‘First hurdle over, folks. I’ve got a second interview tomorrow.’
Hester felt nervous as she mounted the steps to the elegant house in Albany Square the following morning. Which was silly. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she didn’t get the job. But, having met Mr Jones again, she was very keen to work for the man she’d had such a crush on when she was a teenager. And the bonus of six weeks generous salary while she was filling in time wouldn’t hurt, either. The original plan for the gap between jobs had been a holiday in the South of France, but she’d kept that secret in case it fell through at the last minute. Which it had.
The butler gave her a friendly smile as he opened the door. ‘Good morning, Miss Ward. I’ll show you straight upstairs.’
This time Connah Carey Jones was waiting at the open study door to greet her.
‘Thank you for coming again at short notice.’ He led her to the chair in front of the desk. ‘To get straight to the point, your credentials tick all the boxes, Miss Ward. I notice you even live here in town.’
‘Yes. Though it’s actually my stepfather’s house.’
His eyes sharpened. ‘You don’t feel welcome there?’
She shook her head. ‘On the contrary, Robert couldn’t be kinder.’
When his phone rang he glanced at it, then, with a word of apology, left the room. Hester’s tension mounted as she waited for him to come back. It looked as though the job was hers. But first she had to tell him that they’d met before. He obviously didn’t remember her. No surprise there. He’d been so worried about his lady at the time he’d had no attention to spare for a chubby teenager with heavy eye make-up and yards of blonde corkscrew curls. She was ten years older now, twenty pounds lighter, and her smooth coiled hair and discreet cosmetics were more in keeping with her job.
Connah Carey Jones came back into the room shortly afterwards and sat behind the desk. ‘John has checked your references, Miss Ward, and has also run a security check on your background—’
‘Before you go on,’ she said, bracing herself, ‘I must tell you that we’ve already met.’
He sat back in his chair, nodding slowly as he trained his eyes on her face. ‘I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint why.’
‘Until I saw you yesterday,’ she said quickly, ‘I didn’t know we’d met before. I’d read about you in the press, but I’d never seen a photograph—’
‘Because I make very sure I keep out of the limelight,’ he assured her. ‘I’m not a social animal, so where exactly did we meet, Miss Ward?’
‘You came knocking on the door of our B & B one night, looking for accommodation.’
He stared at her, arrested. ‘That was your home?’
‘Yes. We were supposed to be closed, but it was snowing, so my mother hadn’t the heart to turn you away.’
‘And I thanked God for it. I’ve never forgotten her kindness.’ He frowned. ‘But I’m afraid I don’t remember you.’
‘I was the one who brought your trays up.’
‘The teenager with yards of hair?’ He smiled, surprised. ‘You look very different now.’
‘Ten years is a long time,’ she said wryly.
‘It is indeed.’ He looked at her in silence for a moment. ‘Right. Let’s get down to brass tacks, Miss Ward. You and your mother were so kind I’m only too glad to return the favour in some small way. If you want this job, it’s yours.’
She smiled warmly. ‘Thank you. I promise to take good care of your daughter.’
‘Good. Talking of Lowri, you need some details about her.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Let me give you some lunch while I put you in the picture.’
The meal was served under a vine-covered pergola overlooking a suntrap patio garden at the back of the house.
‘May I give you some wine?’ asked Connah.
‘Thank you. I’m walking today; my car’s in for service.’
‘You won’t need your own car while you’re here,’ he informed her as he filled glasses. ‘Sam Cooper will drive you wherever you need to go. His official job description is butler, but he’s a great deal more than that. While Lowri is here with me, his priority is security.’
Hester eyed him, startled. ‘You’re afraid of kidnap?’
‘Afraid isn’t the exact term. Let’s say I keep a constant guard against the possibility.’
‘Does Lowri know this?’
‘No.’ The handsome face set in grim lines. ‘Nor, if humanly possible, do I intend her to find out.’
‘But how do you manage when she’s at school?’
‘I chose one with security as one of its top priorities.’
‘But she had a nanny up to that point?’
He nodded. ‘Her mother died when she was born, and my mother brought her up with the help of a girl from the village. When Lowri went away to school Alice stayed on to help my mother for a while, but she got married recently; hence the problem for the school holiday. My mother’s recovering from heart surgery and can’t take care of Lowri this time.’
Hester looked thoughtful as she helped herself to salad. ‘Does Lowri like boarding school?’
‘She took to it like a duck to water, thank God. Now,’ he added briskly, ‘down to business.’
Connah Carey Jones made his requirements very plain. Without letting his daughter feel she was being watched every minute of the day, Lowri’s safety was to be Hester’s main concern.
‘Sam will drive you to the park, or into town for shopping. This last, by the way, is urgent. Lowri needs new clothes. She’s growing rapidly, particularly her feet. But you can leave school shoes until the end of the holiday,’ he added, with an unexpected touch of economy.
‘I shall do my best for her,’ she assured him.
He nodded briskly. ‘I feel sure you will, Miss Ward. In this household, by the way, we’re all on first name terms. Are you happy with that?’
‘Of course.’
‘Good.’ He smiled briefly. ‘I hope you enjoy your stay with us. Feel free to ask me for anything you need.’ He looked up as Sam appeared with a coffee tray. ‘Hester has agreed to work with us during Lowri’s school holiday, Sam. I’ve put your many and varied services at her disposal.’
‘Right you are.’ Sam gave Hester a friendly smile and set the tray down in front of her. ‘I live in the basement flat, so I’m always on hand.’
‘Thank you.’ Hester smiled at him warmly. ‘I’ll depend on you to show me the ropes.’
‘You can run Hester home later, Sam,’ said Connah. ‘I’ll give you a call when she’s ready.’ He leaned back, relaxed, as Hester dealt with the coffee. ‘This is pleasant. I should eat out here more often.’
‘Does Lowri share your evening meal, or should I make supper earlier for her?’
‘When I’m home we eat together, to make the most of each other’s company. But I’ll let you know in good time if I can’t make it.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled. ‘It would also help if you could give me an idea of Lowri’s tastes. At her age I was a bit picky.’
He shrugged. ‘Lowri will coax for fast food because the school doesn’t allow it. Indulge her now and again as a treat, but otherwise just make sure she keeps