Page 26 of Rough Around the Hedges

“Well, of course. The contract requires them to have insurance with legal cover, but even that will only cover so much—even the formal association won’t help much. Sending a letter of warning is far cheaper than seeking to sue and prove I did make a reasonable effort.” I shrugged. “There’s no definition of ‘reasonable’ written anywhere, so they’d be facing a lengthy, expensive battle, and the allotments will close down anyway. I doubt any of the plot holders are secret millionaires, so I’m not too worried about it.”

“I suppose you’re right. And, financially speaking, it’d be better if we don’t find a new place. It’s not as though their merry band of gardeners are going to stump up more money for the plot fees, is it? We’d have to raise them considerably to make any relocation worth it.”

“It’s unlikely that they would.” I put the information on Rose down in front of me and rubbed the back of my neck. “I looked over the agreements. Grandpa didn’t raise the fees above inflation rates for over twelve years, and I doubt he’d have raised them at all if it weren’t for the fact their water rates are included in the plot fees. He only raised them in line with the water company’s charges.”

“It really is a money pit,” Luke agreed, opening his laptop on his knees. “If I didn’t know the value of the land, I’d be surprised that Tierney Construction is willing to pay so much.”

“Mm, it’s Ascot Homes now.”

“Right, they were sold. The owner of Tierney Construction was murdered, wasn’t he?”

“Yes. His wife—well, widow, I suppose—is in the middle of the contract right now. It’s why our deal is being delayed. It’s all a part of that merger.” I rolled my shoulder and tilted my head to stretch my neck. “I wish they’d get on with it so I wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

“You’ll certainly feel that way after you meet Rose Matthews properly.”

There wasn’t a chance I could tell him that I already knew Rose Matthews far more intimately that he could ever imagine.

“When am I supposed to be meeting her?”

“That’s up to you. According to her, you’re in breach of the contract. If you don’t meet her within forty-eight hours, she’s going to start legal action.”

I stilled. “What the fuck did you say to her, Luke?”

“Nothing!” He held up his hands. “Just that you could meet her next week. You are quite busy, after all.”

“So, let me get this right.” I leant forwards on my desk, pressing my fingertips together. “You read Rose Matthews’ rap sheet, found out she has a cell with her name on it for ‘time out’ sessions because of her wild behaviour, and we know she was able to keep my grandfather in check. What part of all of that made you think pissing her off was a good idea?”

Luke coughed into his hand. “All due respect, Oli, you pissed her off first by closing the allotments.”

“Don’t piss her off further, then,” I replied. “It’s going to make my life a nightmare if she’s continuously getting angrier about it. I have no intention of changing my mind, but that doesn’t mean I want to make things more difficult for myself.”

“I think you made things extremely difficult for yourself when you took over this title.”

I ran my hand through my hair. “You say it as though I bought the dukedom rather than inheriting it by nature of my birth.”

“Same thing.”

“Hardly. I could choose not to take over the company after Dad died; inheriting the four-hundred-year-old dukedom was not and is not a choice. No matter how much I dislike this stupid village.” I rested my chin on my hand and looked out of the window. “Honestly, I want to wrap up the necessary things here and go back to London as soon as I can.”

“Being away from the company is something you’re going to have to learn to deal with.” Luke stacked his papers and tapped the bottom of the stack on my desk to line them up. “If you’re not going to sell off all the dukedom’s assets the way you once told your grandfather you would, then you must be here to manage them.”

“Or I could just make you manage them all.”

“Perish the thought, Your Grace.”

“Speaking fancy doesn’t suit you. And again, don’t call me that,” I grumbled. “I get it from everyone else. I don’t need it from my best friend, too.”

Luke chuckled and stood up. “When should I tell the local lunatic to come and see you?”

I sighed and looked at the calendar on my computer screen. “I’m supposed to be picking my mother up from the airport tomorrow, aren’t I? Could you get her instead?”

“Oh, no. She called me. She’s extending her trip by another two weeks. She’s decided to go to Bali for some soul soothing time.”

“Some soul soothing time,” I echoed. “Have the four months in Australia and eastern Asia not been enough soul soothing forher? Didn’t she spend three weeks at a retreat in some Buddhist temple in rural Japan?”

“Well, your mother is quite eccentric.”

Mm.

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