‘Good work,’ Howard congratulated her as he glanced over her descriptions.
‘I’ve taken some initial digital photos but I haven’t downloaded them yet,’ she said. ‘It’s a big house and the furniture is virtually stacked to the ceiling in some rooms. It will take me most of the next week to get everything photographed and documented.’
‘So how is it working alongside your ex-boyfriend?’
Ashleigh found it hard to meet Howard’s gently enquiring gaze. ‘It’s all right…I guess.’
‘He hasn’t—’ he paused, as if searching for the right word ‘—made a move on you, has he?’
‘Of course not!’ she denied hotly.
Howard gave her a slightly shamefaced look. ‘Sorry, just asking. You know I trust you implicitly.’
She stretched her mouth into a tight smile that physically hurt. ‘Thank you.’
‘However, I’m not sure I trust him,’ he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.
‘You’ve only met him the once; surely that’s not enough time to come to any sort of reasonable opinion on someone’s character.’ She found it strange springing to Jake’s defence but it irked her to think her fiancé had made that sort of critical judgement without a fair trial.
‘I know the type,’ Howard answered. ‘Too much money, too much power, not enough self-restraint.’
That about sums it up, she thought to herself, but decided against telling him how close he’d come to assessing her exlover’s personality.
‘I thought you were glad he was giving us this load of goods?’ she said.
‘I am,’ he said. ‘More than glad, to be honest. Who wouldn’t be? It’s a dream come true. Without this input of goods I was going to be sailing a little too close to the wind for my liking. The antiques fair coming up will time in nicely with this little haul. I will make a fortune out of it.’
‘If it goes through,’ she muttered darkly.
‘What do you mean?’ Howard looked at her in consternation.
‘What if he pulls on the deal?’
‘Why would he do that?’ he asked. ‘He gave us the exclusive. Well, at least he gave it to you.’ He glanced at her narrowly. ‘You’re not making things difficult for him, are you?’
‘Why would I do that?’
He gave a shrug. ‘You’re very bitter about him. Up until the other day you never once mentioned his name in the whole time I’ve known you.’
‘You didn’t ask.’ She kept herself busy with shuffling some papers on her desk.
‘That’s because I sensed it was too painful for you,’ he said.
Ashleigh looked at him, her expression softening as she recalled the way he had always considered her feelings. He was like the older brother she’d always wanted—caring, considerate and concerned for her at all times.
‘I’m hoping he won’t pull out of the deal.’ She picked up a pen and rolled it beneath her fingers, the line of her mouth grim. ‘But who knows what he might do if he finds out about Lachlan?’ She stared at the pen for a moment before adding, ‘He seems keen to get his father’s house cleaned out so he can start renovating it.’ She gave a tiny despondent sigh and added, ‘I think I’m what you could call part of his clean-up process.’
‘What do you mean?’
The pen rolled out of her reach. A small frown creased her brow as she lifted her gaze back to his. ‘I can’t quite work him out. Sometimes I think he wants to talk to me about his past…I mean really talk. You know, tell me every detail. But then he seems to close up and back off as if I’ve come too close.’
‘It’s a difficult time when a parent passes away,’ Howard said. ‘I remember when my father died how hard it was. I was torn between wanting to talk and needing to stay silent in case I couldn’t handle the emotion.’
Ashleigh chewed her bottom lip for a moment. ‘I could be wrong, but I can’t help feeling he isn’t exactly grieving his father’s passing.’
‘Oh?’ Howard frowned. ‘You mean they didn’t get on or something?’
‘I don’t know…but why else would he be practically giving away everything his father left him?’
Howard let out a breath. ‘I guess it wouldn’t hurt to listen to him if he ever decides he wants to tell you about it. What harm could it do? You never know, you might come to see him in a totally new light.’
Ashleigh gave him a small wan smile by way of response. She didn’t want to see Jake Marriott in a new light.