drove past.
Unsure of what to expect, she stopped her car on the gravelled forecourt of the house and got out. Even as she did so Charles's assistant, Bernard, came out to greet her. She had met him a couple of times at NGA and smiled with relief at a familiar face. He took her overnight bag from her.
'Leave the keys in,' he said. 'I'll put it away for you. Welcome to Hastings Court, Miss Campbell.' He led the way in. 'You are a little earlier than we expected. Sir Charles is down at the stables, and Nicholas was having a swim. I'll let him know you are here after I have shown you your room.' She followed him through the stone-flagged entrance hall, with its beautiful Brussels-weave rugs, and up the spectacular sweeping staircase that split into two as it reached the first-floor landing. A high glass dome lit the carved plaster ceilings, the last of the evening sun lighting the dark peachy walls to a warm glow. Sarah marvelled at the paintings between the arched alcoves.
'It's fabulous!' she breathed as Bernard showed her into her bedroom. He was indicating the bathroom, and other essentials, but she was hardly listening.
'If you're ready, come down in about twenty minutes,' he suggested, smiling at her wonderment. Hastings had that effect on most visitors. 'They will be in the drawing room to the left of the front door.' Discreet servant that he was, he left with no sound at all.
Over-awed, she wandered around the beautiful room with its cream and green silk-hung bed, and breathed in the scent of the yellow and white spring flowers in bowls around the room. Even the bathroom was huge. She glanced at her watch and decided to have a bath there and then, laughing as she poured in the Floris oil she found beside it and slid into the scented water. She determinedly relaxed while she tried to decide which of the two outfits she had brought with her to wear.
Nick had said, 'Don't dress up', but she finally plumped for the more formal of the two outfits - the wrap skirt she had worn for her audition and a new white cashmere sweater, well aware of the way it clung to her body. Flat shoes and loose hair, she decided, for Charles's benefit. She needed him on her side that evening.
However, Nick was alone when she finally walked into the drawing room. Her heart sank, for he was obviously in a bad mood. He was on the phone, pacing around the room, arguing about money, but he paused in his stride long enough to indicate for her to sit down and pour her a glass of wine. Nervously, she sipped the wine and waited for him, wishing Charles was there.
The minute after he finally threw the receiver back on its base with an exclamation of disgust, he strode across the room to her. 'OK,' he said grimly, his eyes dark with anger. 'What the hell were you playing at?' He picked up the remote control and flicked on the DVD. She watched the sequence in silence, shrinking back into the comer of the sofa. Cress had said he would be angry, but she hadn't expected anything like this icy fury.
'When was that recorded?' Sarah shrugged. There was no point in lying to him. It was obvious from the greenery around the course that it was recent.
'Four, five weeks ago,' she admitted.
'After I told you, and Paddy, that I didn't want you to do it?' , .
'It was my decision. Nick,' she told him. Her voice was so low it was almost a whisper. 'I didn't want to let Paddy down.'
'It wasn't necessary to do it, and you knew that! Did it ever occur to you what it would have cost if you'd had an accident at this late stage, doing those stupid stunts? We would be talking millions, Sarah, not to mention forty-odd people out of work! It was difficult enough replacing Harriet, and I had six weeks to do that!'
'I didn't think of that. I'm sorry.' She bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
He could see the fear in her eyes, but he chose to ignore it. Leaning over her, he was so close she breathed the tangy scent of his aftershave.
'It's time you did learn to think,
Unsure of what to expect, she stopped her car on the gravelled forecourt of the house and got out. Even as she did so Charles's assistant, Bernard, came out to greet her. She had met him a couple of times at NGA and smiled with relief at a familiar face. He took her overnight bag from her.
'Leave the keys in,' he said. 'I'll put it away for you. Welcome to Hastings Court, Miss Campbell.' He led the way in. 'You are a little earlier than we expected. Sir Charles is down at the stables, and Nicholas was having a swim. I'll let him know you are here after I have shown you your room.' She followed him through the stone-flagged entrance hall, with its beautiful Brussels-weave rugs, and up the spectacular sweeping staircase that split into two as it reached the first-floor landing. A high glass dome lit the carved plaster ceilings, the last of the evening sun lighting the dark peachy walls to a warm glow. Sarah marvelled at the paintings between the arched alcoves.
'It's fabulous!' she breathed as Bernard showed her into her bedroom. He was indicating the bathroom, and other essentials, but she was hardly listening.
'If you're ready, come down in about twenty minutes,' he suggested, smiling at her wonderment. Hastings had that effect on most visitors. 'They will be in the drawing room to the left of the front door.' Discreet servant that he was, he left with no sound at all.
Over-awed, she wandered around the beautiful room with its cream and green silk-hung bed, and breathed in the scent of the yellow and white spring flowers in bowls around the room. Even the bathroom was huge. She glanced at her watch and decided to have a bath there and then, laughing as she poured in the Floris oil she found beside it and slid into the scented water. She determinedly relaxed while she tried to decide which of the two outfits she had brought with her to wear.
Nick had said, 'Don't dress up', but she finally plumped for the more formal of the two outfits - the wrap skirt she had worn for her audition and a new white cashmere sweater, well aware of the way it clung to her body. Flat shoes and loose hair, she decided, for Charles's benefit. She needed him on her side that evening.
However, Nick was alone when she finally walked into the drawing room. Her heart sank, for he was obviously in a bad mood. He was on the phone, pacing around the room, arguing about money, but he paused in his stride long enough to indicate for her to sit down and pour her a glass of wine. Nervously, she sipped the wine and waited for him, wishing Charles was there.
The minute after he finally threw the receiver back on its base with an exclamation of disgust, he strode across the room to her. 'OK,' he said grimly, his eyes dark with anger. 'What the hell were you playing at?' He picked up the remote control and flicked on the DVD. She watched the sequence in silence, shrinking back into the comer of the sofa. Cress had said he would be angry, but she hadn't expected anything like this icy fury.
'When was that recorded?' Sarah shrugged. There was no point in lying to him. It was obvious from the greenery around the course that it was recent.
'Four, five weeks ago,' she admitted.
'After I told you, and Paddy, that I didn't want you to do it?' , .
'It was my decision. Nick,' she told him. Her voice was so low it was almost a whisper. 'I didn't want to let Paddy down.'
'It wasn't necessary to do it, and you knew that! Did it ever occur to you what it would have cost if you'd had an accident at this late stage, doing those stupid stunts? We would be talking millions, Sarah, not to mention forty-odd people out of work! It was difficult enough replacing Harriet, and I had six weeks to do that!'
'I didn't think of that. I'm sorry.' She bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
He could see the fear in her eyes, but he chose to ignore it. Leaning over her, he was so close she breathed the tangy scent of his aftershave.
'It's time you did learn to think,
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