Read Online Secrets of the Heart by Jenny Lane - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenny Lane
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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the sketch. Camille designed it. She's so artistic!'
Annis and Sally stayed to have coffee with Madame Cecile and Lara. Lara served it in minute bone china cups with thin almond biscuits, and Annis observed that while Lara rarely added anything to the conversation, she took in everything that was being said, her dark eyes darting constantly from one person to another.
Presently the girls made their way back to the office.
`Well, that went better than I expected,' Sally said. 'Madame Cecile has been known to oppose new ideas in the past. What did you make of Lara?'
`She didn't have much to say for herself, did she? And she seems kind of miserable. Perhaps she doesn't enjoy her work.'
`You've summed her up pretty well. Actually, I don't really know much about her. She only works part-time. Her husband runs that antiques shop in the village.'
`Really? Then I've met him it was when I went into Heronsbridge the day I arrived. He seems a surly sort of individual,' she remarked.
`Yes, I think he probably is,' agreed Sally. ‘But I wonder what Tristan was doing there? Maybe he'd just dropped in to see Vicki. You'll have met Vicki the blonde girl who works here in reception very attractive. She's Lara's older daughter.'
`Vicki is?' Annis was frankly amazed. ‘Well, it just goes to show!'
`Actually, it was Vicki's younger sister who came to work here for a short while after Zoe left, but it just didn't work out . . . She's not a bit like Vicki.'
`You said she wasn't suited to the job — so what happened?'
`Well, I usually get on with most people, wouldn't you say?' Annis nodded, intrigued. 'Well, Kelly just didn't fit in. In the beginning she seemed fine, but after a short while she seemed to lose interest — in fact, to be honest, she was extremely uncooperative and used to criticise everything that I did. Sometimes she was downright rude.'
‘ Wow!' Annis stared at her friend. `If she rubbed you up the wrong way then she must have been difficult! You've always been such an easy person to work with.'
`Thanks for that vote of confidence,' Sally grinned. ‘But I'm not sure if everyone around here would agree with you.'
`Then they must be the awkward ones. So, I suppose you had no alternative but to fire Kelly?'
`It didn't actually come to that. One day she told me she wasn't coming back because it wasn't working out for her either. I asked her if she'd be interested in having another job at the Mill — I won't repeat what she said to that!'
`Poor you,' Annis sympathised. 'It sounds as if it was all rather unpleasant.'
`It's certainly an episode I'd rather draw a line under. I suspect that's why Lara doesn't say much when I go over to the boutique.'
`Surely she doesn't hold it against you?'
`Who can say? She's never mentioned the subject.'
Sally waved to John who was busy in the distance.
`Well, let's see what's next on the agenda for today.'
Chapter Five
It was a beautiful evening and Annis decided to take a walk in the grounds before going up to her room. She strolled down to the lake and sat on one of the benches, watching the water fowl. The shadows were deepening, and as she looked across the water she suddenly made out several life-like shapes on the opposite shore. They looked like statues and she was surprised that she hadn't noticed them before. She resolved to ask Sally about them in the morning. They had an ethereal quality about them, blending in with the greenery.
Suddenly, though, as she watched, they began to move. She blinked in disbelief, but there was no doubt about it — they were weaving to and fro. Next second, she distinctly heard the sound of distant music.
She jumped at the sound of a deep chuckle behind her. Spinning round, she saw Ross Hadley laughing down at her.
`Your face is an absolute picture! They're quite real you're not dreaming, I can assure you.'
`Who are they?' she breathed. `Members of a local youth theatre and dance group, rehearsing for 'A Midsummer
Annis and Sally stayed to have coffee with Madame Cecile and Lara. Lara served it in minute bone china cups with thin almond biscuits, and Annis observed that while Lara rarely added anything to the conversation, she took in everything that was being said, her dark eyes darting constantly from one person to another.
Presently the girls made their way back to the office.
`Well, that went better than I expected,' Sally said. 'Madame Cecile has been known to oppose new ideas in the past. What did you make of Lara?'
`She didn't have much to say for herself, did she? And she seems kind of miserable. Perhaps she doesn't enjoy her work.'
`You've summed her up pretty well. Actually, I don't really know much about her. She only works part-time. Her husband runs that antiques shop in the village.'
`Really? Then I've met him it was when I went into Heronsbridge the day I arrived. He seems a surly sort of individual,' she remarked.
`Yes, I think he probably is,' agreed Sally. ‘But I wonder what Tristan was doing there? Maybe he'd just dropped in to see Vicki. You'll have met Vicki the blonde girl who works here in reception very attractive. She's Lara's older daughter.'
`Vicki is?' Annis was frankly amazed. ‘Well, it just goes to show!'
`Actually, it was Vicki's younger sister who came to work here for a short while after Zoe left, but it just didn't work out . . . She's not a bit like Vicki.'
`You said she wasn't suited to the job — so what happened?'
`Well, I usually get on with most people, wouldn't you say?' Annis nodded, intrigued. 'Well, Kelly just didn't fit in. In the beginning she seemed fine, but after a short while she seemed to lose interest — in fact, to be honest, she was extremely uncooperative and used to criticise everything that I did. Sometimes she was downright rude.'
‘ Wow!' Annis stared at her friend. `If she rubbed you up the wrong way then she must have been difficult! You've always been such an easy person to work with.'
`Thanks for that vote of confidence,' Sally grinned. ‘But I'm not sure if everyone around here would agree with you.'
`Then they must be the awkward ones. So, I suppose you had no alternative but to fire Kelly?'
`It didn't actually come to that. One day she told me she wasn't coming back because it wasn't working out for her either. I asked her if she'd be interested in having another job at the Mill — I won't repeat what she said to that!'
`Poor you,' Annis sympathised. 'It sounds as if it was all rather unpleasant.'
`It's certainly an episode I'd rather draw a line under. I suspect that's why Lara doesn't say much when I go over to the boutique.'
`Surely she doesn't hold it against you?'
`Who can say? She's never mentioned the subject.'
Sally waved to John who was busy in the distance.
`Well, let's see what's next on the agenda for today.'
Chapter Five
It was a beautiful evening and Annis decided to take a walk in the grounds before going up to her room. She strolled down to the lake and sat on one of the benches, watching the water fowl. The shadows were deepening, and as she looked across the water she suddenly made out several life-like shapes on the opposite shore. They looked like statues and she was surprised that she hadn't noticed them before. She resolved to ask Sally about them in the morning. They had an ethereal quality about them, blending in with the greenery.
Suddenly, though, as she watched, they began to move. She blinked in disbelief, but there was no doubt about it — they were weaving to and fro. Next second, she distinctly heard the sound of distant music.
She jumped at the sound of a deep chuckle behind her. Spinning round, she saw Ross Hadley laughing down at her.
`Your face is an absolute picture! They're quite real you're not dreaming, I can assure you.'
`Who are they?' she breathed. `Members of a local youth theatre and dance group, rehearsing for 'A Midsummer
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