Page 41 of He's the One

It drew close to the time when the auction was due to start and no one had moved into the reserved seats. Col was about to google the Marquess of Farnstall to see if he could find out anything about the difficulties his mum had alluded to, when Darnley came into the marquee followed by Theo and a young woman. Col put his phone away. The three of them went to sit on the platform, then two older couples and three young women took the reserved seats. There was a hush as they came in so Col assumed two of them were Darnley’s parents. The age seemed wrong though. Darnley was too old.

Col looked up at Theo and found Theo was looking at him. Col returned Theo’s smile and his heart beat faster.

Darnley stood up, rapped a gavel on a block of wood and the marquee quietened. “Good evening, Lord and Lady Wetherby, Lord and Lady Munro, ladies and gentlemen.”

Darnley’s cultured voice easily carried to the back of the tent without a mic. Col wondered what it was like to be the son of a marquess, knowing you’d have the title when your father died and you’d inherit a place like Asquith. What happened if you didn’t want to? He guessed that wasn’t an option.

“This is Asquith’s first promises auction,” Darnley said. “Thank you to all those who have so generously offered a promise of their time and expertise or an opportunity to do something different. Thank you to the Marquess and Marchioness of Farnstall for hosting the event and indeed, the annual Autumn Show. A percentage of the profits from today will be shared with Broughton’s Women’s Institute who desperately need their venue refurbishing, work that will also benefit the various organisations that use Broughton village hall. If you wish to leave before the end of the auction and you’ve made a winning bid, please speak to Matthew who’s sitting at a desk by the door. He’ll relieve you of your money and give you contact details.”

As the event got underway, Theo’s job appeared to be to point out bidders that Darnley hadn’t spotted. Col was staggered by some of the sums raised. There was a fierce war to have your name used in a book by an author Col had never heard of. A day’s fishing on some river in Scotland raised over four thousand pounds. Re-spraying a car went for five thousand pounds.

Col grew more nervous as they approached his lot. What if no one bid? He didn’t want Theo to pay money he couldn’t afford. Or his mum. Col understood what Theo meant now about sending him a semaphore message, but he’d seen no sign so far from Theo that any lot had been his. The opening bid for Col’s stonemasonry skills was fifty pounds, which was at least more than the sum raised by ‘two hours reading to someone housebound’. Col breathed out a sigh of relief, only to tense when he heard a familiar voice bid one hundred.Shit!He looked across the tent to see Robert smirking at him.Oh fuck.

While Col was busy panicking, the bids kept coming in small increments until there were only two bidders left. Robert and one of the men in the reserved seats. Robert jumped his bid to a thousand pounds, and Theo made his first bid of twelve hundred.Oh God.The bids still came fast and as Darnley brought the hammer down, Col wasn’t sure who’d won or how much had been bid.

“Sold! The next lot is making a birthday cake of any design. We’ll start at twenty pounds.”

Theo had a smile on his face, which enabled Col to take a breath. Robert was not going to be happy about losing. A moment later, Col spotted him storming out of the tent.

Col’s phone vibrated to tell him he had a message.

Hope I won U and not some other stonemason! Bid on 39, plz. Texting easier than semaphore esp when I forgot my flags

Col checked the catalogue. It was an offer of a day metal detecting.

I’ll pay U backTheo added.

How much should I go up to?

Whatever it takes. Make me yours

Col didn’t dare look at Theo after reading that. He waited until the bidding had started and took in what interest there was, but a hundred and thirty pounds later, Col had won.

The final lot was sold at just gone seven and Col queued up to pay. Theo was a long way ahead of him in the line. Col really couldn’t afford to splurge a hundred and thirty pounds on a day’s metal detecting, even though it sounded fun, but he wasn’t going to let Theo pay him back. Not after Theo had paid far too much to save him from Robert. Col wasn’t sure he could do anything about that except perhaps withdraw his promise.

He left the tent holding an envelope, hoping Robert was long gone. When someone tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped and spun round to see his mum.

“You did well.” She beamed at him. “Though I wasn’t sure who’d won your promise at first. Not until I saw Robert stomp off.”

“I wasn’t sure either. I suspect the marquess’s son meant for Robert to win.”

She frowned. “The auctioneer isn’t the marquess’s son.”

Col gaped at her. “He isn’t?”

“The son is the younger man on the platform.”

Oh my God. Theo?“Ah.” Col tried to show as little reaction as possible, but his heart was beating like crazy.

“So more stonemasonry work at Asquith! And who are you going metal detecting with?”

He shrugged.

“Open the envelope.”

“It’s just a phone number.”Theo’s.

“Oh, well I hope it’s someone fun. We’re heading home now, sweetheart. Picking up some Chinese food. Would you like us to get you something?”

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