AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 33
Oliver halted. ‘Carys, I do not want to play a game of twenty questions,’ he said curtly, his frown back the moment he opened the door to the study.
Abigail thought,that’s the Oliver I’m used to. She glanced at Carys, thankful she was there. It had saved her from answering Oliver’s question about when she would decide whether she was staying. She had no clue. In some ways, she thought it would be easier if something happened that would make the decision for her. It was a stupid thought. What could happen that would force her into a corner?
Oliver took his seat behind the desk and switched on his computer. He looked up at his sister. ‘Carys, just tell me what’s on your mind, okay?’ His manner was still taciturn, although this seemed to go right over his sister’s head. Abigail wasn’t surprised. Carys was so used to Oliver being, well, Oliver, that it never occurred to her he might be quite unhappy with his life.
Carys said, ‘Have you seen that car out back?’
Abigail took a seat in front of the laptop and switched it on. She heard Oliver sigh heavily.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The one in the staff car park.’
Abigail froze.
No, Carys, I haven’t. Why would I walk around the back where the staff park their cars? ‘Come to think of it, what were you doing round there?’
Abigail was wondering the same thing.
‘I wasn’t. I was doing an inventory upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms. It might not be a bad idea to start considering other avenues of income.’
‘We are not turning the place into a hotel.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of doing that. But, you know, this place would make a great wedding venue.’
Abigail breathed a sigh when the conversation veered away from the staff car park.
Oliver added, ‘You know Father wouldn’t allow it.’
‘Yes, but Dad is going to step down at some point, and then you can make your own decisions. Look, Abigail agrees with me.’
Abigail had been sitting there nodding her head. ‘Er, well, I really couldn’t say.’
‘Stop being diplomatic, Abigail. You’ve seen the state of the accounts. The Hall needs some money.’
Abigail pursed her lips. She couldn’t deny that it was true.
Oliver remained silent, fixing his gaze back on the computer screen.
Sensing that the conversation was over, Abigail swivelled her chair back to her desk and was about to call up the accounts when Carys said.
‘So, I looked out of the window and you’ll never guess what I saw. There’s a car parked in the staff car park that looks just like Aunt Daphne’s. Do you remember that old banger she used to take us out in?’
‘Yeah, of course I remember her car,’ Oliver replied. ‘She used to take us on picnics and park it right on the beach.’
‘God, yes.’
‘I swear it’s the same car.’
‘How do you know?’
‘It’s the same colour. I walked downstairs and out the back to the staff car park to take a closer look.’
Abigail glanced over her should and caught Oliver looking up. ‘Well... has it got the mark?’
Abigail frowned, thinking, what bloody mark? Don’t tell me there’s some identifying mark they would recognise?
