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However, Millie had encountered busier days at Étienne’s, and she realised that her exhaustion was as a result of her churning emotions. For the last two hours she had been treated as one of the villagers; no longer a passing stranger, but an integral part of the community of Berryford, and she loved it.
Through the kitchen window, she watched Mitch round up the last of the stragglers, bundle them into his truck, and zoom away down the driveway. For a couple of wonderful seconds, the room was plunged into silence.
‘Claudia, I need to…’ began Rupert, a wobble of emotion evident in his voice.
‘Why don’t we retire into the library for a nightcap,’ Tim suggested. ‘Millie, Zach, could you join us, please?’
Millie glanced at Zach who gave her one of his signature smirks, shrugged his shoulders and accompanied her to the cosy, book lover’s paradise where the fire glowed with the final embers of the day. Tim chose his favourite wrinkled leather chair and Claudia perched on an upholstered footstool next to him, resting her head on his arm.
A squirm of awkwardness meandered through Millie as she and Zach took the Chesterfield, leaving Rupert to sit in the wing-backed armchair, his head lowered, his hands clasped between his knees, studiously avoiding everyone’s gaze. Millie could see he was desperate to explain himself and to make amends for the mistake he had made. However, she also thought that this was a family discussion that she and Zach should have no part of. Okay, Sven had backed out of the transaction, but the manor’s narrow escape from becoming an Ikea in the Cotswolds was merely a temporary reprieve.
To break the impasse, Zach stepped in to perform the role of host and handed everyone a glass of Cognac. Millie took a sip and enjoyed the way the liquor scorched its way down her throat sending spasms of warmth tingling into her fingertips. She relaxed, leaned back in her seat, and waited for Tim to launch into whatever it was he wanted to say.
‘First of all, I want to thank Zach and Rupert for helping with the workshop roof. Without your help my precious belongings would never have survived the winter. Millie, Claudie, you’ve done an amazing job of keeping everyone’s spirits up by providing a stream of delicious Christmas goodies, so thank you too.’
Tim paused to drop a kiss on Claudia’s head and take a sip of his brandy.
‘Rupert—’
‘No, Tim, I want to speak first.’
At last Rupert raised his head, pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and met Claudia’s gaze. ‘I owe everyone an apology for the way I’ve conducted myself these last few months. I’ve caused unimaginable heartache by my actions. How could I have forgotten what the manor means to the community? It’s just amazing how everyone has rallied around to help in your hour of need. I miss that. I’m sorry.’
‘Thank you, Rupert.’
‘What I can’t forgive myself for is forgetting how much this place means to you, Claudia. It’s not only your place of business – the fabulous cookery school which I know you love – it’s your home, and if someone had tried to take my home away from me, I would have been devastated, but also extremely angry. Since my parents died, you’ve both been nothing but kind to me and I’ve repaid you in the worst way possible. All I can do is beg your forgiveness and promise you that I’ve learned an important lesson today. It’s no one else’s fault but my own that the bank is calling in the loan. I made some rash decisions, but they should never have impacted on you, Claudia, and what you’ve achieved here.’
Rupert took a gulp of his brandy and watched the flames dance in the grate for a few beats.
‘Rupert…’
‘No, Claudia, please. I don’t deserve your words of understanding. I’m flying back to Australia on Saturday, and I intend to sell up. It won’t cover what I owe, but it’ll give me some breathing space. I’m coming back to live in the UK. I’ll get a proper job and I can promise you that my days of speculating are well and truly over.’
‘Rupe, Tim and I will help you out financially, if we can.’
‘No. I made this mess and it’s me who should sort it out. I can’t believe I even contemplated showing Sven this place. What was I thinking? He has no concept of what owning a property in the English countryside means. When I heard what he had planned for the staircase, well, if Millie hadn’t stepped in when she did I think I would have doffed him over the head with a one of your walking sticks!’
All eyes swung to Millie and heat flushed into her cheeks. At Rupert’s insistence she told them about Sven’s proposed steel and glasses staircase, and his plans to electrify the boundary fences, and everyone gasped.
‘Actually, I have Millie to thank for everything really.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Zach, sitting up straighter, his eyes resting on hers with such intensity she had to look away.
‘As you have gathered, Sven prefers a minimalist look when it comes to interior design projects. On the drive over here, he waxed lyrical about how his numerous homes in Sweden boast cutting-edge architectural design. No visible electrical appliances, smooth, glossy surfaces, no soft furnishings and not a picture frame in sight; in effect, a clinical white box in which to spend what little spare time he has. Not my idea of a welcoming home, but each to their own.’
‘What’s that got to do with Millie?’ asked Zach, his smile causing his dimples to appear. ‘If anything, she is the complete opposite. A fully paid-up member of the clutter and mess brigade and as far away from Sven on the spectrum of orderliness as it’s possible to get.’
‘Exactly! Claudia, you weren’t here when we arrived. You should have seen the look on Sven’s face when he saw the state of the kitchen.’
‘What do you mean the state of the kitchen?’
A swirl of remorse spun through Millie’s chest, and she cast a swift glance at Tim who chuckled with delight. ‘Erm, yes, actually, I think I need to take the credit for half of that. I offered to help Millie out with this morning’s tutorial as sous chef. I had the best fun outside of my workshop, but I don’t think I’m going to be stepping in your shoes any time soon, darling. I’m afraid to say that by the time we’d finished eating brunch the place was, well, a little untidy.’
‘Untidy? It looked like the Cotswolds Culinary Massacre!’ declared Rupert, warming to his subject, his head raising as he realised he had been forgiven for his slip in integrity. ‘Sven was horrified, and I think that spelled the beginning of his escape back to civilisation. He had only seen the house from the photographs I’d sent him and, as they were the promotional ones Claudia uses to publicise the cookery courses, they are pretty stunning.’
‘You mean Sven couldn’t look past a little bit of clutter?’ asked Claudia.
‘Oh, I’m sure he was able to do that. No, that was just the prologue to the horror story that was about to unfold for the addict of symmetry and uniformity. That’s where Millie came in.’
