Jonas got to his feet, smiling down at her. ‘You look like Business Woman of the Year today, but my reaction’s just the same.’
Avery waved at an acquaintance as they left the bar, then stalked across the courtyard with as much speed and dignity as her heels and the cobbles allowed. She was annoyed because secretly—she hoped it was secretly—his remarks had done serious damage to her self-possession.
They were on their way into town when he took his hand from the wheel for an instant to touch hers. ‘Would you like to come down off your high horse and listen to Mercom’s plans for the land I’ve purchased?’
She threw him an exasperated look. ‘Of course I would.’
‘The project’s been brewing for a while, but until my recent visit I had never been here myself. I left the opening moves to others, while I was occupied with far bigger fish than providing a small market town with a cinema complex.’
Avery stared at him, eyes wide. ‘A cinema? I thought you were building a warehouse.’
‘It was the original intention. But after I’d had a look at the place myself I had a word with my father, then spoke to the local council and suggested something of use to the community.’ Jonas turned into Stow Street and made for the car park. ‘The necessary parking space is right here, and the nearest cinema is fifteen miles away.’
She smiled warmly. ‘That’s such a brilliant idea!’
‘One I intended to share with you over dinner at the Walnut Tree that night. But circumstances conspired against me, one way and another,’ he said wryly, and killed the engine.
Avery stared at him in remorse. ‘I can’t believe I forgot to ask. What happened about the accident?’
Jonas shrugged. ‘It was messy, and put paid to one of our vehicles, but the driver escaped with a couple of fractures— one of them to his jaw. The culprit was a van which shot a red light, but by some miracle no one was killed.’ His eyes met hers. ‘I thought about ringing later that night, but in the end decided against it.’
Avery nodded morosely. ‘I don’t blame you. I was a total shrew.’
His lips twitched. ‘You were very scary. So was that room. It reminded me of a painful interview in my headmaster’s study after I was caught climbing into the wrong dormitory.’
‘Was that such a hanging offence, then?’
‘Pretty much. The dormitory was in the local girls’ school.’
Avery gave a snort of laughter.
Jonas grinned. ‘It wouldn’t have been so bad if I’d been caught climbing out, but as it was I got all the flak and none of the fun. Rather like that last evening with you,’ he added.
‘I refuse to do any more apologising,’ she said flatly as they walked towards her shop. ‘Grovelling doesn’t come easy to me.’
‘I can tell! Just for the record, I would have liked to outline Mercom’s plans that night at the Fleece, but at that stage certain people still had a few dotted lines to sign on.’ He shot her a sidelong glance. ‘You seemed angry out of all proportion to the circumstances. Why?’
Avery unlocked the shop, ushered him inside, and closed the door before she answered. ‘When I was told Mercom had bought the land, and might demolish the shops in Stow Street for all I knew, I was hurt because you hadn’t been straight with me. I met a lot of devious men in my time in the City.’ She looked at him squarely. ‘I thought you were different.’
Jonas held her eyes. ‘I didn’t ring you the moment I received confirmation because I wanted to hand you the letter in person and bask in your gratitude. It’s a long time since that boy climbed up to a window to impress a girl, but it was the same motivation, Avery. So shall we start again?’
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