Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall Read online

  ‘Only problem is trying to keep track of everything and everyone. They’re all so busy with their own jobs and trying to keep the place afloat. Not that I was any good at it when I was housekeeper, and there was only Arthur and Rose then! I need some help, but I don’t know where to start.’

  ‘I know,’ said Megan, her eyes gleaming as she looked from Annie to Lily. ‘You should be their temporary housekeeper!’

  Lily was startled. ‘I don’t know how to be one of those!’ she said, laughing. ‘I haven’t got any experience in being a housekeeper.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ said Annie enthusiastically. ‘And, besides, I didn’t have any experience either.’

  ‘And it showed,’ murmured Megan.

  ‘Excuse me?’ said Annie in a mock stern tone.

  ‘You were awful and you know it.’ Megan looked back at Lily. ‘I mean, you say you’re used to organising stuff and people. You’ll be great. They’re desperate up there, honestly.’

  ‘I was a little bit more organised than you’re giving me credit for,’ said Annie, almost affronted.

  ‘Listen, I love you but don’t push it,’ said Megan. ‘But it doesn’t matter. Dream husband, dream home, baby on the way. So just bask in the irritating bloody marvelousness of your good fortune and let Lily get some organisation in the place. Honestly, there weren’t even any loo rolls in the guest bathroom when I last went.’

  Annie blushed. ‘I just forgot to pick up any, that’s all.’

  ‘You’ve got full-on baby brain,’ said Megan. ‘Why don’t you let Lily take over? It’ll be fine.’

  They both turned to look at Lily.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she told them, trying to think of any reasons not to take the job. Was it too good to be true? But she needed to get another job, and fast, to keep helping out her family.

  ‘Listen, maybe think of it as just for the time being,’ said Megan. ‘To tide you over until you get another job. Just whilst Annie is pregnant.’

  ‘Why don’t you come up to the Hall this afternoon?’ said Annie. ‘If you’re free, that is. I’ll show you around and you can make up your mind. No pressure, honestly.’

  So it would only be for the next two months or so? Lily wondered whether she should dare to go for it. But jobs were hard to come by and it wasn’t as if she had any stunning qualifications to her name. Plus, the money would tide them all over until she found something more permanent.

  Lily was shocked to find she was nodding her head. Her family needed the money and, besides, this job seemed to have landed in her lap quite by chance. Perhaps it was worth heading up to the Hall to find out for herself.

  5

  Jack brought his car to a halt on the brow of the hill just outside of Cranley and wound down the window.

  He took a moment on the edge of the hill to look around him. The hot, dry summer had turned the fields to brown but the patchwork quilt of countryside in front of him still looked so beautiful.

  And extremely familiar.

  It seemed a long time ago and yet it could have been only yesterday, as the hurt stung at him deep inside. The feeling of being an outsider. The feeling of never belonging that had stayed with him year after year.

  He looked across the valley to the large stately home of Willow Tree Hall, barely visible through the trees. Had he ever been inside the house when he was young? He doubted it. He certainly couldn’t remember that far back.

  But this time he wasn’t a visitor. He wasn’t an awkward schoolboy, either, with a massive chip on his shoulder, scowling at his adoptive parents. He was a highly paid property developer with a job to do. Life was pretty peculiar sometimes.

  He revved up his Mercedes and set off once more.

  The journey to Willow Tree Hall led him through Cranley village. From what he could remember, the tiny hamlet had barely changed in the fifteen or so years since last he had seen it. There were only a handful of cottages and shops. All the buildings were made from a sand-coloured stone, which made the whole place very attractive to look at.

  His parents only lived a couple of miles down the road and he had his own property just a short distance away by car. And yet he hadn’t returned to Cranley since that fateful night all those years ago. He had left straight after college at the age of eighteen and had never looked back. Hardly came back, either, to visit his adoptive parents who lived in the next village along. It was for the best, he knew. They wouldn’t want him anyway if they found out the truth.

  A mile or so on from the high street, he turned the car through some rusty iron gates and into the long driveway leading up to the house. Bouncing up the drive, he slowed down to avoid the massive potholes.

  Despite the huge craters in the narrow lane, Jack couldn’t help but feel appreciative of the stunning setting. The driveway was long, bordered on either side by huge fields of long grass and sun-bleached picket fences. He seemed to recall that the front lawn was where the summer fetes had been held.

  In the middle of the front lawn stood a huge willow tree, presumably so ancient that the Hall had been named after it all those centuries ago. The willow tree’s long boughs of green leaves swayed gently, catching the light of the late afternoon sun as they moved.

  Then the house came into view. It was even bigger than Jack could remember. At least it looked well maintained. All the sash windows appeared new, as did the doors, walls and most of the fixtures and fittings. But somehow it had retained its air of aged splendour.

  He pulled up the car and turned the key. In the silence that followed the engine being cut, Jack could hear nothing but birdsong and the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. He had a brief moment of reverie when he remembered the first time that he had been taken to meet his adoptive parents. Having lived in the city for so long, the silence of the countryside had been quite frightening. Or perhaps it was being alone with his own thoughts that he had found the most unsettling.

  He got out of the car, pulling on his suit jacket before starting to head towards the large red front door. But before he was anywhere near, it suddenly opened and he was face to face with his past.

  ‘Hi!’ said Sam, coming across to shake Jack’s hand. ‘Good to see you again after all these years.’

  Jack had been in the same school year as Sam Harris, who was the grandson of the Earl of Cranley to whom the estate belonged. Sam had been a popular boy at the school, despite becoming more quiet year on year, especially after his parents had been killed in a car crash. His younger brother, Will, had been the more popular boy, with his quick wit and easy charm.

  When Jack had rung to make an appointment, Arthur had handed the phone call across to Sam, who had brought him up to speed.

  Jack might have remained friends with Sam after school, but he had left the village so quickly after sixth form. Besides, they’d moved in different circles, and Sam’s choice of career as a manager for various singers and bands meant that he had been travelling across the world for most of the past decade.

  Although most of his artists were good, none had been commercially viable until Tommy King’s breakout into global superstardom a few years previously. In addition, his rock band Hazy Memory, despite not having had a hit since their annoying 1970s Christmas single, had also had a resurgence in sales in the past year.

  But with the sudden and much needed income from his commission, Sam had unexpectedly withdrawn from the music scene. He still retained a handful of artists to manage, but he had professed himself content with his life in the country.

  Apparently, he was now married and living in the stately pile.

  ‘How was your journey?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Fine, thanks,’ said Jack, taking Sam’s hand and giving it a firm grip. ‘I’d forgotten how big this place was.’

  Sam nodded and glanced back at the Hall. ‘Big bills to match, unfortunately,’ he said.

  Jack understood that Arthur, Sam’s grandfather, had suffered with ill health a while previously and Sam had stepped up to take responsibility for the ancestral home, albeit reluctantly at first.

  ‘Come inside and I’ll take you through to Grandad’s study,’ said Sam.

  They were just heading towards the front door when the sound of another vehicle bumping its way up the driveway made Sam’s steps falter. They turned around to see a taxi pull up. The back door opened and out stepped a very glamorous-looking older lady wearing a huge hat, which caused her some difficulty in getting out of the car.

  ‘Hello, darlings,’ cried the woman, heading towards them.

  ‘Hi, Aunty. How was Glyndebourne?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Glorious, as ever!’ the woman told him. ‘But oh so tragic! La Bohème! Such sadness!’ She went up on tiptoes to give Sam a kiss on his cheek.

  He, in turn, gestured to Jack. ‘Aunt Rose, let me introduce Jack Carter. An old school friend who’s here for a meeting.’

  ‘How marvellous,’ said the woman, giving Jack a once-over that would make anyone blush. ‘Is that flashy car yours? How I do like a man with a fast-running motor!’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Jack, his mouth twitching into a smile.

  Aunt Rose had to be at least seventy years old and was dressed in a very fashionable dress, jacket and matching hat, from which protruded a large feather in the same hot pink colour.

  Sam sighed. ‘I’d like to say that you get used to my aunt’s flirting, but don’t assume that you have to.’

  ‘My darling nephew, I do not flirt!’ said Rose, with a throaty chuckle. ‘I merely stun and disarm.’ She placed her arm in Sam’s and they headed towards the front door. ‘How’s your gorgeous wife been whilst I’ve been away?’

  ‘A bit tired,’ said Sam, his smile dropping. ‘She’s gone to see Megan.’

  ‘Poor Annie,’ said Rose, sh
aking her head. ‘She is suffering with this pregnancy. Well, you know what they say. Hard pregnancy, easy baby.’

  ‘Let’s hope so,’ said Sam. ‘My wife’s due to have our first child in October,’ he added, as an aside to Jack.

  ‘Congratulations,’ said Jack automatically.

  It wasn’t that he had anything against children. But being one that had been thoroughly unwanted since the day he came into the world, he had no plans to become a father any time soon – despite the odd pang that he was missing out on something amazing.

  They went through the wide double front door and into an enormous entrance hall.

  Jack stared around in wonder. Despite the deep red walls, it was still a light and airy room. A wide, dark oak staircase curved up to the first floor. All along the stairwell were portraits of generations of the Harris family. From the double-heighted ceiling hung a chandelier, glittering in the afternoon sunshine. A large fireplace was waiting to be lit when winter arrived.

  Jack became aware of Sam watching his reaction. ‘I’ve been in worse,’ he said, with a rueful grin.

  Rose gave a chuckle. ‘Oh, you’re going to be great fun, I can tell! Right. Sherry o’clock, anyone?’

  ‘Jack’s here for a business meeting,’ said Sam, in a pointed tone.

  ‘I always like to mix business with pleasure,’ said Rose, giving Jack a wink before she went across to a large corridor on the right side of the hall.

  ‘Sorry about my aunt,’ said Sam. ‘She’s always on the lookout for husband number five. Anyway, that’s the east wing,’ he added, pointing at the corridor Rose had disappeared into. ‘The kitchen’s at the end of the corridor. Would you like a drink? It doesn’t have to be sherry.’

  ‘I’m fine, thanks. You have separate wings?’ said Jack, his eyebrows raised.

  ‘Who doesn’t?’ said Sam, with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. ‘Come on.’

  They walked into the corridor on the opposite side of the entrance hall, which led to the west wing.

  ‘That’s the drawing room,’ said Sam, as they went past an elegant room in soft shades of green. Jack just had time to register the comfortable-looking sofas and large fireplace.

  ‘And this is the library.’

  Jack glanced through the open door and saw a long wall was covered from floor to ceiling with a vast number of bookcases filled with classics. There was also a full-size snooker table, which looked to have been used recently, although one end was propped up with more books.

  ‘All the windows are new in every room,’ said Sam. ‘And the fireplaces work too, thank goodness. It’s so much better now it’s no longer draughty. But there’s not enough money to do the rest of it.’

  Jack noted things were definitely tight for the family and wondered if that might work in his favour when he offered them a substantial amount of money to turn the place into a Thatcher’s Hotel. Surely the heating and running costs alone must have been in the thousands?

  ‘At the end of the corridor is our newly renovated ballroom,’ said Sam. ‘That’s my study, which is the old music room. But we’re meeting here, in Grandad’s study.’

  Jack followed Sam into a large room. It was desperate for new plaster and redecoration, but the whole place looked settled in its careworn way, with the dark wood shelves and desk. Many dusty books were piled up, most of them referring to agriculture and estate management.

  ‘Grandad, let me introduce Jack Carter,’ announced Sam. ‘Jack, this is my grandfather and Earl of Cranley, Arthur Harris.’

  Standing up behind the desk was Arthur Harris. He was an older version of his grandson, probably in his mid-seventies. They shared the same strong chin and tall build, although Sam was much broader and more muscular than the fragile-looking earl.

  ‘Welcome to Willow Tree Hall,’ said Arthur, in his clipped aristocratic tone. He held out his hand, the other grasping the desk.

  ‘Good to meet you, sir,’ said Jack.

  ‘“Arthur” will do just fine,’ said the elderly gentleman, gesturing for Jack to sit down on one of the chairs on the other side of the large oak desk. ‘We’re all on first-name terms here.’

  ‘You have a beautiful place here,’ said Jack.

  ‘Thank you. It’s certainly looking better than it did a few years ago,’ said Arthur. ‘But when the foundations are firm, everything else holds steady and any improvements show.’

  ‘So what can we do for you?’ asked Sam, sitting down next to Jack. ‘As I said on the phone, it’s a flattering offer but Willow Tree Hall isn’t for sale.’

  ‘I appreciate your honesty,’ said Jack. ‘But I’ve been asked to come here personally to offer you and the family a substantial amount of money to take Willow Tree Hall off your hands.’

  ‘And what are the plans for our home if we were to sell?’ asked Sam.

  ‘It would be turned into a luxury hotel,’ said Jack. ‘A retreat in the middle of the countryside.’

  Sam looked at his grandad and smiled. ‘A luxury hotel, eh? And where do you fit in with all this?’

  ‘I’m just the go-between,’ Jack told him. ‘However, we have an amazing team of architects who redesign the places. Although, I have to say, your home doesn’t need much reconfiguring as it’s so beautiful.’

  ‘The problem is what on earth my family would do without Willow Tree Hall to take care of.’ said Arthur.

  ‘Retire early and relax,’ said Jack. ‘I imagine all the bills are pretty high, so you would be mortgage-free and remain well-off for the remainder of your days.’

  ‘The trouble is, this is our home,’ said Arthur. ‘In fact, it’s been my home for seventy-three years, and six generations of Harris family before this. I’m the seventh Earl of Cranley, you see. This isn’t just another stately pile.’

  ‘There’s also the estate to consider,’ added Sam. ‘We have all the cottages in Cranley as well, which all have sitting tenants – local families, some of whom are in their third or fourth generations.’

  Jack thought about Lily’s family. He knew from brief conversations with his parents that they still lived in the village. Annoyed with himself for letting his mind drift, he focused back on the meeting.

  ‘I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted journey,’ said Sam. ‘I did want to see you and do you the courtesy of turning you down face to face, for old times’ sake.’

  ‘I appreciate your honesty,’ said Jack.

  Often these negotiations could be protracted and time-consuming. But Sam and Arthur were not likely to change their minds at all, he could see that.

  The trouble was that Eric Thatcher wasn’t a man who heard the word ‘no’ very often. If ever. He wouldn’t like being turned down by the Harris family.

  But Jack would just have to explain to him that they wouldn’t budge. Surely there was another stately home somewhere that he could purchase instead?

  What was so special about Willow Tree Hall, anyway?

  6

  Lily’s nerves were jangling as she drove up the long driveway to Willow Tree Hall. Thankfully, her grandad had been home for lunch and had accepted her offer of a lift as he didn’t drive any more, so she had some company.

  ‘Have you got a busy afternoon?’ asked Lily, as she slowed down to avoid a massive pothole.

  ‘Salad leaves need sowing,’ said her grandad. ‘More mouths to feed than ever at the big house these days.’

  Lily stared out of the windscreen as Willow Tree Hall came closer and closer. The huge manor house was a familiar place to her. She had attended many fetes in the past, as well as Annie’s wedding. But as she had grown up, it had retained its sense of awe as the imposing centre of their tiny village.

  ‘I’m a little nervous,’ she confessed, slowing the car down. ‘I mean, I know Arthur’s nice, as is the rest of the family, but look at this place!’

  ‘They’re just like you and me,’ said her grandad. ‘Just got bigger walls, that’s all.’

  Her grandad was unlikely to be intimidated by anyone, Lily had always thought. He had attended the tiny local infant school with Arthur, so had no need to put on airs and graces either.

  But Arthur was the Earl of Cranley. He owned Willow Tree Hall and the whole estate, which encompassed the hamlet of Cranley and all the cottages and businesses therein. As far as Lily was concerned, he was also a kind landlord who had given lots of families in need, including her own, a vastly reduced rate of rent each month.