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It wasn’t the first time Sonia had appeared to remind him of Elizabeth’s death and to imply it had been anything other than an accident. Actually, she never implied anything; she wasn’t that subtle. No, Sonia said exactly what she thought – that Elizabeth had been murdered. But what had troubled him most today was that it had all played out in front of the reviewer from Vacation Staycation. Despite the lowly job title, she was still part of the press and Harry knew from past experience what they could be like. He’d better go and see that this Steph had managed to persuade Sonia to leave.
He stepped out into the hall and could see Dominic standing on the front steps of the house, just as the woman was coming back inside. He noted the small exchange between them and observed that Steph looked flustered as she came through the front door, unaware he was there.
‘Fuck,’ she muttered, not quite enough under her breath. She looked up and was obviously startled to see him standing in the middle of the tiled hallway by the centrepiece flower arrangement. ‘You frightened me.’
Harry gave an apologetic smile. ‘I was just coming out to check Sonia was OK.’
‘Don’t you mean, to check Sonia had left?’
‘Both, actually. You, on the other hand, don’t seem too OK.’ He nodded in the direction of Dominic, who was still standing outside, taking the opportunity to smoke a cigarette.
She straightened up and smoothed out her hair. ‘I’m fine. And you’ll be pleased to hear, your mother-in-law is on her way back home.’
He could tell by the look she gave that she was less than impressed with the way things had been handled. ‘I’m not as heartless as you think,’ he found himself explaining. ‘I used to have a very good relationship with Sonia, but she’s taken her daughter’s death – my wife’s death – very badly. I’m in a position where I can no longer help her. She needs professional help and that’s way out of my comfort zone.’
‘When I was told I was coming here for the weekend and did my research, I was surprised that you were going to be here. It must be difficult for you too.’
Harry didn’t answer immediately. He was surprised by his reaction to this journalist’s questions. Normally, if anyone outside the family spoke about Elizabeth and her death he felt compelled to end the conversation there and then. Yet here he was, having to quell the urge to open up to her. Before he could form a response, the closing of the main door and footsteps on the tiled floor caught his attention. He looked beyond the journalist to see Dominic walking towards them, one hand casually in his trouser pocket, the other tucking his phone into his breast pocket.
‘Sorry, am I interrupting anything?’ said Dominic, a faux smile on his face. ‘I hope you’re not giving this young lady an exclusive.’ Dominic gave a tight smile in an effort to hide his annoyance, but Harry wasn’t fooled and, judging by the expression on Steph’s face, neither was she.
She gave a quick smile at Harry. ‘I’d better get back. I need to get one of those info packs before they all go.’ She glanced at Dominic and then disappeared back through the double doors and into the hubbub of the reception.
‘That was a bit unnecessary,’ Harry said. ‘I was just thanking her for seeing to Sonia.’ OK, that wasn’t quite the truth, but he didn’t need to share everything with his brother.
‘Do you know her?’
‘No. I spoke to her for the first time about ten minutes ago. Why, what’s up?’
Dominic gave a shrug. ‘Nothing, probably. I just thought she looked familiar. Stephanie Durham from Vacation Staycation?’ He looked at his brother.
‘Nope. Still doesn’t mean anything. Other than the Vacation Staycation site. They’ve got a good social-media presence – maybe you’ve seen her on Twitter or something.’
‘Maybe,’ said Dominic, not sounding convinced. ‘I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about her that’s bugging me. I might do a bit of investigating myself.’
Harry wasn’t sure he liked the tone in his brother’s voice or what might follow. ‘I really don’t think you need to worry about her,’ said Harry, surprised at his reaction. ‘She’s just a feature writer, a reviewer, that’s all.’
‘Still a journalist, and I don’t want anyone poking around looking for a story that’s not there.’
‘I think you’re overreacting. No one is interested in what happened to Elizabeth.’ He swallowed to relieve the dryness in his throat and took a breath. ‘It’s old news.’
‘Don’t underestimate anyone,’ said Dominic. ‘Especially not a pretty female.’
‘You really think there’s something to worry about?’ The thought of Elizabeth’s death being dragged into the limelight again was like a black cloud looming on the horizon. Too many bad memories of their marriage, too much doubt and too much grief for him to want to face it all over again.
‘I don’t know and I don’t like not knowing, so I intend to find out. Keep your eye on her.’
Harry suppressed the sigh that was threatening to escape. He’d forgotten what it was like to be around Dominic for any length of time. The intensity, the brooding, the second-guessing and the need to be in control was tiring.
‘Hey, what’s going on?’ Owen joined them in the hallway. He looked from one to the other and settled on Harry. ‘Was that Elizabeth’s mother I saw with you just now?’
Harry nodded. ‘She’s gone now.’
‘What was she doing here? I don’t remember anyone inviting her.’
‘Of course no one invited her,’ snapped Dominic. ‘Why the fuck would anyone do that?’
Harry couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable for his younger brother’s embarrassment at being reprimanded by Dominic. ‘Hey, it doesn’t really matter; she’s gone now and that’s that. Just forget about it.’
‘Let’s hope she doesn’t come back,’ said Dominic, his annoyance still apparent. He turned to Owen. ‘Do you know that bird from Vacation Staycation?’
Owen looked blank and shook his head. ‘What bird, as you so nicely put it?’
‘That one who took Sonia out just now.’
‘I didn’t see her. What’s her name?’
‘Stephanie Durham,’ replied Dominic. ‘Blonde hair. Wearing black trousers and a short-sleeved top.’
‘Doesn’t exactly narrow it down,’ said Owen. ‘But the name doesn’t mean anything to me. Why?’
‘It’s nothing,’ interjected Harry. ‘Dominic thinks he knows her, that’s all.’
‘Probably some bird you had a one-night stand with,’ said Owen, mimicking his brother’s expression with a degree of disdain.
‘Fuck off,’ said Dominic impatiently.
‘Gladly,’ replied Owen. ‘I don’t know about you two, but I’m going back in. Mum will have a fit if she realises we’re all out here.’
Harry stood by Dominic’s side as they watched Owen go back towards the reception room. ‘He has a point,’ Harry said.
‘Yeah, but he’s a little prick at times.’
‘Go easy on him, Dom. You don’t give him enough credit at times.’
‘Well, he is a little prick. It’s all right for you, you don’t have to see him practically every day of your life. You don’t always have to be looking out for him, making sure he’s not fucking things up.’
‘Is that why you won’t give him any more responsibility?’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Like let him go ahead with the outdoor-adventure thing he wants to do.’
‘Jesus! You’ve only been back a couple of days and he’s already been getting at you about that.’
‘We were just talking, that’s all. I asked him what he was up to and he told me about his idea. I personally think it sounds a great idea and will definitely draw a different demographic of guests in. One we’ve possibly not explored before. People want adventure but they want it in a safe environment. It would be good for Owen too – you know, give him something else to keep him busy.’
Dominic pursed his lips before speaking. ‘Look, it’s a great idea and I think it would work, but Owen isn’t up to it.’
Harry winced. He had a feeling he knew what was coming next but he obliged with the question, ‘Why’s that?’
‘He’s not clean. He may have given up the booze, the gambling, the fags, but you know Owen, always got to have some vice. I wasn’t going to say anything, what with you being in France, and I haven’t, of course, said anything to Mum, but he’s been doing drugs. Coke, to be exact.’
Harry blew out a long breath, resting his hands on his hips. ‘You sure about that?’ He had wanted to believe Owen when he said the drugs in his baccy pouch weren’t his, but it wouldn’t be the first time his younger brother had lied about his addictions.
‘I caught him doing it. In the stables.’
‘What an idiot. Kind of makes the gambling seem small-fry now.’
‘Doesn’t it just? That’s the reason I won’t agree to the outward-bound thing. He’s got to get his head together, and fast. I can’t keep it from Mum forever but, with the way things are for her health-wise, I don’t want that little shit upsetting her.’
‘You need to tell him about Mum.’
‘No. I don’t. I can’t trust him. He won’t be able to cope and he’ll be no good to Mum.’
‘But giving him an incentive might make him sort himself out.’
‘Are you for real? He’s got an addiction. He can’t sort himself out. If it’s not coke it will be something else.’
‘Then let it be something else. Something not so harmful. Get him the help he needs.’
‘I’m through with babysitting him all the time. Making excuses. Taking responsibility for him. That’s why he’s like he is. He’s a baby. Never grown up. Always got someone else digging him out of shit.’
‘But giving him responsibility might be the making of him. Instead of treating him like the baby of the family, treat him like an equal.’
‘He’s got the stables. It’s not as if he has nothing to do.’
‘And he makes a good job of that. Let him take on more.’
‘Just shows how out of touch you are, Harry. I have to double-check everything he does over there. He doesn’t know but I’m always checking up on him, making sure he’s got the staff rota sorted, the hours covered, timesheets in, up-to-date with the vets and everything else that goes with running a stable. I can’t trust him. He needs to prove to me he can be trusted.’
‘Not that you’re a control freak or anything.’ Harry knew his brother liked to be in charge, but even by Dominic’s standards this seemed a little over the top.
‘I’m not just talking about work, though. That’s just the tip of it. What I mean is, the sooner he takes responsibility for himself, the sooner he’ll make something of himself. And don’t look at me like that; you’re just as bad as Mum. He needs tough love.’
‘You sound like Dad.’
‘Maybe that’s not such a bad thing at times.’ With that Dominic strode off back into the reception room, leaving Harry brooding over the predicament. He knew Dominic was right about a lot of things but he didn’t agree that leaving Owen to fend for himself and shutting him out of stuff was the way to go about it. And as for Dominic’s assertion that being like their father wasn’t a bad thing, well, Harry certainly didn’t agree with that.
Dominic halted at the doorway and came back over to Harry. ‘You must have a short memory. Remember the shitstorm he caused before?’
Harry’s chest tightened as he looked his brother in the eye. How could anyone forget that? Although Dominic was being rather magnanimous, as it had been Elizabeth who had been the catalyst of that shitstorm with her scheming to try to get what she wanted. All the same, he was taken aback that Dominic would bring it up. It was an unwritten agreement in the Sinclair household. No one spoke about that. Until now, it seemed. ‘Why bring that up now?’ Harry managed to say with a degree of control.
‘Because Owen is a liability and I need to make sure he doesn’t get out of control again. I know you don’t like talking about it, but what Elizabeth did to him just goes to show how susceptible he is. He’s a weak man and no one, least of all you, wants that episode dragged up again. So, when I say keep an eye on that journalist and keep Owen under control, it’s with good reason. It may not be so easy this time to keep our personal business out of the spotlight.’
Harry felt the old familiar feeling of irritation wash over him. Dominic could be dogmatic at times. Once he got an idea into his head, it was hard to get him to see it any other way. Now he had a bee in his bonnet about Steph and was trying to manipulate Harry’s thinking by dragging up the past. Harry sighed. This time he didn’t have the luxury of France for an escape.
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