Master of the House

‘So, my story isn’t the priority here. We are. Us and our future. Because I think we have one – don’t you?’

‘God, I hope so.’

‘So, let’s work together to come up with some other options for the Hall. And, when we have them, we can simply terminate the leasing agreement.’

‘I don’t think he would want to.’

‘Why not? Is Willingham Hall the only country house in the world suitable for kinky weekend parties?’

‘Of course not, but –’

‘But what?’

‘It’s convenient for him.’

‘Everything’s convenient when you’re a billionaire.’

Joss looked hunted. ‘I can’t get him out, Lu. Don’t ask me why not, I just can’t. It has to come from somewhere else. That’s why I wanted the press scandal. He wouldn’t be able to blame me for it.’

‘Of course he would,’ I said, frowning. ‘You’d be the one who brought the journalist into the circle.’

‘Yes, but unknowingly. That would be my story, anyway.’

‘And you think he’d believe it? Come on, Joss.’

Joss paused, pushing the breakfast tray away from him.

‘The thing is, he knows stuff about my family. I can’t get rid of him.’

‘What stuff?’

‘Stuff about my parents … look, I don’t want to talk about them. But it’s pretty serious. If it got out, it would … ugh. I didn’t want to drag you into it all.’

‘I’m in your life. Your problems are my problems.’

‘Not these ones. These can’t … I should never have started this.’

‘It’s too late to say that. It’s started. I’m involved. You can tell me.’

But he wouldn’t.

‘After everything I’ve done for you, you won’t trust me?’ I felt as if an arrowhead was lodged right between my ribs. I could almost see the blood seeping from the wound.

‘It’s not that. I do trust you. It’s not that.’

‘Oh, God, Joss, what do you want from me?’

‘I want what we have right now. I just want that.’

There were tears in his eyes. I couldn’t be angry with him.

‘This is my final offer,’ I told him. ‘We don’t wait till Christmas. You take me to the next party. I get to know him, maybe find some other way round him. Once I know who

he is, I can dig. If you’d just tell me that much …’

‘OK,’ he cried, ‘OK. It’s Arkady Voronov.’

‘The one that was owner of …’