Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, Jenny Kane [hardest books to read .TXT] 📗

‘Engraved on my memory.’

‘Looking back, that’s when I started to lose my perspective. He was laying out a future where I wasn’t part of Landscape Treasures, albeit simply because of a change in status for Treasure Hunters. I know I said to you that I was cool with moving on after the show, that I knew it couldn’t last forever. No presenting job does. But, it wasn’t you I was trying to convince. It was me.’

Thea closed her eyes as she listened to Shaun explain how he’d been seized by panic that the career he loved was about to be taken from him, and although he did have Mill Grange to work at, and there’d be a lifetime of talks and books to write ahead of him if he wanted it, he hadn’t been ready to let go.

Then, with Julian giving Thea more and more screen time, combined with the fact she’d heard him talking on the phone about a change in personnel – and had kept that knowledge to herself – Shaun had become convinced that, not only was he for the chop, but that he’d be replaced by the woman he loved.

Shaun looked at her imploringly. ‘I told myself I was paranoid. That you’d never do that to me and that Julian was just the producer. He doesn’t get to make those sorts of decisions, so it was all fine.’

‘But then you discovered Julian had invited me to a hotel to discuss my future on screen.’ Thea groaned. ‘I really am sorry I didn’t tell you straightaway.’

‘I know, and if I’d been thinking logically, I’d have accepted your reasons for not wanting to worry me or disturb our break at Mill Grange. But the insecurities about my future had taken hold, and common sense had flown out of the window. I couldn’t stop wondering what I’d be without Landscape Treasures. I didn’t want to be someone who resented my partner.’ Shaun took another mouthful of beer. ‘I can’t say I’ve liked myself very much lately.’

Thea said nothing, afraid that if she spoke now it would break the spell and Shaun would clam up again.

‘Ajay and Andy have given me a hell of an ear bashing.’ He gave a puff of exasperation. She smiled, but still said nothing, hoping he’d get to the point

‘Anyway, then I heard the recording. I couldn’t believe it at first, and then I could. Only Julian could think such tactics were still acceptable.’

A silence fell over the room for a moment. Thea checked her watch. ‘Are you going to tell me why you walked out on Mill Grange, what happened when you saw Julian when you got back to the Cotswolds before me, and, more to the point, what happened when you saw him at the telly studios? If not, I must get going. I promised Tina I’d have her home around ten. I’m already late.’

Shaun sat up. ‘Sorry, yes. So, short version, I left Mill Grange in a huff because I was a stupid idiot with hurt pride and an imagined looming career crisis. When I got back to the Cotswolds prior to your arrival at the request of the Cotswold Archaeology folk – via a message from Julian, I went to consolidate the paperwork for the site in general, so it could be handed over to the locals for the remainder of the excavation.

‘Julian only returned to the area a few hours before you did. He found me and the AA in the pub, and that’s when he took me through to the function room and dropped the bombshell. He told me that he’d heard you and I were estranged and that he trusted I had no objection to him asking you out as well as offering you my job.’

‘He said what?’ Thea jumped off the sofa, about to demand to know how Shaun could even consider that she’d agree to go out with Julian, when a thought stopped her. ‘Hang on, how did he know about our situation? I’m not even sure what it is.’

‘Andy. He rang me to apologise afterwards. Apparently, Julian was going on about you being wasted on me, and he snapped, telling Julian he should be proud of himself for breaking us up.’

‘Oh.’ Thea’s words came out as a whisper. ‘You told Andy we’d split up.’

‘Not in so many words, but I assumed you’d left me.’

‘You left me!’ Thea was furious. ‘I gave you the chance to talk and you walked away.’

‘I already said I was an idiot for doing that!’

‘This is ridiculous. We’re going around in circles. Again!’ Thea thumped back onto the sofa. ‘So, Julian had just told you he wanted to ask me out when you found me in the pub with the AA. We did our onscreen bit, and then you heard the recordings I’d taken of Julian being creepy. So, now skip to the bit where you disappear without a word, again, and go to the television studio.’

Draining his pint, Shaun grunted. ‘I didn’t go straight to Bristol. I knew I wasn’t thinking straight, so I decided to use my common sense. I waited, booked into a pub in Cirencester for a few nights to cool off and sort a few final things out with the folks in the museum about the mosaic. It was a few days later that I went to Bristol and spoke to Julian.’

‘But not the board?’

‘No. I might still do that though.’

‘What did Julian say?’

‘You should have seen his face when he realised I had a recording of your conversation. I told him that, unless he told me exactly what was going on, I would take it to the board.’

‘Did he tell you?’

‘Eventually.’ Shaun gave Thea a hopeful half smile. ‘We were both wrong. Julian never had any intention of replacing me on Landscape Treasures.’

‘He hadn’t?’ Thea leaned nearer to Shaun. ‘But everything he said was—’

‘Intended to undermine us.’

‘It worked.’ Thea’s forehead crinkled into wrinkles.

‘Hopefully not irrevocably.’

‘What was he planning then?’

‘Julian Blackwood is