Return to Harvest Hall

Return to Harvest Hall

Daisy Truman cast a glance around the inn, affording the odd nod of acknowledgement to those looking her way. Returning her gaze to Adam without a trace of humour, she said, ‘Nice, so many people turning out in my honour—albeit those I haven’t seen in a month of Sundays.’

Adam gave her a wry smile. ‘Unappreciative as ever.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Daisy’s blue eyes flashed with indignation. ‘I’m not unappreciative—they’re hangers on, anything for a free ...’

‘Nonetheless, there’ll be those sorry to see you go, including me,’ Adam remarked, taking a covert look at the gathering.

Daisy’s eyes lowered to her glass as she swirled the white wine. ‘Needs be, I’ve made a vow to return the pension funds people were defrauded of. Tracking them down will take time, and then there’s the upkeep of the estate. All-in-all, there’s no choice other than to quit.’

Adam reached for her arm, saw her resentful glance but gently took it nonetheless, turning her to face him. ‘I don’t like the idea of you chasing around the countryside on your own—there are going to be a lot of miffed people—not all will be appreciative of your efforts.’

Daisy shrugged, her curly blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders. ‘So then, perhaps I’ll need a sidekick.’

Adam looked open-mouthed. ‘Are you saying you want me to quit this job and join you?’

‘Nothing of the sort. After all, you’re the first in line for promotion.’

Daisy drained her glass, placed it on a nearby table, swung away, arms folded as Adam gave a heavy sigh. ‘Oh, you’re just as impossible as ever.’

‘And I’m just as pissed off with this gathering as I ever was. I’ll say my goodbyes.’

‘If you’re thinking of calling a cab, don’t bother, I’ll drive you home.’

Daisy narrowed her eyes, ‘You’ve been drinking.’

Raising his glass, Adam inspected it as though it were a specimen jar. ‘I’ve hardly had a pint all evening, and besides it’s pisswat—‘

‘Are you criticising my choice of venue?’

Adam slapped his forehead, ‘For Ch—

Daisy’s lips curved into a smile. ‘It’s okay, I accept your offer.’ Tapping him on the arm, she added, ‘learn to know when I’m joking.’

‘An impossible task,’ Adam muttered beneath his breath, brushing back his dark, wavy hair and watching Daisy do her rounds, all sweet smiles and kisses—except when it came to him. Why was she so close to his heart? Did she even realise it? And just what was Daisy getting at? If the truth were known, he’d jump at the chance to accompany her. But it was clear Daisy was on a mission. The job would need to go, and he’d need to fund himself, somehow, and she’d given him the impression his attendance wasn’t necessary—as always.

***

Adam took a quick glance at Daisy, her attractive oval face fixed straight ahead; she’d been quiet throughout their twenty-minute drive to Harvest Hall. Now, as its towers loomed in the distance, Adam turned to her—

‘Keep your eyes on the road.’

Resisting a howl of frustration, ‘I was merely going to ask when you intended embarking on this crusade of yours.’

‘It’s not a crusade,’ Daisy said stiffly, turning her face slowly towards him. ‘It’s called doing what’s right.’

‘Whatever.’

‘I need to plan my agenda, put it into a logical sequence of visits, geographically speaking, and I’ll need to check that William keeps Jane in check,’ a slight smile flickered on Daisy’s face as she added, ‘make sure she doesn’t take over the house while I’m away.’ Daisy pulled the remote from her pocket, pressed to open the gates and as Adam drove through, added, ‘You can stay if you want.’

‘I have to work in the morning.’

Daisy shrugged, giving Adam the feeling that his staying or going was of no consequence to her, and as if to confirm as much, said, ‘Suit yourself.’

Glancing across to the west wing, she saw that it was still bathed in light. ‘Surely not, does that woman have no other life? Oh well, if she’s going to keep the midnight oil burning, I may as well take this chance to clarify a few things in my absence.’

And with that, Daisy was gone, leaving Adam alone. Did he go or did he stay? Adam watched her nimbly climb the steps beneath the colonnade and then trudged behind her.

***

Daisy marched through the large hallway and turned left, her shoes resounding on the wooden flooring as she headed for the west wing. Opening the solid oak door at the end, she found herself staring at a newly-installed and highly polished reception desk, above which, the sign Weston-Lafarge Strength and Fitness Centre shone bright and bold.

Her surprise, however, lay in the occupant of the desk’s chair. Her expectation had been to find the tall, powerful redheaded Jane, whereas it was her partner, Daisy’s blond cousin William Weston, who sat before her.

Daisy swung around, took in the interior, the glossy reception area and beyond the glass partition, the gym proper, now in semi-darkness.

‘Great taste,’ she said, her expression deadpan. ‘Anyway, I expected to find your fiancée.’

William sat forward, cupped his hands together. ‘You can call her Jane,’ he said wryly.

‘I could call her plenty of other things,’ Daisy retorted, perching herself on the desk beside him.

‘Except that I don’t think you mean it, you’ve been almost tolerant of one another of late—you seem quite disappointed that it’s not her in my place.’

‘I was keying myself up for the verbal encounter, I guess.’ She frowned. ‘Anyway, why are you burning the midnight oil?’

William glanced at the clock. ‘I’d hardly call it that.’

Daisy’s gaze remained steadfast. ‘You know what I mean, answer my question.’

William looked up at her, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. ‘Guests usually use the chairs.’

‘I’m not a guest, I’m your landlord, now spit.’

As if he’d been expecting the sharp response, William grinned. ‘Okay, Miss Bossy Boots, just tying up some loose ends before the big launch next week, which you’ll no doubt be missing with this venture of yours.’

Daisy eyed her cousin crossly. ‘Why does everyone try to belittle this? This venture as you put it is aimed at paying back the pension funds that were illegally stashed here for Stapleton and his cronies to steal, to the people who are owed it. It needs to be done.’

Now the smile faded from William’s face. ‘Don’t think they’ll thank you for it.’

‘I don’t think that at all.’ Daisy drummed her fingers on the desk. ‘Anyway, I’ve just had this conversation.’

‘With Adam.’ William nodded knowingly. ‘Well, he cares, when are you going to realise that? Sometimes, Dais, I think you’ve got more brains than sense; you’ve got more qualifications than the length of my arms put together, and you end up as a ranger.’

‘Head ranger,’ Daisy interrupted indignantly.

‘Okay, head ranger,’ be that as it may, you have a penchant for acting first and considering the consequences later—look at the trouble we’ve had at Harvest Hall—you could have ended up dead, but have you learned from that? Oh no, you’re setting yourself up for a new mission of principle with who knows what dangers lying ahead—and are you going to listen?’

Daisy leaned closer, breathed in his ear. ‘A simple word, ‘No.’

William drew back, sighed. ‘That’s four words.’

‘But only one of them counts.’

And with that, Daisy Truman leapt from the desk and headed into the heart of the house, hustling through the morning room before crossing the cavernous foyer and entering the main lounge, where she saw Adam flicking through the channels on her flatscreen TV.

“So you’re staying and engaging in the absorbing habit of channel hopping.”

Adam sighed, placed the remote on the side of the Queen Anne chair. “Hardly, nothing on the box. I was dropping off waiting for you.”

Raising her eyebrows, Daisy asked, “Why?”

Adam slapped a hand across his face, tried to think of a smart-ass answer, but it was pointless; he elected for, “Like, where do I sleep?”

Daisy glanced across the spacious room, her blue eyes resting on the Chesterfield sofa. WIthout returning her gaze to him, she said, “Well, you normally just crash out there,” adding before he could comment, “but there’s a bed made up in the room next to mine if you’re not afraid of ghosts?”

Adam waited for Daisy’s eyes to meet his and said with a wry twist to his lips, “I thought our grey spectre friend had departed now that the Harvest Hall riddle has been solved.”

Daisy’s lips curved into a smile. “No, not exactly; he’s maintaining a quiet presence and still exuding a chill when he passes through, just as a reminder he’s still around.”

Daisy stretched. “Which prompts me to add, I’ll be heading upstairs now. I need to formulate the plan of action early tomorrow morning.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Adam stated, following her up the broad staircase.

“Really?” Daisy glanced back at him, her blonde curls tumbling over her shoulder. “You’re about to let me in on whether I’m playing the Lone Ranger or not. Well,” she continued as Adam opened his mouth, “tell me tomorrow, I’m due some shut-eye.” Pointing to the oak-panelled door next to hers, she added, “Your bed awaits.”

Adam shook his head, left to stare at Daisy’s shapely backside as she vanished into her room.

***