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Millie wasn’t sure what to do. Should she retreat to the kitchen and either hide in the pantry until the whole episode was over, or make a start on the tidying up in the hope that it would be pristine and daisy-fresh when Rupert and Sven returned? Or should she take the shortcut through the boot room and warn Tim that they were on their way?
What would Claudia do?
She decided to warn Tim. She sprinted to the back door and out into the courtyard only to find that Rupert and Sven were within yards of the workshop entrance; two tall blond men, elegantly dressed in immaculately-cut designer suits and matching overcoats with velvet collars; Rupert’s navy blue, Sven’s a dark charcoal grey. Sven had added a pair of leather gloves, probably to protect himself from potential contact with germs. Millie was suddenly reminded of a pair of undertakers and only a flock of revolving crows was needed to complete the ominous picture.
Her ears pricked up as she listened in to their conversation.
‘So, completion at the end of January?’
‘Sure. The funds are available as soon as you tell me the house has been vacated. The bulldozers will be on standby from the first.’
A nip of dread shot through Millie’s veins. Had she heard right? Had Sven actually said the word bulldozers? Oh, God, could Rupert have madeaworsechoice for the new owner of Stonelea Manor?
She hurried to catch the men up and arrived outside the workshop at the same time they did. Rupert glanced at her in irritation as he opened the door to be presented with a view of Leo and Mike’s buttocks as they bent over to inspect Tim’s pride and joy, the upturned remote-controlled, solar-powered, ride-on lawn mower.
‘Excuse me? Who are you?’ asked Rupert, a faint hint of panic in his tone.
Leo turned around, a ready smile on his lips, his hand extended to greet the new arrivals, but his smile faded when he registered the expression of belligerence on Sven’s face.
‘Leo Groves, of Groves and Hindmarsh,’ he said, a formal note creeping into his voice. ‘This is my business partner, Mike Sanderson.’
Mike stepped forward, his bulk forcing Rupert and Sven to retreat a few steps into the courtyard, causing Millie to take an unexpected stride backwards where her heel connected with a loose cobble and she tumbled to the ground, landing on her bottom with a loudharmph.
In an instant, she was righted by a strong pair of hands. From the whiff of lemony cologne, she knew immediately that Zach had come to her aid and the tension that had been rising in her body melted. She watched him swiftly take everything in and swing into action.
‘Perhaps you’d be better having this meeting in the house?’
‘Ah, Zach,’ said Rupert, offering him his palm. ‘I…’
But he got no further. An almighty explosion wrenched the air, sending debris flying into the courtyard and everyone running for cover. Zach wasted no time rushing into the workshop, fighting his way through upended spades, buckets, pitchforks, brooms and ancient, rust-covered garden implements like an explorer in virgin jungle, until he reached the side of a very dazed Tim.
Millie was inches behind him, taking in the wide-eyed surprise on Tim’s face as he surveyed his beloved workshop in distress. Relief seeped through her body when she saw he was unhurt but doused in a generous coating of vivid green powder that made him look like the Incredible Hulk’s more puny brother. With Leo and Mike’s help, Zach escorted Tim through the jumble of tools into the courtyard – just in time to witness the whole of the workshop’s roof tumble down in their wake, sending a cloud of silver dust into the sky that then rained down on the audience like grey snow.
‘Ergh!’ Sven exclaimed, covering his hair with his forearms, turning his back on the fallout, and making a dash for the boot room, with Rupert, Leo and Mike close behind him.
Millie was about to follow everyone into the library when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She removed it and glanced at the screen, smiling at Zach.
‘My sister, Jen. I’ll catch you up.’
She began walking up the stairs so she could take her call in private.
Chapter Fourteen
‘Hello?’
‘Oh, Millie, thank God! I’ve been ringing you for the last half hour!’
‘Hi, Jen. Sorry, things have been a bit manic around here. Would you believe Tim has just almost blown himself up and the worst thing is—’
‘Yes, yes,’ Jen interrupted, a wobble in her voice. ‘Is Claudia with you?’
‘No. Why?’
‘Are you sitting down?’
‘What do you mean?ShouldI sit down?’
‘It would probably be best if you did.’
