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They had been very astute; he had funded the security, but they had held out for an addition to their physiotherapy team.
‘I just can’t understand who would be low enough to do this to Grandpa, what sort of low life...’
Soren cleared his throat. ‘You’re very close.’
‘Grandpa was always there. If it wasn’t for him social services would have put me in care, and he never made it seem like it was a bother, though I’m sure it must have been. He came to all my parents’ evenings, flying in specially from business sometimes. I can’t imagine what my life would be without him.’
‘And now you are there for him. You might,’ he began softly, ‘need to be prepared to hear some bad things about him.’
‘Oh, I’ve heard what they are saying...and I can’t wait for the day when they are going to have to apologise.’
‘You are so convinced your grandfather is innocent?’
She stiffened and glared at him, her tension levels in the red zone in seconds. ‘Of course he is innocent!’
Her defensive stance made him wonder if maybe she wasn’t having doubts of her own, doubts she was not ready to own—yet.
He watched as she got out a pair of white gloves. She made him think of a bright light in the middle of the dusty book-lined room.
‘Looks as if you have made a lot of progress in my absence.’ It looked exactly the same as when he’d last been here to Soren, but his housekeeper, deeply impressed by Anna’s work ethic, had assured him that she had spent every waking moment in here during his day’s absence.
‘This is much more than...’ she sighed, turning a full three-sixty as she took in the crammed shelves ‘...than I ever imagined.’
He watched her move around the room with every appearance of having forgotten his existence, reverently opening pages of volumes thrown casually on the table and pulling others that caught her eye on a shelf, exclaiming as she made each fresh discovery.
Finally she paused and faced him.
‘You do realise how rare some of these are? I have never seen so many first editions,’ she added excitedly. ‘There are volumes here that were assumed lost...’
‘So, valuable, then?’
‘There is a small fortune...no, actually, a very large one on these shelves and the condition of some...’ She shook her head reproachfully. ‘It’s disgraceful.’
‘Sorry,’ he said meekly, drawing a reluctant grin from her.
‘I got a bit carried away but, in all seriousness, this is a very special collection. You might want to have someone more experienced than me.’
‘I wouldn’t change your experience for the world.’
The message in his eyes sent a throb through her body, and her interest in the rare books declined.
She brought her lashes down in a silky veil. ‘That’s good to know,’ she said softly.
‘I’ll leave you to get reacquainted with your books, but if you feel like cooling down before dinner...the outdoor pool...? I’ll be there around five.’ Leaving the offer open, he left.
At five thirty-one—Anna didn’t want to appear too eager—she arrived at the pool fed by a mountain spring, built into natural rock and boasting breathtaking views of the mountains, which some mornings, Soren had told her, were reflected in the still green surface.
Anna was eager, and she was determined; she had had enough. She could not last another day, another hour, another minute like this! Her jaw tightened. Him holding her at arm’s length was a challenge she had decided to accept.
The surface was not still as she approached, though the economic strokes as Soren powered his way up and down barely made a ripple.
She stood at the side, watching this display of power and grace as he cleaved through the water.
She sensed the moment he registered her presence.
He paused and began to tread water. Pushing his wet hair back from his face, he grinned through the drips.
‘You coming in?’
