of course. You must have seen all those expensive toys in the playroom. He buys her all these things, but she never plays with them, she’s simply not interested. She’d rather be running wild in the woods, or out with Ben. It's not good for her. As I see it, school’s the only answer.'
‘Then why don’t you send her?’ Rachel was becoming faintly irritated by his tone.
‘Because, to put it bluntly, I can’t afford to.’ He looked up at her, still perched on the arm of her chair, and his mouth hardened. ‘If you’ll spare a moment and sit in that chair properly I’ll tell you why.' Obediently, she slid into the seat of the chair.
He sat forward. ‘My father, as you’ve no doubt been able to reason for yourself, is a rich man,' he said. ‘This house ... the grounds ... outlying farms .....’ he spread his hands. ‘Also, you will have been able to see for yourself that he is neither too old nor too infirm to run the Estate. In fact, everything runs very smoothly under his direction and he s very happy doing it.' He leaned back in his chair. ‘So where does that leave me?’
‘As his assistant?’ Rachel suggested.
‘Oh, yes, he’d like that. In fact, he’d like that more than anything,’ Richard said bitterly. ‘But I shouldn’t. If I take over this estate it has to be on my terms. I would want to run it my way, not his. There are several areas where we don’t agree even now, and it would be even worse if we were actually working together.’ He shook his head. ‘No, until he retires I’ll have nothing to do with running this estate; that’s why I started my own business at Ardenbeg. It’s quite different, quite set apart from anything here, and eventually it should make me quite a respectable living. But, even more important than that, it’s completely mine. I run it the way I choose, I’ve built it up from nothing with no help, financial or otherwise, from anyone. Unfortunately, up to the moment, although it’s ticking over quite satisfactorily, the profits haven’t been sufficient to pay the fees of the school I have in mind for my daughter. Now, this is one area where I would be prepared to accept help from my father, but it is also, sadly, the one area where he is not willing to give it, simply because he doesn’t want Melanie to be sent away to school.’ He got up from his chair and stood with his back to the electric fire. ‘Call it blackmail if you like, but he has said he will pay for her to go to school if I come into his business. And this I refuse to do, even for Melanie, because I know what problems it would cause.’
‘And you’re trying to tell me that Melanie has security,’ Rachel breathed.
‘She has. All this is over her head. It doesn’t directly concern her at all.’
‘That’s what you think. Do you imagine she doesn’t sense the antagonism between you and your father? She may not understand it, but she’ll know it’s there and that she’s the cause of it. You’re using her, both of you, to get your own way.’
Richard shook his head coolly. ‘You’re wrong. My father is quite happy with the way things are. He’d like me back in the running of the Estate, but he’s in no desperate hurry. He doesn’t want Melanie to be sent to school, although he would finance this as a ...’ his lip curled sardonically, '... “reward” to me. No, by and large he’s got what he wants, which is a governess for her.’ He gazed at Rachel and his eyes were cold. ‘Believe me. I'm the one who isn’t happy about that, but at the moment there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Rachel felt her colour rising in humiliation. She put her glass down carefully on the tray and stood up. This was the side of Richard Duncan that she had encountered on their first meeting, on the journey to Glencarrick from Dunglevin; it showed a cold, ruthless man who had no feelings for others. The real Richard Duncan.
She went over to the door. ‘My concern is with your daughter,’
‘Then why don’t you send her?’ Rachel was becoming faintly irritated by his tone.
‘Because, to put it bluntly, I can’t afford to.’ He looked up at her, still perched on the arm of her chair, and his mouth hardened. ‘If you’ll spare a moment and sit in that chair properly I’ll tell you why.' Obediently, she slid into the seat of the chair.
He sat forward. ‘My father, as you’ve no doubt been able to reason for yourself, is a rich man,' he said. ‘This house ... the grounds ... outlying farms .....’ he spread his hands. ‘Also, you will have been able to see for yourself that he is neither too old nor too infirm to run the Estate. In fact, everything runs very smoothly under his direction and he s very happy doing it.' He leaned back in his chair. ‘So where does that leave me?’
‘As his assistant?’ Rachel suggested.
‘Oh, yes, he’d like that. In fact, he’d like that more than anything,’ Richard said bitterly. ‘But I shouldn’t. If I take over this estate it has to be on my terms. I would want to run it my way, not his. There are several areas where we don’t agree even now, and it would be even worse if we were actually working together.’ He shook his head. ‘No, until he retires I’ll have nothing to do with running this estate; that’s why I started my own business at Ardenbeg. It’s quite different, quite set apart from anything here, and eventually it should make me quite a respectable living. But, even more important than that, it’s completely mine. I run it the way I choose, I’ve built it up from nothing with no help, financial or otherwise, from anyone. Unfortunately, up to the moment, although it’s ticking over quite satisfactorily, the profits haven’t been sufficient to pay the fees of the school I have in mind for my daughter. Now, this is one area where I would be prepared to accept help from my father, but it is also, sadly, the one area where he is not willing to give it, simply because he doesn’t want Melanie to be sent away to school.’ He got up from his chair and stood with his back to the electric fire. ‘Call it blackmail if you like, but he has said he will pay for her to go to school if I come into his business. And this I refuse to do, even for Melanie, because I know what problems it would cause.’
‘And you’re trying to tell me that Melanie has security,’ Rachel breathed.
‘She has. All this is over her head. It doesn’t directly concern her at all.’
‘That’s what you think. Do you imagine she doesn’t sense the antagonism between you and your father? She may not understand it, but she’ll know it’s there and that she’s the cause of it. You’re using her, both of you, to get your own way.’
Richard shook his head coolly. ‘You’re wrong. My father is quite happy with the way things are. He’d like me back in the running of the Estate, but he’s in no desperate hurry. He doesn’t want Melanie to be sent to school, although he would finance this as a ...’ his lip curled sardonically, '... “reward” to me. No, by and large he’s got what he wants, which is a governess for her.’ He gazed at Rachel and his eyes were cold. ‘Believe me. I'm the one who isn’t happy about that, but at the moment there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Rachel felt her colour rising in humiliation. She put her glass down carefully on the tray and stood up. This was the side of Richard Duncan that she had encountered on their first meeting, on the journey to Glencarrick from Dunglevin; it showed a cold, ruthless man who had no feelings for others. The real Richard Duncan.
She went over to the door. ‘My concern is with your daughter,’
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