‘And that’s good, isn’t it? I know your mother is very anxious about Dominic. She speaks to him every day on the telephone and has plenty of contact with his carers, but he’s not accustomed to having her away for such a long period of time.’
‘When did she tell you this?’
‘She’s phoned me at home a couple of times.’
‘You never mentioned that to me.’
‘I didn’t realise that I was supposed to report back to you on a daily basis...’
‘You’re supposed to understand the limitations of what we have here. You’re supposed to recognise that there are boundaries. Encouraging my mother to telephone you is stepping outside them.’
‘I didn’t encourage your mother to call me!’
‘You gave her your mobile number.’
‘She asked for it. What was I supposed to do? Refuse to give it to her?’
‘My mother plans on returning to Devon tomorrow. She’ll be able to attend the local hospital and I will personally make sure that she has the best in house medical team to hand that money can buy.
‘That’s good.’ She would miss Eleanor Carver. She would miss the company of someone who was kind and witty and the first and only parent substitute she had known since her own mother had died. There had been no breathtaking revelations to the older woman or dark, secret confessions, but it had been an unexpected luxury to feel as though no one expected her to answer questions or be in charge. ‘I guess you’ll be going with her.’
‘I will.’
‘How is that going to work out for you and your work? I know you said that it’s easy to work out of the office but is that really how it’s going to be in practice?’
‘It’ll work.’ He paused and looked at her carefully. ‘The best laid plans, however...’
‘I hate to sound pushy but would you be willing to sign something so that I know you won’t go back on what you promised?’
‘Don’t you trust me?’ he asked, amused.
‘Well, you did put me in this position through some pretty underhand tactics...’
‘Remind me how much your sister is enjoying life in sunny Ibiza...’ Damien waved aside that pointed reminder of his generosity. ‘Naturally, I will be more than happy to sign a piece of paper confirming that your sister won’t be seeing the inside of a prison once our deal is over.’
‘But I thought it was...’ Violet looked at him in confusion.
‘There’s been an unfortunate extension.’ He delivered that in the tone of voice which promised that, whatever he had to say, there would be no room for rebuttal. ‘It seems that your avid attention and cosy chats with my mother on the phone have encouraged her to think that you should accompany me down to Devon.’
‘What?’ Violet stammered.
‘I could repeat it if you like, but I can see from the expression on your face that you’ve heard me loud and clear. Believe me, it’s not something I want either but, given the circumstances, there’s very little room for manoeuvre.’ Could he be treated to anyone looking more appalled than she currently was?
‘Of course there’s room for manoeuvre!’ Violet protested shakily.
‘Shall I tell her that the prospect of going to Devon horrifies you?’
‘You know that’s not the sort of thing I’m talking about. I...I...have loads to do before school starts...classes to prepare for...’
Damien waited patiently as she expounded on the million and one things that apparently required her urgent attention in London before raising his hand to stop her in mid-flow.
‘My mother seems to think that having you around for a few days while her treatment commences would give her strength. She’s aware that you start back at school in a week and a half.’ She had no choice but to do exactly what he said; Damien knew that. When it came to this arrangement, she didn’t have a vote. Still, he would have liked to have her on board without her kicking and screaming every inch of the way. And really, was it so horrific a prospect? Where his mother lived was beautiful. ‘She’s not asking you to ditch your job and sit by her bedside indefinitely.’
‘I know that!’
‘If I can manage my workload out of the office, then I fail to see why you can’t do the same.’
‘It just feels like this is...getting out of control...’
‘Not following you.’
‘You know what I mean, Damien,’ Violet snapped irritably. ‘I thought when I accepted this...this...assignment...that it was only going to be for a few days and it’s already been almost two weeks...’
‘This situation isn’t open to discussion,’ Damien said in a hard voice. ‘You traded your freedom for your sister’s. It’s as simple as that.’
‘And what about when I leave Devon? When do I get my freedom back?’ Violet hated the way she sounded. As though she couldn’t care less about his mother or her recovery. As though the last thing in the world she wanted was to help her in a time of need. And yet this wasn’t what she had signed up for and the prospect of getting in ever deeper with Damien and his family felt horribly dangerous. How could she explain that? ‘I’m sorry, but I have to know when I can expect my life to return to normal.’
‘Your life will return to normal—’ he leaned forward, his expression grim and as cold as the sea in winter ‘—just about the same time as mine does. I did not envisage this happening but it’s happened and here’s how we’re going to deal with it. You’re going to put in an appearance in Devon. You’re going to enjoy long country walks and you’re going to keep my mother’s spirit fighting fit and upbeat as you chat to her about plants and flowers and all things horticultural. At the end of the week, you’re going to return to London and, at that point, your presence will no longer be required. Until such time as I inform you that your participation is redundant, you remain on call.’
Violet blanched. What leg did she have to stand on? He was right. She had effectively traded her freedom for Phillipa’s. While her sister was living a carefree existence in Ibiza, she was sinking ever deeper into a morass that felt like treacle around her. She couldn’t move and all decision-making had been taken out of her hands.
‘The more involved I get, the harder it’s going to be to tell your mother...that...’
‘Leave that to me.’ Damien continued to look at her steadily. ‘There’s another reason she wants you there in Devon,’ he said heavily. ‘And, believe me, I’m not with her on this. But she wants you to meet my brother.’ His mother had never known the reasons for his break-up with Annalise, nor had she ever remarked on the fact that, after Annalise, he had never again brought another woman down to the country estate in Devon. The very last thing he wanted was a break in this tradition, least of all when it involved a woman who was destined to disappear within days.
‘That’s very sweet of her, Damien, but I don’t want to get any more involved with your family than I already am.’
‘And do you think that I do?’ he countered harshly. ‘We both have lives waiting out there for us.’ The fact that control over the situation had somehow been taken out of his hands lent an edge to his anger. When his mother had suggested bringing Violet to Devon, he had told her, gently but firmly, that that would be impossible. He cited work considerations, made a big deal of explaining how long it took to prepare for a new term—something of which he knew absolutely nothing but about which he had been more than happy to expound at length. He had been confident that no such thing would happen. His fake girlfriend would not be setting one foot beyond the hospital