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I smile. “Okay, Trudy.”
“And you,” she says, turning to Sebastian. “Do I need to give you a tour of the place? You never visit, so I don’t know if you remember the layout.”
Sebastian sighs. “You know I’m busy.”
“Well, at least you’ve finally brought a girl home. I was starting to think you were too embarrassed to introduce me to anyone.”
She leads us inside, which is just as impressive: all double-height ceilings and glass walls, with poured concrete floors and chic furniture. “How was the drive, Richard says the traffic’s terrible these days out of the city—”
Sebastian’s phone sounds with a sharp buzz. He pulls it out, and then answers. “Yes?” he barks. “No, that’s not what I said. Listen carefully…”
He turns and disappears into the house to talk, sounding irritated.
“Anyone would think I never taught him manners,” Trudy tuts. “Business has always come first with that boy. But now, I can’t leave you all alone, and I need to run into town for some bits and pieces for dinner.”
“But if you need to leave, don’t worry about me,” I reassure her. “I can entertain myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. I’ll take a walk and enjoy the country air.”
“You’re a darling,” she says. “The estate goes all the way to the lake on that side, and the road on the other, wander away. I won’t be long!”
Trudy heads out, leaving me alone. I poke my head into a few rooms, seeing a curious mix of overstuffed, old looking furniture with all the new modern pieces. But Sebastian is still somewhere in the house, and I’m not about to start rifling through any drawers, so, I follow through on my line to Trudy, and head out the back door to take that walk, glad I wore flat boots and brought a jacket.
There’s a path, of sorts, leading away from the house and up a hill, so I stroll, enjoying the greenery, and peace and quiet. Here, it’s trees all the way to the horizon, and I can barely pick out rooftops across the stretch of fields.
So what’s Sebastian’s deal here? I’m trying to figure out of the tense vibes I’m picking up on. Trudy was being passive-aggressive with Sebastian about not visiting, so is his issue with her, or Richard.
Or the both of them. Despite his shrugs in the car, that has to be weird for him.
And is there a connection to Sebastian’s dad’s death? Clearly, it’s a big deal, but is it just regular family trauma stemming from a loss… Or is it something I can use against him?
At the very least, I might be able to get Sebastian’s guard down over it. I’ll take any advantage I can get.
“Well, hello there!”
The sound of a man’s voice startles me. I’ve circled back around the house and find Richard on the path to what looks like a workshop or office. He’s wearing a Barbour jacket and boots, every inch the country gentleman.
“Oh, hi,” I blurt. “I didn’t see you there.”
“Sorry to scare you.” He gives me a big, toothy grin. “Trudy said that you lovebirds were coming this afternoon. I haven’t seen Sebastian yet, though.”
“He’s around here somewhere, taking an important business phone call.”
“Ah. That must have something to do with the Dunleavey deal.”
I think about the nice older couple we met for lunch and almost lose my smile. Sebastian was so cold when he talked about taking over the man’s company.
“I wouldn’t know,” I say with a smile. “All of that finance stuff goes way over my head.”
Richard chuckles. “Wise girl, it’s nothing but a headache. Were you heading back in?”
I nod, and he falls into step beside me. “You know, it’s good to see Seb with someone like you,” Richard remarks warmly. “Maybe you can get him to lighten up and stop taking life so seriously.”
“He is very focused on work,” I agree, neutral.
“To a fault,” Richard says. “I sometimes think it brings out the worst in him. All this cutthroat business dealing, it’s not good for the soul. And Sebastian’s… well. He has a tendency of pursuing his victories, not matter the cost. To him, or the people around him.”
