Chapter 7

Noah tossed his car keys onto his bedside table. They landed on top of the notebook he’d liberated from the boathouse. For days he had waited for the right moment to tackle the subject with his father, but after lunch with Derek and Lucy he thought he might as well get it over with. What was one more person upset at him when he’d already embarrassed one friend and shattered the illusions of another?

He didn’t know what had come over him today. Perhaps it was the arrival of another huge bill in the post which had caused him to act like a grade A pillock, or it could have been simple jealousy. He wanted Lucy to look at him the way she’d looked at Derek, with interest instead of derision. All of a sudden it was important she knew why he couldn’t simply lose himself in the magic anymore. Those days ended when his mother walked out the door.

Somehow he’d find a way to make things up to both of them. Even if it meant playing bridesmaid three months down the line. Well, there was more chance of that happening than of him standing in as the groom. There was enough going on here that he should be concentrating all his efforts on rather than pitting his ego against Lucy’s admirers. The battle for her affections was not one he could afford to win.

Noah lifted the book and flicked through the pencil sketches. They represented his father’s simplistic view of life here before the great depression, but he did have talent and it was a shame to let it go to waste. He braced himself for another session of banging his head off a brick wall and went to find his father.

It didn’t take a genius to work out where he was. Sam Ravenhill was in his favourite chair by the window, staring out at a view Noah had long grown tired of.

“I found this in the boathouse.” He opened the book at a drawing of the dogs weaving through the rushes at the lake and set it on his father’s lap. The picture could’ve come straight from the day they’d spent there with Lucy and was one of Noah’s particular favourites.

The artist glanced at his long forgotten work of art and stroked a hand over the fine pencil strokes.

“I think Lucy would love to see these.” Noah took advantage of the spark of interest he could see in the old man’s eyes.

“Really?”

“Definitely. She seemed keen when you mentioned your paintings too.” He couldn’t remember a time when Lucy didn’t display enthusiasm for anything relating to the castle. Except for his dastardly scheme to remodel, obviously.

“She’s a nice girl, Lucy. I like having her around the old place. She gives it a bit of life.”

Noah couldn’t agree more. He looked forward to every one of her bookings here, so he had someone to spar with and add a bit of excitement to the day. What a pity he’d made sure she would probably never set foot in the west wing again. After his performance today he wouldn’t blame her if she avoided him altogether from now on.

“Perhaps you should dig out some of your old stuff to let her see next time she comes over.” There was no need for his father to know that he and Lucy weren’t exactly on great terms at the minute, and absolutely no reason to go into the circumstances behind their falling out. To keep the trauma of change at a minimum he would let his father in on his expansion ideas when everything was finalised and not beforehand.

A sharp rap on the kitchen door was followed by Mrs. Wright entrance into the inner sanctum. “Excuse me, Mr. Ravenhill. There’s someone asking for you up at the main house.”

She swept out again without making direct eye contact or going into details of their visitor. Noah sighed. He knew she was addressing him and not his father because she hadn’t used his Christian name in over a decade. One stupid mistake had cost him her friendship, and respect, and he didn’t know if they could ever move past it. At least she didn’t blame his father for his failings and still went out of her way to make him comfortable. Noah could put up with her Victorian governess attitude to him as long as she treated the Earl as part of her family.

They didn’t have any big functions booked for today, only a corporate meeting and a few who had paid to see around the grounds, not the house itself. His presence shouldn’t have been required today so his walk to the main entrance lacked the usual urgency. The only people who asked for him by name were those who wanted something. He could only hope it was an advertising rep or a prospective client looking for a personal tour, and not someone else they owed money to.

If he’d had a heart, it would’ve sung when he saw Lucy in place of another shark-eyed businessman in a suit. Although she was standing with her back to him, admiring a painting of one of his oh-so-serious ancestors, he knew it was her. With her hair swept up into a jaunty ponytail and wearing that fifties sweetheart dress, she looked like Susie in the Summertime.

“I didn’t expect to see you again today.” It wasn’t often he was allowed a second chance to put right his mistakes. He hoped she was here for his apology and not for round two of the Honeywell/ Ravenhill bout.

Lucy jumped at the sound of his voice but wore a half smile when she turned to face him. “I brought a peace offering.”

She held up a soft toy. “I saw this and thought of you.”

“Er, thank you?” He held the multi-coloured toy cat by one ear.

“I thought you could do with some fluffy kittens and rainbows in your life too.”

Noah gave a chuckle as he finally got the joke. It was better to be the butt of her joke than have her mad at him. “Perhaps I should get you some dead roses to even things out?”

“No thanks. I much prefer my version of reality to yours.” She touched his hand. “Honestly, I’m sorry for shouting my mouth off earlier. I had no idea things were so bad here.”

With no desire to discuss the matter here in the open, he put his hand on her elbow and guided her away from the front hall. “I’m on it. Don’t worry. I am glad you’re here though, it gives me a chance to apologise for earlier. I can’t seem to stop myself from acting like a total eejit when I’m in company. I promise I’ll get things back on track with you and Derek as soon as possible. You like each other, so that’s a start.”

Lucy stiffened beneath his touch. “You think so? I’m not sure he saw me at my best, interfering in matters that I clearly know nothing about.”

“Derek will appreciate the passion you showed on the subject, I’m sure. You’re a great supporter of the castle and I should never have made you feel like an outsider. If you have five minutes to spare, there’s someone else here who’d be delighted to see you.” By taking her to see his father he hoped to cheer them both up. He could see how much his father was taken with her spirit and hoped some of her joie de vivre would rub off on him. Even if it meant pulling her closer instead of pushing her away.

“I have to meet a client later for a wine tasting, but you know I’d never turn down a chance to breach the castle walls.” She willingly went with him to the kitchen when she had every right to tell him to sod off.

It was a true showing of her strength of character that she’d come here and apologised in the first place when they both knew he had been the one in the wrong. He should take a leaf out of her book, and at least pretend he was mature enough to deal with the fact he liked her. It did not give him the right to act like a spoiled brat having to share his toys when someone more suited to her came into the picture.

“I’ve brought someone to see you.” They walked in on his father, knee deep in boxes and papers.

“Hi, Henry. I thought I’d pop in and say hello. I hope you don’t mind.” How could anyone mind when she smiled so sweetly it lit up the room?

“Lucy! The very person we were talking about. Noah thought you might be interested in seeing some of my old paintings. I had Wright bring them down from the attic.” The proud artist unwrapped a canvas and laid it out on the floor for them to view.

“These are beautiful.” Lucy hunkered down beside him and uncovered several more of his watercolours. Even Noah had forgotten how good his work had been. He’d captured the elegant beauty of the castle perfectly with a few strokes of his paintbrush.

“Thank you. They are rather good if I do say so myself.” The Earl puffed out his chest so the hunch he’d developed over the years suddenly corrected itself. If only cute women with a passion for the castle were available on prescription, his physical and mental ailments might have been cured long ago.

“Why on earth did you ever stop painting?” Lucy propped several of the canvases up against the sofa to create a makeshift gallery, oblivious to the can of worms she’d opened.

“That doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you should start again.” Noah tried to veer from the subject guaranteed to send his father scurrying back into his shell.

Henry sighed and Noah waited for the inevitable low to follow the glorious high of rediscovering his talent. “When Margaret left, there didn’t seem much point in anything. She hated the time I spent ‘dabbling’; thought I should concentrate on schmoozing with the cream of society. Perhaps if I’d accompanied her to more parties, made more connections, she would have stayed.”

“We were never good enough for Mum and you know it. Of course you loved her, I did too. But she was a selfish woman who used any excuse she could to put us down. I really think it’s time you stopped wallowing in the past and started living again.” A weight lifted from Noah’s chest as he finally vented his frustrations. He’d never spoken up for the fear of tipping him over the edge to the point he wouldn’t even get out of bed. Somehow, with Lucy here coaxing her new bestie back into the human race it felt like a now or never moment.

When he saw tears welling in his father’s eyes, Noah was forced to swallow the medicine ball blocking his airways. Lucy cleared her throat, and reminded Noah there was a stranger in the room who should not have to hear the details of their dysfunctional relationship.

“If you want, I could pick up some new art supplies for you next time I’m in the city centre?” Noah would go out of his way to accommodate his father’s hobby if it meant edging him closer to independence.

His offer was met with a sniff and a cough. “I’d appreciate that, son. I might even come with you. There used to be a place off Fountain Street where I bought all my materials. I just hope I can remember how to paint after all these years.”

“I’m sure you can. A talent like yours isn’t easily forgotten. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Have you ever thought about putting on an exhibition, Henry? It’s a shame to keep these locked away.” Lucy took Noah’s plan one step further. He hoped it wasn’t a push too far when he would be happy to simply get his father out of the house for now.

Henry’s white eyebrows shot up. “An exhibition? I’m not really ready for that.”

“One step at a time, Luce.” Noah tried to warn her that on this occasion, her one woman cheer squad could do more damage than good if she frightened his father off from even lifting a paintbrush. A man who couldn’t abide the social side of his birth privilege would be hard to convince to put himself in the spotlight.

“What about something more personal? A private showing for a few family and friends, perhaps?” As usual, Lucy ignored his attempt to dampen her fervour and carried on regardless.

“We’ll start with getting you set up with all the essentials so you can get painting.” Drop it, Lucy.

“It has been a while since I’ve seen anyone except Noah and the Wrights. Maybe we could arrange a dinner and an informal viewing?” The man least likely to star in his own show, stepped forward into the fray.

Noah leaned on the back of the sofa for support before he collapsed in shock. It was a testament to Lucy’s influence that Henry was even contemplating inviting people here to share his personal life. It would make Noah’s life easier if he could move Lucy in full time. She’d have his father back on his feet in no time and speed up the process for Noah’s eventual defection.

“Done! You decide on a date and I’ll send out the invitations.” It was the perfect way to integrate him back into society without too much fuss, with the added incentive of a deadline to get him painting again.

Noah waited until he disappeared to root out more of his work to thank Lucy. This was all down to her. “I owe you big style for this.”

With no real understanding of what she’d done Lucy stared blankly at him. “It’s only a dinner.”

Noah made a ‘Pfft’ sound as disbelief escaped his lips. “It’s so much more than a family meal. I can’t thank you enough.”

Overcome by the significance of the event, Noah reached over to cup Lucy’s face in his hands and planted a kiss on her mouth. It was an innocent display of his gratitude, and yet, he couldn’t seem to release her from his hold. A silence fell between them as he lost himself in her big blue eyes, and her hot breath fanned his lips.

“I knew I had more somewhere.” The sound of his father’s heavy footed approach jolted Noah back from danger.

He dropped his hands from Lucy’s face. “Thanks again. I’ll make sure to invite Derek and repay the favour.”

“Okay.” Lucy’s words were barely a whisper.

He didn’t want her to think all hope was lost as far as her wedding was concerned. “We’ve got this.”

Noah lifted her hand aloft and high-fived her. It was safe to say he was finding this friendship business hard going.