Page 64 of The Diary at the Last House Before the Sea

‘What exactly do you think you heard?’ Bartie’s voice was low and level.

‘I heard you both talking about keeping Geoffrey in the dark about Hannah’s real plans for the house and grounds. Yes, the manor will be turned into luxury apartments, but the grounds and gardens and my mum’s cottage will be bulldozed to make way for an estate of…what was it? Executive-style homes.’

Bartie’s smile had faded like the dying sun. He ran a hand through his fringe. ‘You’ve misunderstood what we were saying.’

‘I don’t think so. I heard you both very clearly.’

‘From behind the trellis?’

‘That’s right,’ said Clara, pulling her shoulders back for courage. She was shivering, even though the evening was balmy.

‘Honestly, you’re over-reacting,’ said Bartie, his tone an odd mixture of annoyed and conciliatory. He waved away a midge that was buzzing around his face. ‘It’s not that bad.’

‘Yes, it is! You’re lying to everyone, Bartie. OK, I can understand you lying to me about Mum’s cottage and claiming we can still hold the charity fete in the grounds each year. You don’t owe me or Mum anything. But Geoffrey and River are family. You often stayed with Geoffrey when you were a teenager and your parents were separating. And River tried to help you, even though you treated him with disdain half the time. So you do owe them.’

Bartie stared at Clara for a moment, his eyes cold. Then he said: ‘Have you spoken about this to Geoffrey?’

‘Not yet. I was getting my head around it, but I will tell him. I have to, even though it will upset him.’ Clara rubbed at her eyes. ‘Do you know, I’ve been sitting here, racking my brains about why you would deceive us and all I can think is that it’s for money. You told Geoffrey you were facilitating the deal out of the goodness of your heart, because he’s family. But I’m guessing your girlfriend is going to give you a hefty commission from the sale.’

‘She’s not my girlfriend,’ said Bartie, stepping closer. ‘You’ve got completely the wrong end of the stick, sweetheart. Hannah is simply a friend of a friend, an acquaintance I hardly know.’

‘You know her well enough to put your hand on her thigh and talk about the first weekend you spent together.’

Bartie stood statue-still for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then his lips curled into a smile that left the chill in his eyes untouched.

‘Oh, Clara. You’ve got this all wrong. That’s what I’ll tell Geoffrey, and who is he more likely to believe? Me, his blood relative, or you, the housekeeper’s daughter who would say anything to save the manor that she likes to think of as her own? I mean, the Netherways don’t have a great reputation. I heard on the village grapevine that one of your relatives was done for stealing jewellery from a member of the Brellasham family.’

‘It was a false accusation. She was exonerated,’ said Clara defiantly, although she felt like crying. ‘And River will believe me.’

Bartie tilted his head to one side. ‘Will he, though? You were thick as thieves back when we were kids, but then he left and ghosted you, basically. And now he has another life in Australia while you’ve hardly moved on at all. Why would he believe you?’

‘Because he doesn’t trust you,’ said Clara, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice.

‘Of course he trusts me. He looks up to me as his older cousin who, let’s face it, has always been way more savvy than him. Plus, I got in touch with him about his old man’s financial worries because I care about Geoffrey.’

‘But you care about your bank balance more. Am I right? Brellasham Manor is River’s birthright and I don’t suppose Geoffrey would agree to sell it without his son’s blessing. That’s why you had to get him involved.’

The sun was almost gone and Bartie’s face was dark with shadow.

‘Look, Clara,’ he said, his voice now purely conciliatory. ‘I should have told Geoffrey the truth about what Hannah’s got in mind but, at the end of the day, he’ll have the money to fund his old age and he’ll soon forget the manor. To be honest, any developer willing to pay decent money is going to want to build in the grounds too. We’re talking about prime land in a sought-after village with marketable charm.’

Clara ran a hand across her face. ‘Maybe. But a different developer might want to build homes that local people can afford. Not executive homes beyond the reach of people like me.’

‘Is that what this is all about? You haven’t got any money and you’d like some? I’m sure we could come to some arrangement so you get a cut of my commission.’

Clara’s mouth fell open. ‘Do you really think that I’d sell out River and Geoffrey for money? That I’d be fine with the manor being ripped apart and Geoffrey’s gardens and my mum’s home destroyed, as long as I benefited from the sale?’ Clara began to walk away. ‘You don’t know me at all.’

‘Clara!’ Bartie called after her. ‘Come back.’ He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her round.

‘Let go of me,’ said Clara, her breath catching in her throat. His fingers were tight on her bare skin.

‘No, we need to discuss this and work out a way forward.’

‘There is no way forward other than telling Geoffrey what you’re up to.’ She tried to pull her arm away but Bartie’s grip was like a vice. ‘Please let go of me.’

‘You heard what Clara said,’ said a voice from the shadows. ‘Let go of her arm.’

When River stepped into view, Bartie laughed. ‘Or what?’

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