ‘I didn’t lie. I told Chloe he wasn’t to come back.’

‘Evidently you didn’t check whether she was following your instructions.’

She didn’t answer.

‘I gave you a direct instruction,’ Magnus said. ‘Not to allow him onto the estate.’

‘I didn’t,’ she said. ‘I told her . . .’

‘You permitted the conditions in which he could,’ Magnus said. ‘While implying that you had dealt with the problem.’

‘I can sort it,’ she said. ‘Today. I’ll get her out. I’ll . . .’

He raised a hand to stem the tide of words. ‘The matter is not what you propose to do now. It is what you failed to do when required.’

She went still.

Magnus adjusted the stem of one of the roses. A good arrangement. Care taken. He withdrew his hand. ‘You will continue your duties for the morning,’ he said. ‘We will speak again before the end of the day. At which point I will decide how to proceed.’

This time Magnus did not ask her to sit.

When Sammy entered his office, he was behind his desk, and from the look on his face, Sammy doubted she was about to get her key back. ‘Miss Jenkins,’ he said. ‘I have reviewed the matter.’

Reviewed – past tense. This didn’t sound good. ‘I didn’t let him stay,’ she said. ‘I told Chloe . . .’

‘You told me you’d sorted the problem.’

The sentence closed over her. No way through it.

‘I can fix it,’ she said. ‘She’ll be gone today. He won’t come back, I’ll make sure . . .’

Magnus did not raise his voice. ‘This is not a matter of remedy. It is a matter of judgment.’

His eyes drifted to that photograph – Sammy’s gaze followed; she’d been found wanting by Mr Wetherby, not just Magnus. ‘Your employment will terminate at the end of September.’

She gasped trying to take it all in. End of September; only a week away.

‘You will continue in your role until that point. Arrangements will be made in due course.’