Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama), Carole Williams [ebook reader 8 inch .TXT] 📗

Charles raised the other eyebrow.  Delia snorted with derision.  Richard looked stupefied and Ruth intrigued.  Barrie concentrated on his pudding.

Vicky took no notice and continued enthusiastically.  “Between us we have the necessary skills and expertise to make it work.  Alex is the brains, Barrie has the charm, perfect for fronting it all and I know all the right people … really Daddy.  I don’t see how it can go wrong.”

“That’s all very well but exactly where do you plan to get the money to finance such a project,” asked Charles, still trying to get his head round this latest turn of events.

Vicky smiled at Charles sweetly.  “Well … we thought perhaps you might like to invest  . . . ”

“Oh, you did, did you?  I think we’ll see about that when the time comes.  You still have a year to go before you graduate.  Then we’ll see.”

Vicky threw a look of triumph at Barrie.  She knew her father could deny her very little and had high hopes of him coming up trumps when the time was right.

“And what do your parents think of this possible venture, Barrie?” asked Charles.

“Very little, actually, Your Grace.  I haven’t mentioned it to them as yet.”

“I see,” murmured Charles, finishing his pudding and glancing quickly at Delia.  She was beginning to show signs of having drunk too much.  Her eyes were glinting dangerously and there was a definite lean towards Barrie.  He knew he had to talk to her in private about the split with Philip but didn’t know if he could cope with any highly charged emotional issues at the moment.  He was tired after a hectic day travelling back to England but not only that was enjoying Ruth’s company more than he could imagine and didn’t want to dispel the sense of wellbeing she was invoking in him.  Delia could wait until the morning, although he hoped she wasn’t going to upset Vicky in the meantime.  She either hadn’t or didn’t want to notice Delia’s covert flirtatiousness with Barrie as she had been concentrating on talking to Ruth and himself but if Delia continued in the same vein after dinner there would no doubt be hell to pay.  Charles sighed inwardly.  He had been really looking forward to returning to Canleigh to enjoy a happy occasion but instead there were going to be more scenes and tantrums.  He just knew it.

Coffee and liqueurs were served in the library, Ruth trying hard to stifle a yawn.  She was tired too.  It had been a long journey up to Yorkshire and the strain of meeting Richard’s family was beginning to tell and she was really looking forward to the moment when she could crawl into that lovely comfy bed upstairs and drift off into a dreamless sleep.

“Tired?” asked Richard, sitting down beside her on the sofa to the right of the fireplace where they had a reasonably good view of the lake through the French windows.

Ruth smiled at Richard.  “Just a bit.”

“That’s a shame.  I was hoping to take you on a stroll down to the lake … it’s splendid on an evening such as this,” said Richard.

“It sounds delightful but would you mind terribly if we did it tomorrow evening instead?”

Richard nodded, surprised he felt so disappointed and vaguely wondered if his father had suggested it whether or not Ruth would have made the effort and gone with him.  It was an intriguing thought.

Charles had walked over to his desk and was idly flicking through his latest chapter, intending to ask Richard to read it.  Charles respected his opinion on anything he wrote.  Richard was good at constructive criticism.  Vicky and Barrie sat holding hands on the sofa opposite Richard and Ruth and Delia was standing looking out of the windows, staring in the direction of Tangles, deep in thought, a glass of Drambuie in her hand.  That would mix well with the wine, Charles thought critically.  He would talk to her tonight after all.  She was obviously suffering dreadfully and he felt deeply sorry for her.  She would be lost without Philip.  They had been so close for so many years.  During the telephone conversation with Philip earlier, the young man had been somewhat reticent to tell Charles why he and Delia had split but eventually Charles had managed to wheedle out of him that there was another woman.  Charles couldn’t imagine how that must have affected Delia.  She must be utterly devastated.  No.  He couldn’t leave it until the morning.  His child was hurting badly and although their relationship wasn’t of the best, he had to see what he could do to ease her pain.

Delia suddenly turned from the window, grabbed the brandy decanter, poured a liberal amount into her glass and then neatly sandwiched herself on the sofa next to Barrie, ignoring the annoyed look Vicky threw her from Barrie’s other side.

Charles cleared his throat, desperately wanting to break the tension but not quite knowing how to.

“Richard is right, Victoria.  It’s a beautiful evening.  Why don’t you take Barrie for a stroll?”

“God, how boring,” growled Delia, knocking back the Courvoisier in one go.  “I fancy something far more exciting …  how about a good gallop over the fields to clear the cobwebs, Barrie?  I’m sure you can ride … and ride well,” she said, rubbing her hand up and down his leg suggestively, eyes sparkling wickedly and a twisted smile on her lips.  “I’m sure you would find the experience thrilling … especially with me to monitor your every move.”

“Barrie’s going nowhere … and anyway he doesn’t like horses much, do you Barrie?” said Vicky icily.  It was rare she got angry but her blood was boiling now.  How dare her sister muscle in … and so blatantly.  It was