‘I’m not entitled to mind.’ Leonie smiled a little. ‘Fenny’s obviously expecting to see Jonah at the party, but don’t worry. I promise to behave.’
‘When we asked him we thought you wouldn’t be here, Leo. As it is we can hardly withdraw the invitation. Besides, it’s a long, long time since you broke up with Jonah,’ her mother added gently.
‘True.’ But not long enough to accept his presence in her home with the ease the rest of her family felt, particularly Adam, who was laughing his head off at something Jonah had just told him. Leonie felt oddly left out. And as though he sensed it Jonah caught her eye and got to his feet.
‘Time I was off,’ he said quickly. ‘Thank you for the tea, Mrs Dysart.’
‘Thank you for bringing Leonie home,’ said Tom. ‘We’ll expect you back later. Might be a good idea to come on foot if the weather holds, Jonah, to avoid parking problems.’
Adam looked at his watch and whistled. ‘I’d better get off down to Chepstow to meet some people off the train.’
‘I’ve put containers of sandwiches in your fridge for a snack,’ said his mother, ‘so you can all congregate there to start with while Leo helps me set out the food in the dining room. The boys can get ready in your place, too, but the girls come in here to dress once you’ve fed them.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ said her son, saluting smartly. ‘See you later, Jonah.’
‘Come on, Fenny,’ said Frances, ‘bathtime. You can have supper in front of the TV in the study.’
‘I might spoil my party frock,’ protested Fenny.
‘Dressing gown until the guests arrive, and change into your frock at the last minute,’ said Frances firmly.
Fenny blew a kiss to Jonah, gave Leonie a big hug, patted the dog, then skipped from the room with her mother, chattering excitedly.
‘See Jonah to the door, Leonie,’ said her father briskly. ‘I’m going to walk the dog down to the farm. He’s staying there overnight, out of the way.’
‘You don’t have to see me out, Leo,’ said Jonah when they were alone. ‘Though I’m glad of a moment in private. I was told you wouldn’t be here today. Otherwise I would have refused the invitation.’
She eyed him challengingly. ‘To avoid meeting up with me again?’
His mouth tightened. ‘To save you the misfortune of meeting up with me again.’
‘Since we’ve already done that it doesn’t really matter, does it?’ Leonie walked along the hall with him and opened the front door. ‘So for pity’s sake turn up tonight, Jonah, otherwise Mother—still a great fan of yours, by the way—will think I was so rude I put you off.’
‘Put like that, how can I refuse?’ he said dryly.
Leonie gazed out over the descending tiers of the garden, barely visible now in the twilight. ‘Besides,’ she said casually, ‘if you stayed away it would very obviously spoil Fenny’s evening. Which comes as rather a surprise. I know about the presents at Christmas and birthdays, and so on, but I had no idea she knew you so well in person.’
Jonah leaned against the arch of the porch, his eyes on her face. ‘When your parents heard I was developing Brockhill for the company they asked me to drop in whenever I’m in Stavely.’
‘So you’re a regular visitor?’
‘Only when I’m invited,’ he assured her.
She shrugged. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The entire family was upset when we broke up.’
‘You mean when you jilted me.’
‘Can you blame me?’ she said bitterly.
‘Damn right I do,’ he snapped. ‘You condemned me without trial.’
‘I had good reason!’
‘If this reason of yours was so good, why did you refuse to share it with me?’ he demanded with sudden savagery. ‘Or even with your parents?’
Leonie looked up into eyes that were no longer icy, but glowing with a look of such molten anger she backed away, her retreat cut off by the door he pulled closed behind her.
‘Now you’re out in the cold, just like me.’ He seized her wrists. ‘How does it feel, Leo?’
‘Let me go, Jonah,’ she ordered, teeth gritted.
‘Not until I get something straight. God knows if I’ll ever get the opportunity again.’ His eyes bored into hers. ‘You owe me an explanation, Leo.’
‘You mean it still matters to you, after all these years?’ she said scornfully. ‘I don’t believe it.’
The grip on her wrists tightened. ‘Whether you believe it or not, Leo, I want the truth at last.’
Leonie glared at him impotently, trying to free herself, but salvation appeared in the form of cars which came roaring up the drive with blaring horns and flashing headlights. Two of the cars turned off to the stable block, the other streaked along the terrace past Jonah’s car, and came to a showy stop in a spurt of gravel under the bare branches of the chestnut tree by the summerhouse.
‘The cavalry,’ drawled Jonah, and released her.
Jessamy Dysart leapt from her car and gave a screech of pleasure as she saw her sister. Leonie ran down to throw her arms round her and Jess hugged her in return, exclaiming over the surprise.
‘I thought you couldn’t make it, Leo—fantastic!’ She peered up at the man coming down the steps towards them in the half-light. ‘Is this the famous Roberto I’ve been hearing about—?’ She stopped short, her dark eyes like saucers. ‘Jonah?’
‘He’s just going,’ said Leonie swiftly.
‘Hello, Jess.’ Jonah stretched out a hand and Jess took it, looking from him to Leonie in frank speculation. ‘And goodbye,’ he added dryly. ‘I’ll see you later.’
‘You’re coming to the party?’ said Jess incredulously.
‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ he assured her. ‘I’ve promised to dance with a certain lady—wouldn’t do to disappoint her.’
Leonie shook her head in response to Jess’s look of wild enquiry. ‘He means Fenny.’
Jonah gave them a mocking bow, got in his car and backed along the terrace, pausing to allow another vehicle to turn off to the stable block before he drove out of sight down the winding drive.
‘I’ve obviously missed a bit somewhere,’ said Jess, looking stunned as they went up to the house. ‘Since when were you and Jonah Savage on speaking terms again?’
‘We’re not,’ said Leonie tersely, and explained the encounter on the train. ‘Did you know he’s been coming to Friars Wood lately?’
